June 2024
Reframing Initiatives
Dear Friends,
As we listen to our neighbors, we often hear ways we can grow and develop our work. One of the ways we’ve responded is by restructuring some of our initiatives, with our housing-focused work now being known as Housing & Homemaking. Shifting to Housing & Homemaking formalizes an emphasis we’ve had all along and have recently doubled down on. That emphasis is that while housing is critical, housing alone is not enough. When we help a neighbor sign their own lease through housing navigation and rental assistance, we celebrate it big time.
*Source: Eight Characteristics of Home
Adapted from Dr. Brian Wash & Steven Bouma-Prediger
We celebrate, but we don’t stop there. That’s just the beginning.
If you have ever broken a bone or had a surgery, you know that the ongoing physical therapy is critical. Similarly, our homemaking efforts help our neighbors make the progression from a house (or an apartment, condo, etc.) to a home. This transition is different for everyone - it may be getting a job, decorating the house, making a cleaning schedule, making friends in the community, applying for benefits, or even just having visitors in the house - but it’s a transition we seek to help everyone make.
This focus on homemaking is both right and effective.
It’s too often we witness neighbors getting into “housing” only for the loneliness and unsustainability to lead them right back out onto the street. We have to do better, and Housing & Homemaking is our formalization of that commitment.
In Practice
One shining example is our budding partnership with Homes For Humanity. Through their generous investments, we’re able to lease a house for some of our newly housed neighbors. In this shared living model of housing and homemaking, neighbors have a sense of independence, while still being in proximity to others they know and can trust. With frequent visits and connection points from our Homemaking Specialists, they’re provided the support they need to make this house a home.
Danny’s Story
Danny is one of our neighbors living in this new model of housing and homemaking. Our team first met Danny while they were doing outreach in a local area called Thousand Acres. Experiencing a difficult home life, he has lived on the streets on and off starting his freshman year. Since then, he says he has never been housed for more than 9 months at a time. His journey has brought him across the country and now he is back again to his home in Multnomah County. After decades of houselessness and being let down by people who offered support, Danny believed he would find a different experience with Cultivate Initiatives. He had spent time living alongside many of our staff and trusted they had his best interests in mind. Now, at 46 years old, Danny shares he feels comfortable living inside for probably the first time in his life.
To our great delight, Danny signed his lease this Spring through through Housing Multnomah Now, a housing program we partnered with Multnomah County to deliver.
He continues to meet with our Homemaking Specialists to develop a sense of home, find helpful resources, and set up sustainable living. He candidly admits that while he and his dog are still figuring out how to be "housebroken" after living outdoors for so long, he is now at home.
Give-A-Thon Recap!
Our Third Annual Community Beautification Give-A-Thon was our most successful yet! Our Community Beautification Team removed 53,120 pounds of garbage from the streets of Portland and East Multnomah County and we raised $16,071!
Despite having vehicle trouble and some other challenges that came our way, our team beat last year’s record and made a huge impact in the community. Thank you to all who helped support our work through donations, words of encouragement and sharing our campaign. We have so much gratitude!
