The Case for Soul Care

Every day, outreach workers, community organizers, chaplains, and volunteers carry stories that weigh heavy — holding hope, loss, crisis, and change for others.

Yet too often, those who tend everyone else have nowhere to turn when they need tending. 

A chaplaincy for the social sector and helping professions.

We tend to the interior lives of those who hold so much:

• One-on-one soul care and spiritual direction
• Quiet, restorative retreats for teams and individuals
• Partnerships with community-based organizations to create cultures of care

 Because burnout drives good people away — and most community-based organizations do not have dedicated resources to care for the people doing the caring.

• 75% of frontline helpers experience burnout in their careers.
• 67% consider leaving the field for more sustainable work.
• Most small nonprofits have no budget line for staff or volunteer well-being.
  

 Scholarships make rest and renewal possible when cost would otherwise be a barrier. 

"I came to Stephen thinking all I wanted was to vent, but I came away realizing our conversations did so much more. He armed me with the basic skills of discernment, forcing me to become comfortable with the idea of just sitting in thought. After them, I yearn to find time to sit by the river and allow my thoughts and emotions to flow in silence."

"His honesty and vulnerability during our conversations creates an environment where it’s easy to just talk and be heard."
— Peace Corps Volunteer , Lesotho Africa

"As a person in the helping profession, I have found myself on multiple occasions spiritually sitting at a crossroads, lost, burned out, and uncertain of where to go from there. Soul Care has walked with me each time. Allowing me the space to feel unraveled while helping me piece it back together- making meaning of it all and embracing peace of what may come next. "

"If it weren’t for their scholarship program, I’d most likely still be lost and uncertain of the road ahead of me. They have made it accessible to folks in my similar situation, who may not be able to have the opportunity otherwise to receive this kind of gentle care. I can’t express enough how needed it is for those of us in the helping profession, and thankfully, the team at Soul Care recognizes that and is stepping in to fill this gap. "

 — Resident Services Case Manager, Portland Oregon