Commitment to Community: Chico couple volunteers, supports True North mission and Howard Slater Navigation Center
Volunteers Mary and Len Matheson embody commitment to community service and uplifting others
A group of volunteers from Bidwell Presbyterian Church, including Mary and Len Matheson (far right). They painted the Torres Shelter lobby, dining hall, and meeting room in October.
Chicoans Mary and Len Matheson have not only joined the cause to build the Howard Slater Navigation Center, but the couple have dedicated themselves to supporting efforts at True North to give back for many years.
The Mathesons have always made it a priority to settle down in communities where they could give back. When the couple visited family in Chico before moving here in 2018, they would volunteer with their daughter to serve dinner at the Torres Shelter, Mary said, which was always a memorable, enjoyable experience.
Once the couple was settled in Chico, Mary mentioned the Torres Shelter at a gathering of friends at Bidwell Presbyterian Church and shared her strong desire to coordinate acts of service for the community. Everyone was on board. Bidwell Presbyterian began regularly serving dinners at the shelter, and Mary spearheaded other projects as part of her participation in Bidwell Presbyterian's mission team.
As just a few recent examples, in October 2024, Mary and Len arrived with a volunteer group of church members of all ages and painted the walls of the shelter with a fresh coat of paint, breathing new life into the space for the guests. Then in December 2024, Mary invited True North to participate in Bidwell Presbyterian Church’s Alternative Gift Fair. At the fair, which is an annual in-person and online event, attendees make donations to local nonprofits in honor of their loved ones, giving back to the community and surprising their families with a unique gift in December.
In their work outside the church, Len and Mary have continued to support True North by attending annual fundraisers, like Empty Bowls, and donating to and pledging their support for the Howard Slater Navigation Center. They also support several other local organizations and causes, including North Valley Community Foundation, Safe Space Chico, and Chico Housing Action Team.
“It is in our hearts. It comes from our spiritual sense of what we've been given but also because of what we believe. We follow God’s commandment to us all: Love God with all your heart and mind. Secondly, love your neighbors (no matter whom) as you do yourself.” - Mary Matheson
We are currently fundraising to build the Howard Slater Navigation Center and have raised $1.9 million of our $2.5 million capital campaign goal. This groundbreaking center will empower us to serve approximately 90% of the known unhoused population in Butte County annually and house over 250 people per year by focusing on homelessness prevention, rapid rehousing and early intervention services to stop the cycle of homelessness before it begins!
“We believe the Navigation Center is going to provide provisions in a complete way—it’s looking at the total person and not just providing a place to sleep and a place to eat. It’s focused on, ‘What can we do to change your life so you can begin life anew, have a home of your own and have a job that makes you an independent person, and that you can feel proud of who you are?’ We believe that the Navigation Center is going to allow expansion into those values and goals.” - Mary Matheson
We are so thankful for the Mathesons and for Mary and Len’s passion for giving back and their inspiring support for folks in need in our community. Their dedication to our cause is what makes projects like the Navigation Center—and the critical expansion of our services to reach even more people—possible!
We are seeking additional community support to fully fund the Howard Slater Navigation Center via donations and ambassadors who are interested in hosting events to support the Navigation Center. For more information about becoming an ambassador and to donate go to our Navigation Center webpage.