Christmas at the Dayshelters

There are a number of events taking place for our local homeless folks before Christmas. You can participate or donate to our day shelters!

Saturday December 17—Good News Clinic Christmas at Anawim

There will be Christmas carols, a musical quartet, worship and presents for the homeless, as well as a special meal. 11am-2pm.

Saturday December 24—Christmas Eve at Anawim

A special meal, worship service, and donated meals and presents from the community!

Do you want to participate?

Bring Christmas treats!

You can donate:

Canned food

Socks

Warm clothes (especially men's sizes)

Hand warmers

Sleeping bag liners (like this)

If you would like to give special gifts, donations or food to the homeless, here are the locations and times of the day shelters:

,
Mondays: First Baptist of Gresham, 224 W Powell Ave. Gresham, 1:30-6:30pm
Tuesdays: St. Henry's Catholic Church, 346 NW 1st St. Gresham, 1-6pm
Wednesdays: Anawim Christian Community, 19626 NE Glisan, Gresham, 1-8pm
Thursdays: East Hill Four Square, 701 N Main St. Gresham, 1-6pm
Fridays: Anawim Christian Community, 2-5pm
Saturdays: Anawim Christian Community 11am-3pm

(Please drop off larger donations to Anawim Tues, Wed, Fri, Sat.)

MAPP Provides Breakfast and Free Music Class for Youth

This coming Saturday has free food and music for youth at Montavilla United Methodist Church!

For any youth 14 and under, there will be a free breakfast at 9am and an Insta-Musical Theatre!

Day will include singing, acting, dancing, staging, costumes and musical fun galore! No experience needed, just bring your enthusiasm and your energy!

The free class begins at 10 and will continue to 12:30.

If you have any questions, please contact Montavilla Methodist at 503 254 5529.

Class is held at: 232 SE 80th Avenue Portland

For more information on MAPP, http://www.mappmusic.org/

Ride Connection

Ride Connection is a service in Multnomah County that offers rides to older adults or persons with disabilities.

All Ride Connection services are provided by staff and volunteers who have gone through our comprehensive screening and training program.

Services offered include:

• Information about transportation services in the region.
• Assistance planning your trip using public transportation.
• Travel training on how to use public transportation through the RideWise program.
• Neighborhood shuttles to local destinations.
• Door to door transportation.

Our friendly Customer Service Representatives will be happy to assist you in determining which services best meet your transpotation needs. please call our Service Center Monday through Friday between 7:30 am and 6:00 pm at 503-226-0700.

The first time you call, you will need to register by answering a few easy questions.

http://www.rideconnection.org

The Salvation Army After School Program

The Salvation Army Gresham Youth Center's after school program opened in fall of 2009. The center offers quality, safe, supervised activities for up to 40 students (grades1-6) after school (2:30-6:00pm).

Homework Club: Adult mentors are available to assist kids with homework as needed. All children start with required homework before recreation.

Computer Lab: Computers and printer are available to assist children in research and computer skills.

Music School:Private and group lessons are available in piano, brass, guitar, choir, and creative arts (no additional costs).

Recreation and Crafts: Daily games and projects for kids!

Character Building: Weekly scouting orientated classes are offered.

Teen Programs: Youth mentoring opportunities available.

Scholarships are available

The Salvation Army

473 SE 194th Ave.

PO Box 1350

Gresham, OR 97030

(503) 661-8972

http://salvationarmygresham.org/youth-center

Snow Cap Facts

Snow Cap

• brings together people who have, with people who have-not.
• encourages work and self sufficiency as a means of strengthening families.
• supports the family dinner hour, providing groceries so that families may cook meals at home.
• is an natural outgrowth of the neighborliness that made for quilting bees, barn raisings, and gathering food and clothes to meet basic needs of less fortunate neighbors.

Major Programs

Food Pantry: Provides nutritious food boxes for area clients from 10 to 2, Monday through Friday and until 5:30 on Tuesday. Clients can shop for food twelve times in a calender year. Over 4000 people receive food from this pantry each month.

Community Basket: Low-income families can join in this program for a yearly membership fee of $15.00. This gives each of the 140 participating families a monthly box of assorted food and cleaning items, a newsletter about stategies for stretching limited budgets, and free coupons.

Children's Clothes Closet: Children in the 8th grade and under can select needed clothing for free throughout the year. This Fall, 1000 children were outfitted with new or used clothing and school supplies to start the school year.

Please Help!

Volunteer Your Time: There is an ongoing need for people to pack food boxes, sort clothes, drive the truck, interview clients, answer phones or do other office work. Special skills like grant writing, computer management and maintenance, and committee work are also needed.

Donate Food and Clothes: These items can be brought to 17788 SE Pine from 9-3p.m., Monday-Friday. Baby food, formula and children's clothes are always in short supply.

Contact Information

SnowCap

PO Box 160

Fairview, OR 97024-0160

Phone: 503-674-8785

Fax: 503-674-5355

Web Site: www.snowcap.org

Email: info@snowcap.org

My Sister's House

The story behind My Sister's House

In the fall of 2003, Becky Coleman to a personal retreat to menucha in Corbett, OR. One morning, well before dawn, God gave her a vision of a home for woman and children in transition. She got up and prepared for her morning jog, knowing it was still dark outside. she asked "God, if this vision is truely from You, and I believe it is, bring me back from this jog and I will run with it to make it a reality." God confirmed her vision, and He has been faithful to point her in the right direction. Her vision became a reality when My Sister's House opened it's doors in the fall of 2004.

The House

My Sister's House is a welcome refuge for woman and children in need. It has seven bedrooms which can house up to fifteen woman and children, and two extra beds where a woman can stay for a night in an emergency.

The Goal

The goal of this ministry to to have every family self-supporting and life-skill confident upon completing this program and moving into permanent housing. Each resident sets her own goals to improve her life in the following areas:

• Spiritual Growth and Maturity
• Continuing Education
• Positive parenting Skills
• Finding Future and Permanent Housing

Needs

My Sister's House is a non-profit organization with a volunteer staff. The only way they can stay open, to meet this vital need in our society, is through the faithful and loving support of our community. Everything at My Sister's House is donated in some way or another by our caring neighbors.

The following is a short list of our every day needs:

Prayers

Diapers

Formula

Paper Products

Cleaning Supplies (Windex, Comet, etc)

Canned Food (Tuna, Fruit,Veggies, etc)

Financial Support

Contact Information

P.O. Box 305

Troutdale, Or 97060

Phone: 503-665-1026

E-mail: mysistershouse@msn.com

Website: www.mysistershouse.net

Bethany House

Bethany House is a program providing homeless woman and children with supervised sponsor families (visit www.bethanyhousenet.org to learn more). This new, apartment community will provide homes for the homeless, single woman and children. Here, residents will have an opportunity to live independently while receiving a wide range of support services and resources designed to take them to the next level in successful independent living.

Bethany House

PO Box 3278

Gresham, OR 97030

Phone: 503-667-8409

Email: bethanyhouse1@gmail.com

East Multnomah County Resource Guide

East Multnomah County Resource Guide Free Download

You can download this resource list HERE:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/73513985/East-Multnomah-County-Resource-Guide

~For more information on resources in East Multnomah County, call 211~

Homeless shelter needs donations

"A 60-bed shelter for homeless families in outer East Portland needs donations ranging from bedding to food."

Article from The Gresham Outlook:

http://www.theoutlookonline.com/news/story.php?story_id=132142275949313200

Snow Cap - Fill-A-Bag

Snow Cap is asking for donations to feed the hungry in East County, as they have seen their need more than double.

Article from the Gresham Outlook: http://www.theoutlookonline.com/news/story.php?story_id=132155200142296200

Mission of Mercy (MOM) 2 Day Dental Clinic

Oregon Mission of Mercy (OrMOM) is a large-scale dental clinic where dental treatment is provided at no cost to individuals who cannot access and/or afford dental care. Doors open at 4am. Patients are seen on a first come - first serve basis.

Oregon Convention Center.

November 21-22, 2011.

http://www.oregondental.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3767

Christmas Meal for Your Home

If you can't afford the fixings for a turkey meal at Christmas, you need to call St. Vincent de Paul! NOW!

You can call to order a turkey and the fixings to be delivered December 17th to your home. But this offer is only good until the quota is met, so don't hesitate.

Call the Christmas Phone Line: 503-595-2292, Monday-Friday from 10am to 2pm.

Free Health Clinic (and more!) This Sunday!

On Sunday November 20th the uninsured can participate in a health clinic. Medical appointments will be held there and one can sign up for the Good News Community Health center as well.

ALSO there will be haircuts, foot care, clothes, stress management training and a list for dental appointments.

Come to Trinity Lutheran, 507 W Powell in Gresham between 2:30 and 4:30.

Turkey Meals!

Are you looking for a Thanksgiving meal to volunteer at, donate to or just to eat? There are three in the local area (if you know of another public Thanksgiving meal, please let us know!):

Thanksgiving Day:
Zarephath Kitchen
507 W Powell Blvd
Gresham,OR 97030
(503) 667-7932
11 to 1pm

Rockwood United First Methodist
17805 SE Stark St
Portland, OR 97233
(503) 665-8764
12 to 2pm

St. Michael Church

18090 SE Langensand Rd.

Sandy

(503) 668-4446

4pm to 6pm

(They will be picking people up at the Gresham TC at 3pm)

Monday after Thanksgiving, November 28th:
A Love Gift Ministry

held at East Hill Foursquare Church
3-5pm
701 N Main Ave, Gresham
Contact Deborah Abney-- abneyd@hotmail.com

Poverty in East Portland

Did you have a chance to read the Willamette Week article about poverty in East Portland? It isn't an article to depress us, but rather to look at the reality around us and to shake us up to act!

Check it out:

http://wweek.com/portland/article-18071-the_other_portland.html

Apartment Awareness

One of the biggest reasons for increased poverty in East Multnomah County is low income apartments. The lowest-priced apartments in Multnomah and Washington Counties is in our area. This means that when a poor family must move, they will move east of 82nd, which increases poverty.

However, some churches do not see this as a problem, but as an opportunity!

Clear Creek Community Church encouraged a group of young people to move into Barbary Court, an apartment building at the center of poverty and violence in Rockwood a few years ago. They provided community meals to the neighbors, got to know them and shared the love of Jesus to them-- not by handing out pamphlets, but by being friends.

That was a huge step for this medium-sized church. But you and your congregation can get involved in this same kind of ministry.

You may not have a group ready to move into a a low income apartment building, but perhaps you have a group that is willing to serve, to pray or to provide hope for those in need.

Check out this website: http://apartmentawareness.org/ It gives an introduction to ministry to local apartment buildings, as well as a map to help you find the low income apartments in your area.

Also, if you want to know more, there will be an Awareness to Action Forum about local apartments on Saturday, February 11. It will be from 10am to 1pm at Second Stories 5530 SE 122nd Ave, Portland. If you'd like to know more contact Second Stories-- info@secondstories.org

Day Shelters Galore!

Today First Baptist Church of Gresham opens their doors to the homeless and youth that have no place to go for the winter.  First Baptist is one of four churches in the East Multnomah County area that open up for a day shelter.

 A day shelter is a place for those in the community to go who have no place to go.  In our day shelters, we find the homeless, older high school kids, and retirees who don’t have a regular place to go. They come to our day shelters to hang out, to connect with others and to get some basic food and clothes.  

  A day shelter isn’t like a night shelter—it’s much more busy.  There are fewer requirements to begin a day shelter than an overnight shelter:  All we have to do is open our doors and make sure we have trained people to deal with conflict or referrals.

~It provides a safe place for people who have no other place to go.  Many of our folks are not even welcome at public parks.  But now they have  a place to go.

~It provides security for the community.  Rather than having people on the street in family neighborhoods, where  people don’t know why they are there,  the day shelter provides a place to be. Day shelters not only provide a safe place for our guests, but also make the community safer.

~It trains people about community respect.  Because most of the day shelters are in churches, there is a basic understanding of respect for the property.  Violence, threats, theft or blasphemous language is discouraged by the guests of the day shelter.  It also provides people, who are trained in peaceful conflict management, to assist others in their conflict.

~It provides volunteer opportunities for those who otherwise have nothing to do.  Trained volunteers from the street and churches run the day shelters, and provide assistance in cleaning and security, if necessary.

~It provides a focus for other organizations to assist needy populations. Medical and dental clinics, veteran services, services for pets, and churches who want to serve the needy know where they can go to provide services. 

If you'd like to volunteer or donate food or clothes at a day shelter, please contact the following organizations:

Mondays 1-6pm -- First Baptist Church of Gresham, 224 W Powell, (503) 665-2159

Tuesdays 1-6pm-- St. Henry's Catholic Church, 346 NW 1st, Gresham, (503) 665-9129

Wednesdays 1-8pm-- Anawim Christian Community 19626 NE Glisan, Gresham, 503-888-4453

Thursdays 1-6pm-- East Hill Four Square Church 701 NW Main Ave, Gresham, (503) 661-4444

Fridays 2-5pm-- Anawim Christian Community  19626 NE Glisan, Gresham, 503-888-4453

Saturdays 10am-3pm--Anawim Christian Community 19626 NE Glisan, Gresham 503-888-4453

There is also the Daybreak day shelter, specifically for the families of the multi-church Daybreak network. 

It is run by Human Solutions.  If you'd like information about volunteering there, please call HS at (503) 548-0200.

Adopt a MAX Stop

Tri Met approached the leadership of Clear Creek Church, the group that began Compassion Connect (more about that in another post). The transportation group told them, "Our MAX train stop at 162nd and Burnside has a lot of violence and criminal activity, and it is a blight on the community."

The leadership looked at each other and then at the Tri Met representative.  "Yes, we know that," they replied.

The Tri Met representative said, "We want you to do something about it."

The leadership of this local church was dumbfounded.  How can a congregation do anything to combat violence or poverty in the region?  They were overwhelmed as anyone.  But in response to the request from TriMet, they decided to put their heads together and ask their congreation and see if there were any ideas.

They decided to hand out hot cocoa on Friday nights, the most active time for 162nd and Burnside.  Enough hungry people came by they decided to hand out chili as well.

And, lo and behold, the crime rate reduced considerably.

Now Tri Met and the local community would like to increase this already successful program by encouraging local organizations to "Adopt a MAX Stop".

Frankly, much of the worst crime occurs at MAX stops in our community, and if we can have a positive local presence at the busiest times of the busiest street corners, then change will happen.  We don't necessarily more of a security presence, which can be seen as  threat, but just a group of concerned folks who will talk to people and create community.  Connection and relationship brings peace.


If you are interested in the Adopt-A-MAX Stop Program, please attend the monthly meetings.  They are held at 6pm on the third Friday of the month at Lifegate Baptist Church (208 SE 148th, just south of the 148th Avenue Station).  If you'd like more information about these meetings, please contact Mike Vander Veen at  mike@secondstories.org

Looking for Seniors to Eat!

(No, we're not talking about cannibalism here :)

The Rockwood Building is the newest center for social services in East County.  One of their new services is a meal for seniors, 60 and over.  As this Outlook article indicates, there's not enough people showing up!

If you know of seniors who need a little help reducing their food budget, let them know about this meal.

It's held at 124 NE 181st in Gresham at lunchtime.  A three dollar donation is suggested, but they'll accept whatever the patron can afford.


All the local senior meals are as follows:

• Ambleside, in the Multnomah County East Building, 600 N.E. Eighth St., Room 155, 503-953-8201

• Rockwood, in The Rockwood Building, 124 N.E. 181st Ave., 503-953-8156

• For door-to-door transportation, call Ride Connection, 503-226-0700

Do you want to volunteer at one of the meals? 

• To volunteer for the lunch program or for Meals on Wheels, call Liz LaPlante at the Rockwood location, 503-953-8156, or Carolyn Williams at the Ambleside location, 503-953-8201

Walk for Homeless Awareness

On Tuesday, November 15, there will be an inter-faith walk in downtown Portland to support awareness of the real facts of homelessness in Portland.

Did you know that the Portland metro area has the highest per-capita rate of homelessness of any city in the U.S.?

Did you know that half of Portland's homeless are families with children or youth?

Did you know that the center of homelessness is moving east, away from downtown and increasing in East Multnomah County?

Be a part of the awareness and be among the many congregations that are supporting the homeless in a variety of ways.

Get more information about the walk on JOIN's blog

Is Volunteering Overnight at a Homeless Shelter Scary?

When I first volunteered to monitor the overnight warming centers last year, friends and family thought I was nuts (nothing new there).  Not, as one might imagine, because I was up most of the night (I prefer the 2 a.m. to 8 a.m. shift), but because they thought it was “dangerous”.  And they asked me if I wasn’t scared.

Frankly, I didn’t quite know what to expect my first night, but what I encountered was so far removed from “scary” that I had to laugh.  Chaperoning a group of teenagers or hosting a child’s slumber party – now that’s scary!  But the biggest challenge in volunteering in a warming shelter was staying awake.  The sometimes cacophonous sound of snoring and the hourly fire checks helped keep the other volunteers and me from falling asleep.

Getting back to the chaperoning comparison, unlike some teenagers, those living on the streets do not come to shelters to party.  They come to avoid hypothermia and to sleep.  There are strictly enforced rules for behavior and the homeless community themselves enforce the rules.  Disruption is not tolerated.  There was only one time last year that there was a verbal altercation while I was volunteering, and other members of the “outside” community immediately nipped it in the bud.  The last thing they want is to jeopardize the shelters.  And unlike a children’s slumber party, the folks who use the shelter are not talking and giggling all night.  They are tired.  They have been on their feet all day.  They want to sleep.

And if your spouse is nervous about you volunteering, suggest that you do it together.  We love having couples.  Really, you will probably find it the easiest volunteering you have ever done.  All you have to lose is a little sleep on occasion, and you will be rewarded by knowing that because of your presence you may have saved fingers, toes or even a life.

-Sami Oeser for KEY Conversation on Poverty 

Food Shortage-- Can You Help?

An excellent article recently appeared in the Gresham Outlook about the need of local food pantries. 

We have a number of food pantries in East County, but they are in desperate need of more food to meet the ever-increasing need.  Will you help?  Please donate canned food to the locations below.

Some of the food they could use:

• Vegetables and fruit (fresh and canned)

• Milk, baby formula, baby food and disposable diapers

• Soups

• Chili

• Canned hash or ravioli

• Tuna

• Tuna, Hamburger or Chicken Helper

• Flour, baking mix or pancake mix

• Instant mashed potatoes

• Meats and deli items

• Laundry soap to wash donated clothing

• Toiletries such as bars of soap and toilet paper

• Can openers for the homeless and families living in their cars

• Pet food

Many of our food pantries are below:

Zarapath Pantry:

59 N.W. Ava Ave., Gresham

(503) 667-7932

10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Mon, Wed, Thurs and Fri.

St. Henry's Catholic Church:

St. Vincent De Paul

346 NW 1st Ave, Gresham

(503) 235-8431

Tues and Sat, 10-12pm (limit 1 box a month)

Homeless may visit both Tue and Sat every week

Salvation Army:

473 SE 194^th, Portland,

(503) 661-2704

9 to 3pm, Tues through Fri; Closed for lunch noon to 1 Closed the first Wednesday of the month

*http://salvationarmygresham.org/volunteer-opportunities/

The Chapel:

27132 SE Stark St, Troutdale

Bread available Tues, Wed, Thurs., 9-4pm

Salvation Army Harvest Share: (Fresh Produce)

473 SE 194th, Portland,

9:30am, first Wed of the month, first come first serve

(503) 282-0555

Rockwood Seventh-day Adventist Church Harvest Share: (Fresh Produce)

1910 SE 182nd Ave., Gresham

(503) 282-0555

9 a.m. on the fourth Tues of the month

Innovative Housing Harvest Share: (Fresh Produce)

826 S.W. 29th Way, Troutdale

(503) 282-0555

10:30 a.m. on the third Wednesday of the month

Snow Cap Community Charities :

17805 SE Stark (behind Rockwood United Methodist Church) (503) 674-8785

Mon-Fri, 10-2pm, Tues, 10-5:30pm

*http://www.snowcap.org/Volunteer/tabid/6269/Default.aspx

New Beginnings Christian Center:

3300 N.E. 172nd Place, Gresham

(503) 256-6050

12:30 - 2:30pm Sunday; 6:30 - 8:30pm Wednesday

St Anne’s Catholic Church:

1015 S E 182nd Ave, Gresham

Wed 9-11am, 6pm-8pm

Sanctuary Church — A Jesus Community:

3103 S.E. Orient Drive, Gresham

(503) 663-9146

11am to 2pm the first and third Saturday of the month

ajesuscommunity.org.

Overnight Shelter for Homeless Families

Human Solutions operates a winter overnight shelter for homeless families with children and single women at Eastminister Presbyterian Church.  Those who are in need of such shelter should show up at the church-- 125th and Halsey-- at 7pm.  The shelter is open every night from November 1 through March.


Those wishing to volunteer at the shelter should contact Amie Diffenauer  at adiffenauer@humansolutions.org


Human Solutions also has a day/night shelter program for homeless families called Daybreak.  Churches host the families in their facilities overnight and during the day the families are located in a regular space where they can eat, look for work and obtain resources to get back on their feet.  Families can sign up for this program’s waitlist by calling 503-256-2280.


For more information about the Winter Shelter or Daybreak program, call Human Solutions at: 503-256-2280.  To participate in the winter shelter, all you need to do is show up.  For Daybreak, you need to sign up.

For more information about Human Solutions, check out their website:

www.humansolutions.org

Anawim Donations

Right now, Anawim Christian Community, a church of the homeless, could really use the following items:

Socks

Toilet paper!

Tents

Tarps (green or brown, all sizes)

Sleeping bags

Winter clothes-- all sizes, both sexes, especially men's

If you could help, send or drop off donations to 19626 NE Glisan, Gresham OR 97230. Or you can contact Steve at stevekimes@aol.com

www.nowheretolayhishead.org

Thanksgiving Meal

A Love Gift Ministry is hosting a Thanksgiving meal for low income families and singles. Everyone is welcome and folks can bring a friend!

It is being held on November 28th 2011 at East Hill Church in Gresham from 3-5pm.

If you'd like to donate or volunteer, please contact Deborah Abney at alovegift@hotmail.com

Youth Mentoring Information

There are as many as 2000 youth who desire to be mentored in Multnomah County. While that is a staggering number, one of those children could be changed by your involvement. If you are interested in more information, you might want to attend a Youth Mentor Information Luncheon. Discuss what youth are up against, the impact of being a mentor, and how to prevent human trafficking & other issues by getting involved.

Support Youth through Mentoring!
November 9th, 2011
Mt. Hood Comm. College
12-2pm, College Center

Free Clinics for the Uninsured

For the UNINSURED ONLY!
Good News Community Health Center and Compassion Connect with County and other volunteers are offering:

Medical Appointments

Foot Care

Haircuts

Nail Care

Resources

Stress Management Planning

Dental Appointment Lists - (Please be ready to provide a contact number as appointments will be made and called to patient later.)

Dates This Year Will Be:

November 20, December 18, January 15, February 19, March 18

Free winter clinics will be located at Trinity Lutheran Church basement in Gresham on Powell and Eastman Parkway from 2:30-4:30pm 




**The free winter clinics above have ended for this year. Trinity Lutheran Church is still continuing the clothes closet in their basement the 3rd Sunday of every month, from 2:30 to 4:30pm**

Vital Statistics: A Summary of Portland's 2011 Street Count

Some facts from the “2011 Point In Time Count of Homelessness in Portland/ Multnomah County, Oregon”

All statistics reflect the state of homelessness on January 26, 2011. This doesn’t give an accurate overall picture of homelessness in Multnomah County for many reasons, but the three primary reasons are:

-January is one of the lowest counts of homelessness of the year
-It is very difficult to find all the homeless.
-Many homeless ask not to be counted

Even so, this count is important because it gives a general idea of homelessness in the county, it is helpful in comparison to other cities and it helps us see the trends of homelessness.

To read the full report, please go to this link and download the free file

The Statistics:

2,727—People counted who are sleeping on the street or in vehicles or in shelters on the night of January 26.

1,928—People in temporary transitional housing on that night.

35—The percentage of increase of families who became homeless since 2009

751—Homeless children

9—The percentage of increase of homelessness since 2009

12—The percentage of veterans who are homeless

More than half of those living on the street were living on the street two years ago.

The count in East Multnomah County (East of 182nd) increased to 92 from a single individual in 2009. (A personal note: this is because of the participation of the day shelter programs in East County)

11- Percentage of homeless in all of East County (East of 82nd), where services for the homeless are scarce.

46—Percentage of homeless that have been homeless for more than 2 years

69—Percent of homeless that have been homeless for more than 1 year

52—Percentage of the homeless who have lived in Multnomah County for more than 10 years. However, the majority of the general population of Oregon do not originate from Oregon.

101—Increase of beds in shelters from 2009

53—Percentage of the homeless in shelters who are a part of a homeless family

37—Percentage of homeless women

35—Percent of homeless woman affected by domestic abuse

46—Percent of communities of color (non-white) on the street. In the general population, 29 percent are communities of color. African Americans and Native Americans are more represented on the street than other groups.

Hope in East County

East Multnomah County is becoming poorer every year. I’m not trying to depress you, but it is a fact we have to deal with.

The greatest poverty and violence has moved from North Portland to Rockwood, a community in North Gresham. http://djcoregon.com/news/2010/09/07/help-planned-for-aching-rockwood-neighborhood/

Willamette Week recently recognized the issues when they published their lead article about poverty in Portland, focusing on the poverty on 162nd Avenue, the dividing line between Portland and Gresham. http://wweek.com/portland/article-18071-the_other_portland.html

Gresham has been declared the most violent city in Oregon, based on reported violent crimes. This places Gresham at number 72 in the nation for violent crime, just below Los Angeles. http://www.kgw.com/home/Gresham-Tops-State-Crime-List-72188477.html

Part of the reason for this increase in poverty and violence is because of the high apartment prices in all places except for East County. Even the organizations that gain apartments for the homeless in downtown and SE Portland are moving these poorest residents to East County. All the poor who can afford housing move to the cheapest housing, which, currently, is East of 82nd Ave. And yet this is the area of Portland that have the fewest social services for those who are poor. If a family is in need of clothes in East County, they are sent to downtown Portland. If a family is in need of food, they are sent first to Clackamas County.

However, these facts are not the whole of reality in East County. There are more social services than ever before in East County and the community as a whole is stepping up to meet the increasing need. It isn’t just the large organizations that are helping, like Multnomah County or the City of Gresham or Human Solutions. Smaller churches are combining efforts to work to assisting the poor in East County.

But those of us who are helping need the help of the whole community. We cannot end poverty, but we can change the face of poverty, if we all work together. This blog is about providing opportunities for local individuals and groups to help those in need in East Multnomah County. We can help the families, individuals and couples in need. But we have to do it together.