Homelessness in Portland: Part II
City officials from the United States Conference of Mayors identified lack of affordable housing as the leading cause of homelessness among unaccompanied individuals. This was followed by poverty, mental health and the lack of needed services, and substance abuse. Housing affordability in Portland has continued to decline as rents and home prices continue to climb, outpacing incomes. The average monthly rent in Portland rose 7 percent between 2015 and 2016. That was the fourth consecutive…
The Need (Part I)
As a child, have you ever had something happen to you that caused you to be very upset? Did you see people you love get hurt? Did you ever feel like you were being attacked and there was no one to help you? Have you felt like it was you alone against the world? Most people in the world have had an Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE). The most common are extreme physical danger, experiencing or witnessing abuse, experiencing or witnessing drug use especially among caregivers, neglect, homelessness, and bullying. Maggie’s children experienced living with an abusive father, living with parents using drugs and not caring for them well, separation from their parents while in foster care, and the stress of homelessness.
#givingtuesday Sneak Peek
Watch your mailboxes- soon we’ll be sending out our annual appeal, featuring the journey of Maggie and her family while they were residents of Hope House. But before then, on Tuesday, November 28th head over to our Facebook page to get all the details on our Fill the Grid! $10,000 Matching Challenge. Also, are you considering becoming a monthly supporter in the coming year? When you make that commitment on December 10th, 20th, or 30th thanks…
Meet Maggie*
Maggie is a happy, generous person who was a blessing to our household. Her cheerful smile reflects how far she has come. Before she moved here, Maggie was involved in a domestic violence relationship. Her husband also got her involved in using drugs with him. On the surface, all seemed well, but her children were being neglected, her husband was verbally and emotionally abusing her and the children, and things began to fall apart. A…