Sorry for the length.. Don’t read this unless you have the time/interest. I am going to throw a few pictures in here. NONE OF THEM ARE MINE. They belong to other members that were on the trip as well.
Ready?
Ok.
This was a trip to Portland to help with the homeless for a week of spring break. We (13 of us) were there from Sunday March 14 - Sunday March 21. We were staying at Join, which is a nonprofit that works to get people into homes. They go out into the streets and talk with people and figure out what they need and help them get it! We didn’t get to work with them, but they were kind enough to let us stay in their new facility and show us around and Anthony organized our trip! We split our group into two, and half went to Blanchet House and half went to The Downtown Chapel. We then switched off daily. We worked at Blanchet House, which is a place that offers 3 hot meals a day, 6 days a week. They are amazing, the amount of people they serve is incredible. Upstairs, they house men, most are in some sort of rehab, and in return for their housing they work in the kitchen. Blanchet runs off donated food, so meals may change depending on what is donated on a particular day. I’ll talk more about them later. :) We also worked at the Downtown Chapel, which is a hospitality center, which means they offer food they are donated, they also have a clothing closet, hygiene closet, laundry vouchers, art center, once a week on Wednesday’s they have a foot clinic. They also help people get id’s, and other things they may not be able to get on their own. In the afternoons we had different guest speakers, or activities that taught us more about homelessness.
This nonprofit was started in a van, in 1938, by a group of students from University of Portland. They were later able to move into a three story building where it is now, (in 1952). Blanchet House also has a farm(60 acres) in Yamhill County where they have pigs, chickens, and a garden. They have recently implemented a wood shop to make furniture for their new facility they were able to acquire with the help of the city (this is also the first government money they have accepted since the creation!) “ Today Blanchet serves about 800 meals per day, six days a week, for a total of about 270,000 meals per year. It has been estimated that since its inception, Blanchet has served over 14,000,000 meals to those in need.” All the leftover or uneaten food is dumped into huge garbage cans and taken to the farm and fed to the pigs. They don’t waste anything. :)
While we were there, we helped Monday through Thursday with preparing and serving lunch. Friday we served breakfast at 5:30 am! We cut up fruit and salads to help prepare for lunch. We then received different jobs to do during the serving hour. There were a bunch of different jobs, and I was a busser the first time, and a server the next. Bussing gave me a chance to chat with a few people as I was cleaning a spot at the table for the next person to come in.. They were waiting right outside the door! It was a very fast paced time, so you couldn’t chat for very long. Serving was fun too, you got to see a lot of faces, smile and ask how their day was going. Often this small question was enough to change their moods and put a smile on their face. After we were done serving and everyone was out, we got to eat with the guys that live there and work in the kitchen. We got to know this group of men and we all loved the time we spent with them. They all had such positive attitudes, and even if they were uneasy about having us there, they welcomed us into their home without question. We were able to joke with them from the start and it was sad to have to say, ‘Bye.’
This is a place where people can go to receive many services, and even though it is in a chapel, the idea of religion is not forced on anyone. The guests are lead in a prayer before coming inside, but they do not have to participate or be present for it. “Our Hospitality Center is a safe, friendly environment where anyone can spend the morning in peace. Coffee & breakfast snacks are provided as we promote a supportive community for people in transition.” Volunteers read a verse from the Bible, and reflect on it. The verse read the week we were there was ‘let he who is without sin, cast the first stone.’ This was a very fitting verse and it was nice to hear people interpret it for themselves. It also spoke to not judging anyone, it was a good introduction to the week. The volunteers were different almost every time, with a few steady people. This was cool to see how many people care about these guests, but made it hard to create connections like we did at Blanchet.
The first day I was there, I worked in the mens clothing closet. Their guests are eligible for clothes every 30 days, and when they are eligible they may take a t-shirt, polo/dress shirt, sweater, underwear, socks. Jackets and Shoes were an exchange only item, take one leave one. It was interesting to see how the men approached the closet, some grabbed what fit without fuss, and others were picky and wanted to find the best items. The next time I worked as a host, which meant I was down in the lobby welcoming people inside. The guests have to put their names on a list and wait to be called inside, so we got to call them in. The last day I was there, I worked with the food, and that day we had cupcakes. After our jobs were finished, we were able to sit and visit with the guests. This is where most of my conversations happened. I liked DTC better for this reason, although I LOVED both places. DTC offered a room full of tables and chairs, you could sit and talk with so many people, and hear their stories. Often the only question I asked was, “What’s your name?” and let them talk. A few people didn’t say much, others said a lot. Some had really intellectual things to say, others talked about music. All these conversations meant something different and said a lot about the person. Some had a lot of questions for me, others didn’t ask anything about me.
Afternoon Programs:
The first night we did an activity about homelessness stereotypes, especially ‘choice,’ many of us have been told a great number are homeless by choice. We learned that it often is not true, there is almost always another factor. One they just don’t want to talk about, it is easier or makes them feel better to say it is their choice. Don’t push to find the reason though, if they don’t offer it, don’t ask. We had a nonviolence training, we talked with a cop, a man in transitional housing (I feel so bad I can’t recall his name! :( ) and Buck who gave us a tour of where he used to stay under the Ross Island Bridge. After these afternoon activities we would have a reflection of the day, and just check in see how everyone is doing.
We also talked with Jeremy, he works at a hospitality center as well, and he had us do a reflection type activity, where we came up with 3 things we have done, and 3 things we have been. He then laid out photos and we were to write our reactions to them. We then talked about them, and finally we ended with 2 pieces of paper, and we were to complete the sentence. One said, “I can’t…” the other, “I can…” I think this part was the most meaningful of this activity and was my favorite afternoon activity in general. The I can’t, I can statements meant a lot to me. There will always be things we cannot do, but there are so many that we CAN. If we focus on those, they make the ‘can’ts’ better. “I can’t give someone a home, but I can give them a smile. I can listen, and look them in the eye.” These are more powerful than a home in many cases.
One afternoon we took a trip to Dignity Village, which was such a shock emotionally and just in every other way. At the village, they have their own government, their own system. In many cases they reject ‘our world.’ It was so sad to hear them talk, but at the same time it was cool to see they are doing things for themselves and not relying on society. Throughout the tour, John Boy was talking about the difference between ‘our world’ and ‘your world.’ Society has cast them away, and thrown them next to a jail, on a slab of concrete with two showers and port-o-potties. They have built themselves little houses out of recycled wood and other materials. A common area has a small T.V., with a VHS player, and a few couches. Almost everyone has a cat or dog, this is a source of comfort, an unconditional love. The village is very self sustaining, and has their rules they follow, and ways to continue to improve their lives which is very inspiring.
“Off Times”:
Even on our time off we were still wanting to learn and do more! Wednesday we had the afternoon off, so we went and showed people the “sights to see’ in Portland. We then went to the library to check e-mails and stuff of the sort. We ran into a security guard, and asked about the library’s policy on the homeless. The guard was very nice, and was more than happy to explain their policy- which is very welcoming. It was refreshing to hear they don’t discriminate or kick people out just because they don’t want them there. After serving breakfast Friday morning, we had about 4 hours before our next scheduled activity, so we walked down to Transitional Projects Inc. We just stood on that corner, and talked with the people lined up waiting for it to open. We met a few people, and had conversations that have meant a lot to me. I’m not going to go into them here, but if you want just ask me about Cloud and Shades! We also went to Union Gospel Mission, and Portland Rescue Mission. These were a spur of the moment thing, but both were very informative and great to see them both. At Union Gospel Mission we met Travis, who happened to have been homeless himself for about a year and a half, but is now on the road to getting his own place. He told us about his plans to continue helping others get off the streets. Tony at Portland Rescue Mission was also very informative, and very blunt. He did not sugar coat anything, and he told us how it was.
Saturday was our free day, and we spent it at the waterfront. We went to P:ear first. This is a school for people 15-24, but school is used in a different sense. They focus on art, and let the kids express themselves. They also have a partnership with My Voice Music, which is also in the building. They have a studio with drums, guitars and microphones. P:ear also helps with getting the kids GEDs. They also have a kitchen where the students learn to cook, as well as a coffee cart! We ended the night with a trip to Wal Mart where we spent our left over money from dinner on socks to donate to Join. We ended up buying 54 pairs. :)
Speaking of Join:
They held an open mic night for the people they have helped and the community. It was amazing to see the turn out, and to hear the success stories. The testimonials they gave, because they wanted to say thank you. The tears. Everything was so heartfelt and honest. I also heard the most amazing backstory to Santa in the world. I wish everyone could hear it! I haven’t said much about Anthony, but he was amazing. He planned such an amazing trip for us, and he had a lot to share with us. He created an unforgettable trip for so many.
*****
I may have said a lot here, it is longer than I intended. However, I don’t think I have shown how much I learned, or how much this meant to me. I don’t think I could put it into words if my life depended on it. So I will end with this:
There are a ton of photos, but they cannot portray what we learned or how we felt. We became a family. We made friendships. Not only in each other, but in the people we met. The people we talked to changed us. We each had a different experience, even though it was very similar. We had different conversations, we went into this trip with different mindsets and beliefs. I think everyone's have changed at least a little bit. I know mine did. This trip was much more than just a trip, it was a window into a different world, a world I still don't understand. I don't think anyone can truly understand this life unless they live it themselves. There were people I met that I want to talk to, I want to know how they are doing, but that is not practical. I didn't want this trip to end, and I still want to go back and be there. I want to be talking with people, I want to get to know them better. Because they are people. They are just overlooked, and brushed aside. Just look them in the eye, smile and ask how they are doing. You'll be amazed by the response you get, and chances are you just made their day. Notice them, give them a smile. It costs you nothing, but helps them in ways you cannot imagine. I saw it.
We are the same. We are all people. We all came from a different place. We have all gone through hardships that have affected us differently. Some have been more fortunate than others. Some have a better support system. But we are all people. We all have feelings. We all want to be noticed and loved. We all want to belong. We could be them. They could be us.
