Student asks, “What’s next?”

I recently had the opportunity to experience a tiny glimpse into what it was like to be homeless in Portland. On Friday, Dec. 2, at 8 p.m., I gathered together with five other MHCC students at the JOIN day center at Northeast 81st Avenue in Portland.  We brought sleeping bags, absolute necessities, and many preconceptions of what the word “homelessness” meant. Our goal was to learn more about homelessness, available resources, and what we could do to help. What we learned during our homeless immersion was that homeless people are nice, funny, caring, and most of all just like us!

After a discussion of our next day’s agenda and a quick lesson on street smarts, we climbed into our sleeping bags for six hours of sleep on the hard floor of the day center. By comparison, many homeless people never get that many solid hours of sleep, because the streets can be dangerous and they are constantly getting rousted by police for sleeping where they shouldn’t be sleeping. Although the day center didn’t have heat, the temperature outside dipped close to freezing, and we were thankful to be in an enclosed building.

We awoke at 5 a.m. and jumped onto a MAX train to head toward downtown Portland where we lined up for a free breakfast at the Blanchet House in Old Town. I was thankful for a hot meal in my belly! Soon after breakfast I experienced a frightening incident where one homeless man thought I was trying to steal his shopping cart, and another homeless man who I didn’t even know stepped in to protect me from harm.

Our day continued with a tour led by a previously homeless man. He showed us the major resource locations in downtown.  There are a few locations where the homeless population can take showers, do laundry, and connect with service agencies. He showed us a few warming centers and we understood how important it was to get in out of the cold, if even just for 10 minutes.

We had an opportunity to jump onto public transportation and travel out to Dignity Village on 33rd and Northeast Sunderland.  We were given a tour of the property; we met village members and were shown the utmost respect and hospitality.  I was truly impressed with the “village.” They self-govern their space, and are some of the most creative and inspiring people I have met.

We travelled back to the JOIN day center where we had dinner with a homeless couple and their dog. We spent time talking with the couple, learning their story and asking them questions.  Our evening concluded with all of us reflecting on the question “Now what?” Obviously, one 24-hour period can’t entirely change my life, or my views on homelessness. It can, however, change how I view the people I walk past on the street, and it has changed my perspective on the human experience.  For more information about JOIN, please visit www.joinpdx.com.

Advocate Staff