Who are the homeless in Hermiston and what services are available to them?
Those questions were discussed at length Monday night during the Hermiston City Council’s monthly work session. Representatives from agencies throughout the city and county were on hand Monday night to share their insights and determine what gaps need to be filled.
Dave Hughes, director of the Agape House in Hermiston, said Martha’s House, an outreach service of the Agape House, is currently serving seven homeless families and will probably be able to serve three more families during the winter months. Martha’s House is designed to provide a safe environment for families while helping them break the homeless cycle.
Not all families at Martha’s House are permanently homeless. Hughes said sometimes travelers get stranded in town and don’t have the money to rent a motel room.
Hughes said families at Martha’s House learn how to budget monthly expenses and are connected with other resources in the community to help them get back on their feet.
“We provide safe and secure transitional housing, but most importantly, we try to provide them with the tools to help them succeed on their own,” Hughes said. Martha’s House receives funding through community donations. Tax-deductible donations can be made by visiting the Martha’s House website.
The Hermiston Warming provides overnight shelter for the homeless during winter nights when the temperature drops below freezing. Karen Bounds, treasurer for the Warming Station, said individuals can check in each night the station is open between 7 and 9 p.m., and leave in the morning. Like the people it serves, the Warming Station lacks a permanent home and is using St. John’s Episcopal Church during November. In December, the station will be located at New Hope Community Church.
Bounds said the station serves a lot of single, homeless men, but provides shelter and soup or snacks for people of all ages. In the past, the station has served infants as well as people in their 70s. It recently provided shelter to a grandmother and her four grandchildren. The station receives donations from community members and organizations. The Good Shepherd Community Health Foundation provided sleeping mats for the shelter and Umatilla Electric Cooperative gave a donation to pay the utility bills.
Tax-deductible donations can be sent to the Hermiston Warming Station at P.O. Box 433, Hermiston, Ore., 97838. To donate items, call 541-720-4295, and to volunteer, call 541-571-2075.
CAPCO, which receives federal, state and private funding, also provides money for the homeless in the community, however, funding cuts have limited the number of people it can serve.
Local churches in the community also partner to provide free meals five days a week.
Hughes said one of the missing pieces of the homeless puzzle is a place to serve as a day center for the homeless. Hughes envisions a set location where people could have access to a computer to write resumes, receive mail and make and receive telephone calls.
“That is one of the big holes we need to fill,” he said. “It would go a long way to getting resources to help them move forward.”
Hermiston Mayor Dave Drotzmann thanked everyone for participating in the discussion.
“I would love for us in the community to continue this conversation,” Drotzmann said. “It’s particularly painful in the winter to see these folks on the street.”
