HUMANITY OF HOMELESSNESS

Meet Raymond.

Raymond is a single father of 3 kids. He and his kids have been staying at our CCS micro-shelter site for about a year. Walter had a strong support network in the Silverton area, and he had been working hard to return to that area. Through the Mckinney-Vento program, which provides assistance and support to children who are unsheltered, his kids were able to be transported from the CCS site to schools in Silverton, so that they could remain connected to their community.

Raymond recently received a housing voucher through the HUD-VASH program, which is a partnership between HUD and Veteran’s Affairs. HUD provides a housing voucher and the VA provides support services. He is still trying to find an apartment in the Silverton area for his family, but they were recently able to move into St. Joseph Family Shelter, which is operated by Catholic Community Services, in Mt. Angel. This will allow him and his kids to be closer to family, schools, and other supportive resources. We are grateful for strong partners like Catholic Community Services and St. Joseph Family Shelter. And we are thankful to have been able to get to know Raymond and his family, and to walk alongside him on his journey.

This is an idea we hear pretty regularly. Anytime there is money, contracts, or anything else financial-related involved, people can get the impression that money is the motivator for people and organizations. C@P receives funding from a wide variety of sources, including the City of Salem, the State of Oregon, the federal government, foundations, and private donors. We value transparency and we are open, transparent, and accountable in terms of where we receive our funding and what we do with that money. Most of those funding sources are based on reimbursements for services we provide. We are currently in the midst of our annual audit by an outside accounting firm. Once that is complete, we will make that report available to the public. In the meantime, our 2022 financial report can be accessed by clicking the button below. (Please note that the financial statement is unaudited and subject to change as a result of audit procedures.) If you ever have questions or concerns about our funding or about how we are spending our money, please reach out to us. In terms of compensating our employees, the work that we are inviting people to do is challenging and we want to attract and retain people from diverse backgrounds who are both skilled and compassionate. We can create a much more supportive environment for our guests when we develop and train staff to provide high quality care.

To care for our guests well, we have to care for our staff well by paying them fairly, offering benefits, and providing opportunities for development. Doctors, teachers, pastors, police officers, and all sorts of people get paid to care for people and to serve their community. We consider emergency sheltering another vital service in our community, caring for our unsheltered neighbors with dignity and compassion. Our hope at C@P is to be motivated and driven by a desire to live into our mission: To create a table of love and acceptance for all.