We live in Washington County, Oregon. Washington County and the Portland metropolitan area are nationally recognized as one of the most livable areas in the country. The population is ethnically diverse with approximately 500,600 citizens. Washington County is 727 square miles and includes a portion of the City of Portland and eleven incorporated cities including Hillsboro, Beaverton, Tigard and Tualatin.
Intel, IBM and Tektronix, and world headquarters for both Nike and Columbia Sportswear are located here. Intel’s investment in Washington County exceeds that of any Intel site worldwide. Outside the Urban Growth Boundary, the county transitions to nurseries, wineries and other farm and forest enterprises. Washington County ranks first in manufacturing and third in agriculture production in Oregon. However, nearly one-in-ten residents, live below the Federal Poverty Level, and 122,267 Washington County residents are low-income. In Washington County more than 34% of our neighbors are one catastrophic illness or lost job away from becoming homeless. An estimated 1200 people are homeless in Washington County at any one time; approximately one-third of these are children and 67% of those are in families. The Oregon State Department of Education recently published statistics for Washington County showing last year there were 1,422 homeless children in Grades K-12 based upon one full year of data gathering.
According to a recent Associated Press report Oregon has recorded the steepest year-over-year rise in unemployment rates among the states and now its jobless rate ranks second among them. The Oregon unemployment rate jumped to 12.1 percent in March, putting the state second to Michigan; the national rate is 8.5 percent. Many people are a paycheck or two away from being homeless. In reality, you or I probably have a caring supportive community of family and friends who would not let us be homeless. But most of the families facing homelessness are young adults who have not yet cultivated a community that stands by them in hard times.
Families often avoid calling a shelter because they are afraid of being discriminated against, judged by people who have not experienced poverty and hopelessness on such a deep personal level. No one wants to be homeless. People in desperate situations need a supportive community. It is important to bring families into shelter programs where they receive more than charity. Often we hear the homeless family tell about how ashamed, how embarrassed, and how desperate they are because they are homeless. They think people don’t care.
Our church participates in a program called Family Bridge which assists young homeless families. Their goal is to give them back their dignity and heal their pain – the loneliness they suffer because they are in need of community. This is not a religious organization and they place no religious restrictions on families seeking shelter. A central shelter screens homeless families with children for eligibility. They provide them with shelter for a six week period. They must pass drug screening and actively partake in plans to assist in securing income and housing. Children must be enrolled in and attend public school or Head Start during their stay. They have a family-style evening meal at participating churches and spend the night in church-provided rooms. Church members prepare the meals and eat with the families to provide a cordial and caring atmosphere. A church member also stays at the church overnight to provide any assistance needed. We have prepared meals and shared them with these families several times at our church.
Intel, IBM and Tektronix, and world headquarters for both Nike and Columbia Sportswear are located here. Intel’s investment in Washington County exceeds that of any Intel site worldwide. Outside the Urban Growth Boundary, the county transitions to nurseries, wineries and other farm and forest enterprises. Washington County ranks first in manufacturing and third in agriculture production in Oregon. However, nearly one-in-ten residents, live below the Federal Poverty Level, and 122,267 Washington County residents are low-income. In Washington County more than 34% of our neighbors are one catastrophic illness or lost job away from becoming homeless. An estimated 1200 people are homeless in Washington County at any one time; approximately one-third of these are children and 67% of those are in families. The Oregon State Department of Education recently published statistics for Washington County showing last year there were 1,422 homeless children in Grades K-12 based upon one full year of data gathering.
According to a recent Associated Press report Oregon has recorded the steepest year-over-year rise in unemployment rates among the states and now its jobless rate ranks second among them. The Oregon unemployment rate jumped to 12.1 percent in March, putting the state second to Michigan; the national rate is 8.5 percent. Many people are a paycheck or two away from being homeless. In reality, you or I probably have a caring supportive community of family and friends who would not let us be homeless. But most of the families facing homelessness are young adults who have not yet cultivated a community that stands by them in hard times.
Families often avoid calling a shelter because they are afraid of being discriminated against, judged by people who have not experienced poverty and hopelessness on such a deep personal level. No one wants to be homeless. People in desperate situations need a supportive community. It is important to bring families into shelter programs where they receive more than charity. Often we hear the homeless family tell about how ashamed, how embarrassed, and how desperate they are because they are homeless. They think people don’t care.
Our church participates in a program called Family Bridge which assists young homeless families. Their goal is to give them back their dignity and heal their pain – the loneliness they suffer because they are in need of community. This is not a religious organization and they place no religious restrictions on families seeking shelter. A central shelter screens homeless families with children for eligibility. They provide them with shelter for a six week period. They must pass drug screening and actively partake in plans to assist in securing income and housing. Children must be enrolled in and attend public school or Head Start during their stay. They have a family-style evening meal at participating churches and spend the night in church-provided rooms. Church members prepare the meals and eat with the families to provide a cordial and caring atmosphere. A church member also stays at the church overnight to provide any assistance needed. We have prepared meals and shared them with these families several times at our church.
The first time we volunteered to prepare a meal and eat with the "homeless people" I was a bit apprehensive. I didn't know a lot about the program or what to expect. I was all prepared to find a bunch of bag ladies and old men pushing grocery carts filled with all their worldly possessions. We were intrduced to three families, all with children. They were just like the "folks next door" except they had fallen on hard times and were homeless. One husband had lost his job then their house and finally packed the car and drove to Oregon looking for work and were introduced to the shelter. Another family had a catastrophic illness that wiped out their finances and the wage earner was no longer able to work. They were asking the shelter for temporary housing and assistance in finding employment. Last year the program assisted 34 families secure housing and employment. The following is one story taken from the Family Bridge Newsletter.It was midsummer, 5 pm Sunday, I arrived at the church to unlock the doors. Two families arrived and we all settled in for our week together. Monday morning the director of Family Bridge phoned to say I was to expect another family that evening. This family would include a father and mother, a first grade boy and a third grade girl.
No additional people arrived Monday evening, or Tuesday evening. Wednesday morning I phoned the director and found him puzzled. He didn’t know why they hadn’t arrived. Wednesday at 5 pm I arrived at the church to unlock the door. A van was parked in the church parking lot and the family introduced themselves and apologized for not being there Monday and Tuesday. The children were delightful, full of conversation as we settled in and shared dinner. After dinner the mother came to me and said “We drove into the parking lot each night, but I just couldn’t get out of the van. As long as we were sleeping in the van, I could call it an adventure, but if we came into the church I would have to accept that we are homeless.”
So what can you do? Drop some coins in the hat sitting in front of the guitar player on the sidewalk downtown? Put a bill in the bag held by the woman standing by the side of the freeway on-ramp? Or something more personal and more lasting? Why not seek out an organization or group in your area that is trying to help the homeless get back on their own feet, not just giving them a hot meal and a clean bed for the night? Get personal with them and let them know you recognize them as a person of worth. Invest some of your time and energy, it won't be wasted and you will feel a lot better for it; believe me, I've tried it.
2 comments:
Very timely and insightful, dad ...
My friends and I are knitting warm winter caps and scarves for homeless people. This makes it much more personal to me.
Great post!
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