People sleep on mats at a warming shelter at First Presbyterian Church during a cold snap in January. (Troy Brynelson/Salem Reporter) As Salem works on a stopgap to shelter homeless residents overnight this winter, a recently published study by the state of Oregon suggested it could help the city with[Read More…]

Max Marshall opens a trailer to unload donations to be passed out by Be Bold Street Ministries (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) A dozen volunteers formed an assembly line out the door of the south Salem Big 5 Sporting Goods, just a few minutes before the store opened Friday morning. They filled[Read More…]

Rhonda Wolf, CEO of United Way of the Mid-Willamette Valley, shows one of the rooms used for Safe Sleep, a new shelter for homeless women at Inside Out Ministries (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) A new shelter for homeless women in central Salem has sprung to life in just a few months[Read More…]

Brenton Gicker, right, and Katie Haney arrive to an apartment building in downtown Eugene where they will check on a woman who recently called 911. (Troy Brynelson/Salem Reporter) EUGENE — The 12-hour shift started, as usual, with Brenton Gicker and Katie Haney strapping radios to their shoulders and stuffing Narcan,[Read More…]

Volunteers with The ARCHES Project, Pamela Watson, left, and Lorrie Walker, talk with homeless resident Doug Pendleton at Cascades Gateway Park in September. Pendleton lived in his car at the park until it was swept. (Troy Brynelson/Salem Reporter) As city of Salem staff hunt for a place where homeless residents[Read More…]

Tents line the boulevard next to The ARCHES Project in downtown, where homeless residents have congregated in recent weeks. (Troy Brynelson/Salem Reporter) A homeless camp in downtown Salem that appeared close to being broken up could remain standing until the city’s new camping ban goes into effect. Campers encircling The[Read More…]

A homeless woman walks in front of a city of Salem public works vehicle during an eviction of a camp under the Marion Street Bridge in January. (Troy Brynelson/Salem Reporter) The city of Salem calculates that it spends about $5 million a year responding to homeless issues, according to a[Read More…]

Robert Stone, originally of Cheyenne, Wyo., sits outside near a coffee shop in downtown Salem. The homeless Salem resident said he would “probably” be impacted by a proposed ban on sitting or lying down on public rights of way. (Troy Brynelson/Salem Reporter) For the first time, Salem City Council will[Read More…]

Robert Stone, originally of Cheyenne, Wyo., sits outside near a coffee shop in downtown Salem. The homeless Salem resident said he would “probably” be impacted by a proposed ban on sitting or lying down on public rights of way. (Troy Brynelson/Salem Reporter) Nothing is set in stone yet, though it[Read More…]

A rendering of Union Gospel Mission of Salem’s new men’s mission. The organization will break ground Nov. 1. (Courtesy/Union Gospel Mission of Salem) Now’s the time to build, according to Dan Clem, executive director of Union Gospel Mission of Salem. The Christian-based homeless services provider will break ground Nov. 1[Read More…]