Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Organize Against Transphobia
Silverton, Oregon recently elected the first ever openly transgender Mayor, Stu Rasmussen! Unsurprisingly the Westboro Baptist Church, founded by extreme homophobic preacher Fred Phelps of www.godhatesfags.com infamy, is coming to Oregon this week to protest the election. Queers and allies throughout Oregon are preparing to organize in support of Stu Rasmussen in an effort to counter the hate directed at the GLBTQ community. Portland is observing Transgender Remembrance Day this week so it seems an especially critical time to rally in support of the first openly elected transgendered official. Westboro Baptist Church has announced plans to protest throughout Portland this week and they plan to visit Silverton on Monday, Nov. 24th. In response, a meeting has been announced to brainstorm ways to support the queer community and raise awareness of the hate directed at our citizens. If you are interested in being involved please consider attending a planning meeting on Friday, Nov. 21st at 7pm at Outside In. If you have ideas or questions or want to support but can't attend the meeting feel free to email the organizers at: dmm1976@gmail.com or climberfag@gmail.com.
Friday November 21
7pm
Outside In
1132 SW 13th Ave.
Portland, OR 97205
(between Jefferson and Main on 13th.)
7pm
Outside In
1132 SW 13th Ave.
Portland, OR 97205
(between Jefferson and Main on 13th.)
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Cat Food Bank December 7th
Cat Food Bank
Sunday December 7
Sunday December 7
The Cat Adoption Team's Cat Food Bank will be open on Sunday December 7 to provide cat/kitten food to homeless cat owners and cat owners with financial need. Some kitty litter may be available as supplies last. Remember, this is NOT A PET CLINIC. They will only have cat food. Just come to the address below between noon and 2:30pm on Sunday December 7th! CAT’s Cat Food Bank has provided 3,039.15 pounds of kitten and cat food to local cat owners to feed 316 cats/kittens since its inception in June (approximately 53 cats/kittens each month). CAT is also seeking donations of unopened, unexpired cat or kitten food as well as clumping cat litter to keep the Cat Food Bank shelves full.
14175 SW Galbreath Drive ~ Sherwood OR 97140 ~ (503) 925-8903
www.catadoptionteam.org
www.catadoptionteam.org
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Long Nights: A Glimpse into Portland Street Life
Check out this great video put together by
Portland Youth Builders!
Portland Youth Builders!
Long Nights: A Glimpse into Portland Street Life is a student-produced documentary featuring conversations with members of Portland's homeless community and local service providers in order to better understand the issues of youth homelessness. Students focus on de-bunking homeless myths and stereotypes and provide an introduction to the controversial Sit/Lie Ordinance and the Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness. Participants include Dennis Lundberg of Janus Youth Programs, Gloria Willis of Cascade AIDS Project, Natalie Schraner of the Portland Women's Crisis Line, and Portland City Commissioner Randy Leonard. Check out the other videos by PYB YOUTHMEDIA HERE!
Monday, November 10, 2008
Zane Gross Memorial this Thursday
Please join us for a candlelight memorial in remeberence of Zane Gross this Thursday November 13th at 6pm in Pioneer Square. The memorial will be facilitated by Zane's mother Amber and she encourages anyone who knew him to attend.
Memorial for Zane Gross
Thursday November 13
Pioneer Square
6pm
Thursday November 13
Pioneer Square
6pm
Friday, November 07, 2008
Zane Gross
It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of Zane David James Gross. Zane was found dead this morning with immediate circumstances suggesting a possible heroin overdose. Results from a toxicology study will take approximately 6 weeks to confirm the actual cause of death. Zane was originally from Southern Oregon and came to Portland almost 2 years ago. He was screened for services and has engaged with various Homeless Youth Continuum services since his arrival. Recently Zane successfully completed drug treatment and was hoping to make significant changes in his life. His death is extremely painful for all of us who had the pleasure of experiencing his gregarious and gentle nature and is somehow even more stinging as it arrives on the heels of the recent Vulnerability Index survey. Zane's death is another cruel reminder of just how fragile the lives of young people living on the streets really are. Memorial services will be announced soon. Rest in peace, Zane.
Zane Gross
March 25, 1990-November 7, 2008
March 25, 1990-November 7, 2008
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Vulnerability Index
Janus Youth Programs recently collaborated with Portland’s Bureau of Housing and Community Development, New York City's Common Ground Institute, local service providers, and nearly 70 volunteers to conduct a Vulnerability Index survey in our community. The Vulnerability Index is a tool for identifying and prioritizing a community's most medically fragile homeless population. It is a practical application of research into the causes of death of homeless individuals initially conducted by Boston’s Healthcare for the Homeless organization, led by Dr. Jim O’Connell. The Boston research identified specific health conditions that cause homeless individuals to be most at risk for dying on the street. The Vulnerability Index is administered in the form of a survey, which captures a homeless individual’s health and institutional history. The survey identifies vulnerability through a ranking system which takes into account risk factors and the duration of homelessness. This ranking allows those with the most severe health risks to be identified and prioritized for housing and other support. By surveying people who are living on our streets here in Portland, we now have clear health and housing data on the individuals living on the streets and in some of our community’s shelters. This data will hopefully allow Portland to take immediate action on behalf of the most vulnerable people who are living on our streets, as well as identifying and implementing system improvements. 13 teams strategically canvassed Portland between the hours of 6am and 8am over the course of 3 mornings beginning on Tuesday October 21. The initial findings were decidedly disturbing. 646 people were surveyed and 47% of those fit the definition of "medically vulnerable". In comparison with other communities that conducted the Vulnerability Index survey, Portland stands out in several areas:
• Portland’s overall “medically vulnerable” population was 5% higher than other cities that conducted the same survey (notably New York City, Los Angeles County's Skid Row, Santa Monica, New Orleans and Washington D.C.).
• Portland surveyed more young adults sleeping on the streets than other cities (15 people surveyed were under the age of 19 and 89 people surveyed were under the age of 30). 23 people under the age of 25 fit the survey's definition of "medically vulnerable" (specifically related to co-existing HIV, injection drug use and or daily alcohol consumption), a much higher number of young adults that fit the risk criteria than the larger cities that conducted the survey.
• Portland had a 12% higher rate of tri-morbidity than other cities that conducted the same survey. Tri-morbidity is defined as a co-occurring psychiatric, substance abuse, and chronic medical condition.
• Shockingly, Portland had a 10% higher rate of violent attacks on homeless than other cities that conducted the same survey (keep in mind again that those other cities include New York City, Los Angeles County's Skid Row, Santa Monica, New Orleans and Washington D.C.)
• 29% of the homeless people surveyed said they had foster care involvement at some point during their lives, 3 times higher than the national average (the average for the other cities that conducted the Vulnerability Index was about 10%).
• Despite our relatively mild winters Portland has a significantly higher rate of exposure-related health risks such as frostbite, hypothermia, and immersion foot(trench foot). Exposure-related health risks are considered indicators of self-neglect and Portland's rates are alarmingly close to New York City.
• Portland has a much higher percentage of people whose only income is food stamps and a higher rate of folks without healthcare (63% of the people surveyed had no insurance).
• Those surveyed reported a total of 730 emergency room visits within the past 3 months at an estimated cost of $492 per visit for an estimated cost of $1.43 million per year in emergency medical care.
• Portland’s overall “medically vulnerable” population was 5% higher than other cities that conducted the same survey (notably New York City, Los Angeles County's Skid Row, Santa Monica, New Orleans and Washington D.C.).
• Portland surveyed more young adults sleeping on the streets than other cities (15 people surveyed were under the age of 19 and 89 people surveyed were under the age of 30). 23 people under the age of 25 fit the survey's definition of "medically vulnerable" (specifically related to co-existing HIV, injection drug use and or daily alcohol consumption), a much higher number of young adults that fit the risk criteria than the larger cities that conducted the survey.
• Portland had a 12% higher rate of tri-morbidity than other cities that conducted the same survey. Tri-morbidity is defined as a co-occurring psychiatric, substance abuse, and chronic medical condition.
• Shockingly, Portland had a 10% higher rate of violent attacks on homeless than other cities that conducted the same survey (keep in mind again that those other cities include New York City, Los Angeles County's Skid Row, Santa Monica, New Orleans and Washington D.C.)
• 29% of the homeless people surveyed said they had foster care involvement at some point during their lives, 3 times higher than the national average (the average for the other cities that conducted the Vulnerability Index was about 10%).
• Despite our relatively mild winters Portland has a significantly higher rate of exposure-related health risks such as frostbite, hypothermia, and immersion foot(trench foot). Exposure-related health risks are considered indicators of self-neglect and Portland's rates are alarmingly close to New York City.
• Portland has a much higher percentage of people whose only income is food stamps and a higher rate of folks without healthcare (63% of the people surveyed had no insurance).
• Those surveyed reported a total of 730 emergency room visits within the past 3 months at an estimated cost of $492 per visit for an estimated cost of $1.43 million per year in emergency medical care.
Sick City
Janus Youth Street Outreach Supervisor Dennis Lundberg spoke to Street Roots journalist Amanda Waldroupe this past week regarding Portland's recent Vulnerability Index survey. Here's what he had to say about the experience:
Street Roots: You were initially skeptical about the survey. Why?
Dennis Lundberg: Yeah, I was skeptical going into the survey. One of my initial problems with the survey was that outreach workers in our community were not consulted until after the City of Portland had signed a contract with Common Ground from New York. The result was that many of us felt railroaded by the request to participate in a survey that we knew little about and which seemed to fly in the face of basic outreach etiquette. A few of us insisted on a conference call with the Common Ground organizers to address our concerns about methodology and intent before we made the commitment. I was skeptical about waking people at 4am, as they did in other cities conducting the survey, and we successfully pushed the wake-up time to 6am. I was also very uncomfortable with the idea of photographing people. In general, I was skeptical that the survey might turn into a demoralizing media circus. There can be something of a voyeuristic element to doing this sort of thing and I certainly wasn't willing to undermine my credibility as an outreach worker by taking strangers into the "homes" of people sleeping on the streets.
By Thursday morning, what had changed for you?
By Thursday I was exhausted! Many of us had to continue our regular work days despite the survey so by Thursday I was really feeling worn out. I appreciated Liora Berry's insightful observation at City Hall Thursday morning that we were all feeling the effects of sleep deprivation after just a few days so imagine how folks must feel after weeks, months, and years of homelessness. I think some people had their eyes opened out there and I applaud all the volunteers and workers who participated. As for myself, I actually had fun with the survey! It just felt like another opportunity to engage and, despite the gravity of the questions, I shared some good laughs with the people I met. I can only speak to my experience but it felt comfortable and it felt compassionate. I was really struck by people's willingness to open up and share very personal information with strangers waking them up before dawn. I was also surprised by the ease with which many people allowed their photo to be taken. It would've been just as easy to refuse. One of the questions asked for an emergency contact and most people seemed genuinely touched that we would be concerned about their well-being. That's not something I ask often and it actually benefited the interactions. Most importantly I learned some things about people's health and time on the streets that should serve to further illuminate the work that needs to be done in our community. Once I got out there I realized this could be another opportunity for people to stand and be counted.
As an outreach worker, do you typically ask the sorts of questions the survey asked? Why or why not?
I never delve into people's medical history the way the Vulnerability Index did, but I think context is everything. I don't really mince words on outreach and I'll ask some pretty uncomfortable questions in the service of knowledge-sharing and understanding. For instance, when young people ask me for condoms on outreach I typically quiz them on sexually transmitted infections and I may even give them a quick harm reductionist lesson on the risks of being sexually active. I may ask them if they're involved in sex work. I often ask total strangers if they have a safe place to stay for the night and I don't mind telling people that their spider bites look like abscess infections. Those aren't easy conversations but sometimes we can do a disservice if we avoid the difficult questions.
Did you feel that the questions were an invasion of privacy? If you did, what was it like for you, as someone whose job requires being respectful and considerate to the people you work with, to ask them?
I think walking into someone's camp uninvited at 6am and waking them up is generally an invasion of privacy. As an outreach worker I think it is wise to understand this dynamic beforehand and conduct one's self accordingly. I was very conscious of how invasive the questions might be and I weighed the survey carefully before agreeing to participate. I took a leap of faith with Common Ground and the BHCD [Bureau of Housing and Community Development] that we would hopefully glean some data that might make it all worthwhile. Respect is the basic foundation of Janus Youth Street Outreach and we convey a lot with mindful body posture, voice inflection, eye contact, and facial expression. If people don't want us around, we leave. It's as simple as that. In the final analysis, if the survey serves to create resources for housing, as we've been told it has in other cities, then it might just prove to be worth the discomfort.
Did you give the survey to folks you had previously engaged with? What was that like for you? How did your relationship with the individuals change, if at all?
Both. I asked many of the young people I work with weekly to sit and do the survey with me but I also spoke to several older folks I've never met before. My team was comprised of Janus Outreach Specialists, Neal Sand and DeAnna Negrete, and we purposefully set out to some camps "off the grid" of downtown in an effort to find vulnerable people who might have been otherwise overlooked. We met some people in St. Johns that rarely leave their wooded camp who were incredibly high risk. I'm talking about IV drug users with Hep C and cancer! As I mentioned earlier, context is everything and we did our best to re-frame the survey as simply another tool for engaging with people. With the folks I've known for a while it was a great opportunity to delve deeper into questions of drug/alcohol use and mental health. I think I've been around long enough that most people trust that I wouldn't ask this stuff unless I thought it could do some good.
What did you learn from doing the survey? Were there any surprises for you?
It's funny because when we had our conference call with Common Ground I kept insisting that Portland's homeless population is quite unique and should be approached with regional sensitivity. They responded by essentially telling us that everywhere they've conducted the survey people think their city is unique but the findings are often very similar. I opened my mind to the possibility that I would learn a lot about our streets at this early hour and hoped to be proven wrong about Portland's arguably most vulnerable citizens. When the survey was over and the initial findings were shared at the Portland Building I think it was probably Common Ground who were most surprised and unfortunately it was rather grim news. No other city surveyed had as many cases of DHS/foster care involvement. No other city surveyed had as many people under 30 fall under the definition of medically vulnerable. Despite Portland's laid-back reputation, our rates for violent attacks on the homeless were higher than New York and Los Angeles! Frankly, that even surprised me.
What do you think the results of the survey convey? What should the City and housing bureau do in response to the results? What do you think of what seems to be the reaction they will move forward with--rapidly housing the most vulnerable and giving them priority in housing?
The findings support what many of us have known for a long time. Mental health is a staggering and complicated issue and we do not have sufficient resources here in Portland to meet the need. If we try to house people without addressing the root causes of their marginalization, such as mental health and substance abuse issues, we are setting them up to fail. Closely related to mental health is medical well-being and, with painfully few exceptions, most of the people I spoke with have no health insurance. Almost everyone said they seek medical attention at emergency rooms. This points to a major system failure and I'd go so far as to say that lack of affordable health care is the most immediate threat to our national security. Hepatitis C seems to be nearly epidemic on the streets of Portland so it's time to stop kidding ourselves and start rallying behind harm reduction and needle exchange programs. We really need to invest in our young people at a very early age. The huge rate of foster care involvement among the homeless indicates that we need to work together as a community to support healthy families from the start or we are simply creating the next generation of homeless citizens. Incidentally, the war overseas is daily creating our next generation of homeless citizens and the longer the war continues the more we should brace ourselves for the fallout here on the streets.
For more information about Portland's Vulnerability Index check out the latest issue of Street Roots.
Street Roots: You were initially skeptical about the survey. Why?
Dennis Lundberg: Yeah, I was skeptical going into the survey. One of my initial problems with the survey was that outreach workers in our community were not consulted until after the City of Portland had signed a contract with Common Ground from New York. The result was that many of us felt railroaded by the request to participate in a survey that we knew little about and which seemed to fly in the face of basic outreach etiquette. A few of us insisted on a conference call with the Common Ground organizers to address our concerns about methodology and intent before we made the commitment. I was skeptical about waking people at 4am, as they did in other cities conducting the survey, and we successfully pushed the wake-up time to 6am. I was also very uncomfortable with the idea of photographing people. In general, I was skeptical that the survey might turn into a demoralizing media circus. There can be something of a voyeuristic element to doing this sort of thing and I certainly wasn't willing to undermine my credibility as an outreach worker by taking strangers into the "homes" of people sleeping on the streets.
By Thursday morning, what had changed for you?
By Thursday I was exhausted! Many of us had to continue our regular work days despite the survey so by Thursday I was really feeling worn out. I appreciated Liora Berry's insightful observation at City Hall Thursday morning that we were all feeling the effects of sleep deprivation after just a few days so imagine how folks must feel after weeks, months, and years of homelessness. I think some people had their eyes opened out there and I applaud all the volunteers and workers who participated. As for myself, I actually had fun with the survey! It just felt like another opportunity to engage and, despite the gravity of the questions, I shared some good laughs with the people I met. I can only speak to my experience but it felt comfortable and it felt compassionate. I was really struck by people's willingness to open up and share very personal information with strangers waking them up before dawn. I was also surprised by the ease with which many people allowed their photo to be taken. It would've been just as easy to refuse. One of the questions asked for an emergency contact and most people seemed genuinely touched that we would be concerned about their well-being. That's not something I ask often and it actually benefited the interactions. Most importantly I learned some things about people's health and time on the streets that should serve to further illuminate the work that needs to be done in our community. Once I got out there I realized this could be another opportunity for people to stand and be counted.
As an outreach worker, do you typically ask the sorts of questions the survey asked? Why or why not?
I never delve into people's medical history the way the Vulnerability Index did, but I think context is everything. I don't really mince words on outreach and I'll ask some pretty uncomfortable questions in the service of knowledge-sharing and understanding. For instance, when young people ask me for condoms on outreach I typically quiz them on sexually transmitted infections and I may even give them a quick harm reductionist lesson on the risks of being sexually active. I may ask them if they're involved in sex work. I often ask total strangers if they have a safe place to stay for the night and I don't mind telling people that their spider bites look like abscess infections. Those aren't easy conversations but sometimes we can do a disservice if we avoid the difficult questions.
Did you feel that the questions were an invasion of privacy? If you did, what was it like for you, as someone whose job requires being respectful and considerate to the people you work with, to ask them?
I think walking into someone's camp uninvited at 6am and waking them up is generally an invasion of privacy. As an outreach worker I think it is wise to understand this dynamic beforehand and conduct one's self accordingly. I was very conscious of how invasive the questions might be and I weighed the survey carefully before agreeing to participate. I took a leap of faith with Common Ground and the BHCD [Bureau of Housing and Community Development] that we would hopefully glean some data that might make it all worthwhile. Respect is the basic foundation of Janus Youth Street Outreach and we convey a lot with mindful body posture, voice inflection, eye contact, and facial expression. If people don't want us around, we leave. It's as simple as that. In the final analysis, if the survey serves to create resources for housing, as we've been told it has in other cities, then it might just prove to be worth the discomfort.
Did you give the survey to folks you had previously engaged with? What was that like for you? How did your relationship with the individuals change, if at all?
Both. I asked many of the young people I work with weekly to sit and do the survey with me but I also spoke to several older folks I've never met before. My team was comprised of Janus Outreach Specialists, Neal Sand and DeAnna Negrete, and we purposefully set out to some camps "off the grid" of downtown in an effort to find vulnerable people who might have been otherwise overlooked. We met some people in St. Johns that rarely leave their wooded camp who were incredibly high risk. I'm talking about IV drug users with Hep C and cancer! As I mentioned earlier, context is everything and we did our best to re-frame the survey as simply another tool for engaging with people. With the folks I've known for a while it was a great opportunity to delve deeper into questions of drug/alcohol use and mental health. I think I've been around long enough that most people trust that I wouldn't ask this stuff unless I thought it could do some good.
What did you learn from doing the survey? Were there any surprises for you?
It's funny because when we had our conference call with Common Ground I kept insisting that Portland's homeless population is quite unique and should be approached with regional sensitivity. They responded by essentially telling us that everywhere they've conducted the survey people think their city is unique but the findings are often very similar. I opened my mind to the possibility that I would learn a lot about our streets at this early hour and hoped to be proven wrong about Portland's arguably most vulnerable citizens. When the survey was over and the initial findings were shared at the Portland Building I think it was probably Common Ground who were most surprised and unfortunately it was rather grim news. No other city surveyed had as many cases of DHS/foster care involvement. No other city surveyed had as many people under 30 fall under the definition of medically vulnerable. Despite Portland's laid-back reputation, our rates for violent attacks on the homeless were higher than New York and Los Angeles! Frankly, that even surprised me.
What do you think the results of the survey convey? What should the City and housing bureau do in response to the results? What do you think of what seems to be the reaction they will move forward with--rapidly housing the most vulnerable and giving them priority in housing?
The findings support what many of us have known for a long time. Mental health is a staggering and complicated issue and we do not have sufficient resources here in Portland to meet the need. If we try to house people without addressing the root causes of their marginalization, such as mental health and substance abuse issues, we are setting them up to fail. Closely related to mental health is medical well-being and, with painfully few exceptions, most of the people I spoke with have no health insurance. Almost everyone said they seek medical attention at emergency rooms. This points to a major system failure and I'd go so far as to say that lack of affordable health care is the most immediate threat to our national security. Hepatitis C seems to be nearly epidemic on the streets of Portland so it's time to stop kidding ourselves and start rallying behind harm reduction and needle exchange programs. We really need to invest in our young people at a very early age. The huge rate of foster care involvement among the homeless indicates that we need to work together as a community to support healthy families from the start or we are simply creating the next generation of homeless citizens. Incidentally, the war overseas is daily creating our next generation of homeless citizens and the longer the war continues the more we should brace ourselves for the fallout here on the streets.
For more information about Portland's Vulnerability Index check out the latest issue of Street Roots.
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
YOUTH POEM
It's amounting to
about the the same level
of two extremes.
Crazy and listless
confused and out of touch
What the hell DID I
do last night?
I guess when you've gotten
so good at using other
things to deal with
your problems, you have to learn
to be normal again.
Drink when yout socially
anxious a little lubrication
won't hurt. Besides poeple
will always remember your
name when you wake up
in the bathroom the
morning after the party
Pot helps to relaz when
your feeling overwhelmed
just a toke or two will
keep you content with
just eating and lounging
around. I mean, who
really want to concentrate
efforts on productive
work and thinds that
will move you father
ahead.
And lest we forget,
a little meth will get
you out of that slump
from all of the non
productivity. You can
stay awake for DAYS!
and not have to
stop to eat
Now I have to breathe
deep and take life a
day at a time, moment
by moment. Relearning
how I actually work
Feeling arising that
I haven't felt in years
or even forgot that I
was capable of.
Mel"vaton"
about the the same level
of two extremes.
Crazy and listless
confused and out of touch
What the hell DID I
do last night?
I guess when you've gotten
so good at using other
things to deal with
your problems, you have to learn
to be normal again.
Drink when yout socially
anxious a little lubrication
won't hurt. Besides poeple
will always remember your
name when you wake up
in the bathroom the
morning after the party
Pot helps to relaz when
your feeling overwhelmed
just a toke or two will
keep you content with
just eating and lounging
around. I mean, who
really want to concentrate
efforts on productive
work and thinds that
will move you father
ahead.
And lest we forget,
a little meth will get
you out of that slump
from all of the non
productivity. You can
stay awake for DAYS!
and not have to
stop to eat
Now I have to breathe
deep and take life a
day at a time, moment
by moment. Relearning
how I actually work
Feeling arising that
I haven't felt in years
or even forgot that I
was capable of.
Mel"vaton"
Friday, October 17, 2008
UPCOMING YBR TRAINING
Yellow Brick Road invites you to attend our FREE upcoming volunteer training on Sunday November 16th! Our trainings are a great opportunity to learn more about street outreach and meet the current volunteer outreach teams. This training will focus on GLBTQ youth and the Sexual Minority Youth Resource Center (SMYRC) will present their excellent Bridge 13 Training! This promises to be a thought-provoking afternoon! We'll get started at 2pm with food & coffee.
SUNDAY November 16th
2-5pm
Please R.S.V.P. for location: dlundberg@janusyouth.org
2-5pm
Please R.S.V.P. for location: dlundberg@janusyouth.org
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Remembering Noe
We regret to announce the death of Noe Balderrama who passed away unexpectedly last month. Noe faced life’s challenges with a beaming (slightly mischievous) smile and touched the lives of those around him with his far-beyond-positive attitude. He also touched the lives of those around him as his Championship Wrestler alter-ego "Master of Disaster"! Noe was a Special Olympics athlete who was known to visit our programs wearing a sequined Mexican wrestling mask! He taught many of us a thing or two about cherishing life and not taking a single moment for granted. His death has hit the community hard and impacted many of us who worked closely with him over the years as he transitioned from homelessness to independence. Please join us Monday October 13th at 4:00pm @ Outside In where we will place his name on the Memorial Tree. We miss you, Mr. Master of Disaster!
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
NOW HIRING YOUTH!
The Metamorphosis Project is currently accepting applications for the Recovery Transition Advocate (RTA) position. This ia a part-time entry-level position. No experience is necessary! Our mission is to engage and encourage youth to exit street life with innovative outreach and customized youth-friendly services integrating alcohol/drug and mental health treatment. As an RTA you will be expected to act as a clean & sober peer role-model for 16-24 year old homeless and street dependent youth, providing support, referrals, and crisis intervention through the Homeless Youth Continuum. We encourage diversity!
Job Responsibilities:
Provide support, information, referral and crisis intervention to homeless and street dependent youth.
Focus on the engagement and support of youth involved in drug and alcohol recovery.
Qualifications:
1 year clean and sober time (required)
High school diploma or GED
Experience and/or knowledge of the issues of homelessness and drug and alcohol addiction.
A pre-employment drug screening (required)
Position closes October 22, 2008.
Please call (503) 789-4011 for more information.
Please call (503) 789-4011 for more information.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Happy Birthday!
This week marks the 4-year anniversary of Janus Youth's innovative streetwork initiative Portland Outreach & Engagement! The program, popularly known as "O&E" on the streets, was launched on this day 4 years ago in an effort to reach the most street-entrenched youth & young adults in Portland and those young people who we felt were "slipping through the cracks" in services. O&E was conceived as an intensive relationship-based mobile street service team that essentially brings case-management support, safety planning, and assessment directly to the people who need these services most…but are least likely to come seek out those services themselves. For 4 years Portland Outreach & Engagement has been leading the way toward creatively “meeting young people where they are at” on the streets, in the woods, and under bridges here in our community. To learn more about this incredible program, please visit us at our Myspace account here. Happy Birthday, O&E!
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
"Love, The Youth..."
The following poem was taped to the Yellow Brick Road office door this morning...
Yellow Brick Road
You recognize them by the bags they wear
Their smiles let you know they care
Often you'll see the RTA's
Unselfishly leading the way
They lead their life with the rule
That drugs just aren't cool
And the kind hearted volunteers dedicating
Thier time
Though they don't get paid a dime
They get rewarded by heartfelt thank you's
For all the wonderful things they do
When one of them you happen to meet
As they walk down the street
In appreciation just say hi's
To some awesome guys
Even when it showers
They continue to walk long hours
For us
~Mouse
P.S.
This poem is a token of thanks for you volunteering your time to ensure we stay safe. What would we do without the volunteers, RTA's, Dennis, Neal, and everyone else? Keep on doin' what you're doin'.
Love,
the youth
Monday, August 18, 2008
PROJECT HOMELESS CONNECT
Project Homeless Connect takes place this Friday August 22nd from 10am until 4pm at the Waterfront Park in downtown Portland! Project Homeless Connect is a collaboration of agencies, social services, and the Portland community at large coming together to help solve issues of homelessness and poverty. Please spread the word about this amazing event and if you wish to get involved as a volunteer you can find more information here.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Yellow Brick Road Awarded!
Yellow Brick Road was a recipient of the first annual Coordinating Committee to End Homelessness Achievment Award for our outstanding efforts in reaching out to homeless youth and others experiencing homelessness in the Portland community. The award was accepted by Program Supervisor Dennis Lundberg on behalf of ALL the volunteers, outreach specialists, and peer advocates who make Yellow Brick Road one of the most highly respected outreach programs in the nation.
Here's a great shot of all the recipients receiving their awards with Mayor Tom Potter. Photo courtesy Dove Hotz.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
HEALTH FAIR THIS SATURDAY (June 14)!
There will be a Health Fair open to all in the Portland area THIS SATURDAY JUNE 14th! Our advice is GET THERE EARLY...
Woodmere Elementary School
7900 SE Duke St. Portland, OR 97206.
9am – 4pm
Basic Medical exams
Basic Dental Cleanings and Emergency Treatment
Free Chiropractic Exams
Basic Eye Exams
Social Services
Free Lunch, and more!
Go to www. compassionse. org for more info. Please spread the word to anyone who may benefit from these services.
Woodmere Elementary School
7900 SE Duke St. Portland, OR 97206.
9am – 4pm
Basic Medical exams
Basic Dental Cleanings and Emergency Treatment
Free Chiropractic Exams
Basic Eye Exams
Social Services
Free Lunch, and more!
Go to www. compassionse. org for more info. Please spread the word to anyone who may benefit from these services.
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
ANIMAL HEATH CLINIC
Animal Health Clinic is available THIS SUNDAY for animals living with people experiencing or transitioning from homelessness! Services are available on a first-come-first-served basis so arrive early if possible.
Sunday June 8
1pm-4pm
Outside In Arts Building
1030 SW 13th Ave.
(503) 535-3844
1pm-4pm
Outside In Arts Building
1030 SW 13th Ave.
(503) 535-3844
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