Yellow Brick Road Volunteer Training

Thanks to everyone who responded to our upcoming homeless youth panel. THE TRAINING IS NOW FULL. Due to the high volume of R.S.V.P.'s we've received we're posting our next training opportunity way in advance. Please R.S.V.P. as soon as possible if you're interested in attending:

MENTAL HEALTH ON THE STREETS!
SUNDAY MAY 4TH
2PM-5PM

We will have a guest speaker from Kaiser share with us some common mental health symptoms we are likely to see on the streets and how we might engage with people experiencing mental health issues more effectively. We'll also discuss some basic coping skills to share share with young people dealing with mental health on the streets. Please R.S.V.P. to dlundberg@janusyouth.org

HIGHER GROUND

The National Weather Service is forecasting heavy rain in Portland this week between Wednesday and Thursday. There is also a potential for several inches of rain over the weekend. We are not expecting any serious flooding, but if you are sleeping outdoors- or know someone who is camping outdoors- please be aware and take to higher ground if necessary. We will update with Severe Weather Alerts as more information becomes available.

Feb. 3...warming stations CLOSED tonight!

Portland's Severe Weather Warming Shelters are closed tonight. Sunday is NOT a severe weather night.

THE KIDS WILL HAVE THEIR SAY!

Ever wonder what it's like to live on the streets? Want to know the truth about "street families"? Want to know how adults might more effectively engage with vulnerable young people? Yellow Brick Road has invited homeless (& formally homeless) youth and young adults from our community to participate in a very special afternoon of training. Join us as we...ASK THE EXPERTS!

WHEN: Sunday February 24th

TIME: 2pm-5pm

WHERE: Please R.S.V.P. for location at (503)789-4011 or dlundberg@janusyouth.org

photo by kif

Severe Weather Called for January 25th!

Severe Weather has been declared again for Friday January 25th. NO ONE WILL BE TURNED AWAY FROM SHELTER TONIGHT! In addition to the previously announced Severe Weather Shelters, Dignity Village has just announced that they will provide emergency space for 10 extra people on Severe Weather nights. For more information please visit 211 INFO

Severe Weather Called for January 24th!

Severe Weather has been declared again for Thursday January 24th. This is likely to remain in effect through the weekend but we will update as soon as this is confirmed. NO ONE WILL BE TURNED AWAY FROM SHELTER TONIGHT! In addition to the previously announced Severe Weather Shelters, Dignity Village has just announced that they will provide emergency space for 10 extra people on Severe Weather nights. For more information please visit 211 INFO

Yellow Brick Road Training This Sunday!

You are invited to attend our upcoming
YELLOW BRICK ROAD VOLUNTEER TRAINING

WHEN: SUNDAY January 27th (2-5pm)

WHERE: Please R.S.V.P. for location: dlundberg@janusyouth.org

This training is FREE and open to anyone interested in learning more about our street outreach program. This is a great opportunity to meet our current team of volunteers and learn more about Portland's longest running volunteer-based street outreach program! Applications will be available after the training.

Severe Weather Called for January 22 & 23!

The puddles are already frozen despite the unusual appearance of a mid-winter sun in Portland! Multnomah County has opened emergency warming stations for the next two nights. NO ONE WILL BE DENIED ACCESS TO SHELTERS TONIGHT. If you need any assistance getting to a warming station, please call Yellow Brick Road at (503) 789-4011 between 6pm-10pm.

Severe Weather Called For Tuesday January 15th

We experienced some unexpected ice last night and this morning and the forecast is calling for similar conditions tonight. The Estate & Calvary Christian Church have opened up emergency warming stations. NO ONE WILL BE DENIED ACCESS TO SHELTERS TONIGHT. Please see the information below regarding available shelters, locations, and eligibility. If you need any assistance getting to a warming station, please call Yellow Brick Road at (503) 789-4011 between 6pm-10pm.

Positive Youth Development

Positive Youth Development is an approach to working with young people that focuses on their development and strengths instead of their problems or deficits. Based on emerging research into human resiliency and brain development, the principles and practices of the Positive Youth Development model have become a recognized best practice for youth programs and an increasingly accepted method of re-thinking our approach with young people. At Janus Youth Programs Positive Youth Development informs nearly every aspect of our work with street-entrenched youth & young adults. In this spirit, and thanks to the generous support of the Hoover Family Foundation, we have implemented a series of youth-driven workshops and field trips over the past year in an effort to build positive adult relationships and self-esteem and to draw our young clients out of the "comfort zone" of street life and low expectations. First we created a suggestion box which became a prominent fixture at our weekly stationary outreach program Portland: Outreach & Engagement. The suggestion box was designed to inspire participants to identify topics of interest and take ownership of the planning process and workshop agendas. Once ideas were selected from the box, youth were encouraged to co-facilitate workshops according to their individual interests, skills, and enthusiasm. At every opportunity staff fostered an environment in which young people felt safe in their vulnerability of taking on leadership roles, making mistakes, and accepting new challenges. This was astoundingly clear at our recent Stencil Art Workshop! We have documented extensive "measurable outcomes" and exceeded our own expectations in terms of successful results, but the photos and beautiful artwork we captured at this workshop speak louder than the reports. Please take a look at the following photos and feel free to drop a line if you are interested in implementing similar workshops at your own agency. We'd be happy to further share with you our experiences.

The workshop was co-facilitated by Rhythm Kenaley-Lundberg, a 13 year-old 8th grade student who volunteered his time and expertise to demonstrate how stencils are created. Thanks, Rhythm!

The first part of the process consisted of brainstorming ideas and thinking about "negative space"...

"NEVER SUBMIT"

"Matt" co-facilitated the workshop along with Rhythm. "Matt" is a very artistic 21 year-old who recently moved into permanent housing through Janus Youth Programs' Clean & Sober Housing Program!

Rhythm finishes cutting out his cowboy stencil...

Outside on our building's Youth Mural Wall, Rhythm lines up his stencil and covers it with spraypaint

"Yeehaw!"

Matt's very first stencil is a resounding success!

Matt decides to attempt a multi-colored design and consults with Rhythm on the best approach...

It turned out beautifully!

"J" sets up his stencil...

The finished piece!

It was an amazing afternoon!
Look for more postings on our workshops and Positive Youth Development soon...

Severe Weather Called For Wednesday January 9th!

The forecast is once again calling for very cold and rainy weather tonight so The Estate & Calvary Christian Church have opened up emergency warming stations. NO ONE WILL BE DENIED ACCESS TO SHELTERS TONIGHT. Please see the information below regarding available shelters, locations, and eligibility.

Severe Weather Called For Tuesday January 8th

The forecast is calling for very cold and rainy weather again tonight, with a wind-chill factor that will make it feel like 25 degrees. Multnomah County has declared a Severe Weather Alert for Tuesday January 8th. NO ONE WILL BE DENIED ACCESS TO SHELTERS TONIGHT. Please see the information below regarding available shelters.

Severe Weather Called For Monday January 7th

The forecast is calling for 35 degree weather tonight with a wind-chill factor that will make it feel more like 25 to 27 degrees. We are also expecting heavy rain throughout the night, potentially up to .8" of an inch in a seven hour period, with some snow flurries. Multnomah County has declared a Severe Weather for Monday January 7th. NO ONE WILL BE DENIED ACCESS TO SHELTERS TONIGHT. Please see the information below regarding available shelters:

Youth/Young Adults Under 21:

Janus Youth Shelter (Porchlight) is the city's only emergency youth shelter for young people under 21 years of age. During severe weather, Porchlight may have the capacity to provide a few additional beds on a first-come-first-served basis (6 extra beds for a total of 36 guests). Note that Porchlight staff will always prioritize safety when determining if the shelter can accommodate additional youth. Porchlight does not have the abililty to accomodate pets or dependents. Located at 1635 SW Alder St., shelter opens at 8:45pm. Youth and Young Adults, age 18 and older, are also welcome at the Adult Shelters, including the Severe Weather Shelter Sites for Adults listed below.

Women Only:

Salvation Army Female Emergency Shelter (S.A.F.E.S.)Ankeny Entry at Harbor Light Site (2nd and Burnside) 503-731-3942. Space for 12 additional single women via mats on the floor. No pets or carts. Not disability accessible (up steep set of stairs).

Men Only:

City Team Ministries526 SE Grand Avenue (503) 231-9334
Space for 10 additional single men via mats on the floor in the main room during severe weather. May also be open during the days during severe weather. Typically there is a $3 per night charge, which includes sleeping space and a meal. No pets, and limited space for belongings. Accessible location.

Portland Rescue Mission111 W. Burnside (503) 227-0859
Space for 10 additional single men via mats on the floor in the lobby, may also be open during the days during severe weather. No pets, and limited space for belongings. Accessible location

Men, Women, Couples:

The Estate (Shelter service operated by American Red Cross)
225 NW Couch (Old Town). Open until at capacity. Space for 40-50 adults via cots in the renovated basement – refreshments provided. Pets allowed, and some space for carts. Accessible location (elevator)

Calvary Christian Church126 NE Alberta Portland, OR 97211 (503) 422-6358
Space for 60-70 people.

Union Gospel Mission – Not sure if they will be operating-please call them directly.
15 NW 3rd (503) 228-0319 Open until at capacity

Transportation may be available to people who are unable to get to these shelters. Call (503) 789-4011 for more information.

Severe Weather

Multnomah County has declared Severe Weather for Thursday December 27th and Friday December 28th! No one can be turned away from shelter during these two nights. For additional information about how to keep yourself safe, click here.

2007 Annual Homeless Memorial

Please join Yellow Brick Road at Outside In this Friday as we light candles & remember those we lost on the streets in 2007. The Annual Homeless Memorial is an inspiring & intimate community event that honors our city's most vulnerable citizens. We hope you'll join us.

Friday December 21 at 4:00pm

Remembering Amber

We regret to announce the death of Amber Anderson who passed away unexpectedly on the evening of November 27th. Amber was loved dearly by those who knew her on the streets and her death has impacted many of us here in Portland. Her name has been placed on the Memorial Tree in the courtyard of Outside In so please feel free to visit and send your thoughts to Amber and her surviving friends & family. Rest In Peace, Amber!

photo courtesy of kif

Severe Weather Transportation

During severe weather conditions, Yellow Brick Road and Can We Help frequently provide transportation to the homeless within the downtown Portland area in an effort to get as many people indoors as possible. Transportation is generally available during severe weather from 6pm-10pm but always call first to confirm availability!

Dennis Lundberg (503) 789-4011
(Janus Youth Programs/Yellow Brick Road)

Steve Trujillo (503) 933-9418
(Can We Help)

Severe Weather Shelter

Here in Multnomah County when the temperature drops below 25 degrees or we expect hazardous conditions (such as snow, ice, or windstorms) the City of Portland will frequently announce a Severe Weather Alert. In these instances additional emergency shelter space is made available throughout the area and every effort is made to get as many people indoors as possible. Below is a list of severe weather services. If you are homeless, we hope this info will help you navigate these services a bit easier. If you are not homeless, we hope you will consider contacting one of these agencies to offer volunteer support. Many of these severe weather shelters are made possible by volunteers from the community. The Winter Shelter Hotline is also available to help you during severe weather. The hotline is available Monday-Friday 8am to 8pm & weekends 10am to 6pm.

211 Winter Shelter Hotline: (503) 721-1500

FOR YOUTH UNDER 21

Porchlight Crisis Shelter
Porchlight Crisis Shelter is the city's only emergency youth shelter for young people under 21 years of age. During severe weather, Porchlight has the capacity to provide a few additional beds on a first-come-first-served basis. (6 extra beds for a total of 36 guests). Note that Porchlight staff will always prioritize safety when determining if the shelter can accommodate additional youth. Porchlight does not have the abililty to accomodate pets or dependents.

FOR ADULTS, COUPLES, & SPECIAL NEEDS:

There are multiple sites around town for adults during severe weather. These shelters will not require TB clearance during severe weather. If these shelters become full, the city may have some limited ability to voucher people into hotels to keep them safe. Probably the easiest thing to do is check in with the Winter Shelter Hotline to see where there are open beds and (if all the beds are full) where to inquire about hotel vouchers.

WOMEN ONLY:

Salvation Army Female Emergency Shelter (S.A.F.E.)
Ankeny St. entrance at Harbor Light (2nd and Burnside)
(503) 731-3942
Space for 12 additional single women via mats on the floor in the day space during severe weather. Day space open 7am to 11pm daily. Shelter open 7:45pm to 7:00 am daily. No pets or carts. Not disability accessible due to steep stairs.

Daybreak Shelter Network (Operated by Human Solutions)
Rotating Sites in Multnomah County call (503) 548-0200 or (503) 988-4531 or go to TPI’s Community Service Center at 435 NW Glisan for entry information. Space for 5 additional women (or women with children) within faith-based family shelter during severe weather. No pets or carts. * Rotating sites, call for information on accessibility.

MEN ONLY:

City Team Ministries
526 SE Grand Avenue (503) 231-9334
Space for 10 additional single men via mats on the floor in the main room during severe weather. May also be open during the days during severe weather. Typically there is a $3 per night charge, which includes sleeping space and a meal. May require TB card and sobriety agreement. No pets, and limited space for belongings. Disability accessible location.

Portland Rescue Mission
111 W. Burnside (503) 227-0859
Space for 10 additional single men via mats on the floor in the lobby, may also be open during the days during severe weather. No pets and limited space for additional belongings. Disability accessible location.

MEN, WOMEN, COUPLES, PETS:

The Estate (Shelter service operated by American Red Cross) 225 NW Couch (Old Town)
Opens each night at 8:00 pm, morning exit at 7:30am. Space for 40-50 adults via cots in the renovated basement – refreshments provided. Pets allowed, and some space for carts. Disability access with elevator.

Foursquare Church (Shelter service operated by American Red Cross)
1302 Ankeny St. (behind Old Wives Tale at 14th & SE Ankeny)
Opens at 8:30 pm, morning exit at 7:30am. Space for 175 adults via mats on the floor – light refreshments provided.

Calvary Christian Church (Operated by the American Red Cross)
126 NE Alberta (MLK & NE Alberta St.)
Opens at 8pm. Space for 60-70 adults via cots/mats in downstairs gym. Pets allowed & some room for carts. Refreshments provided. Transportation is often available from downtown (see below).

Union Gospel Mission
15 NW 3rd (503) 228-0319 Open until at capacity
Space for 50 men and women in separate sleeping areas via blankets on the floor - refreshments provided. Operates from 10pm – 6:00am. Dinner offered at site from 8:00-9:00pm. Service animals allowed, space for carts. Disability accessible location.

DAY SERVICES

Expanded severe weather day shelter may also be available at Portland Rescue Mission or Salvation Army, depending on weather severity and their capacity to offer the service. Please contact sites directly with questions. St. Francis, Julia West/Daywatch, and S.A.F.E. Shelter all operate day service for adults year round. New Avenues For Youth & Outside In offer day services for youth under 21 year round.

TRANSPORTATION:

Yellow Brick Road and Can We Help often provide Severe Weather Transportation in an effort to get as many people indoors as possible. Transportation is generally available during severe weather from 6pm-10pm but always call first to confirm availability!

Dennis Lundberg (503) 789-4011
(Janus Youth Programs/Yellow Brick Road)

Steve Trujillo (503) 933-9418
(Can We Help)

Re-Imagining Our Youth

“We are what we imagine. Our very existence consists in our imagination of ourselves…The greatest tragedy that can befall us is to go unimagined.”
~ N. Scott Momaday

We had seen her there night after night. You’d probably seen her there yourself. The frail young woman curled up on the sidewalk near Powell’s Books on Burnside with scraped knees pulled tightly against her chest, concealing the early paunch of pregnancy. Choppy bangs hung over her heavy-lidded eyes and she held a small piece of cardboard requesting spare change from anyone who might glance down in her direction. Beneath the dirt she bore a telling scar in the pale fold of her arm. She looked as though she might slip right into the cracks of the pavement and disappear forever, if only it were that easy. Let’s call her “Mary”. That’s how she appeared when our Street Outreach teams first approached her on our nightly rounds of downtown Portland and, crouching down as we have done countless nights before, introduced ourselves: “Hello, we’re Yellow Brick Road, can we help you with anything tonight?”

Like many of the young people we make it our business to meet on the streets, Mary’s clothing was a tattered assemblage of seemingly undecipherable punk rock patches and slogans. It was in that clutter of weather worn patches that we first detected road signs of her painful journey and glimpsed an opportunity to break through the isolation. Contrary to popular misconception, young people are great communicators even if their messages aren’t always easily understood or desirable. Even in silence, young people are incessantly expressing themselves in their own obscure tongues and we adults, us youth advocates, have only to tune in, listen attentively, and learn the language. An experienced and attentive outreach worker can frequently glean more raw data from a young person’s faded patches and “homemade” tattoos than could ever be discerned from a more formal assessment. We just have to learn the language. And to learn the language we have to want to hear what young people are saying. Sometimes we find their hearts are literally sewn onto their sleeves! As our outreach team squatted beside Mary on the sidewalk one evening I made a passing remark about one of the band names emblazed across her skirt and asked if she had recently been out east. For the first time in nearly two months since we first began visiting her regularly at that corner of Burnside & 11th Mary pushed the hair away from her eyes and looked directly into my face. It turns out she’s from Pennsylvania. And even though she refused our assistance yet again that night, I walked away knowing that we had just made an important connection and that her trust in these funny “outreach people” with bags full of “stuff” was growing. The next time we saw Mary she accepted a Q-Tip to clean her ears and mumbled a polite “thanks” under her breathe as we walked away. A week later we met again at a public meal under the Burnside Bridge where she remembered my name and called me over to talk. She still couldn’t quite look me in the eyes but she accepted a clean pair of socks and we had our first conversation that night. When tears came to her eyes I jokingly reminded her, as I often do, that after years of doing this work I no longer take it personally when people cry during our conversations. An unexpected laugh escaped her lips and surprised us both. She finally agreed to visit me at my office later in the week.

I’m not entirely sure how she eventually mustered the courage to walk through the door but the following Wednesday, as she had promised, Mary visited me during our weekly Outreach & Engagement office hours. That afternoon we sat together and discussed her life in great detail. I listened unflinchingly as she explained her childhood, the slow creep toward heroin, and the burned bridges that so often follow in the wake of addiction. She had traveled to Portland with her boyfriend where they had planned to get clean and start a family. Living in a car they conceived a child just days before he was arrested and extradited back east, leaving her strung-out and pregnant on the streets of Portland at the age of 22. It’s no wonder that she was soon plagued with panic attacks and the paralyzing grip of depression. Beyond the long shadow of all those seemingly insurmountable problems I saw, as many of us who choose to work with vulnerable young people do each day, the shining promise of a young woman about to embark on the long journey toward recovery. I think I jokingly suggested, as I often do, that the most “punk” thing she could do was get clean and have a healthy baby. Within hours we were able to determine Mary’s identity and legal history and she was immediately provided a bed at the Janus Youth Crisis Shelter. The following morning she agreed to wake early and catch a bus across the river to a detox center. Suddenly she had options again and together we formulated a strategy to prioritize her needs and begin to unravel the unfortunate circumstances that had so overwhelmed her life.

Since that afternoon Mary and I have met every Wednesday to discuss her progress and plan appointments. We enrolled her in OHP and went together to her first pregnancy exam at the Women’s Wellness Center at OHSU. Soon she received her first ultrasound exams and attended the first of several parenting classes. She began substituting heroin for methadone and regardless of your opinion of methadone it sure beats the dull unending grind of panhandling and copping illegal drugs. We call that “harm reduction” downtown. And what does a recovering addict do to replace the void of that unending grind? Create new rituals of health with yoga classes and other healing arts. With funding Janus Youth Programs recently received from a Hoover Foundation grant we were able to take Mary and others on field trips to unlikely destinations like the Portland Zine Symposium and the Body Worlds exhibit at the Oregon Museum of Science & Industry. Increasingly she joked and told stories and began to simply enjoy her pregnancy. It was clear as she began looking people in the eye that Mary was beginning to envision herself as a competent person and a healthy mother. Shelter access allowed her to regulate her diet and sleeping patterns and take control of her hygiene with showers and laundry. We set her up with her own voicemail message system and she spent hours on our computers and phones looking for apartments and employment. She was never late for a single appointment (ahem...which is more than I can say for myself!). We secured a housing voucher and, after several weeks of hunting for a fair-market apartment suitable for a young mother and newborn baby, Mary moved into her very own studio this past October. Just a few months after meeting Yellow Brick Road on that corner near Powell’s Books Mary was out in the community picking up furniture for her new home. She hasn’t used heroin for almost 4 months. And it’s a girl.

Still Mary’s struggle has only just begun and as we all know, few things in life are certain. Mary has a difficult road ahead as a single mother and recovering addict with very limited work history. It takes time and resources and the support of the entire community to help young people transition from the streets successfully. Mary’s situation is uniquely inspiring in that it all happened so quickly and so smoothly. It often takes much longer and the outcome is not always so optimistic. Which is precisely why I chose to share her story and why I invite you all to share in Mary's success as she embarks on her own courageous path toward wholeness. I know those of you who work with vulnerable young people have met folks similar to "Mary" and you all have stories of your own. I hope this account somehow invigorates your work as we empower young people to re-envision their lives beyond the streets.

Dennis Lundberg
Yellow Brick Road
November 2007

Potluck-in-the-Park Homeless Resource Fair 2007

Once again Yellow Brick Road represented Homeless Youth Services at Potluck-in-the-Park's 16th annual BBQ and Resource Faire this Sunday September 16th. The event took place at Portland State University and, at last count, more than 950 guests were served. This marks the biggest Resource Faire ever! Yellow Brick Road provided stationary outreach to dozens of homeless and high-risk young people (including their older friends), providing much needed first-aid & hygiene supplies as well as direct referrals to services such as emergency shelter. We even had unexpected help at our table from some young volunteers...

Thanks to Peggy Reuler, Dave Utzinger, all the volunteers, and everyone who came out for making this amazing event such a success.

See you next year!