Being homeless is a brutal experience, and Oregon's homeless population grew by 37% last year. We are on the front lines, serving 700 meals daily, providing hope and stepping stones to a new life.
On any given night, more than 17,000 people face homelessness in Oregon. Oregon currently has the highest percent of people experiencing homelessness of any state in the U.S. (U.S. HUD Report). While homelessness is hard on everyone, the worst affected are the children. Unfortunately, this is a real and growing problem: nearly 43% of people identified as homeless are in families with children (Oregon's 2009 one-night homeless count). Without help, these children fall behind developmentally.
We are Portland's largest provider of homeless services. Homeless men, women and children turn to us for their most basic needs: warm and safe shelter (up to 120 beds/night); hot, nutritious meals; and long-term programs to rebuild their lives.
We help at least 700 people/day to meet their basic needs. Every year, at least 50 men and 50 women and their children participate in long-term recovery programs that teach addiction recovery, violence prevention, vocational skills, etc.
This project has provided additional documentation in a Microsoft Excel file (projdoc.xls).
