A woman weathered by years on the streets of Portland drops off an armful of dead phones and other devices, along with a cable clump that resembles colorful spaghetti. Catholic Charities staffer Reva Mauck patiently untangles the mess and gets everything plugged in. It’s a fitting metaphor for what happens during drop-in at the Catholic Charities Housing Transitions Program.
Women who’ve survived homelessness come for help getting their lives recharged, and, if needed, have a few knotty situations straightened out.
The back door of Catholic Charities in Southeast Portland is open for drop-in Monday-Friday 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Outside, a covered patio allows women to stay out of the elements while waiting their turn for services inside.
Drop-in at the Housing Transitions Program – HTP for short — is a refuge only for self-identified women. That’s because a high percentage of women experiencing homelessness also have survived domestic abuse at the hands of a male. The presence of men might irritate the trauma.
The vibe of HTP drop-in is hospitable efficiency, the trademark of Victoria Waldrep, director of Homeless & Transitional Housing Services. In an earlier career, Waldrep led restaurant crews.
“I try to anticipate needs,” she says.
And the needs are many. At the start of the morning, Waldrep opens a small cup of yogurt to sustain her; by lunchtime, she still hasn’t had time to finish it.
Staff hustle to get coffee for guests.
Several women need bus tickets to get to job interviews and health appointments.
One woman is in the shower. A second has a load of laundry going. A third uses the computer. A fourth dashes in gratefully to use the bathroom.
Another reports that she dropped her phone while running to catch the bus and could Catholic Charities provide a second?
There are sack lunches for those who want them, plus a dine-in option of taco salad, fruit and ice cream delivered that morning by the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon, once of the groups who provide daily meals here.
Some lunches get taken on the road where agency workers hand them out at tent camps around the neighborhood, along with invitations to explore permanent housing and other services.
Many guests need to restock supplies that are helpful for life without a permanent home. At Catholic Charities, they can fill out a form for what they need, and staff will deliver: tents, sleeping bags, socks, underclothes, snack bars, etc. These goods come from donors who give via an Amazon wish list.
One woman checks in to let the Catholic Charities team know proudly that she has stayed sober for 48 days. That’s part of her plan to get permanent housing.
And as the name of the program suggests, the end goal is helping guests find permanent housing.
Waldrep leads periodic sessions called “Housing 101.” In those classes, she explains how to get on waiting lists and how to get by in the meantime.
Women also get one-on-one case management in their quest for an apartment they can afford. Staff keep a record of where women have applied for apartments.
The women can use Catholic Charities for receiving mail. Having an address is a key, ironically, to applying for an address, as well as to seeking identification cards and public benefits. Staff help guests apply for housing and health care and guide them to the right places for the complex process of signing up for disability benefits.
Some women who drop in are already housed but appreciate the added support. Some see HTP as their family; one woman has been coming for 17 years.
And it turns out that Reva Mauck, the staffer who took on recharging devices one morning, can disentangle more than power cords. She is a specialist in energy assistance programs and other services.
Staff like Mauck know the women and treat them like old friends. It’s that relationship that allows healing and progress in life.
It helps that the HTP room is bright and cheery. In the windows are plants and a few statuettes, including an angel and a jolly bird. A bulletin board display artfully designed by staff highlights the holidays of the month.
On a wall near the door, photos of happy guests and staff sit under a heading: “Our HTP community.”
Drop-in is just one piece of the Housing Transitions Program.
“It’s part of the larger outreach strategy used to engage self-identified women and provide support services that can assist them with sustaining themselves while working and waiting for housing,” says Waldrep.
There is transitional housing at Kenton Women’s Village and Chiles House, in addition to outreach to camps. Staff offer exercise walks, a knitting group and yoga. Once someone enters housing, there are classes in how to stay housed.
It’s all meant to improve physical and mental health – boosting tired spirits and untangling life’s knots.