Catholic Charities outreach to homeless campers saves lives, builds relationships and can offer a path to housing Splayed on cold damp cement, the man had a face that was quickly turning the color of a raincloud. A woman’s screams for help echoed off the brick buildings of Portland’s Old Town.

During January’s deadly cold in Oregon, two Catholic Charities of Oregon workers risked their safety to volunteer at area warming shelters. Honor Hehn and Korin Kanzler traveled to the shelters in unprecedented slipperiness, braving falls in treacherous ice left by freezing rain. Fifteen people died in the area. Broken wrists, elbows and hips surged in…

On July 6, Catholic Charities outreach staff and volunteers will stride into the morning and pass out sack breakfasts to houseless people on Portland’s inner east side.

Catholic Sisters bring monthly meal to clients of Catholic Charities BEAVERTON — Each month, the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon here serve Jesus through the clacking of kitchen knives, the whir of a blender and the whoosh of a whisk.

MOUNT ANGEL — Like many of Oregon’s elders, the Benedictine Sisters are downsizing. They are selling the four-story monastery that has housed generations of nuns since 1888. They have bequeathed most of their ministries to younger hands. By the end of May, all the remaining sisters will have moved from their 30-acre campus to nearby…

Meeting people who are houseless is not new for Julia Paulsen and Caitlin Gleeson. As staff for Catholic Charities of Oregon, their weekly work includes outreach and encounters with houseless people in the busy area around St. Francis Parish in inner Southeast Portland. The pair bring water, snacks, socks and other gear prized by people…

March 8, is International Women’s Day! To celebrate, we’d like to share with you this video and beautiful story from the women of Kenton.

The Housing Transitions Program (HTP) operates on the Housing First model that prioritizes finding permanent housing as quickly as possible, providing supportive services as needed. Everyone’s path at Catholic Charities is different and Darla’s story is a beautiful example of a Catholic Charities client’s journey into permanent housing.

It is Women’s History Month, and we would like to take a moment to recognize the critical services that our Housing Transitions Program (HTP) has been providing for women experiencing houselessness over the past 15 years.  

In December 2021, Catholic Charities’ Housing Transitions Program (HTP) celebrated 15 years! HTP has been a place of stability and community for so many of our unhoused neighbors. Learn about HTP’s services, the women served, and the inspirational stories of the HTP community. Read the article: https://catholicsentinel.org/Content/News/Local/Article/Reflecting-on-15-years-of-the-Housing-Transitions-Program/2/35/45259

Today marks the 31st annual National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day. Please join us in honoring our unhoused neighbors who lost their lives during this past year. We hold these individuals, and those who continue to combat homelessness, close to our hearts this day, the longest day of the year.

Today is World Homeless Day. With the goal of transitioning to permanent housing, Catholic Charities of Oregon gives those living outside the resources and support they need to build lasting stability and self-sufficiency. In honor of World Homeless Day, today we’d like to share a story of hope.