On February 8 we held our Milwaukie North event at Milwaukie Laundry and GracePointe Church. We served 29 neighbors, made referrals to emergency and transitional shelter, distributed hygiene and other personal care resources, offered showers, met two really fantastic Milwaukie PD Officers, and spent time letting folks know about the impending ice storm and asking about their sheltering plans.
Our friend Clara delivered a bag of her homemade soap sacks, which are a wildly popular item at events. Thank you, Clara! 🧼
One of our volunteers, someone who used to be houseless, recognized another neighbor who came to laundry. This other neighbor hadn’t been seen in a very long time and their family thought they were dead. As soon as our volunteer saw them, they gave them their phone so they could call their family. That emotional phone call lasted 45 minutes and contained a lot of tears. It was absolutely incredible to watch - both the generosity and caring exhibited by our volunteer, and the beauty of reconnecting with family that the other neighbor experienced. We were able to provide this neighbor with a prepaid phone so he can continue to stay in contact with his family and connect with additional community resources.💕📱
We hope everyone is safe and warm, and that you know you are loved.