For the past several years, Oak Hill United Methodist Church has opened its doors to the unsheltered each week and other times throughout the year. Under the direction of Vicki Matustik, OHUMC Director of Connections and Service, the unsheltered receive a meal, showers, clothing and a respite from weather conditions. 

The doors open each Monday year-round; daily, during 100-plus degree summer days; and on nights when the temperatures drop below freezing. Guests truly appreciate the services offered, but both guests and volunteers say the best part of the gatherings is get a chance to talk to each other, become friends, and build a sense of community. This is the true benefit for all involved, Vicki says. 

The church serves up to 15 unsheltered weekly; more during the Cooling Centers on miserable summer days; and up to 50 each night during Freeze Night shelters. She also coordinates the feeding of the individuals at Camp Esperanza, a transitional housing program; Sunrise Homeless Navigation Center; and at Foundation Communities’ low-income housing complexes, serving more than 500 monthly. “We’ve been doing the freeze shelters for about seven years,” Vicki said. “When the temperatures get cold, we open the doors and let people come in.” 

While the City does a good job helping those during times when the weather is freezing, Vicki said, the church’s shelter location in the Austin suburbs helps fill an unintended gap. The shelter is a result of the efforts of the Oak Hill Community Alliance, a collection of Southwest Austin churches, that Vicki helped establish and still coordinates. Vicki’s efforts have brought in volunteers from inside Oak Hill UMC and from within the community. One couple from the community prepares a meal for the Monday guests once a month. Another couple brought furniture to another outreach ministry coordinated by Vicki; helped prepare meals for Mondays; then joined the church. A churchgoer, Frank Morgan, got connected preparing meals for the Freeze Night Shelter and brought along his 11-year-old granddaughter to begin her volunteering journey. 

“I think this has really made a good impression on her, you know, seeing things that most people don’t see,” Frank said. “She really wanted to help.” Frank now comes on Mondays to be a friendly face and do what’s needed. Helping those in need isn’t just a job for Vicki, but a calling. “I realized that maybe this was something that had been buried inside me that I was meant to do, so to get a chance to do it is such a gift,” Vicki said. She believes that there is something remarkable inside all of us if we can find the place where we shine. “All of us have an opportunity to be remarkable in that way…if everybody found that spark, we could make a big difference.” 

Oak Hill UMC Senior Pastor Stephen Sanders sees the difference Vicki makes in people’s lives. “Vicki’s enthusiasm for service is both infectious and inspiring,” Sanders said. “She embodies the spirit of helping others unconditionally. I know of no one more deserving of this honor.”

 Story contributed by Vicki’s husband David Matustik, thank you David!