Few of us know what it feels like to sleep outside in the rain, the cold and sometimes even the snow. Don knows exactly what that feels like.
“I’ll never forget the first night out on the street that I was homeless. I had just cardboard that I pulled up around me and made a little hut, because I didn’t have a blanket. It was raining and cold that night, it was a long and very lonely night.”
Someone pointed Don to the Portland Rescue Mission for a place to eat, get warm and sleep in safety with a roof over his head.
“The Mission was definitely a lifeline for me.”
The Burnside shelter is a lifeline for many men and women. Our building has taken a toll from the weather during years of sheltering men and women overcoming homelessness. Our roof is in need of replacement.
“This last winter conditions were some of the most severe that our city has seen in many, many years,” said Guest Care Manager, Andrew Hall. “The roof is one of the most important things that we offer, without it it’s just as bad as the street,” said Andrew. In order for us to continue offering services to guests like Don, our building is in need of a new roof.
“Fixing the roof allows us to not only put that roof over the heads of the guests that come through our door, but it allows all of our other services to function also,” said Andrew.
“I’m stable and I have a real hope for the future. It’s absolutely amazing to me how far God has brought me. And it all started because someone gave me a meal and a safe place to stay.”
This summer we are working together to “raise the roof.” We are asking the community to join us in raising the funds needed to replace our roof. We want to invite you to join us in providing that safe place for other men and women like Don.
Partner with us to “raise the roof” at the Burnside Shelter.
There are two ways to get involved:
We are hosting a celebratory rooftop dinner on the beautiful Eco trust Building in the Pearl District, Thursday, July 27th, for the top 10 fundraising teams that help us raise the roof! Our goal is $300,000.
This new roof will allow us to continue offering services for decades more. Thank you for partnering with us. Thank you for providing a place of hope and healing for people like Don.
