As I enter Tom McCall Waterfront Park every morning, approaching the half-way point of my 3.1 mile run, I pass a storage container that always seems to be surrounded by lots of activity. Curious – I looked it up: “The day storage unit is located on the west end of the Steel Bridge and operated by Central City Concern’s Clean Start Program, employing a man who was once homeless. It is open 7 days a week from 7 am to 6 pm daily with a 1 hour lunch from 12 pm to 1 pm. While the container will be securely locked up when it’s closed, the toilets will be open 24 hours a day.” It’s appropriately equipped with with a trash dumpster, two LED-lit port-o-potties, needle containers, and information kiosks. There is a second container offered by the city located near the Hazelnut Grove campsite in North Portland. 

Just before the location of the storage unit is the Blanchet House, one of a cluster of homeless shelters. In fact, most of the assistance for the homeless is concentrated in this area, part of the reason why there are so many homeless people hanging out. The way people dress for work in this town makes it difficult to distinguish exactly who needs help. The other day I gave some cash to a woman that was probably on her way to the office but took a seat on a bench. Both of us were embarrassed. Maybe she was just out of breath, rather than without a home?

In order to understand the problem more, I read the Blanchet House website and copied the information for your benefit. I still seem to be searching for a cause to support in retirement, but have yet to make a commitment. My wife made a generous donation to the Portland Rescue Mission, a similar organization, this morning that I agreed to match. It will supposedly pay for several hundred Thanksgiving meals.

“Blanchet (pronounced Blan-shay) House is a nonprofit social services organization located in downtown Portland. We provide food, clothing and housing programs to people in need. We believe we have a responsibility to offer assistance in whatever way we can. We are not affiliated with any religious organizations though our founders are rooted in the Catholic community.”

Meal Program
“We serve breakfast, lunch and dinner six days a week in our Founders Cafe. Our nutritious meals are compassionately served to our guests by volunteers. Our mission is to serve all with dignity and respect. All are welcome to enjoy meals here. No questions asked. Thanks to generous financial and food donors we were able to provide 353,000 meals last year.”

Clothing Program
“New and gently used clothing is donated from individuals and businesses. We sort the clothing with volunteer help and make the clothing available to our guests during meal services.”

Residential Programs
“We operate two transitional shelter programs for men struggling with addiction, unemployment, mental health and other barriers. In exchange for room, board and case management, our residents perform volunteer work to aid the mission. The guests living in the Blanchet House program in downtown Portland work in the Founders Cafe preparing and serving food for the public. The men living in the Blanchet Farm program in Carlton, Oregon maintain the 62-acre farm, including animal husbandry, gardening and woodworking.”

“For the safety of all, our resident guests must follow rules, meet expectations, and abstain from using drugs or alcohol while living with us.”

I’m also trying to become familiar with the laws or rules of the street. I found this explanation on the Smart City Dive newsletter. “The new “Safe Sleep Policy” is a result of a two-pronged reality, the homeless population is increasing, while the total number of shelter beds are declining. The city estimates about 2,000 people are now sleeping on the streets. With the total number of shelter beds at 478, this leaves most homeless citizens to find their own accommodation, a daunting task for the most vulnerable section of the population. Portland Mayor Charles Hayes recognizes this noticeably large gap and has instituted the new policy in order to temporarily address this issue. This policy allows an individual or a group of up to six people to camp on a city sidewalk or city right of way overnight from 9:00 PM until 7:00 AM. The camps must then be dismantled. The idea is to keep the homeless population from gathering together and setting up larger, more permanent encampments, which recently have become sites for fires, violence, and drug use.”

In my very own neighborhood last night, there was a guy that tried to steal my dog’s blanket out of her stroller. I had my back to it and him, picking up after her. Once he heard me shout, he left without a word. I had actually considered giving him some money before this happened. Instead, I gave it to another guy digging through a trash can. I honestly have to stop carrying any cash on me or I’ll end up giving it away. When I’m running in the morning, I don’t carry any money with me and can avoid the temptation of generosity. I’ll continue to study the problem, but in many ways they seem to have what I want – no job, no responsibilities, no hours, and no boss. Even in retirement, I at least have responsibilities.