John's Story of Hope

John was just one of 154,000 veterans who sleep on the street each night. Then he came to Portland Rescue Mission for help.

John's Story of Hope (Quicktime Version)


John from pdxmission on Vimeo.

Support our troops. Donate online at www.PortlandRescueMission.org or call 503-MISSION.

Your online gift today helps more veterans like John start a brand new life. Thank you.

Betty Jean's Story of Hope

A 24-year drug addiction made Betty Jean desperate enough to turn to prostitution.

Betty Jean's Story of Hope (Quicktime Version)

Betty Jean from pdxmission on Vimeo.

"I was totally out of control," she remembers. "I was doing things I said I would never do. I know I'd be dead in some alley if God hadn't brought me to the Mission."

Today, Betty Jean is safe. She's healing in ways she never thought possible.

Your support will help restore more women like Betty Jean.

Donate online at www.PortlandRescueMission.org. Or call 503-MISSION (647-7466)

A Rose By Any Other Name

From the "Changing the World" blog:
http://walking4change.blogspot.com/2010/05/rose-by-any-other-name.html

Homelessness wasn't talked about when I was a kid. It didn't exist as far as we knew in Connecticut. But then we were the sheltered wealthy where dirty little secrets like poverty couldn't touch us. Even in the streets of New York where we spent almost as much time, Homelessness wasn't something that was visible in the streets of New York that my parents traveled on just as frequently as in Connecticut. What we knew about homelessness was what we saw in the movies or on television, therefore it was make believe.

The Tom Joad's dust bowl of Oklahoma I had pictured in my mind was hot and sticky with various shades of gray. I imagined seeing a dust storm or perhaps even a twister coming, with barely enough time to head for cover. The Grapes of Wrath men would be in overalls with some type of well worn hat, chewing on a piece of straw. The women would all be large buxom grandmotherly types, and all, wiping their hands on their aprons after having just taken some wonderful hot buttered delicacy from a roaring campfire.

Charlie Chaplin's famous tramp gave poverty a comedic turn as did Freddie the Freeloader of the 60's. Street car jumping Humphrey Bogart or Jimmy Cagney romanticized poverty in the 40's and 50's. Even though the Gypsy's of the B-movie thrillers, saved the local townspeople with their knowledge of the happenings of the full moon, they were considered just as monstrous as the fearsome Lon Chaney Jr. werewolf himself.

Hobo; tramp; bag lady; vagabond; gypsy; gutterpup; nomad; stumblebum. No matter how you say it, it still means homeless, penniless, poverty stricken. No matter how you label it, there is still the connotation that makes a negative impact. While the public may still think of living in a shelter as being a horrible way to live, here in Portland, as in many places we have been to date, having a place to turn your life around is not.

Here in the city of roses...

Read more >>

David's Story of Hope

David's twin sister was murdered. Overcome by grief and left without family support, David's life crumbled. He became homeless, unable to cope with life.

David's Story of Hope (Quicktime Version)


David's Story of Hope from pdxmission on Vimeo.
David isn't an addict. He isn't lazy. He's simply a broken man looking for a way back home.

Your support provides more than a meal, more than a bed. You give counseling and healing to restore hurting men and women to new lives. You give hope.

Donate online at www.PortlandRescueMission.org. Or call 503-MISSION (647-7466)

New Life Graduations

13 men and women celebrated milestones in their recovery in April 2010.

New Life Graduations (Quicktime Version)


New Life Graduations from pdxmission on Vimeo.

Thanks to your support these courageous men and women have faced the root causes of their addiction and hopelessness. They've completed a 12-18 month intensive recovery including counseling, education, life skills training, emotional healing and spiritual renewal.

These hurting people needed something more. More than a meal. More than a bed. They needed HOPE.

Help more homeless people find a way back home. Donate online at www.PortlandRescueMission.org. Or call 503-MISSION (647-7466)

Bright Flowers of New Life

From Holly, a staff member of Portland Rescue Mission:

Last winter, we received a bag of donated tulip bulbs. In February, a few of our staff planted them at Shepherd's Door, our women and children's recovery center.

We lovingly dug holes, added fertilizer, watered them and covered them over with compost and soil. We provided a healthy and sheltered place for them to grow and thrive. The rest was up to them.

This week, I went to Shepherd's Door and saw the beautiful white and pink tulips -- happy to see them as if they were my own children.

That's how I feel about the clients who come to us in our recovery programs, too. We welcome men, women and children who are deeply hurting. We provide a safe and healing place for them (dig the hole). We teach and train them (fertilize and water). And we trust the seed of God's love and eternal grace to grow in their hearts and renew them: spirit, soul and body.

The process can be long and difficult, but a miracle occurs. Beautiful tulips come from a brown lump, push through heavy, dark soil -- and burst into bright color.

How much greater is the bloom of new life that occurs in the women and children at Shepherd's Door!

God is in the life-giving business, and so are we.

Small Makes A Big Difference

Allison Small presents Bill Miller,
Director of Development
with a generous donation.

Allison Small has achieved some big things.

The Clackamas High School student went all out for her senior project by organizing a fund raising banquet and silent auction last month to help homeless men, women and children through Portland Rescue Mission.

A culinary student since her freshman year, Allison convinced 13 of her classmates from Sabin Schellenberg Professional Technical Center to cook an incredible six-course meal for 130 people at Eastridge Church on Saturday, April 17th.

The menu included Amuse Bouche, Pear Salad, Tomato Basil Bisque, Lemon Sorbet, Seared Pork Tenderloin and Chocolate Mousse Torte -- all prepared by Allison and her friends.

Between courses, the audience heard about the ministry of Portland Rescue Mission, watched a powerful video and enjoyed our Resurrection Choir comprised of men currently in our 12-18 month recovery program.

Proceeds from the event totaled over $4000, thanks in part to generous sponsors who provided items for the silent auction and food donations for the meal.

Allison's months of preparation, culinary skill and impressive project management came together to provide a great event raising awareness and funds to help people in need. We're grateful to Allison, her event sponsors and the compassionate donors who help us give hope to men, women and children affected by homelessness, addiction and abuse.

Thank you, Allison!

May We Have a Mile of Your Time?

Portland resident Lynn McPherson is walking from Canada to Mexico to raise homelessness awareness. On Tuesday, May 11, she’ll pass through Portland.

You're invited to join the staff, volunteers and recovery residents of Portland Rescue Mission as we walk with Lynn during the Change for Life celebration event.

Please join us for one or both of these walk times:

• Men in our New Life recovery ministry will join Lynn at 11:00 AM, meeting at the southeast entrance of the Rose Garden Arena at Wheeler and Multnomah, and then walking one mile to the Burnside Shelter at 111 W. Burnside.

• Women in our New Life recovery ministry will meet at the Burnside Shelter at 1:00 PM and walk one mile with Lynn to Waterfront Park.

Transportation back to start locations will be provided. Lunch will be served at the Burnside Shelter at 12:00 PM.

Please sign up with Brian Merrell at BrianM@PDXMission.org to ensure enough lunch and transportation is available.

Lynn's video:

• Read the Oregonian article about Lynn.
• Visit Lynn's website.

8 Women Start New Life!

Andrea, Mina, Terri, Debbie,
Alla, Emily, Erin
and Lynn (not pictured)

Last Friday, April 30th, eight women celebrated their new lives as graduates of our New Life recovery program.

During their stay at Shepherd's Door, our recovery ministry for women and children, these courageous women faced the root causes of their addiction and homelessness. Thanks to your support, they were able to find the counseling, emotional support, life skills, education and spiritual renewal they needed. They have healing they never thought possible.

We're happy to celebrate what God has done in their lives and pray for their continued success.

Thanks for helping us give these women and their children something more. More than a meal. More than a bed. You help us give HOPE.