It's great to know that there are people out there doing work like this. Makes you think you should be out there too.

It is _hard_ work, those folks over there at JOIN deserve every ounce of credit they get. Day after day, night after night, they work to get people in to housing, or whatever little step they need to get their life more in order. The big pay off is when one of your friend comes back and says "thank you".
Being in downtown I know Quin and Leo a bit better, but they all work hard.
Thanks for the interesting story Matt.
Patrick

Patrick Coleman, you can be out there too!

JOIN has an outreach (imersion) program to help mainstream people familiarize themselves with homeless issues.

Thanks, Matt, for writing about JOIN.

Come on then, Patrick. Money where mouth is...

Matt,
been there and done that, I think I get a free pass on the imersion thing. maybe you can convice Patrick Coleman, but if I was him I would tell you that you should go with him!
thanks
Patrick

I think that too many people forget that the homeless on our streets are PEOPLE. When my partner and I moved back to Portland 2 years ago from an Army base in Texas, we were astonished to see that the number of homeless in Portland had grown while the number of agencies assisting the homeless had decreased. When we were in El Paso, my partner was a psychiatric medic at the Army hospital in town. We'd drive through the streets of El Paso, and he would often point out to me the number of homeless who were vets that were in treatment at his hospital. When we moved to Portland, he offered to continue to work with the homeless here, however he was turned down. It seems that the state of Oregon is one of the only states that does not recognize as valid training any of the 6 years of psychiatric training and care that he performed in the Army. So, all those years of substance abuse counseling, conflict resolution training, and group therapy training he received are not wanted by the people of Oregon. He was very angered by it, and he is now using his Army benefits to get a medical degree. However, I can tell you that he and I both resent the fact that Oregon doesn't allow those who want to help to help.

Sir:

Have a care in your actions, sir, or Portland's finest will only have racially profiled drivers to molest and hassle.

As these people aren't out early in day when they are rousting the homeless from doorsteps and underpasses, they may find themselves with nothing to do but enforce the law.

Heavens, what a dismal prospect.

I remain your humble servant,

Jacomus