During the early years of the Mission, the homeless demographic in America was almost primarily male. In fact, in 1980, only about 5% of those experiencing homelessness were women and children. By 2000, that number swelled to 42%. As we saw an influx of women needing care and support in the 1980s, we knew we needed to help. Economic challenges, skyrocketing housing costs, the rise in domestic and substance abuse, as well as the increase in mental health needs have marginalized women in our area. The emerging demographic of homeless women needed a safe place to restore their lives.
During this timeframe, we answered the need to support women and women with children by diving into the deep end of the pool to invest in this great need. Our goal was to stop the cycle of poverty and addiction and transform the family dynamic for good. By 1994, the Mission opened Shepherd’s Door serving women in Northeast Portland. By 2003, Shepherd’s Door had expanded to serve up to 41 women and 25 children to find healing through addiction recovery, vocational training, spiritual encouragement, and transitional support in a safe, retreat-like setting.
Recovery affects more than just the women in our program at Shepherd’s Door; recovery is also about their children. A core feature of Shepherd’s Door is the Children’s Center which was designed to be fully integrated with services for women. The Children’s Center offers services to help the children of mothers in our program heal from traumatic events and grow through educational and social skills development, group play, and Bible lessons. At the same time, moms receive training through parenting classes. Our dedicated and trained staff find unique ways to serve the Mission’s littlest residents daily.
Lives are changed daily at Shepherd’s Door and through our Children’s Center. We are privileged to witness the myriad miracles, the transformation of lives, and the reunification of families of the women we serve. We look forward to another 75 years of serving women and their children in Portland. Portland Rescue Mission: Brighter Than Ever.