homelessness

Every once in a while we like to highlight an agency that is doing much needed work in the community. Because of winter and the increased shelter needs it causes, today's highlight is Albany Helping Hands. 

Albany Helping Hands is a homeless shelter that can also be utilized by anyone as a warming center or severe weather shelter. It is located at 619 9th Street in Albany and serves meals are served every day:

Project Homeless Connect, one of the Vancouver-area's best temporary opportunities to access homeless services, is coming up. Please share far and wide and mark your calendars. 

One of the main events of the year is coming up. Information and services are available for dozens of services at Project Homeless Connect. Share this post to anyone you think might benefit or would be willing to volunteer. 

From our very good friends at Communtiy Action:

COMMUNITY RESOURCE ORIENTATION
OFFERED WEEKLY!

This no cost (free) weekly orientation session provides those who attend with valuable information that will increase their understanding and knowledge of community resources currently available in Washington County. Please note: This meeting does not provide access to rental assistance funds.

Last week, I had the pleasure of meeting the Rev. Duane Sich at his church. I’ll call it a church. It is definitely a house of worship – and it’s a place where people participate in woodworking projects. The space is a cavernous Vancouver warehouse. Originally a potato chip factory in the 1940s, it fell into Sich’s hands seven years ago.

Ever heard of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act? It's been around since 1987 to ensure that homeless students are provided a free, appropriate public education despite lack of a fixed place of residence or a supervising parent. Under the law, referred to as Title X, every school district in Oregon must designate a liaison for children and youth experiencing homelessness.

Open our eyes and open our ears. That was the first call to action issued by Paul Schroeder of the New City Initiative at JOIN during the second annual Day of Homelessness Awareness on Tuesday.

As a large group of people walked in partial silence through the streets of downtown Portland, my eyes and ears were open to the stark contrast between this event and the headline-stealing Occupy Portland movement. And although this walk will receive a fraction of the news coverage, I’m reminded that still waters run deep.

I spent part of my morning yesterday visiting the Portland Rescue Mission website. I was curious to learn more about them after a co-worker mentioned the Mission’s extensive addiction treatment programs. I had always just assumed that what the Mission offered was a hot meal and a bed to Portland’s homeless population. I was totally off base.

I've spent more time out in the field recently, becoming more familiar with the work of Transition Projects Inc. (TPI). The transition part of the agency name refers to their primary mission to help people make the transition to becoming and staying housed. And for Portland residents making this difficult transition, the opening of the Bud Clark Commons signifies an exciting development.

In any given day, 3,467 people in Lane County are without a permanent place to call home. On March 17th, 1,596 people in the midst of their own personal housing crisis, showed up for the 5th Annual Lane County Project Homeless Connect community event.