This appeal has been posted on the website of the United Church of Christ of Forest Grove, Oregon (in Washington County and across the street from UCC-related Pacific University):
The Outreach Commission has recently learned that the future of the four homeless shelters in Washington County is jeopardized by the failure of the Local Option Levy for Public Safety, not passed by voters in November 2004. This was to be an extension of the Safety Levy passed in 2002, which expires in July of this year. All four of these shelters realize funding from the Safety Levy and work closely together to provide a critical piece of the safety net for families with children. Each of them depends upon funding from the public safety levy to provide services so that families can become stable and self-sufficient.
Here in our church, we participate in and support Family Bridge, which is one of the four shelters. Good Neighbor Center, Hillsboro Family Shelter, and the Domestic Violence Resource Center are the other three.
These shelters play a key role in maintaining public safety. Each shelter's board of directors and staff are keenly aware that services will be drastically reduced (they already are) and maybe eliminated if the new levy does not pass this November. They have already cut back their operations to bridge the gap between July and November when there will be no funds from the county.
Even when the Safety Levy was fully funding these shelters, many people in need were being turned away. Four shelters, funded at these levels, are not adequate to address the problems associated with homelessness in our community. With the failure of the Safety Levy extension, things are now dire.
The Outreach Commission has identified the following needs to ensure that these services continue: Funding for the shelters to keep them in operation Help with educating citizens about the levy's importance Faith-based efforts to make shelter and affordable housing top priorities.
Members of the Outreach Sub-Committee looking for ways to respond include Nedra Hathaway, Joan Bolen, Russ Dondero, Steve Whistler, and they are led by Eric Canon. This group is planning a gathering of faith communities for Saturday, May 13 from 10:00-11:30 am at Marsh Hall, Pacific University. Representatives from the shelters will be present to lead a discussion about these challenges and to answer questions.
If you are interested we hope you will join us at Pacific on May 13, and invite others from our congregation to be there as well. Please let Eric Canon know of your plans to attend. You may reach him at [email protected] or at 503.357.3282. With God's help we hope to bring some light to a very dark situation in our community.
Click here for directions to Pacific (and click here for a campus map where you can find the location of Marsh Hall).
