Tuesday night we provided laundry kits, hygiene supplies, face masks and snacks to 43 neighbors, met new neighbors and received some exciting updates from friends.
One of the highlights of the evening was when D shared with us that he moved into sober housing since we last saw him, and proudly reported 18 days of sobriety. “Can you see how clear my eyes are now? I’m still shaking a little but that will go away.” He beamed. We beamed. We fist bumped when what we wanted to do was hug. Way to go, D! We’re rooting for you.
Our night started with a trip to Grocery Outlet where Dan stocked us up with ice for our water and Gatorade cooler. We set up while folks waited patiently in the heat. Clackamas County Go Team member Anne helped us pass out cold water while she visited with everyone in line. Stephanie and Bradley brought snacks and water, as well as super thoughtful (and very useful!) trash bag kits to share, and stayed to help us staff the tables. Thank you to Milwaukie Lutheran Church for supporting our event and sending Stephanie and Bradley to join us! Our faithful volunteer Alex brought snacks, supplies and beautiful homemade masks to share. Dan saved the day when he showed up with a tire pump in response to our SOS call. He had K’s bike up and going in no time. We even popped into QED to say hello to manager Lorinda and we caught a peak of the freshly laundered shower cart towels getting ready to be returned to Clackamas Service Center.