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About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 6, 2017)
Street Roots • Jan. 6-12, 2017 E d it o r ia l Page 3 You can be the difference between life and death or people experiencing homelessness, 2017 started just like 2016 ended: Survival. B Israel B a yer is the executive director o f Street Roots. You can reach h im a t israel@streetroots. org o r follow h im on Tw itter ®israelbayer. worried about people on the streets. Every night during the winter there is a small army of volunteers, including the fire bureau and nonprofit workers on the streets to make sure people experiencing homelessness are safe. It’s not easy for anyone. So what can you do? Don t hesitate to offer a Street Roots vendor or people on the streets a hot cup of tea or coffee. It’s a small gesture, but one that allows people to connect and make sure they are actually doing OK given the circumstances. You can also donate blankets, socks and gloves to organizations throughout the region. For more information, visit 211info to find an organization near you. Warming centers are open in Portland and Gresham during day and night, including Multnomah County Libraries. To assist someone in locating shelter and transportation to shelter, please call 211. Calls can be answered in more than 150 languages. If you see someone outside, unsheltered, whose life appears to be in danger or is in an apparent medical crisis, call 9-1-1. Otherwise, if you see someone about whom you are concerned, such as not being dressed for the conditions, call police non emergency 503-823-3333 and request a welfare check for that person. Don’t hesitate. It’s better to be safe than sorry. You might just save a life - literally. More so, homelessness isn’t a seasonal experience. Surviving a Portland w inter, r eg a r d less On Jan. 2, Mark Elliot Johnson was found dead of hypothermia in East Portland after temperatures dipped below freezing. According to police, they found the Johnson in a doorway with a pillow and blanket. He died cold and alone, without a safe place to call home. D IR E C T O R 'S The reality is people experiencing homelessness DESK know firsthand that the By Israel Bayer chance of dying on the streets is very real. Some people wonder, “How could anyone stay outside given the cold spell?” IPs hard,” said Sean, a Street Roots vendor who t sleeps outside. “We do look out for one another on the streets. You have to make a judgment call on if you should get into a shelter or not. Shelters can be a traumatic experience for some people. It typically doesn’t stay cold for too long and if you have the right gear you should be fine. That doesn’t mean it isn’t dangerous, regardless of the weather. Being homeless isn’t easy by any means. It’s all so grueling on your mind and body.” It’s true. Homelessness is grueling on your mind and body. From 2011 to 2015, 279 individuals passed away homeless on the streets of Multnomah County. That doesn’t include those who were homeless but died in hospitals or under medical care. o f th e tem p eratu re, c o m e s w ith its ow n s e t o f The number of deaths among people experiencing complicaflons.ByJthe_time:thew inter:en^^jTnajn^^ homelessness in Multnomah County in .^QlS wasJfrgM., ^ e p p le oii th e s tr e e ts w ill have livetf th rou gh tji« flu h ig h e s t it h a s b e e n s in c e w e b e g a n co u n tin g fiv e’ m u ltiple tim e s or e x p e rien ce d , pn eu m on ia. It’s h ell. years ago: Eighty-eight people. There’s no reason to The homeless and housing crisis is real. It’s an think that last year in 2016, those numbers won t be ongoing emergency that should be treated as such - in the dozens. It’s simply unacceptable. an emergency that could be avoided with more Since 2011, hypothermia has contributed to three affordable housing production and better tenant deaths, but was not the immediate cause of death. In protections. Until then, people shouldn’t be shacked 2013, hypothermia caused one death. that someone froze to death on our streets. In fact, Portland Police Bureau spokesman Pete Simpson dozens more are in peril right now throughout told Street Roots that they have been responding to Multnomah County. Every day is life or death. dozens of calls this week from the community Write in -If you would tike to have - something that you’ve written published in our pages, or would Oketo get involved as a member of our reporting staff, ' . contact Managing Editor Joanne Zuhl at . 503-228-5657, joanne^streetroots.org. I author’s name and contact information, Street Roots 211 NW Davis St. Portland, O R 9 7 20 9 503-228-5657 Fax:503-227-3117 www.streetroots.org www.news.streetroots.org Hours: 7:30 a.m.-3 pjn. Mon.-Fri., 7:30 am -2 p.m. Sat and 7:30-1 p.m. Sun. Advertising Interested in advertising in Street Roots? Contact Israel Bayer at israeiestreetroots.org Staff E xe cu tiv e D ir e c to r Israel Bayer isra^ ^ streetroots.org Managing Editor Joanne Zuhl joanne@streetroots.org Vendor Program Director Cote Merkel cole@sfreerroofs.org O p e r a tio n s D ir e c t o r Sarah Beecroft D evelop m ent D i r e c t o r Sarah Cloud P ro g ra m A s s is ta n t M eghann Van Pelt, Jesuit V olunteer Development A ssista n t Patricia Romero Reporters Emily Green, Suzanne Zaiokar, Sarah Hansell, Leonora Ko, Jared Paben, Amanda Waldroupe, Stephen Quirke Photographers Diego Diaz, Joe Giode Editorial Assistant Monica Kwasnik Canvasser Desmond Hardison Board of Directors Chairman Brad Taylor Vice-Chairman Rachel Langford Treasurer Heather Stadick Secretary Dan Jones Directors Rich Rodgers, Michael Anderson, Leo Rhodes, Sandra Hahn, John Brown, Marcus Swift Volunteers Jan Bayer, John Barker, Stacey Heath, Anjali Rathore, Zoe Klingmann, Dan Jones, Dennis Hogan, Monica McKune, Susan Wolfe, Lucas Hawthorne, Thomas Buell Jr, Jeanie Lunsford, Yasmin Amirsoleymani, Jason Cohen, Tom Ray, Doug Spangle, Susannah Kamaia, Jon Raymond, Diana Richardson, Cherie Manning, PauLand Madeline Gefroh, Mary Anne Joyce, Anne Reif, Gillian Horen, Mark Oldani, Meg Holden, Bridget Brown, Cody Travels, Bianca Butler, Robb Hengerer, Alex Cherin, Tom Vandel and Grace Gallagher. If you're interested in volunteering with Street Roots, please submit a volunteer application at streetroots.org/volunteerj. Or you can call for more information at P H O T O B Y ISR AEL B À Ÿ E R '
