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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!
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