Friends of the Carpenter was incorporated in Vancouver, WA on October 26, 1998 and received 501-c-3, IRS non-profit status in March of 1999. Rev. Duane L. Sich is the organization's Executive Director and serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors. Friends of the Carpenter began as a vision of a practical outreach of simple welcome and personal interaction between volunteers from the church and the poor. First Presbyterian Church, where Rev. Sich served as Associate Pastor for 28 years, granted him a six-month sabbatical to do research and if the way be clear, establish this new ministry. The initial workspace began in the Sich's home, using a spare bedroom as the FOC office and the 3 rd bay of the garage and Duane's tools as the original woodwork shop. Since the beginning, regular contact has been made with the homeless and poor persons of our community through the woodworking events scheduled at Share House Men's Emergency Shelter, events held at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, and at the Friendship Center. Later, First United Methodist Church allowed FOC to use two unused basement classrooms for office space. Within the first few years, Salvation Army allowed FOC approximately 200 sq. ft. of warehouse storage space for wood material storage. Later, Joel Scott donated an approximate 1,000 sq. ft. warehouse storage space. Bluebird/Allied Storage then welcomed FOC into their storage space - an upgrade to nearly 2,000 sq. ft. Then Wilf Zilke, a Board Member, donated a 3,000 sq. ft. private warehouse storage space which gave FOC the ability to establish a workshop in the same space as the wood storage. What a God-Send! In 2004, Jack & Jane Artz made a major donation which allowed FOC to purchase the current Friendship Center consisting of 18,000 sq. ft., including a 5 room office complex, which was dedicated on May 2nd, 2004 and continues to be our home! Until this time, like those we serve, FOC was essentially homeless as well, which gave ample empathy and example of how having support from friends and a home can make ALL THE DIFFERENCE. Thanks Be To God!