The skanner., October 26, 2011, Page 8, Image 8

church
Renewal
highland Christian Center Plans
Women’s housing Center
New reentry-based residential facility seeks
to fill growing need in Portland metro area
to meet the growing needs of their members
in re-entry.
He estimates around 400 men and women
hile violent crime is trending are released from prison every month in
downwards, reentry officials say Oregon, and most of those people are
the number of incarcerated unprepared for life on the outside.
women is on an upswing – and so is the
“Consequently a lot of them wind up back
number of women making their way back to in prison, and I said, here’s something that
their communities after serving time.
we can do at Highland.
But there aren’t enough places for them to
“A lot of people in our church who are
live while they’re transitioning back to life formerly incarcerated, in recovery, have had
on the outside.
rough lives and could make great mentors to
That’s why the Highland Christian Center these people coming out of prison,”
in Northeast Portland hopes to open a new Johnson says.
reentry-based housing center just for
Since last July, he says, HARRP has
women.
helped dozens of clients alongside Mercy
“Women who are mothers need a stable Corps Northwest’s Reentry Transition
place so they can re-establish relationships Center, Home for Good in Oregon (a
with their children,” says Larry Johnson, department of corrections transitional pro-
director of Highland Access Re-entry and gram), and other state programs.
Recovery Program.
Wedge says the HARRP women’s hous-
“At one time I lived on the streets and I ing project is her “baby,” and that she’s
know how hard it is to get housing for working hard on its organizational plan.
women, when you’re ready to change – and
“What I’m doing right now is trying to
especially women with children, it’s almost build a plan for the rules and the regulations
impossible,” Louise Wedge, mentor coordi- and to do whatever best benefits clients
nator for HARRP, says. “You want to start there to make it comfortable for them, to
over; it’s really hard
make it a place
if you have nowhere
where they can do
to live.”
the necessary things
On Friday, Nov. 11,
that they can do to
HARRP hosts a
get their children
fundraising luncheon
back, and get their
at Highland Christian
lives back, like they
Center
featuring
can feel comfortable
keynote
speaker
going to school from
Judge
Adrienne
there, going to work
Nelson – their first
from there, or what-
official event in the
ever else they need
effort to open the
to do to change their
facility.
life,” she says.
Their goal is to
“We’re trying to
raise $150,000 by this
make it structured –
time next year for an
— Louise Wedge, mentor not just a place for
eight-bed
center
them to come and
coordinator for HARRP sleep. Every day I
offering a six-month
residential program
want them to do
built around “clean
something, I want them to get up and start
and sober living, strict rules, 24-hour super- looking for jobs, doing whatever Children’s
vision, a vegetable garden, counseling and Services requires of them.
mentoring.”
“They won’t just be sitting on their lau-
“We’ll have twelve-step meetings, rels; they’ll be doing something to benefit
Highland’s Counseling Center and church themselves.”
all within a few steps of the residence,”
Wedge says there is a need not just for
Johnson said. “HARRP will be an asset to financial contributions but for services and
the community and a place of peace for supplies.
women who have a desire to change.”
“First of all we need prayer, second of all
HARRP, a subsidiary of Highland Haven, we need money to get our house in order,
is a non-profit organization offering peer and we’re going to need all kinds of
mentoring and counseling to men and resources for food for these women, cloth-
women coming out of prison. Working with ing for these women. They’re not going to
a network of public and private organiza- have money for bus fare – all kinds of stuff,
tions, HARRP mentors have served over the necessary cell phones so they’ll have a
thirty formerly incarcerated people since better chance at getting a callback for a job.
July 2010.
We’ll have phones there but they’ll need
Johnson, who is also a deacon at the their own too.”
Highland Christian Center, said a housing
Wedge made a special call-out for anyone
shortage for women in re-entry was wors- able to provide medical and dentistry serv-
ened in the Portland area when the YWCA ices to the project.
closed a residential shelter.
“It’s very important that we get this up
“That was one of the main places for and running because people need it,” she
women when they came out and required said. “Women do want to change – some-
some kind of housing,” he said.
times we feel trapped out there, I felt
“When a mother’s put into prison, who is trapped out there for years.”
suffering most? The kids, obviously,”
At the fundraising luncheon, Judge
Johnson says. “They’re being put into foster Nelson speaks on the role of faith-based
homes, they’re being put with an aunt or a organizations in the reentry field. Roy Jay
grandmother, and they need to be reunited of the African American Chamber of
with their moms.
Commerce serves as master of ceremonies.
“So our goal is to provide a safe haven for The luncheon will also offer a silent auction
women as they complete whatever pro- of artwork by an inmate of Columbia River
gramming is required by the state so that Correctional Institution.
they can eventually be reunited with their
The Highland Christian Center is at 7600
families.”
NE Glisan St., in Portland. More info at
Johnson says he and members of the con- Highland Christian Center 503-287-9567 or
gregation opened HARRP’s doors last year www.harrp.org .
by lisa loving
of The Skanner News
W
Charley and Charlotte Brandon celebrated 46 years of marriage by
renewing their vows and rededicating their lives to one another September
17. The ceremony and reception was held at the Sheraton Airport hotel.
The bride was escorted by her son Terrell Brandon and her daughter Tracey
Crittenton served as her matron of honor. The wedding party was
completed with their grandchildren and family members.
‘At one time I lived on
the streets and I know
how hard it is to get
housing for women,
when you’re ready to
change – and
especially women with
children, it’s almost
impossible’
page 8 The Portland Skanner october 26, 2011