5 questions with Douglas Shaffer
The Rev. Douglas Shaffer is assistant pastor at White Rock Community Church and the administrator for the church’s White Rock Friends program, an outreach to people with HIV. He also works as office manager for P.F. Chang’s China Bistro.
How did you become administrator for White Rock Friends ?
I used to be an Assemblies of God minister about 20 years ago, when I was right out of college. I moved to Dallas from Iowa about five years ago and started attending White Rock Community Church. Then I began volunteering with Friends, and eventually I moved on to the church’s board of deacons. As they were structuring the new position of associate pastor, I sort of grew into that position, and being administrator for White Rock Friends is part of the duties of associate pastor.
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| Douglas Shaffer |
What does White Rock Friends do?
We operate a general store on the first three Tuesdays and first three Saturdays of the month. We also offer hot meals on Saturdays when we are open. We have a pretty active clothes closet open on the first and third Saturdays. One of the neatest things we do is help our clients with dog and cat food and cat litter, so they can afford to keep their pets.
How did White Rock Friends start?
The organization originated in 1992 in response to the needs of church members. We had a lot of members who had AIDS, and who were dying with AIDS. But what began as an outreach to our members grew into an outreach to the greater community.
Who helps you run White Rock Friends?
I am the only paid staff member. All the others are volunteers. We have about 375 volunteer hours a month, and serve about 300 clients each month. We have about 1,000 active clients.
How do you manage your two jobs and a personal life.?
I am blessed to have a lot of flexibility in my hours at P.F. Chang’s. I work seven days a week, but it works out. I am also blessed to have a partner, Daniel Montelongo, who is equally committed to the things I am involved in. He oversees the hot meals program for Friends.