Daily, our staff serve and invest in the lives of our guests at the Burnside Shelter. It’s amazing when our guests also express care for us. Zack, one of our faithful night team staff members, can attest to this. He had just arrived at the Burnside shelter for his shift, when Rowen, * a participant…
Read MoreA crowd of over one thousand people gathered at the school assembly, but the principal called on twenty middle school students to stand. These students––members of a basketball club started by Beaverton Foursquare for Somali refugees––raised funds to help men and women facing homelessness. “The kids had no idea how much money they had…
Read MoreIt was raining hard. Drops hitting her face, muscles aching, Marianne thought to herself, “I can’t do this. I don’t want to keep running.” She stopped, her tears mixing with the rain. The commitment to run and to persevere at something goes much deeper than training for a 13-mile race, these women are in the…
Read MoreI heard a speaker recently who succinctly captured a deep truth behind much of what we do here at Portland Rescue Mission. “The opposite of addiction is not sobriety. The opposite of addiction is connection.” There are many reasons a person might become homeless. But relational isolation is experienced by all, especially if addictions…
Read MoreLast fall, America held its breath as the Chicago Cubs battled the Cleveland Indians in the World Series. After a 107-year drought, the Cubs emerged with a hard-won victory, breaking a century-old “curse” of loss. Even people who weren’t die-hard Cubs fans had to smile at their dramatic turn. It was a Disney movie feel-good…
Read MoreAs 2016 draws to a close, I find myself deeply grateful for the changed lives here at Portland Rescue Mission. What a tremendous year of healing for so many hurting men, women and children who came to us for help in their darkest times. You’ve probably seen the overwhelming need in our community. The…
Read More“Wishing you a very Merry Christmas! Thank you for your partnership, allowing us to offer a Merry Christmas to all the people we serve. In fact, last night and tonight we will have over 300 people staying with us in our different facilities. We also have several hundred more people eating with us and receiving care.…
Read MoreDrive by the west end of the Burnside Bridge any morning and evening, and you’ll likely see hundreds of men and women lined up to get a good hot meal at the Mission. For me, that sight is full of heartbreak and hope. I grieve to see so many people suffering in desperate situations. Yet I’m…
Read MoreWe don’t always know what we need. But we usually know what we want. Men and women like Bradley, our featured story in our 2016 Summer Newsletter, want more than anything to their agony. Usually, long before people become homeless, they experience loss and trauma. In a desperate attempt to deal with the pain, they turn…
Read MoreA note from Eric Bauer (Executive Director of Portland Rescue Mission) … Every year as Thanksgiving approaches, I think of the holiday meal that first brought a hurting man or woman to Portland Rescue Mission. A hot dinner that filled their stomach, but also stirred their heart. A smile from a volunteer, an encouraging word. .…
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