Urban

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

Throughout this entire immersion trip, it has really opened my eyes up to the houselessness situation. I have always been born and raised in Portland, OR but I have always felt that I was sheltered from the harsh struggles that many residents here experience. I spent most of my life in nice suburban areas in Clackamas so I never had a high depth of experience with the huge houselessness situation that is occurring. From my encounters with this specific population serving food at the Blanchet house and St. Andre Bessette church, I learned that they weren’t only of deprived of shelter and food, but also social interaction and love. Their life is a constant state of survival and for most of it, in isolation. Upon serving food, saying a simple “enjoy your meal” or “here you go” can make a world of a difference for them. It humanizes the interaction of providing food and it reminds them that people out here still truly care for them. When they were given name tags, addressing them by their name leaves them in shock and excitement because it has probably been ages since they’ve heard it. When it comes to helping those less fortunate than us, it is important to remember that they are humans who are no different than us. They aren’t just bodies that need to be fed but humans with dignity who deserve some privacy, respect, and compassion. True compassion isn’t just donating food and clothing but also providing hospitality.

People deserve this love and care despite their issues with drug addiction or alcoholism. Most of the people that come through these doors for social services, have gone through a long journey full of struggles that we may not understand because of our privilege. Most of the stories I’ve heard have described that they became houseless due to abuse or growing up in an unstable household. Remembering Eric’s story from the Blanchet house, he grew up in a household where his parents were addicted to methamphetamine and because of this influence, it led him to start meth at a young age of 12 years old. The drugs destroyed his life before he could even understand the joys of his adolescent years. It led him to become houseless and this situation made him depend on meth even more. What many don’t realize is that many houseless individuals depend on meth for survival as it helps them stay alert for longer hours to avoid abuse and theft. He became addicted for 14 years before he managed to seek out help and find the Blanchet House. They gave him structure and helped him become sober for over 14 years and find employment. Blanchet House changed his life because he received the support he needed. Now, he plans on passing on the help by becoming a drug addiction counselor to help others.              

When it comes to providing aid, it involves more than just giving away the stuff we don’t need or helping others because they’re seen as a burden to society. Providing aid should come from the goodness of our hearts and that requires understanding the whole picture of what the houseless individual is truly going through. This is why I was so amazed by the healthcare paradigm of Central City Concern as they believe in the Integrated Healthcare model. This model looks at all aspects of what is causing the illness beyond the disease in front of them. They realized that all their issues arise from being houseless as it makes it difficult to get protection from others and nature, avoid drugs, and to find a stable place to find a job. Central City Concern truly preached holistic health and it has lead them to more effectively treat the the houseless populations roots of illness.

-Brian Phan

My interactions with houseless folks have been consistently friendly heart-warming ones. My stereotype and ideas of the houseless people of Portland and of the US for that matter have been 180’d. There are several demographics outside of middle aged males suffering in the streets – there is a youth group jumping from foster home to foster home, single mothers, males around the ages 25-40 and transgender folks who can be some of the most vulnerable in these situations. There absolutely are more demographics outside of the one’s listed above but these are the ones I have been fortunate enough to learn about and now experience a new empathy towards. This whole trip for me I see as a chance to serve a community that needs it while I have lived an incredibly privileged and easy life. Now I see first-hand more than ever just how privileged I am and just how badly people need the lucky ones to give back.

While at P:EAR, the man we spoke with gave a summary of the trauma so many youth go through just in Portland alone while suffering from houselessness. These kids have been thrown in and kicked out of numerous foster homes and abused, whether that be verbally or physically to the point that living in the streets is the better option. Along with this, I now understood how drugs sneak their way into these vulnerable young adults’ lives, something I always assumed was a choice turned into a bad addiction. In order to keep their belongings, avoid being raped, stabbed, mugged and much more, we heard that meth becomes a “great” option to actually keep themselves safe from any of those unfortunate common occurrences on the street. It keeps one alert and awake through the night to avoid being taken advantage of and it is sometimes an appealing option while surviving on the streets. I came to find out that perhaps nobody wants to use meth, but they have to, just to survive. Addiction paired with houselessness is a nasty storm; drugs and alcohol are a coping mechanism for the pain, suffering and trauma. Like using meth, addiction is not usually caused by a free willed choice as I once thought.

Before this immersion I had a soft spot for houseless folks in that I felt bad that they perhaps had made bad choices along the way or gotten caught up in the wrong crowd. Rather than being a result of bad choices, the main takeaway from this experience is that not having a home often stems from being born into an unfortunate living situation whether that is to parents who suffer from addiction initially, kids who find themselves caught up in the foster care system, or kids who are systematically discriminated against for their race. These all can lead to houselessness followed by addiction and long term living on the streets. I have gained a lot of knowledge and now feel a stronger need to help this community and be of service after understanding these folk’s realities.

-Avery Romano

On our second day of the Urban Immersion we visited several organizations that advocate for those suffering from houselessness; we participated in morning hospitality service at St. Andre Bessette, heard from one of the coordinators of a youth advocacy group called P:EAR, visited a tiny house community called Dignity Village, and helped pack food items at the Oregon Food Bank. The most impactful experience for me was hearing from one of the residents and at Dignity Village. She took us on a tour of their private community and explained how the village was created as well as the requirements for residency and the intake process. She explained some of the things that make Dignity Village successful like their policy of no drug or alcohol use on site, each member is required to serve at least ten hours a week in the community somehow, whether that was chopping firewood, monitoring their security building, fixing bicycles, etc., and their system of self-government where each member gets to share their input and collectively vote on community decisions. I was surprised to learn that among the forty-plus tiny homes there was only one shower and one community kitchen/gathering space that everyone shared. This along with the requirements of being a resident and their system of government make the community a pretty tight knit place that honors togetherness and the shared experience of living in a group and helping each other, as well as accountability for one’s service and commitment to the community.

Our tour guide also shared her personal story with us which involved two abusive partners and a long struggle with alcoholism. I could tell that it was hard for her to share with us, and she mentioned it taking her a long time to be honest with herself and eventually others. After leaving her second abusive relationship, she and her new partner eventually wound up on the streets traveling from place to place and living mostly in tents and vacant houses. Then someone told them about Dignity Village and now ten years later they are still there and have taken on leadership roles within the community, they are referred to by some as “Mom and Dad” of Dignity Village. What I learned from our time at Dignity Village is that it is possible for a community of people that do not have homes (in the traditional sense) to still be extremely productive members of society. In their small space in NE Portland, members of Dignity Village are collectively helping each other and themselves in their transition into homes and better lives. It is an extremely successful example of a system of transition housing for people living on the streets that promotes accountability, positivity, and community and should be looked to as a model for future housing projects in our city.

-Ella Brennan

One impactful experience from the first day of our immersion in downtown Portland was being able to listen to a resident of the Blanchet House talk about his own life story and how the Blanchet House has impacted his life. This individual was extremely courageous and brave as he opened up about his past issues with addiction and houselessness (Ed note: why do we use the word “houseless”?). He was honest about his past struggles with drugs and alcohol and how these obstacles, that he has worked very hard to overcome, have created the foundation for his future goals.

This resident talked about how he has the goal of becoming an addiction counselor and ideally wants to be able to do out-reach on the streets for people who are looking for resources and support surrounding addiction. It was impactful to hear this resident’s personal story of how he grew up around and suffered from addiction for most of his life leading up to this point. It was also inspirational to hear how hard he has worked to overcome addiction and how he wants to dedicate his life to helping people who are suffering from addiction.

The resident also touched on the importance of faith in his own life and how faith has played a part in his recovery process. The resident also emphasized how even if people are given certain resources to better their lives, people must have the desire to change their lives in order to make change happen. We reflected upon this during our evening discussion by wondering if emphasizing the importance of choice in one’s life leads to empowerment or blame, especially in relation to the houseless population.

We also talked about the theme of dignity during our evening reflection. As a group, we discussed and wondered about what it means to be dignified and the relationship between dignity and houselessness that is perpetuated in our society. Hopefully we will be able to further explore this theme and many others throughout this immersion experience.

-Claire Hodge

                The idea of privilege and understanding one’s true intent when  volunteering their time and efforts was one that resonated with me today.  Throughout the entire day, I encountered a variety of different people that said things that stuck with me.  One of these people was a volunteer here at St. Andre’s who shared her experience about being a previous guest of this organization.  At St. Andre’s, the staff and volunteers refer to these people who are homeless who use their facilities as guests in order to give them back their sense of dignity as a human, which they rightfully deserve.  She talked about how she had so much gratitude for everything that the organization had done for her and how she wanted to give back to those who were in the unfortunate circumstances she had previously been in.  I saw how much this volunteer was genuine about her intentions.  Her experience with homelessness had allowed her to empathize fully with these people who are currently homeless using St. Andre’s facilities because this place had touched and helped her during what I would assume was a dark period in her life.  It really made me think introspectively more about the intent of me being here and what the purpose of this immersion experience truly was.  Yet while I was able to encounter such a wonderful woman like the volunteer here at St. Andre’s, I also encountered a woman who, although probably had pure intentions, seemed to treat her volunteering efforts in a more selfish way.  During the Oregon Food Bank packing session, this woman was talking about how she would semi-regularly bring her and her family to volunteer at this facility.  But in her response, she kept emphasizing how this “made her feel good about herself”.  It was something that stuck with me because I feel like many times, people with a sizeable amount of privilege will discuss certain issues regarding marginalized communities or people who can’t necessarily advocate for themselves in a way that focuses more on themselves.  For example, people will talk extensively how they are such good people for being aware of certain social issues, thereby focusing less on the true problem.  It comes off as them having a savior-complex and only willing to educate themselves and be aware of certain issues for the sake of their reputation.  Yet I know that while although some people who are volunteering may come off as arrogant, they are just unaware about the bigger picture and the complexities about certain situations.  I know this for a fact because we all, myself included have been there.  But it is important for us to be open-minded and try to understand the experiences and circumstances of others.  It is not enough to just volunteer at your local food bank sometimes and then call it day.  It is up to us to be more aware of privilege, how we can use it to benefit those that they may need it, and willing to learn so that we can better value the dignity of all humans.

-Andre Jaurigui, Urban Immersion 2019

Today we gathered from across the country, ending our winter break early, to delve into the lives of those who are houseless. We all come from a variety of experiences and backgrounds, and today we shared our hopes, dreams, and aspirations for this week. We come into this week with welcoming, open hearts ready to learn and grow from the stories and the people we will meet. The first two people we meet our coordinators with Saint Andre Bessette Catholic Church, Andrew and Deonna. They graciously have let us into their space and have welcomed us the same as they would any of the other guests they serve with their hospitality services.

            Under their direction, we toured many of the resources that aim to help those who are houseless in the Old Town district. This was an especially eye opening experience for me personally, as I was pleased to learn how many services there were available for their guests. However, this also made me recognize how damaging the houselessness is in the area. I have walked through Old Town many times in my life, but this time was like any other in my life. Looking at Old Town with this new perspective will change me forever. In the past I might have been able to look over the houseless and keep moving but now I am beginning to develop a new and much more empathetic view. Society has tried to strip the humanity away from these people in many ways to the point that many people do not see them as equals. Even the way we talk about people who are houseless does not give them the proper humanity. When we often talk about houselessness we use the word “Homeless people”. This type of language connotates that their only quality is their houselessness. Not funny, smart, kind, loving, or any of the other thousand adjectives available in the human language, but rather the one word that put them at the lowest common denominator. I challenge those at home to think critically about the language you using surrounding houselessness, because the more we are able to empathize with these people the better we can help them.

-Nate Olsen, Urban Immersion 2019