After sorting through resources available for the homeless population, it came to my attention that there are shelters and organizations that offer job straining opportunities for homeless people in the community. This is an excellent resource, as often times people are homeless due to the lack of income, from the loss of a job. Often times, people stay homeless even if they get help to get into housing, because they become unable to afford to stay housed, which is why staying employed is so important.
One of the resources in the Portland area that has offers job training and focuses on sustainability is the Blanchet House. Not only do the offer shelter, clothing, care kits, and free meals, but they also offer job opportunities through their Founder’s Cafe and the Blanchet Farm.
According to their website, “Blanchet House operates two transitional shelter programs for men struggling with addiction, unemployment, mental health, and other challenges.” By participating in the Blanchet House/Blanchet Farm programs, these individuals are able to learn skills, regain confidence, and provide to their community while also attending to their needs, such as working in a drug and alcohol free environment.
The residents living in the Blanchet House located in Portland get the opportunity to work in the kitchen in the Founder’s Cafe while learning culinary and customer service skills by preparing and serving warm meals 3 times a day. The residents living on the Blanchet Farm located in Carlton learn skills such as caring for animals, gardening, bee keeping, and woodshop, in addition to meal preparation and cooking. Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous meetings are held durin the week on the farm.
To learn more about these programs, visit Blanchet House or Blanchet Farm
-Kalei Huber
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