One step at a time, Maddox, a client of Looking Glass Community Services for homeless youth in Eugene, is regaining his composure.
He and almost 4,000 other people between the ages of 11 and 24 will receive assistance this year from the organization’s network of shelters, residential treatment facilities, alternative schools, and behavioral health services. In times of crisis, some young people will be accompanied by their pets.
They are provided a road to a secure future in addition to a hot meal, clean clothes, and a secure place to stay. Former runaways founded the nonprofit program in 1971, and its graduates return to help others. Some are professional counselors who demonstrate how education and treatment can help people deal with a difficult childhood without becoming angry or acting destructively.
Supporters of Looking Glass Community Services, a recipient of The Oregonian/OregonLive’s 2024 Season of Sharing holiday fundraising campaign, believe they are investing in a better life for members of a vulnerable community. Experts agree that it is preferable to address concerns when people are young.
But the fundamentals are where success begins. The outreach team finds homeless children living in parks and on the streets every day and provides them with food boxes, drink, and warm socks. At one of the program’s shelters, teens in difficulty can drop in to shower, charge their phones, and store valuables in a secure locker. They can also choose to find long-term lodging and gain paid work experience.
> Contribute to the Season of Sharing general fund or Looking Glass Community Services. The code Season2024 can also be texted to 44-321.
Maddox, 20, who resides at the organization’s PEER shelter for homeless adolescents, said the program helps young people become autonomous and learn how to overcome obstacles in order to move forward. He was wearing a ballcap with the Hot Wheels emblem.
We are forgotten about and hidden on our own. Rather, we may develop to demonstrate to others how they can succeed, Maddox remarked, requesting that his last name not be used.
No one is turned away, not even those with pets.
According to Morgan Boozer, director of homeless youth programs at the NGO, a pet is frequently the only constant for young people living on the streets. They may always count on a pet to provide them with emotional support, companionship, and safety.
A local independent nonprofit, Looking Glass Community Services employs 249 full-time staff members and 38 part-time staff members, including registered nurses.The majority of the $24,455,349 yearly budget for 2023–2024 comes from grants from local and federal governments, state and federal funds, and insurance coverage of counseling expenses. A tiny but significant percentage comes from private donors as well as regional family foundations.
Funds from the Season of Sharing campaign would pay for additional meat and protein that developing bodies and minds need, but the staff at the New Roads drop-in center gets inventive with the food budget and serves three meals a day. Boozer and other staff members have also discovered that at-risk youngsters visit more frequently when homestyle, comfort food—which the children have picked as their favorite—is provided. This builds trust and removes obstacles to help them leave the streets.
Food safety is crucial, according to Maddox. Uncooked or damaged food should not be consumed. The staff welcomes menu recommendations and offers generous portions.
He claimed that being stable while residing at the shelter allowed him to reflect on his future. Giving individuals food, shelter, and a bus pass when they need it to get to school is not inexpensive, but it benefits the community as a whole, not just one individual.
Donations of warm winter clothing and equipment are also needed because, according to Boozer, shoes and backpacks wear out rapidly when you’re homeless. We also appreciate household items, pet supplies, and camping equipment for a young adult moving into one of the program’s apartments.
A piano and a mandolin are among the musical instruments available for guests to perform at Looking Glass Community Services shelters. “I used to have nothing to do after school, and I couldn’t skateboard when it rained. Now, I play music,” Maddox remarked. He is given specific sheet music to learn by the staff.
It’s not as crucial as finding a career, he said, but you may find your niche if you enjoy blues or vintage rock.I’m learning new chords and playing alternative rock. Even if your playing isn’t the best, knowing one tune to strum is a significant step.
OregonLive/The Oregonian
What your donation can do
$25: Give 25 homeless adolescents a dinner full of protein; they might stay for additional services like meeting with a case manager.
$50: Purchase a tent to help a homeless young person stay dry and warm throughout the winter months in Oregon.
$100: Provide two weeks’ worth of food to a family of four living in housing programs run by Looking Glass Community Services.
Janet Eastman writes on trends and design. You can follow her on X@janeteastman and contact her at 503-294-4072 and [email protected].
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