Laura Van Alstine

Laura is the Director of the Bad Weather Shelter (BWS) for Friends in Deed. She has previously been involved with the BWS for well over 20 years, the first few years as a volunteer with her church, and then on staff for the remainder of the time. Laura’s “day” job over the past 30 years and counting is in advertising. This industry has allowed her the means to raise her children as a single mom, but her passion has always been with helping people which is why she is so drawn to the BWS.

In addition to working at the BWS, Laura also spent many years travelling to Tijuana with her church to build houses for people in need, has fundraised and travelled to Ghana twice to work and help out at a school there and has worked at various food pantries. To this day, she has a lot of “bonus” kids who call her mom and she has opened her home over the years to her children’s friends, many of them foster youth, that were in need of comfort and a listening ear, a safe place to stay or a judgment free zone where they could relax and be themselves.

In her spare time Laura enjoys traveling to anywhere that there is sun and a beach, binge watching TV shows and most importantly spending time with her family and her grandchildren!