Portland’s Clark Center Homeless Shelter
Many volunteers return for second and third visits, and surely the raucous send off does not go unnoticed. However, the Clark Center’s volunteers seem to have a lot of recidivism, as could be seen and heard at a recent Transition Projects get together.
Many of the volunteers at the Clark Center never get a chance to meet one another because they come in on different nights, but when volunteers were able to get together recently at a Transition Projects (TPI) function, a common thread of conversation emerged that revolved around the feeling the volunteers get from helping at the various Transition Project’s facilities. Meal providers, computer lab assistants, GED teachers, and even members of the board of directors shared their experiences, and each volunteer’s comment seemed to echo the previous comments. Words like ‘fulfilling’ and ‘enriching’ were used time and again to describe the volunteering experience. One woman said, “I think my reasons are volunteering are more selfish than anything. Every time I leave I feel better. It’s therapy for me.”
Driving past the Clark Center, a passerby may hardly notice it. The building is recessed from the street and appears small, but inside is a large open space with concrete floors and long tables. To the left of the entrance is a TV viewing area where a movie is shown every night. In the center, a front desk guards the entrance to the quiet sleeping area. The sleeping area is an arrangement of bunks very similar to a barracks. Though the description of ‘concrete barracks’ may sound somewhat austere, complaints are seldom heard by the residents who have no other option for housing. Only a few brief grumbles can be heard when the call for ‘8:00 chores!” is shouted by the resident advisor at the front desk.
The Clark Center provides more than a roof and meals, however, and is not a free lunch for residents. Residents must adhere to a curfew, a zero-tolerance drug and alcohol policy, and an expectation of wanting to become self-sufficient. In order to complete the program and move into their own residence, each resident must follow the path laid out by TPI’s “homeless-to-housing” process, a three step approach, with the final step of the process being at the Clark Center for men, and at Jean’s Place for women.
Clean and sober is the norm. Even volunteers are asked not to come in if they have had anything to drink during the day.
Far from being a type of lock-down environment, the rules at the Clark Center are enforced by advocates of the residents. Along with having a place to sleep, a resident attends mandatory classes, such as ‘Ready-to-Rent,’ that teach responsible practices in leasing and personal budgeting. Each resident has his own voice mail and mailing address so that potential employers can make contact.
A full-time Americorps volunteer operates a resource center with four donated computers. Volunteers in the resource center help residents create resumes, cover letters, and assist with job searches. Computer skill classes are offered to residents on a weekly basis.
One resource center volunteer stated, “Every single one of the residents is different and has different needs on the computer. Some of the men are very skilled on the computer and need no assistance, but then others have never used the internet, or Microsoft Word, or created a resume and we start from scratch.”
When the Clark Center first opened, the surrounding community had doubts and fears about the impact on the neighborhood. Some voiced concerns over the Clark Center inviting crime and other problems to Southeast Portland. That view has largely changed over the past ten years.
The goal of Transition Projects, since 1969, has been to meet the basic needs of homeless people and provide life skills beyond those basic needs. The central goal of the organization is overall community improvement, specifically for homeless and at-risk people. While not every case is a success and chronically homeless residents return to the street, TPI serves more than 9,000 people every year, with the Clark Center being one of several downtown locations. In general, residents who have been to Clark Center have a positive experience.
One former resident of Jean’s Place said of TPI, “I had a clean, safe place to stay while I got my health under control and back on my feet. The people at Jean’s place hooked me up with resources I didn’t even know existed.”
A Clark Center resident said, “I felt like someone opened a door for me and I had to go through it.” When the resident was hired as a cashier at Sisters of the Road Cafe in Northwest Portland, he was still living at the Glisan center in downtown. He then made the moved to phase three. “I moved to the Clark Center and saved money. At first I didn’t want to move, but I was very glad to be in such a nice place. Going to Clark is like graduating.”
The Clark Center itself is graduating, in a sense. A new Clark Center annex is scheduled to begin construction in late autumn of 2005. The annex will have twenty permanent housing units available for residents. The city of Portland’s new housing bond is aiding the new construction, but an additional $400,000 is necessary for the completion of the project, and TPI is encouraging donations from individuals and businesses.
Tony Bernal, Development Director, recently said in regard to donations made to TPI, “About 88 cents of every dollar go directly to clients in need, and not one of the remaining 12 cents is wasted either.”
Along with Portland’s housing bond, mayor Tom Potter has outlined his 10-year plan to end homelessness in Portland. TPI, with 1,000 annual volunteers of cooks and educators, have taken an active pursuit of finding their role in Potter’s vision.
While Portland is tackling the issue of homelessness, federal funding for homeless projects has been in decline since 9/11. Money from the federal Section 8 program has been reduced while statistics show the amount of homeless people to be climbing.
Whether or not the funds reach the levels desired by TPI and the city of Portland, volunteers like John Underhill, general manager of the well-known Jake’s Famous Crawfish restaurant in Downtown Portland, will continue to provide meals. With Underhill’s enthusiasm providing the impetus, Jake’s has been serving Thanksgiving meals in the restaurant for the past four years.
“The very first year of the meal, we served about 80 folks. Jake’s has grown through the process and each year we welcome more and more guests. This year we served over 150.” Underhill initially contacted Tony Bernal to discuss options for serving meals to TPI residents. Bernal coordinated the effort along with other agencies, such as Goose Hollow Family Shelter, Central City Concern, JOIN, and the Bradley Angle house.
Underhill said, “It is very fulfilling to witness people coming together to have a meal.” He added, “Guests offer appreciation, and often express that dinner was much more than they expected.”
Providing meals is the most popular way to volunteer with Transition Projects. Families, friends, or groups of co-workers can contact the volunteer coordinator and select a night to make dinner for 90. Much like John Underhill’s experience, meal providers and volunteers on any given night of the year might find themselves feeling surprisingly good when they walk out of the Clark Center to a standing ovation and many appreciative faces.
