#homeless shelter

[reasonsforhope]

"Claire Cao was only a senior in high school when she saw a vital need in her community — and filled it. 

In 2024, the teenager spent her time outside of school volunteering at Blanchet House, a Portland-based nonprofit that serves people experiencing homelessness through food donations, clothing drives, and mental health assistance programs. 

As she logged hours as a Blanchet House student ambassador, Cao soon realized how difficult it was for community members to keep track of shelter openings, rotating food service programs, and available mental health resources. 

“During one afternoon meal service, I met Dano, an unhoused man who shared his struggles with accessing basic services like food and shelter,” Cao said in a recent press release. 

“Left disconnected from essential services, Dano described his struggles of not knowing where to go or which shelters had available beds.”

Combining her love for technology, law, and public policy, Cao pulled available resources into a database and created the ShelterBridge app, which connects users to shelters and services in their area. 

“ShelterBridge wasn’t simply inspired by Dano — it was inspired by the realization that access to resources is a fundamental need that we, as a community, can do a better job of providing,” Cao emphasized. 

“I wanted to use my skills to build something that could bridge that gap, ensuring that no one falls through the cracks simply because they don’t know where to turn for help.”

In addition to linking users to services in their area, the app also has a rating system similar to Yelp. This system allows people to leave star ratings and reviews on shelters, food services, hotlines, and legal aid. 

The ratings not only help users differentiate between services in their area — but they also provide invaluable feedback to the nonprofits, organizations, and government programs that service them. 

“We've been asking for an app like this for a number of years now,” Scott Kerman, executive director of Blanchet House, told Portland news station KGW.

In mid-January, Cao won the 2024 Congressional App Challenge in Oregon’s First District for her work with ShelterBridge — outcompeting 12,682 student submissions. 

Since the app first launched, Cao and her growing ShelterBridge team — which includes enterprising high schoolers and college students from across the nation — have expanded services to California, Philadelphia, Seattle, Los Angeles, and North Carolina. 

“Claire and the team she’s working with deserve all the credit in the world because they're doing something that frankly nobody else has really stepped up to do,” Kerman said. 

“To have the kind of technology that we use every day with hotels and other kinds of reservations [to] help people get into safe, supportive and dignified shelter would be a game changer for our community.”

Although the app started as a class project, Cao said ShelterBridge’s success has far surpassed her expectations. 

“I do hope to keep it up,” she told Oregon outlet KOIN 6 News, as she looked ahead to college and beyond. “I’ve made a lot of efforts to expand it to other cities as well — and it’s something I can mostly do from a computer or my laptop at home.”

-via GoodGoodGood, March 21, 2025

[dy-mph-na]

Poem I wrote this morning, because I got kicked out of the shelter I was staying at. Girls have been picking on me- they took used oil and mixed it in with my food, told everyone I do witchcraft when I am very devout Christian, and other lies. Spiritual warfare at the finest, I set a boundary and the girl who this was all coming from got mad at me, the staff sided with her; they're afraid of me suing them... Apparently these were all "accusations" but everyone in the shelter was coming to me telling me about what she was doing. Its okay. I'm grateful to have God with me, and you guys. :) The staff had the audacity to call me privileged, I am a homeless woman, who is a survivor of abuse. A male staff member watched me get dressed too, which made me uncomfortable. They never called the cops, they were going to but I have proof of all these claims; they hung up the phone and kicked me out instead.

anywaysss... yep...

[dandelionsresilience]

Dandelion News - January 8-14

Like these weekly compilations? Tip me at $kaybarr1735 or check out my Dandelion Doodles!

1. In Chicago, all city buildings now use 100 percent clean power

“As of January 1, every single one of [Chicago’s municipal buildings] — including 98 fire stations, two international airports, and two of the largest water treatment plants on the planet — is running on renewable energy, thanks largely to Illinois’ newest and largest solar farm.”

2. California Rice Fields Offer Threatened Migratory Waterbirds a Lifeline

“Cranes need nighttime roosting sites flooded to a depth of about 3 to 9 inches, so they can easily hear or feel predators moving through the water. [... Bird Returns pays] farmers to flood their fields during critical migration periods [... and] provide foraging sites by leaving harvested rice or corn fields untilled, so cranes can access the leftover grain.”

3. New York Climate Superfund Becomes Law

“[Funds recovered “from major oil and gas companies” will be used to pay for] the restoration of stormwater drainage and sewage treatment systems, upgrades to transit systems, roads and bridges, the installation of green spaces to mitigate city heat islands and even medical coverage and preventative health programs for illnesses and injuries induced by climate change.”

4. Austin says retooled process for opening overnight cold-weather shelters is paying off

“[... T]he city's moves to lower the temperature threshold to open shelters and announce their activation at least a day in advance were the result of community feedback. [Shelter operators also passed out hot food.]”

5. Helping Communities Find Funding for Nature-Based Solutions

““From coastal oyster reefs to urban stormwater greenways, nature-based solutions are becoming the new normal.” That’s because these types of projects are often less expensive to build and have additional community benefits, such as improving water quality or creating parkland.”

6. Saving the Iberian lynx: How humans rescued this rare feline from extinction

“Back in the early 2000s, fewer than 100 individuals roamed the wild, including only 25 reproductive females. [...] Conservation staff [...] shape these cats into resourceful hunters and get them ready for life outside the center. [...] They’re fine-tuning captive-breeding routines, improving veterinary procedures, and pushing for more wildlife corridors.”

7. Biden cancels student loans for 150,000 more borrowers

“The 150,000 new beneficiaries announced Monday include more than 80,000 borrowers who were cheated or defrauded by their schools, over 60,000 borrowers with total and permanent disabilities and more than 6,000 public service workers[...] bringing the number whose student debt has been canceled during [Biden’s] administration to over 5 million[....]”

8. PosiGen wins another $200M for lower-income rooftop solar

“PosiGen offers a ​“no credit check” [solar panel installation to] those with a higher percentage of their income going to power and fuel bills[....] “somewhere between 25 and 75 percent” of the consumer’s monthly energy savings could come from efficiency measures such as sealing heating and cooling leaks, replacing thermostats, and installing LED lights[....]”

9. Indigenous communities come together to protect the Colombian Amazon

“At this year’s COP, Indigenous peoples celebrated the [protection of] traditional knowledge, innovations and practices[... and] the Cali Fund, which ensures that communities, including Indigenous peoples, receive benefits from the commercial use of [...] genetic data derived from the biological resources that they have long stewarded.”

10. How the heartland of Poland’s coal industry is ditching fossil fuels - without sacrificing jobs

“[Katowice, a former coal city] committed to reducing CO2 emissions by 40 per cent compared to 1990, prioritising investments in green infrastructure, and promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency. [...”]The gradual departure from heavy industry did not bring high social costs in our city,” says Marcin Krupa, Mayor of Katowice City.”

January 1-7 news here | (all credit for images and written material can be found at the source linked; I don’t claim credit for anything but curating.)

[allthecanadianpolitics]

When Job Gori moved to Canada from Kenya a year ago, he spent his first night in the country sleeping in a Toronto park.  "I came here knowing nobody," Gori said. After sleeping in an encampment at Allan Gardens, the 23-year-old then secured a bed at Covenant House Toronto as part of its youth winter respite program. The agency serves Toronto youth who are unhoused, trafficked or at risk.  Covenant House Toronto's winter respite program, which officially launched on Friday for its third season, is meant to give people aged 16 to 24 a warm place to stay in winter. It operates around the clock and will run until April.

Continue Reading

Tagging: @newsfromstolenland

[newyorkthegoldenage]

An unidentified man, a newspaper over his head, sleeps on a cot at the Doyer Street Mission, January 21, 1941.

Photo: Weegee via Int'l Center of Photography/Getty Images/Insider

[one-time-i-dreamt]

I was on Shark Tank pitching a coffeeshop whose proceeds went to creating more accessible and safer homeless shelters. It was called “Homeward Grounds”.

[chronicallycouchbound]

Wet shelters save lives. If someone is forced to freeze to death in their car because they’re not allowed in the local dry shelter because they’re under the influence, you are enabling their death.

[remembertheplunge]

Day of the Zebra

April 12, 2017 Wednesday 9:10pm

DAY OF THE ZEBRA!

Mike and I were sitting  outside Preservation Coffee House getting to know each other when he said “There’s a zebra”. I turned around and sure enough. Two people on separate horses  were escorting a young Zebra by! We were downtown when this happened!

An Omen of my meeting and encounter with Mike! We had just met at the corner of 11th and K Street by the Brenden Theater parking garage. He asked for money for food. He was homeless.

After leaving Preservation Coffee, I drove Mike to my house where we had a  pizza party out front. Afterwards,  I dropped him off at the Salvation Army shelter. Before leaving my house, I had given Mike a back pack left behind by Troy, a homeless man who had spent a few nights at my house. In March When Troy left, he left behind all of his personal belongings including the back pack. Troy never returned for them. I offered to let Mike stay at my house, but, he said no. I respected him for that. Mike said that he didn’t drink, but he was loaded on something. He asked me what the date was, but didn’t believe me when I told him. He seemed confused. But, his essence was sweet. He was kind and appreciative and a delight to be around. He frames my friend who told me to fear him, or she frames him.

The next day, April 13, 2017 , Mike called me from the Salvation Army shelter. I drove there to find him, but lost him to their red tape. I never heard from Mike again.

But, thanks to our Zebra encounter, the Zebra became the symbol of my long and continuing journey of encounters with the homeless. I now have Zebra images of one form or another around my house!

Later, I told a friend of mine about my encounter with Mike. She organizes businesses to fund Christmas backpacks for the homeless. But, the project got bogged down by red tape.

She warned me of the dangers involved in my helping the homeless. Her first response when I told her about Mike was “be careful."

My question to my friend (which I didn’t ask) would have been “Who did you give a bag of food and socks to today? Why not just pack a back pack and give it to one homeless child?

My friend said that her niece took everything from her house every time she stayed. She’a druggy.’

My friend is out there on the dark side of the disaster curb.

[fungi-funguy]

Homeless shelters are a fucking joke, aren't they?

[ceevee5]

“Family Village is one of a new kind of homeless shelter now emerging in the US, those that use trauma-informed design. It’s also the first and only overnight shelter of its kind in Oregon. This emerging approach is part of a movement that recognizes that traumatized people need specialized support. Severe stress can literally change the brain, affecting memory, coping skills and abilities to regulate emotions. Aware of just how much the physical environment can shape people’s lives, more architects are starting to rethink how they design homeless shelters and spaces such as prisons and foster care centers.”

[timmurleyart]

The living wage. 🔒💎💵💰💎💳

[spotlightstory]

"I'm Just Tired"

Silent Voices on YouTube

Aid Worker: ....I'm worried about you, man. I'll put your stuff up so they can't steal it while you are in there? (the shelter)

Elderly Homeless Man: Noooo. I'd rather be out here with Jesus than in there. I'll survive.

[murdermittens666]

Being Homeless (The Blog)

First of all: I didn't want to be homeless, I'm not on hardcore drugs, and I'm clean. I hate that I am in this situation where I thought I could rely on a family that took me in, but I was wrong. Here is the deal; I got kicked out because they decided to guilt-trip me to hell, and back. They literally have said they "are putting me in a corner" like some scared dog. And when I finally got help, they threw me out like a dog. Punishing me and this is how I became homeless.

And let me just say; being homeless and being a woman is the most hardest thing ever. You risk your entire life. Not just yourself, but your sanity. It's so dangerous for me being a woman in this type of situation. But being homeless also opened my eyes to a lot of stuff. So I wanted to make this blog to showcase what's it like being homeless, my experiences, and how I am trying to get out of it.

Things have been horrible; I have put over 20 applications in for jobs, and none have gotten back to me. Somedays I feel like giving up, or giving myself a break. The homeless shelter that I live in is called: Our Daily Bread.

This is my home for now. But not all the time.

That is right I won't even know if I get a bed or not. The way it's set up that there are too many homeless people, and not enough beds or cots. It's horrible that so many people here are in need like me. I'm one of them.

July 4th I should be at a place, I should be relaxing having a good meal, and watching fireworks. But now it's gone. Here I am in a shelter that won't allow us to go out after 6:00 PM because we need to "Check in", and then we can't leave.

Happy 4th of July to me I guess.

The food here is...gross. Let me just say. Hamburger that was half cold, half heated. People here are sick, and are making me sick I got sick 2 times sense I have been here. There are people dealing with drugs, and alcohol. There are many times I don't feel safe.

I'm looking into temporary residence that I can be in, but that is even hard.

I hate it here. I want to leave. I want to have a stable home.

Everyday I ask myself why am I here. Did I do something to deserve this. But this is a realty check, and damn is it kicking me hard in the ass. I felt horrible for homeless people, but now here I am.

But I'm still a good person; there are many people who have came up to me asking for opinions, and me listening to them. Giving out my cigarettes if I have any sense so many people have given out theirs. I will admit; there are a lot of nice people in this shelter though. I have made a friend, and even a boyfriend.

So things are slightly looking up, I'm going to file for disability. But my food stamps have been canceled because I didn't talk to Workforce Solutions, when I did, and I have a case with them. Guess I will provide that tomorrow when I go see them.

This sucks. Everything sucks. But I will try my best to remain positive.

[v0r73x]

You see so many ambulances in one day

Wasn't like that 4 yrs ago last time I was here

Maybe occasionally, but it's to be expected.. now it's so often. At least 3 or more a day 💁🏻‍♀️

The other day I seen an ambulance helping one guy overdosing, and then gang sounds down the street and a POP following it. Well, looks like you'll need two now eh 🙃 welp.

What a busy job for these guys, they need a raise and probably more staff. It's so busy.

Idk, I guess if that's me one day that's me one day but I don't think so. It's not like its out of the question, who fucking knows. RA boys are always trying to hmu and if they ain't wearing colors I might hang (I don't hang with RA, not a good group to be around. I learnt this 5yrs ago). And I do get super annoying by them, glad the last guy was understanding on why I needed to ditch him (he was wearing street clothes, so I didn't know at first til he started fawning over that gang colour 🙃🙄). Because I was a little mouthy bcz of how disrespectful he is to everyone around him, and I had just met him. Following me around still after the first time I tried to ditch him 😭💀 but I had to wait for the train so he slowly caught up and I was upset and told him off. He respected it, did a bro hug and a non gang shake for me. Maybe a little similar so it doesn't look off putting lol. And I left. Although he was annoying as shit, I respect that he understood and was chill about it.

But not everyone will be like that guy, and they're all usually extremely annoying 💁🏻‍♀️ someone might take offense. Never know lmao fml. The adventures I've had here already. Oh my. Smh lol 😅🤦🏻‍♀️.

[one-time-i-dreamt]

I entered something they called a Bear Bike Marathon, in which teams of three dirt bike riders race through a 30 mile stretch of track through wilderness, city streets, and mud pits. Apparently my team was supporting a local homeless shelter, but before we could finish, I wiped out and woke up.