CityTeam Portland is facing an $85,000 shortfall for their November/December expenses. The reasons are simple: the economy is down, and donations have been in lower quantities, or from fewer donors, while the needs of the homeless during this cold weather have been greater.

Before Dec. 31st at midnight, there is an opportunity for us to help CityTeam Portland access matching funds that a donor has already pledged to provide, if the community will help support the shelter’s staff in the work they are doing with our local homeless.

6 Ways You Can Help CityTeam Care for Portland’s Homeless

1. Spread the word about CityTeam’s needs

• Follow us on Twitter
• Write about CityTeam’s current cash/in-kind needs, and link to us on your blog
• Email CityTeam’s holiday newsletter to your personal or business contacts

2. Make a Donor-Matched Cash Donation of $100 or more by December 31st, 11:59 pm

All donations of $100 or more, made through the website (choose Portland), will be 100% matched by a 3rd party donor. Click here to donate.

3. Make a Cash Donation of $10 or $20

Individual donations of less than $100 do not qualify for the donor-matching program, however, donations in this amount are always needed and appreciated! Click here to donate.

To raise the $85,000, we will need 8,500 $10 donations (before or after Dec. 31) OR 4,250 $20 donations (before or after Dec. 31).

4. Make an in-kind donation

CityTeam provides warm clothing, shelter, and meals to Portland’s homeless population. Your in-kind donations help keep costs as low as possible. See the list of current needs here.

5. Read About Homelessness

The first step in ending homelessness is to understand it. Click here to learn about the causes homelessness, and how you can respond to individuals who approach you on the street asking for help.

6. Volunteer at CityTeam Portland

Get involved serving meals, assisting with case management, donating your skills/talents to help CityTeam as they work to care for, rehabilitate, and support Portland’s homeless population. Contact Shelter Coordinator, Roger Burke at 503-231-9334 or rburke@cityteam.org.

Thank You

CityTeam Portland is sincerely grateful for donations from our donors as they help keep our overhead costs down and provide an opportunity for us to connect with our community members. Thank you for all you do to bless those who come through CityTeam!

If you use the social network Twitter, please add CityTeamPDX.

You can also make a donation and spread the word via Twitter at the same time by tweeting the following (any dollar amount $1 or more will work):

“p$1 @CityTeamPDX to help CityTeam Portland care for our local homeless. http://bit.ly/CokR You can tweet donate via @tipjoy too”

Thank you!

I’m 33 years old and got into drugs at an early age. I was a functioning addict for many years and went undetected by family, friends and employers. However, at my lowest point I considered suicide and was hospitalized. CityTeam Ministries finally made the difference in my life. Their long-term program of 22 months gave me the time I needed to rehabilitate. I graduated in May 2003.

The pivotal point in my recovery was my daily study at CityTeam’s computer learning and career center. My mind was destroyed by drugs. Their education program helps drug addicts suffering from memory loss and restores normal brain function. I was fortunately to be a college graduate. However, many people around me in the program had reading skills at the 5th-grade level.

As I succeeded in the curriculum, my confidence came back. The encouragement of the teachers gave me the support I needed to move from class to work. Recently, I was hired as a carpenter. I was able to get this job by applying the networking skills I learned at CityTeam.

In 12-step recovery we talk about a higher power, and I have to credit God with giving me the strength to beat an addiction that almost killed me. I thank God, and CityTeam, for giving me a new life.

Click here to view more personal stories from City Team.

Growing up, I was an outsider. I never had friends and was always the last one picked on a team – if you know what I mean. I hated my life. My parents were good to me, but they just didn’t know what to do. By a very early age, I was smoking weed to escape the pain. But all that ever did was mask my problems. I even tried military service, thinking the discipline would help. BUT THAT WAS A DISASTER!

It all came crashing in on me last year when I lost my job as a bank teller. Then I was evicted from my apartment. My family had moved away so I was all alone. The thought of being homeless on the streets was more than I could handle. I decided that killing myself was better than becoming homeless. So I swallowed a bunch of pills, drank a bottle of booze and waited to die…I remember thinking, “Forget life – no one cares about me and no one will miss me anyway.”

For some reason, though (I now know it was God protecting me), I woke up – spitting up blood. Somehow, I managed to get to the hospital, and they saved me. Through circumstances that could only be God at work, I’m now at CityTeam Ministries.

Through their “Tough Love,” they make me be accountable and help me work through my problems and move forward in a positive direction. Thanks to CityTeam, I am learning that God loves me and cares about my life.

Now I’m doing better. I no longer feel depressed and for the first time in my life I’m looking toward the future. In May, I turn 24. I plan to be a certified drug and alcohol counselor. Hopefully I can help others one day who face the same addictions that I have.

Click here to view more personal stories from City Team.

Hello, my name is Sasha.  I would like to share a little of my story with you which is a message of hope.  I was raised in what was considered by the world’s standards a “normal” home.  My parents loved, cared for, and provided for us the best they knew how.

My parents, family, and church were by far “less than perfect” but some how I believed I had to be.  I struggled with this delusion and became an emotional wreck by the time I was twelve.  When I fell short of my own “high expectations,” I felt like an utter failure.

The person you see today you would not have recognized a year ago.  I had lost all hope, self respect, and any desire to keep on living.  I was a complete alcoholic and addict , I did many demoralizing things to myself to support my habits and I became a regular guest at local county jails.

I thank God for the prayers of the faithful- you see, I’m a mother, daughter, sister, and lost child… so if you prayed for any of these God heard and answered.  I was blessed to come to House of Grace November of 2006 and since my arrival my life has been completely turned around.  Thanks to the loving support and guidance of all those who have shared their time, talents, and resources I am being healed.

I was recently given the opportunity to share in someone else’s vision to establish a women’s outpatient program at CityTeam’s Portland ministry.  In the five short weeks I was there, I experienced what sharing our hope is all about.  I was truly touched and blessed beyond anything I could have ever imagined.  To be able to share in the lives of others in despair and to give them help and hope is a treasure I will not forget.

Click here to view more personal stories from City Team.

CityTeam Portland is facing an $85,000 shortfall for their November/December expenses. The reasons are simple: the economy is down and so donations have been in lower quantities, or from fewer donors, and, the needs of the homeless during this cold weather have been greater.

These funds are needed to pay for heat, electricity, food, meat, laundry supplies, water, and operating expenses from the past 2 months.

In the next 2 days, there is a quick opportunity for us to get the word out and help CityTeam access matching funds that are “on the table” that a donor has already pledged to provide, if the community will help join in supporting its local homeless population and the shelter’s staff in the work they are doing.

In real numbers, to meet this goal we are looking for:
 
Cash Donations of $10 or $20:  individual donations of less than $100 do not qualify for the donor-matching program, however, donations in this amount are needed and appreciated!

To raise the $85,000, we will need 8,500 $10 donations (before or after Dec. 31) OR 4,250 $20 donations (before or after Dec. 31). Click here to donate.
 
Cash Donations of $100 or More: any donation of $100 or more, made through the website before December 31, 11:59 pm will be MATCHED by a 3rd party donor. These are tax-deductible for 2008.
 
Donations before Dec. 31st for donor-matching must be made through the website– Portland: Click here to donate.

Typically, donations of this amount come from individuals, businesses, churches, organizations, or high net worth individuals. To raise the $85,000, we will need: 

• 266 $160 donations (before Dec. 31 to get matching donation eligibility) OR 
• 133 $320 donations (before Dec. 31 to get matching donation eligibility) OR
• 34 $1,280 donations  (before Dec. 31 to get matching donation eligibility) OR
• 17 $2,560 donations  (before Dec. 31 to get matching donation eligibility)

After Dec. 31, these numbers for donations of $160 or more, will double and require more effort and take longer to accomplish.

Any funds raised beyond the $85,000 goal will be used for CityTeam’s upcoming needs in January and February, as both are months when donations are historically lower, while needs are the same or greater, as well.

Our drop-off location is at 526 SE Grand Avenue, Portland, OR 97214, just five blocks south of E. Burnside, between Stark and Washington Streets.

For all item donation-related questions, contact Shelter Coordinator, Roger Burke at 503-231-9334 or rburke@cityteam.org.

The following items are needed at CityTeam Portland:
 
Warm, Winter Socks
Laundry Soap
Twin-size Blankets
Fruit (fresh or canned)
Veggies (fresh or canned)
Spices (garlic, onion, Italian, sugar)
Meat
Feminine Hygiene products
Juice
Coffee
Men’s and Women’s clothing
Dish soap
Bleach
Toilet paper
Personal items
Standard-size pillows and pillow cases
Flat sheets