South Oakland Shelter (SOS)

We’re breaking the cycle of homelessness, one person at a time

South Oakland Shelter is a moveable homeless shelter for individuals who are seeking work or are currently employed and within weeks or days of having earned their way off the streets. The South Oakland Shelter is sponsored by churches, synagogues and businesses of South Oakland County, Michigan, working together with local service agencies.

SOS opened in 1986 and housed 73 individuals that first year for a total of 126 nights.  SOS has broadened its horizons since that time, and in 2001/2002 it provided food, shelter, transportation and counseling to 431 people at 53 different host sites and stayed open all 365 days of the year.

St. Stephen’s was one of the first churches to join the SOS host-site outreach network. We have hosted SOS guests since the late 1980’s.  Marge Dillon was instrumental in getting the Vestry and parish to accept SOS as an Outreach ministry, and she served as the SOS coordinator for many years.  Marge fondly remembers her outreach to the SOS guests which included:

• Bedding guests in the hallways so that no one was turned away
• Sharing a special Thanksgiving day and dinner
• Seeing a St. Stephen’s family ‘adopt’ a guest and provide help and support for many years
• Sharing the Christmas joy complete with Santa Claus
• Having a former SOS guest return to St. Stephen’s to volunteer his time and talent on behalf of another group of SOS guests

In addition to providing overnight shelter, St. Stephen’s serves breakfast and dinner, packs sack lunches, provides transportation to jobs, launders towels and linens, offers companionship during the evenings, and shows the love of Christ to a group of people working to improve their life situation.

This program requires over 100 volunteers annually, and, in 2004, over 200 St. Stephen’s volunteers logged over 1020 volunteer hours!  We have something for everyone!

• Culinary experts can participate in the preparation and/or serving of delicious appetizers, dinners and snacks for the guests
• Late night enthusiasts can be a part of a night security team running from 9:30 pm to 6 am
• Early risers whip up the finest breakfast in town from 5:00 am to 7:00 am
• For those who yearn for the open road, transportation duty is for you! Morning shifts to various area employment destinations or early-evening shifts from SOS in Royal Oak are available.
• If a little early evening socializing interests you, why not join us for dinner and mingle with the guests?

SOS will next be hosted at St. Stephen’s

October 21 - October 28, 2007
For more information, email the St. Stephen's SOS Coordinator

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart… it is the Lord Christ you are serving.”
- Colossians 3:23-24

This page last updated: 06/01/2007