A mural outside Northwest Human Services HOST drop-in center. (Saphara Harrell/Salem Reporter)
In an unassuming building just north of downtown Salem, young people experiencing homelessness know they can drop in to get a meal or take a shower.
Northwest Human Services’ Health, Outreach, Shelter, Transitions program offers a place to stop by for help and has a transitional living program which offers beds and other services for about 10 people aged 18 to 24.
Three months ago, the agency restructured one of its buildings to separate the drop-in center from the transitional program.
HOST held a grand opening at the new drop-in center on Dec. 10.
Shanta Frisbee, HOST program manager, said they were motivated to make the change because young people were coming off the street and triggering those living in the transitional program if they were intoxicated. She said staff attention was also divided between the two programs.
Frisbee said in the last year, they’ve seen 50 people coming into the day center who’ve never been before.
“That’s been pretty significant,” she said. A total of 809 people accessed services like a shower, food and clothing this year.
Outside the building is a mural of a tree with the words “Keep moving forward.”
Frisbee facilitated the mural in 2020 and said she always tries to incorporate art in social work.
“I get so proud of them when they reach that epiphany of, ‘Wow I did this!’ Validating their existence, when most of their life no one wanted them. We want to be there for them and not let them down like most of the adults in their life did,” she said.
Dennis Conner, 24, helped paint part of that mural.
He is part of the transitional living program, which offers 10 beds for young people for 12 to 18 months. Behind that building there are also two buildings that serve as longer term housing units with three rooms in each. There are two staff dedicated to the transitional living program.
People enrolled in the transitional living side work with case managers to try and find housing, jobs or further their education.
Lexi Meyer, resource center coordinator, met Conner two and a half years ago when he came into the drop-in center.
Conner, whose nickname is Biggfoot, said Meyer offered him a way to regulate his anger.
Meyer was assigned as Conner’s support person and said he’s now able to recognize when something is frustrating him and walk away from the situation.
He loves Tetris and is now able to use that skill in his job working swing shift at a metal supplier.
He said using a loader is “Tetris essentially.”
Conner credits Meyer and HOST for getting him to a place where he has a job and several housing options lined up.
“This place is a blessing. If this place wasn’t here, I don’t know where I would be,” he said.
Contact reporter Saphara Harrell at 503-549-6250, [email protected].
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