NO SEVERE WEATHER TONIGHT

But it's still very cold and wet! Please bundle up out there.

SEVERE WEATHER TONIGHT 12/11

No one will be turned away from shelter again tonight, December 11, 2013. Please call 211 for shelter info and if you are unable to get yourself to a warming center safely, you may inquire about free transportation options with a 211 operator.

POSITIVE YOUTH IN ACTION!

Meet Amelia Aaron. Amelia is 16 and lives in Multnomah County. A few months ago she organized a sock drive, using social media to galvanize friends and family into action supporting homeless youth here in Portland. Today she delivered enough warm socks for every young person in our shelter. It takes everyone in our community to solve issues of poverty, exploitation, marginalization and homelessness. Amelia is doing her part. On behalf of Janus Youth Programs...THANK YOU, Amelia! You are a hero.  

SEVERE WEATHER DECLARED DECEMBER 6-8

We're rolling into another VERY COLD weekend, folks. No one will be turned away for shelter. Please dial 211 for more information. If you need assistance with transportation to an emergency warming center, please tell the 211 resource specialists. Bundle up out there! 

SEVERE WEATHER DECLARED FOR DECEMBER 3rd - 4th

It's getting COLD out there again, folks. The National Weather Service forecasts overnight lows in Portland (with wind chill) to be as low as 15° to 22° for the evenings of Tuesday, December 3, 2013 and Wednesday, December 4, 2013. Anyone seeking shelter should contact 211info, reached by dialing 2-1-1. 211info will be available to identify shelter and warming center resources 24/7 and may be able to provide limited transportation for those who are unable to get themselves to a arming shelter. Shelter information is also available online at www.211info.org

FREE FLU SHOTS IN PIONEER SQUARE 11/22!

This Friday, November 22nd, Oregon AWARE and the OHSU College of Pharmacy are partnering to provide free flu shots at Pioneer Courthouse Square. Project AWARE IN THE SQUARE will offer free flu shots from 7am - 4pm for anyone who is uninsured as part of the Day of Homelessness Awareness tomorrow. This clinic is done in partnership by Oregon AWARE (Alliance Working for Antibiotic Resistance Education), a part of the Oregon Health Authority, and the OHSU (Oregon Health and Sciences University) College of Pharmacy as part of the National "Get Smart About Antibiotics Week." It will be a chilly but exciting day! We are looking forward to seeing many of you tomorrow for the Day of Homelessness Awareness!

SEVERE WEATHER DECLARED FOR 11/21 through 11/23!

Please see our post below or call 211 for information about emergency warming shelters that will be available tonight, Thursday November 21, through Saturday November 23 as we brace for near freezing temperatures in Multnomah County.

SEVERE WEATHER TONIGHT!

Severe Weather Notice: The National Weather Service forecasts that the wind chill factor will be below 25 degrees beginning Wednesday evening, November 20, 2013 and that it is expected to last through Saturday, November 23, 2013.

Anyone seeking shelter should contact 211info, reached by dialing 2-1-1. 211info will be available to identify shelter and warming center resources 24/7. Additionally, shelter information is available at www.211info.org.  

Yellow Brick Road Street Outreach teams will be out helping people connect to the following shelters:

  

Family Winter Shelter 

12505 NE Halsey Street, Portland Oregon (on Halsey near 126th Avenue) 

This is a walk-in facility. It is not necessary to call beforehand. No one will be turned away. Dates: Seven nights a week throughout winter season Hours: 7:00 PM - 7:00 AM Serves: Families with children under 18 and women in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy 

Women’s Winter Shelter 

Check availability at Bud Clark Commons, 650 NW Irving, 

Walk in Mon-Fri 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM, Sat/Sun 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM or call 503-280-4700 Dates: Seven nights a week throughout winter season Hours: 7:00 PM - 7:00 AM Serves: Single women 

Red Cross Severe Weather Emergency Warming Center 

Imago Dei Church, 1302 Ankeny Street, (near 13th Avenue in Inner SE) 

This is a walk-in facility. Pets allowed, some space for carts, accessible location Dates: Evenings of Wednesday, November 20 through Saturday, November 23 Hours: 9:00 PM - 7:00 AM Serves: Families, single adults, and youths 

Union Gospel Mission 

15 NW 3rd Avenue, 503-228-0319 

This is a walk-in facility. Dates: Evenings of Wednesday, November 20 through Saturday, November 23 Hours: 9:30 PM - 6:00 AM Serves: Families, single adults, and youths 

The following expanded day center service is available during the Severe Weather Notice: 

Union Gospel Mission 

15 NW 3rd Avenue, 503-228-0319 

This is a walk-in facility. Meal will be served. Dates: Wednesday, November 20 through Saturday, November 23 Hours: 2:00 PM - 4:30 PM and 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM Serves: Families, single adults, and youths Please call 211info with questions regarding other shelter and transportation resources.

YBR volunteer awarded for 10 years of outstanding community service!

Congratulations and THANK YOU to Stella Butler for her dedication to youth experiencing homelessness in Portland! You are a STAR!

Rock Ya Body!

Yellow Brick Road enjoyed meeting everyone today at Planned Parenthood's Rock Ya Body Community Health Fair. Special thanks to Lamar Tillman for organizing this event.

 

Consistency and Longevity in an Uncertain World

 

When I moved to Portland and started to volunteer for Yellow Brick Road, I mentioned it to a friend who had at one time been on the streets over 10 years ago.  He replied, “Oh yeah!  I used to get toothbrushes and condoms from them!”  This was my first sign that I was on to something good!  Luckily for me, after 8 months of volunteering, I was hired on as an Outreach Specialist for Janus.  Now, instead of just one night a week, I get to do one of the best jobs in the world full-time!  I am also fortunate to say that I work closely with 3 other individuals who each have over 10 years of experience working with the youth of downtown Portland.  This longevity is a testimony to the reputation that Yellow Brick Road has built in nearly 30 years’ time. 

Each time we train a new volunteer, one of the things we emphasize is the vital importance of consistency. In our volunteer interview, we ask each applicant if they can commit to one day per week, the same night each week, for a minimum of six months.  As a result of the dedicated volunteers who have donned a Yellow Brick Road bag over the last three decades, the volunteers of 2013 come in with a long-standing rapport and a trusted name in the Portland community! 

Consistency is important on multiple fronts.  Teams form a trusting bond when each member is assured of the mutual commitment of their teammates.  Each member is able to more clearly identify their own strengths and areas of growth as well as those of their outreach partners.  Confidence is built, team dynamics are refined, and safety is improved.  Even more significant is the impact of consistency on Yellow Brick Road’s relationships with the people that we serve.  Not only is there a team out every night of the week, but we carry with us the confidence that we can supply many of the basic needs of those persevering on the streets.  Those supplies often create a means to get below the surface and connect people with the resources they need, process the daily struggles and triumphs of a life lived without a house, and make ourselves available as part of an extended support system.  

Volunteer Jess talks about how she became involved in YBR.  “YBR volunteers first approached me while I was in the Occupy Portland Camp. I actually didn't need any myself, but while living down there amongst the activists and the homeless I definitely noticed needs for just those kinds of things. I thought it was way cool, and I asked about who they were, and found out about Yellow Brick Road. After the Occupy camp ended, I decided to get involved myself as an ongoing way to be a part of serving the underprivileged in my city.”  Mark’s path to becoming a volunteer was a little different.  He says, “A friend of mine was involved with YBR. I was inspired from experiences I have had through out my life. A childhood friend of mine has been living out doors for the greater part of ten years, and I hope he has revived services from programs like YBR. I hope I was at least a positive face to someone's childhood friend.”

One volunteer with 5 years under his belt, Bill talks about a couple of his most memorable experiences doing outreach.  “One was going out on Christmas dressed as an elf with my partner dressed as Santa.  The reception was priceless.  The other was going out during ‘Snowpocalypse’ a few years back when the city was virtually shut down for days.  Both times, people were both shocked and extremely grateful to see us.”  For Mark, a favorite YBR was hard to pinpoint.  “I don't really have a favorite moment that stands out,” he says.  “Sounds cheesy but I enjoyed every night I went out.”

As a word of encouragement to those volunteers currently reaching out on the streets of Portland and to those considering whether to apply, ten-year veteran volunteer Stella offers some words:

Volunteering with homeless youth has changed my life.  I appreciate the smallest and simplest of things now.  I’ve seen my husband change a lot by his experience as well.  Our perspective on possessions, our personal values and acceptance of others has increased.   My life is enriched by the people we meet on our outreach, the stories they share, and the resilient lives are an inspiration.  I've learned to appreciate the moments with them whatever it may be.  I actually find delight in meeting some of them.  They often have the best behaved dogs I've ever seen.

I would love to have more partners out there on the streets.  There’s safety in numbers, can cover more territory and honestly its a great way to see the Portland city lights from the bridges, the historical buildings, the full moon, stars and sometimes a beaver can be seen on the Willamette River.  We can enjoy the festivals like the Rose, Blues, Beer Fests, Christmas Tree Lighting, and the occasional fireworks as we walk by.

It’s pretty evident that youth living outside are not the only people impacted by the work that Yellow Brick Road does on a nightly basis.  This impact affects lives on a long-term scale.  As we move forward, I just want to say thank you to all those who come along side the staff of Janus Youth Programs and give of their precious time to serve the resilient, vulnerable and valuable youth of Portland! Your consistency is priceless!

Heather Penzel, Outreach Specialist

photos by Stella Butler

YBR TRAINING EVENT! 7/21

Yellow Brick Road provides free training events to the community every 3-4 months. These events are FREE and available to anyone over 18 who may wish to learn more about street outreach, volunteer opportunities with Janus Youth Programs and other topics related to youth homelessness, poverty and exploitation. This is a great opportunity to meet the current outreach volunteers, staff and program supervisor, learn about important updates regarding our program and homeless youth services, and ask questions. Applications are always on hand for anyone who wishes to join the team but there is absolutely no obligation to attend. Our next training will take place in downtown Portland on Sunday July 21 from 2pm until 5pm. This will be an intensive training on the basic principles and best practices for youth street outreach with a visual tour of some of the areas "off the beaten path" that our teams routinely visit. We will focus on safety and engagement practices. Hope to see you there! 

SUNDAY
July 21, 2013
2pm-5pm

Please R.S.V.P. for the location: 

 dlundberg@janusyouth.org

Photo by YBR volunteer Stella Butler

J.T. Fest's "Street Culture" manual is now available as a revised Kindle edition!

Buy it here!

YBR VOLUNTEERS ARE AMAZING!

This month we celebrate some very impressive milestones for several of our amazing outreach volunteers!

Michaela Voorhees celebrates one year with YBR.

Mark McCallum celebrates one year with YBR.

Jessica Battin celebrates one year with YBR (welcome back!).

Em Stauss celebrates 2 years with YBR.

Bill Moore celebrates 5 years with YBR.

And, last but not least, Stella Butler celebrates TEN years with YBR!

Wow. THANK YOU for all you do.

FREE YBR TRAINING EVENT!

Yellow Brick Road brings quarterly training events to the community! These events are FREE and available to anyone over 18 who may wish to learn more about street outreach, volunteer opportunities with Janus Youth Programs and other topics related to youth homelessness. This is a great opportunity to meet the current outreach volunteers, staff and program supervisor, learn about important updates regarding our program and homeless youth services, and ask questions. Applications are always on hand for anyone who wishes to join the team but there is absolutely no obligation to attend. Our next training will take place in downtown Portland on Sunday March 10 from 2pm until 5pm. Haven Wheelock from Outside In will join us to discuss their needle exchange program and harm reduction tips for street affected drug users.  We will also focus on attentive listening skills with our resident Outreach Specialist Neal Sand. We hope to see you there! 

SUNDAY
MARCH 10, 2013
2pm-5pm

Please R.S.V.P. for the location: 

 dlundberg@janusyouth.org

AND YET AGAIN...SEVERE WEATHER DECLARED FOR TUESDAY JANUARY 22, 2013!

Please call 2-1-1 or see our posts below for resources and details!

SEVERE WEATHER CALLED FOR MONDAY 1/21/2013!

Once again, temperatures are expected to dip down below 25 degrees with freezing rain in the late-early morning.  Imago Dei Church will be open to all at 7pm.  See below for details or call 2-1-1 for more info.

SEVERE WEATHER DECLARED FOR SUNDAY 1/20/2013!

See post below for resources and bundle up out there!

SEVERE WEATHER IN MULTNOMAH COUNTY DECLARED FOR SATURDAY 1/19!

The National Weather Service forecast for the evening of Saturday, January 19, 2013, shows below freezing temperatures and wind chill of 25 degrees between 4:00am and 7:00am in the early hours of Sunday, January 20, 2013. Anyone seeking shelter should contact 211info, reached by dialing 2-1-1. During this Severe Weather event, 211info will be available to identify shelter and warming center resources to Multnomah County callers between 2:00pm and midnight, Saturday. Service providers who would like to update information on services they offer during Severe Weather Notices, please call Troy Hammond at 503-504-9867. In addition to existing year-round and winter shelter facilities, the following warming center facilities are available:

Family Winter Shelter: 
12505 NE Halsey Street, Portland Oregon (on Halsey near 126th Avenue)
This is a walk-in facility. It is not necessary to call beforehand. No one will be turned away. Dates: Seven nights a week throughout winter season.
Hours: 7:00 PM - 7:00 AM
Serves: Families with children under 18 and women in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy

Women’s Winter Shelter: 
Check availability at Transition Projects/Bud Clark Commons, 650 NW Irving,
Walk in Mon-Fri 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM, Sat/Sun 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM
or call 503-280-4700 Dates: Seven nights a week throughout winter season Hours: 7:30 PM - 7:00 AM Serves: Single women

Severe Weather Emergency Warming Center: 
Red Cross Severe Weather Emergency Warming Center at the Imago Dei Church 1302 Ankeny Street, (near 13th Avenue in Inner SE) This is a walk-in facility. Pets allowed, some space for carts, accessible location
Dates: Evening of Saturday, January 19th Hours: 9:00 PM - 7:00 AM
Serves: Families, single adults, and youths; Pets allowed; some space for carts; accessible location on main floor

Union Gospel Mission: 
15 NW 3rd Avenue, 503-228-0319
This is a walk-in facility.
Dates: Evenings Saturday, January 19th & Sunday, January 20th
Hours: 9:00 PM - 6:00 AM Serves: Families, single adults, and youths

Salvation Army Female Emergency Shelter (SAFES): 
11 NW 5th Avenue, 503-227-0810
Offers additional emergency mats, first-come, first-served, must arrive by 10pm.
Dates: Evening of Saturday, January 19th
Hours: 6:00 PM - 8:00 AM
Serves: Single self-identified women

Janus Porch Light Emergency Shelter:
1635 SW Alder Street
Hours: 8:45pm-9:00am
Serves: Homeless youth ages 15-23
35 bed spaces: first come, first served


Please call 211info with questions regarding other shelter and transportation resources.

Meet the Friday Night YBR Team!

NO SEVERE WEATHER TONIGHT (1/3/2012)

But it will still be very cold tonight so BUNDLE UP out there!