Testimonials
Ruth Kading (NUCC Trustee)
This testimonial is from Ruth Kading - a Trustee at Northshore United Church of Christ - regarding NUCC's experience hosting Camp United We Stand.
Hosting homeless camps is an important ministry and mission of NUCC. Since 2004 we have hosted several homeless camps. We had the pleasure of hosting Camp United We Stand from April 10 to August 1, 2026.
NUCC created a joint Oversight Committee including both NUCC members and the CUWS Executive Committee. They met regularly to discuss needs, concerns and problems. While I was not on the oversight committee, I did interact regularly with residents in person, by text and by phone.
CUWS invited me and the NUCC oversight committee chair to their monthly board meetings, where we learned what they were working on, received updates, and gave them our feedback.
NUCC had very few asks of the camp, all of which were followed (for example - where to park cars, to monitor hose connections for leaks, and that smokers use the provided ashtray).
CUWS is self-managed. Their executive committee members were visible around the camp area and regularly patrolled the property. They were available to provide information and answer questions. The residents kept the camp area neat and orderly. They cleaned our entire parking lot - not just the part they used.
CUWS asked very little of us during their stay. They asked to borrow some tools and batteries and were very considerate in returning or replacing them promptly.
While the decision to host Camp United We Stand in the future is a decision for the entire NUCC congregation to make, I would gladly welcome them.
Jordan's Testimonial
My name is Jordan. Three and a half years ago, I arrived at Camp United We Stand (CUWS) with nothing. A personal crisis had led to me losing my home, and I was navigating the darkest and most difficult period of my life.
I arrived at camp a boy, broken by my circumstances and expecting only shelter. But instead of a handout, the community offered me a path to becoming a man. I was surrounded by people, primarily elderly residents and veterans, who understood struggle but refused to be defined by it. They didn't just offer sympathy; they offered responsibility. I went from being a resident to being a part of an elected leadership committee, entrusted to help manage the daily life and survival of our 30-person encampment.
That trust changed everything. The camp provided constant opportunities through hardship and community to test and strengthen my character. I found myself mediating disputes, organizing meetings, and managing the immense physical logistics of moving our community every 90 days. In that work, I also solidified my faith, going from a scattered, broken individual to a confident and steady follower of Christ. By ensuring our community was safe and heard, I rediscovered the mature, responsible adult I was meant to be.
The camp didn't just save my life; it gave me a new one. It was from my tent at CUWS that I enrolled in college, and it was the stability and self-worth I learned there that allowed me to make the honors list. The discipline and sense of purpose I regained at CUWS are the primary reasons I am now enlisting in the Washington Army National Guard.
Camp United We Stand is proof that a community can do more than just house people—it can restore them. It restored my pride, my discipline, and my belief in a future. For that, I am eternally grateful.
God Bless this camp, and everyone involved.