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KOIN 6 highlights the impact of Gensler Portland on Rose Haven

KOIN interview

Rose Haven has been operating in a basement of a church with about 3500 square feet.

But with the help of design company Gensler Portland, they’re repurposing what used to be a coffee shop and roasting facility, making use of 10,000 square feet. The renovated building will provide necessary services to Rose Haven’s guests and create a compassionate and safe environment where they can heal with respect and dignity.

Pro bono design work has been offered by Gensler Portland for the renovated building.

KOIN interview

Sun Joo Kim, the design manager for Gensler Portland, said the biggest driver behind the new design was the people who it will serve.

“It’s energizing and uplifting for myself and our team to be able to work on trauma-informed design in this real-time in this real space with the users who will use it,” Kim said. “Then, to get feedback and to see the impact that this space will have is invaluable,” Kim said.

Thank you, Elise Haas and the KOIN6 crew!

If you would like to contribute to the Home for the Haven campaign’s renovation.

https://www.koin.com/local/multnomah-county/rose-haven-remodel-designed-for-people-it-will-serve/

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OPB Think Out Loud – Organizations Urge Donors To Be Mindful About Reuse

OPB Think Out Loud- Organizations Urge Donors To Be Mindful About Reuse

Organizations that take in-kind donations are often in the awkward position of declining items that actually belong in the trash. Thrift stores and community centers want gently used items that they can feel good about passing along to new owners. And while some donors do their homework to find out what these organizations actually need, many are mainly focused on getting rid of stuff they’d rather not throw away. This means volunteers have to spend a lot of time sorting through donations and nonprofits have to spend money getting rid of large items they can’t use. We hear more about how to donate used goods responsibly from Community Warehouse program manager Joe Glode, Marie Ellsworth, in-kind donations coordinator for Rose Haven and Carrie Hoops, executive director of William Temple House.

Thank you OPB and Julie Sabatier!

Below is the podcast from OPB

https://www.opb.org/article/2021/09/10/organizations-urge-donors-to-be-mindful-about-reuse/

Photo credits from Courtesy Goodwill / OPB and Good Housekeeping (google image)

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Heat Wave Impacts Rose Haven Guests and Homeless Population

2020 heatwave view

Rose Haven Day Center worked through the heatwave by providing water, tarps, and tents to the homeless, which impacted our Rose Haven guests.

Liz Starke was the final employee to leave Rose Haven last week when a woman who lives in a tent across the street rang the doorbell. The woman was “hysterical,” Starke recalled. In this case, the woman knew an ex-partner, who she said abused her, was getting released from prison soon — and she was worried about what services would be available. She was also worried about the pending heatwave.

2020 heatwave view

Research shows women and LGBTQ+ people are among the most vulnerable to housing insecurity and homelessness. That is particularly acute in Oregon, which has one of the highest rates of people who experience unsheltered homelessness, meaning they live outside, including in tents or in cars instead of in shelters or other housing.

In Multnomah County, data from 2019 shows the number of people experiencing homelessness who are gender non-conforming grew more than any other group. And still, the research acknowledges a potential undercounting because of factors like stigmatization and discrimination.

 

https://19thnews.org/2021/07/extreme-heat-further-complicates-the-lives-of-homeless-women-and-lgbtq-people/

Photo credit to Southern Methodist University Geothermal Map of America

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Rose Haven’s Back to School Drive brings backpacks, supplies to 400 kids

Rose Haven’s Back to School Drive brings backpacks, supplies to 400 kids

Rose Haven serves people experiencing homelessness and poverty in Portland.

Last year, the Oregon Department of Education tallied more than 21,000 homeless students between kindergarten and high school.

“This is an annual event for us that we’re just so excited to provide. This year, we have about 400 children signed up for brand new school supplies from about 100 different families,” said Liz Starke, Rose Haven’s Development Director. “So it’s a really exciting day for us because what we try to do is make sure that every single supply is brand new so we can promote dignity for these kids.”

All the students are pre-registered to pick up the supplies and can even handpick their own backpacks, Starke said.

Thank you KOIN6 and Danny Peterson!!

Photo credit to KOIN6

To reach the article: https://www.koin.com/news/education/rose-havens-back-to-school-drive-brings-backpacks-supplies-to-400-kids/

To watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbKIK_vy80Y

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Miss Delta’s “Cool and Kooky Kids Coloring Cookbook”

Miss Delta’s “Cool and Kooky Kids Coloring Cookbook” is available to purchase, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting Rose Haven.

Marcus Oliver, owner of Miss Delta on Mississippi Avenue in North Portland, struggled during Covid-19, prompting them to create “Cool and Kooky Kids Coloring Cookbook,” which was designed to create different recipes related to their own family restaurant. The recipes in the book were created by Oliver, many of which have special ties to his family and restaurant.

“I was just starting to think of recipes that me and my kids have put together. Then some ideas from the restaurant, like our banana pudding recipe. There’re some fun, easy recipes that kids can do, and then some harder ones that would take parent involvement,” Oliver said.

Miss Delta has had a long partnership with Rose Haven as they contributed to feeding our Rose Haven community during our Thanksgiving and Christmas meals. What distinguishes the “Cool and Kooky Kids Coloring Cookbook” from other children’s cookbooks. The other distinction is how it benefits the community. A portion of the proceeds from the cookbook will be donated to Rose Haven PDX, a women’s and children’s day shelter.

You can watch the segment on KATU  or read about it. 

The books are available for purchase at Miss Delta on Mississippi Avenue in North Portland. More information about them can also be found online on the Cool and Kooky Kids Coloring Cookbook website and on Instagram at @kidscoloringcookbook.

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Students from PSU Multimedia Senior Capstone Class have Created a Blog to Highlight the Issue of Homelessness.

PSU students have created an ongoing student-run blog on the topic of homelessness/houselessness, which also relates to Portland’s current state regarding this population on a local level. Click here to check out their blog which features Rose Haven and other homelessness resources.
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Reigning Roses Mother’s Day event has been featured on KGW

Scroll to 8:10 minutes to see the Rose Haven’s segment on KGW featuring the Reigning Roses event with our Development Director Liz Starke and Lu in Lu Land. Rose Haven’s signature Mother’s Day event, the Reigning Roses Walk, brought together our community of dedicated donors, volunteers, and guests to raise funds for our new building. Several interactive stops along the NW Portland route highlighted the various ways we assist our Rose Haven guests. If you want to see the entire Reigning Roses virtual event video and learn more about it, click here. 

Jaye Stone, our shower coordinator, highlighting our services to the public during the Mother’s Day event.Our building supports services for women, children, and marginalized genders experiencing homelessness in the familiar neighborhood of NW Portland, yet provides us with sufficient space to meet current and anticipated demand for services. Overall, this was a fun and successful event that raised funds and awareness for our new building.

To learn more about our Reigning Roses event as we are continuing to collect donations to makeitreign.org. 

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KATU Sheds Light on Rose Havens Reigning Roses event with Music from The Reverb Brothers

Reigning Rose Walk has been raising money through the event to help women, children, and marginalized genders.

 

Rose Haven’s goals were discussed in the KATU article “Rose Havens Fundraising Walk Goes Virtual,” which was written by Felisha LeCher.

“The main goal is to provide our community with a safe and dignified space to go,” said volunteer and operations manager Jessica Almroth. “It’s been really challenging operating during this pandemic. many of the guests we serve have not been indoors all year. For people who are really living in the margins, this is going to be an incredible benefit.”

Due to the pandemic, there are limited spots available for the walk, but people can still join in virtually. If you’re unable to participate and would still like to be involved, Rose Haven is accepting donations online.

On Mother’s Day, we enjoyed live music from The Reverb Brothers who have been long-time supporters of Rose Haven, hosting an annual fundraiser for us each Boxing Day. They have been helping the community with music, and we are so grateful for their support.

Check out The Reverb Brothers here: https://www.facebook.com/ReverbBrothers/

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Keeping Kurrent Podcast with Liz Starke

Liz Starke, Development Director at Rose Haven sits down with Keeping Kurrent host Wayne Porter to describe the organization’s many accomplishments in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic, severe weather, and wildfires in Oregon. Rose Haven has been in operation in Portland for more than 20 years, offering a variety of services as well as a safe place for women to work on improving their lives. Rose Haven just hosted its most recent event Reigning Roses, raising funds for a new building. Thank you Wayne for this opportunity and for shedding light on the issues in Portland.

PSU students Katie Hashimoto (left) and Sophie Truesdale (middle) Liz Starke (right).

 

Liz Starke(left) with Rose Haven guest Kim Kennedy(right).

 

 

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Maggie Vespa of KGW Showcases New Rose Haven Building

New Rose Haven Building

Maggie Vespa of KGW Showcases New Rose Haven Building

 

Maggie Vespa of KGW stopped by to see the new Rose Haven building and interviewed our Executive Director Katie O’Brien and former Rose Haven guest Cody Jane Baker. The interview took place at Rose Haven’s new home, what was formerly known as World Cup Coffee (1740 NW Glisan St,97209) Fundraising and construction will take place this year, and we hope to move into our new home in 2022.

Since 2014, Rose Haven’s signature event, the Reigning Roses Walk, has brought together our community of dedicated donors, volunteers, and guests to raise funds and awareness for our organization each Mother’s Day. The 2021 event will be a hybrid of virtual and in-person experiences, fundraising for renovations to Rose Haven’s new facility, which will triple our existing footprint and allow us to resume services indoors and adhere to social distancing guidelines. Limited time slots available 10 am-2 pm for households to participate at the in-person, covid-safe event, which will include a tour of our newly leased space! Register at makeitreign.org.

Our goal is to raise $200,000 by Mothers Day. By registering at makeitreign.org participants will also be automatically entered into weekly giveaways and a grand prize (more information about the giveaways can be found on our Instagram page @rosehaven_pdx or rosehaven.org ). This campaign keeps our support services for women, children, and marginalized genders experiencing homelessness in the familiar neighborhood of NW Portland, yet provides us with sufficient space to meet current and anticipated demand for services.

Learn more and watch the interview here:

 

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