The men and women in our Link and Connect program teamed up last weekend to clean the streets of Old Town in downtown Portland! Our own staff and volunteers, along with a volunteer group from Redmond Community Church, worked alongside the Link and Connect residents in a total team effort that got the gardens of Old Town ready for spring.
ALSO READ: Our Link guys cleaned up Old Town last fall, too!
“It’s nice to get together with my brothers to clean up the neighborhood,” said Milford, one of the Link residents. “It was a pretty fun deal!”
Our Burnside Shelter, which is home to the Link and Connect programs, is located right in the heart of Old Town. Presented with the opportunity to give back to the city and the Mission that is helping them get back on their feet, dozens of residents were eager to help.
Link and Connect are transitional programs that help men and women go from homelessness to jobs and/or housing in about 3-4 months. Link, which has been running for over a year now, has been very successful, launching dozens of men into independent lives. Connect, which opened this spring, is off to a great start!
ALSO READ: Ron is one of hundreds of men helped by our Link program
“It was wonderful to see the homeless community come together to beautify their living space,” said Regina, a staff member here at the Mission.
The teams worked for several hours on Saturday, cleaning the tree wells, raking planter beds and pulling weeds. When the dust had settled, the multiple city blocks the teams had tackled looked amazing!
“The difference walking down the sidewalk is remarkable,” said Burnside Guest Services Manager Tim Desper. “Our residents have pride in knowing they played such a large part in that difference.”
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