bedoya

Thursday morning we arrived at St. André Basset and were set up in the living space on the third floor. We had no idea we’d be staying in cozy furnished rooms so being able to sleep in beds and in a warm room was a very welcome surprise. We also had access to a cute kitchen and comfy living room. After we were set up, we joined the morning activities by handing out warm drinks and helping other volunteers get materials like warm clothing, backpacks, and hygiene packs, for folks lined up at a side window. It was great being able to see these people be supplied with much needed warmth on a cold day. After we were done, we walked over to Blanchet House where we were given a quick tour around the facility by the volunteer coordinator Michael who is actually a UP alum! We were then separated into roles like busser, server, drink server, and food plater. We helped out for the entire lunch service, which was wonderful as we were able to connect with those we were serving and with fellow volunteers. It was pretty busy but we learned from Michael that our shift was a relatively calm one (which is apparently normal for lunch hours).

-Emma

After serving at Blanchet House we headed off to Nehalem House which is the founding house of L’Arche Portland. This home is no longer operating but we got to visit before they sell it and hear stories from friends of L’Arche that face housing, financial, and other struggles due to a disability. It was really meaningful to hear from people with lived experience as a way to learn about the ways in which the systems in place create obstacles for people with disabilities to thrive in our communities. It truly opened my eyes to the reality of how intersectional everything is. 

After L’Arche we went to Rose Haven for a tour and some volunteer work helping organize their supplies for greater efficiency. Rose Haven provides day shelter, resources, emotional support, and community connections to women, children, and marginalized genders experiencing homelessness and poverty. While on the tour we learned about the many services that they provide such as general hospitality, mailboxes, bus tickets, on-site clinic, laundry stocked with needed supplies, warm and nutritious meals, showers stocked with supplies and even hair styling tools, clothing which is set up like a cute boutique, advocacy, wellness activities, children’s services, community celebrations, and a variety of classes and groups. Their space is incredibly beautiful and calming, designed with a trauma-informed lens! I think what stood out to me the most was the intentionality behind everything. I was impressed by how the team that works there hold themselves to a high standard— to me it showed their true commitment to and desire to offer genuine trauma-informed and intentional care in all aspects of what they do and in everything they provide. The Moreau Center is partnering with them for the upcoming MLK day on and our Urban Immersion group has already committed to returning to Rose Haven! 

-Lupita

This morning we started the day by organizing clothes in St. André Bessette’s basement with Vanessa who is the outreach and environment coordinator. I didn’t realize how much work goes into offering clothing to the community. In the afternoon, Vanessa walked us down the block to the Artist Mentorship Program (AMP). Walking in, the walls were covered from floor to ceiling with bright colored paintings from local artists. The space features several guitars, keyboards, drum sets, and a recording studio. Monday to Thursday from four to eight, AMP opens their doors to people aged 15-25 that are experiencing housing insecurity. Music holds a lot of value to me, so it was inspiring to see how AMP makes it accessible and healing for anyone.

-Ash

“On the second day of our immersion, we visited two more organizations that were supporting members of the Portland community in need of resources- Path Home and Street Books. Our first stop of the day was Path Home, which is provides housing for 18 different families, as well as food, clothing, support with jobs search, among other things. Contrary to many of the other organizations we’ve been to, Path Home felt quiet. This, one of the organizations leader explained, was intentional. The design of the building was intended to create a space of tranquility and peace for people who are amid a chaotic time in their life. Though, through the short time we were there, the quiet atmosphere seemed to translate into a lack of community. The visit started with two of the organization’s employees, Jen and Debra, explaining the importance, design and funding for Path Home. Something that stuck with me during that conversation was the knowledge and care the two women had for the organization. Next, we toured the facility and ended our time at Path Home doing yard work in their garden. There is diversity and complexity of why someone may end up on the streets- people experiencing homelessness aren’t a monolith. Just as there is a diversity of reasoning that may lead someone to end up there, there are many different paths that may help someone off the streets. Some may find they need a quiet and reflective space that is a contrast to what they are used to- Path Home is able to provide this space. Though we weren’t able to meet community members who lived in the housing they provided, we were able to hear more about what it’s like to run a shelter program while dealing with systemic problems such as a lack of funding. 

-Erin

The second part of our day consisted of meeting folks at Street Books, hearing their stories and what Street Books does, and helping them move a ton of books and book shelves  in their storage room. Several people working at Street Books have a history of experiencing homelessness, including the co-founder. It was so inspiring to hear how they use their experiences to help fuel their action in the community and also how Street Books has given them a feeling of purpose. One main principle that they stick to and uphold through the program is harm reduction. This means that they try to provide people on the streets with materials that will allow them to heal at their own pace and work through their addictions safely without forcing them to give up drugs and alcohol cold-turkey. They understand that they can’t get everyone to just be sober, but what they can do it reduce the mental and physical harm that comes with being on the street and/or being an addict on the street. Some of the materials that they give out as part of this harm-reduction work are books, coloring books, gel pens, medical supplies, hygiene products, camp materials, materials for safer drug use, and clothing. They have built and extremely strong relationship with the people they serve and use traveling nature of their program to check in on people and provide a sense of community and support. It was also cool to see how connected they were to other organization.  

At the very end of our day, we watched a documentary on Fairview Training Center, which was an institution for people with mental and physical/developmental disabilities for 102 years (1907-2009). While from the outside it seems to be a beneficial institution as it provided specialized care, housing, and education for the residents, it had an extensive history of being a very isolating and harmful place for people with disabilities. Low funding and damaging beliefs about how to treat people with disabilities lead to many deaths, traumas, and low quality of life for the people living there. Many of those people had families that were unable to care for them due to poverty or lack of knowledge/ability, or no family at all. The documentary also went over the history and timeline of the public opinions on disabilities, medical treatment, disability activism and rights, community homes and care for people with disabilities, government funding, and the condition of other institutions in the country. One interesting aspect of this film was the differing opinions that were shared regarding the closure of Fairview. Many were overjoyed as Fairview had felt like a prison to them. But many felt that it left many people worse off due to how much their relied on the services it provided. Our group discussed why this could be and what we thought of it but weren’t able to really come to any conclusion on what is the best way to think about it was, just like the documentary and the people talking within it.”

-Emma