Frank DiGirolamo feels that Operation Nightwatch volunteers and staff members are walking in founder Bud Palmberg’s footsteps.

Longtime Mercer Island resident Palmberg, who passed away in 2019, founded the homelessness outreach organization in 1967 to help feed, comfort and locate housing for people in need on the streets of Seattle.

DiGirolamo serves as deacon at St. Monica Catholic Church on the Island and stepped into the role of executive director of Operation Nightwatch on May 1. Former executive director Rev. Rick Reynolds retired on June 1 after 28 years with the organization.

Operation Nightwatch’s new executive director has attended services at St. Monica for more than 20 years and became the parish’s deacon 10 years ago. DiGirolamo, who will still serve as St. Monica’s deacon, began contributing to Operation Nightwatch’s ministry of presence in Seattle as a volunteer in 2013.

DiGirolamo glanced across the lunch table at Palmberg’s widow, Donna, on a recent day at Covenant Living at the Shores on Mercer Island and discussed the importance of Operation Nightwatch.

He said a paramount aspect of the organization’s mission to help people in need is, “Seeing them and acknowledging them and being able to listen to them. Walk with them briefly and remind them that they are loved even in the face of a difficult circumstance.”

As Donna nodded her head in agreement, DiGirolamo added: “Don’t ever lose sight of the fact that concerned family members encourage this going out to seek and to find someone who’s lost in some way.”

A plethora of Mercer Islanders have volunteered with Operation Nightwatch during its 55-year existence, said Reynolds, who noted that the organization has forged strong relationships with the Island’s Rotary Club and the Shores and St. Monica communities.

Reynolds began volunteering with Operation Nightwatch in 1981 and took the executive director’s reins from Rev. Norm Riggins in 1994. Bud named Riggins the organization’s first executive director in 1976 and Riggins suggested that Reynolds look into replacing him.

One of the elements that drew Reynolds to Operation Nightwatch was its non-judgemental approach when interacting with people in a tough situation.

“We’re just being friends with people and loving them and try to come alongside them and walk with them and help,” Reynolds said. “One of the things that I’ve learned is homeless people can be amazing people, they’re just like everybody else.”

He’s seen people experience a spiritual moment, piece their lives back together and recover.

“There’s nobody beyond hope. If they’re still alive, there’s still hope,” said Reynolds, noting that he feels that at least two ways to aid the homeless are treatment on demand for people with addiction disorders and affordable housing.

The seeds for Operation Nightwatch were sown not long after Donna and Bud arrived on Mercer Island in 1967 from Kewanee, Illinios. Bud, who became pastor at Mercer Island Covenant Church — which is now Evergreen Covenant Church — first walked the streets of Seattle looking for a missing University of Washington student and continued doing so with other pastors to help runaways, homeless people and others.

“It was just a matter of being there to help people if they wanted to. They could avoid them if they saw that clergy collar or they could go after it and get some help,” said Donna, who has lived at the Shores for the last 18 years.

She’s thrilled that Bud’s organization has made a long-lasting impact on others with people like Reynolds and DiGirolamo leading the way.