About Sparrow
Strengthening families. Building community. Showing God's value for people.
To strengthen families into health, build transformational communities, and demonstrate the value God has for people by fostering environments where individuals thrive.
Our story
In 2016, Andrew Wenger — a leader at The Hive Church in Corvallis — had a dream. In it, a single-wide home had been purchased and restored for a family in crisis, and a church community surrounded them with friendship, coaching, and wraparound care. That dream became Sparrow.
The first participant — a single mom in crisis, expecting her third child — came to his church community, and the church rallied to purchase and restore a trailer, just as Andrew had dreamed. In 2021, Sparrow was formally incorporated as a nonprofit.
Today, through a grant from the State of Oregon, Sparrow owns Twin Oaks Community in South Corvallis and runs the LifeChange Program — walking families facing homelessness toward lasting transformation.
What's in the name
In Matthew 10, Jesus points to the sparrow — the cheapest bird in the market, easily overlooked — as evidence that not one of them falls apart from the Father's notice. "You are worth more than many sparrows." We exist for the people the world tends to overlook. Every person carries immeasurable worth — not because of what they've accomplished, but because of who made them.
"Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars, O LORD of hosts." — Psalm 84:3
What we value
Eight commitments that shape how we show up for every person we serve.
We Are Responsive to Our Faith
Sparrow is a faith-based nonprofit founded on the truth of Scripture and shaped by the person of Jesus Christ. Our beliefs form the foundation of our work, not the edges. We pray over what we build, because we want Sparrow to reflect God’s priorities, culture, and timing.
We See People the Way God Sees Them
Every person is made in the image of God — beloved, purposeful, and of infinite worth. We hold a vision of who they are and treat them accordingly, because people often grow into the identity they are given. We do not define people by their struggles, diagnoses, crises, or past.
We Are Hope-FULL People
Our hope is not rooted in circumstances — it is rooted in God. We hold hope for people until they can begin to carry it themselves. Our programs are designed to awaken life, not just stabilize crisis.
We Make Room for Transformation
Lasting transformation is whole-person, and rarely fast or linear. We walk with people through a process — not just a program — with support tailored to the individual. We invite people into the choice of transformation, knowing real change must be chosen, not forced.
We Rebuild Family and Community
Homelessness is rarely just a housing problem — it is often the unraveling of healthy family and community. We work to wrap those in our care in healthy community, and to help restore families themselves.
We Learn as Much as We Give
We don’t arrive as the people who have it figured out. The individuals and families we serve bring wisdom, resilience, and perspective that Sparrow genuinely needs. We stay curious, ask before we assume, and hold our expertise loosely.
We Are Stewards
We are stewards, not owners. We manage finances carefully and transparently, hold people’s stories with discretion, and build systems that reflect the weight of our responsibility. We also teach stewardship to those we serve.
We Pursue Partnership
Our approach to partnership is relational, not transactional. We do not pursue donors, churches, or community members primarily as sources of funding — we pursue relationship. Partnerships are built on shared mission, mutual respect, clear communication, integrity, and long-term trust.
Our faith
We believe lasting transformation happens in community, and that every person is valuable to God — created in His image, with inherent worth. Our faith in Jesus shapes and guides us as we serve those around us.
Our team
The people walking alongside families every day.
Andrew Wenger
Founder & Executive Director
Shelly Wenger
Director of LifeChange Programs
Susanna
Operations Manager
Bethany
Partnerships Coordinator
Audrey
Resident Services & Family Support Coordinator
Teresa
Bookkeeper
Lindy
Twin Oaks Caretaker
Raymond
Twin Oaks Groundskeeper
Join the work of restoration
However you're able — give, volunteer, or partner — you help families find hope.