VIP interim director excited about work being done for annual bed race

Malinda Shamburger says the ability to keep families together and the way it’s done sets Valley Interfaith Promise apart from other local agencies aiding the homeless.

For homeless families, the nonprofit organization provides temporary shelter, meals and support services with the assistance of local churches, volunteers and agencies.

Gaining full-time employment and permanent housing is the goal.

“Not just any job, but a job which will provide a good living for the family,” said Shamburger, currently serving as interim director of VIP. “We want to end the cycle of having to go from one job to another.”

Shamburger said anyone can fall on hard times. “Some of the people we work with are employed, but they are underemployed. They may just not have been able to pay their bills for a number of reasons.”

She said Columbus is good at providing help for the homeless, but other shelters are not designed for families — a father, mother and children —to live together.

“We are dedicated to keeping families together,” she said. “It is very important that a family has some continuity. There can be a lot of stress during a job search, and we want to alleviate some of that stress,” she said.

While its headquarters on Third Avenue in Columbus provide a place to shower, do laundry, eat and rest, the families reside and are fed at one of 17 churches involved in the program.

Those 17 churches are: First Presbyterian Church, Evangel Temple Assembly of God, First Baptist of Columbus, St. Thomas Episcopal Church, St. Luke United Methodist Church, Greater Mount Zion Baptist of Phenix City, St. Matthew Lutheran Church, Lakewood Baptist Church of Phenix City, St. Mark United Methodist Church, Pierce Chapel, Rose Hill Church of Christ, Trinity Episcopal Church, Morningside Baptist Church, St. Peter United Methodist Church, Summerville United Methodist Church in Phenix City, First Baptist Church of Phenix City and Rock Presbyterian.

“We don’t need a huge budget, because our congregations carry so much of the load,” VIP board chairman Chris Scoggins said.

But funds are needed. The biggest fundraiser is the VIP Bed Race, which will take place for the ninth time Saturday, with festivities beginning at 10 a.m. followed by a parade and race at 11 a.m. The course is a straight run on 14th Street from First Avenue to Broadway, about 150 yards.

Teams of five from local churches, schools and businesses construct an actual bed on wheels and decorate it with a theme. Each teams raises money to compete for the merit award. There is music and food for those in attendance.

“Just lots of fun,” Shamburger said.

Scoggins said there is currently a big focus on homelessness in Columbus.

“We are a smaller organization, but we do meaningful work,” Scoggins said. “Most shelters are set up to take men or women. What about a mother with a 16-year-old son? Is there a place for them?”

Shamburger said director Daniel Mitchell left for another position in November. She has officially been serving as interim since January. Before that, she was a case manager with VIP. She has been involved with the organization, beginning as a volunteer, since its start here in 2006.

“I have always had a passion for the poor,” she said. “My church, St. Thomas Episcopal, was one of the first to come on board.”

Shamburger, 52, was born at Fort Benning but spent of much her childhood elsewhere, particularly Missouri. A Columbus State University graduate, she worked about 20 years for BellSouth here then for AFNI in Opelika, Ala. She is now working for VIP full-time.

Scoggins said the board has been pleased with Shamburger’s work, and search committee members are doing their due diligence in finding the next director.

“I get a lot of satisfaction in what I am doing right now,” said Shamburger. “We love building relationships with the families we serve.”

This story was originally published February 24, 2017 at 5:00 PM with the headline "VIP interim director excited about work being done for annual bed race."