FOB Hope is an organization that is devoted to providing care and assistance to unhoused veterans. Initially they opened and operated the Veterans Village where vets could live and receive services until more permanent housing could be found. Recently, their funding from the city of Tacoma was stopped, so the Veterans Village had to shut down. Now, the vets are dispersed among several encampments with other unhoused folks. Tammy Creley, Managing Director of FOB Hope, now distributes food, clothing, and other necessities to vets in encampments throughout the wider Tacoma area.
Christ Church has supported FOB Hope from their inception in Tacoma, by providing monthly hot dinners to those living at the Veterans Village, by ad-hoc clothing and other donations as needed. Currently we are providing between 60-70 food packs each month for Tammy to distribute. Additionally, using our outreach funds plus a grant we were awarded, plus donations from all of you, we were able to give them sleeping bags and tents. We donated a large basket filled with Mariners goodies to their fundraiser – and it generated the 2nd highest bid amount!
At their fundraiser on Oct 25, Tammy honored Christ Church by awarding us their Challenge Coin for 2025. FOB Hope awards this each year to an organization or individual to show appreciation for support. I was thrilled to accept this on behalf of Christ Church.
For those who are not familiar with military Challenge Coins, I share this from Google:
Military challenge coins are medallions that represent a unit’s identity, shared experiences, and solidarity. Historically a military tradition, they are used to recognize achievement, boost morale, and commemorate events. While primarily a U.S. military practice, the tradition has been adopted by other organizations, including law enforcement, fire departments, and veteran groups.
