Homeless Immersion Trip: Day 2 & 3

I want to preface this update by encouraging you to reply with any questions or reactions to anything in these posts. There is so much more that we are doing here and deeper reactions and thoughts that I am processing, but I am keeping updates while on the trip focused and short to not take away from this experience.

The past two days have been full of redemption stories.

Urban homelessness is a sharp contrast to rural homelessness I've been exposed to my whole life. InPortland, roughly 2,000 people sleep on the streets at night and another 2,000 are in shelters. Most cities eliminate their homeless problem by sending them to Portland. When the Olympic Games came to the US, Atlanta gave their homeless population one way bus tickets to Portland and if they returned they were jailed.

Anyway, the two most impactful redemption stories from the past two days.

We toured Dignity Village (https://dignityvillage.org). It is a small community of homeless individuals (and couples) living in tiny homes. They have created their own, incredibly successful governing system that effectively implements an intake process and trial period for new members, consequences for broken community rules, and work requirements that has allowed the village to flourish financially. When the village was first established, the Oregon government put them on a land far outside of downtown (meaning accessibility to social services is difficult) and next to a compost that puts off such toxic fumes that they wouldn't place anything else there. It was incredible to meet some of the village members and to see the successful and intelligent systems they have put in place by individuals society labeled as lazy, stupid, and useless.

A volunteer took us to "The Caves" where he lived for over a decade. There is a homeless community living under the bridges and the dirt beds and tunnels go on for miles and miles. He shared with us the health concerns of living in dirt for years has had on his body and shared many personal struggles he experienced while living outside. Many many people created their living spaces in the caves and stored all their belongings there. Without warning, Oregon Department of Transportation snatched their belonging up and told them they were not allowed to return. The man had connected with JOIN (joinpdx.org), a unique agency that goes to the streets to establish relationships, and was now currently living housed standing before us.

When asked what the greatest need was, the answer was to be treated like a human every time. The greatest obstacle is the mental battle those experiencing homelessness have to fight. We got to transfer this to our service hours this morning. The chapel we are staying in has hospitality hours in the morning and they give each guest a name tag and emphasize the importance of using their names in conversation. Creating an environment to spread dignity through simple use of an individual's name was incredible to see. I hope this reminder stays with me as I bring patience and boldness to really seeing the population I interact with on the streets the rest of this week and the rest of my life.

#pacificnorthwest #socialjustice #travel #reflection #portland