Homeless Liaison Project

August 29-30 in Beaverton, OR

This was a vacant office space in central Beaverton. In one short weekend, it was remodeled and prepared to be used by the Homeless Liaison staff of Beaverton School District. The Homeless Liaison cares for the needs of homeless young people in the district.

In recent years, the 4 full-time Homeless Liaison staff have not had adequate dedicated space for their team; nor has there been space that protects the dignity of students and families they serve. They formerly worked in a cubicle area at Beaverton High School. They recently lost this space, and the alternatives were not very promising. Several local churches banded together, at the encouragement of Love, Inc. of Beaverton, to pay the rent on behalf of the Homeless Liaison. In addition, a local foundation provided funds for all the necessary materials & supplies for the remodel. Catalyst organized and oversaw the remodeling process, and we were delighted to help with this worthy cause on behalf of homeless kids in our community! Here are some words from Love, Inc. Exec. Director Steve Pringle:

"Over the weekend at team from Catalyst Partnerships NW refreshed the new Beaverton School District Homeless Education Office. Starting early Saturday morning an enthusiastic collection of volunteers from around the area joined together to resurface walls, install sound dampening insulation, build shelving units, and prep for paint. Sunday brought out more volunteers to transform the office. Walls, ceilings, doors and trim were all painted. Kitchen cabinets, counters, and a sink were all installed. The space was cleaned from top to bottom and ready for BSD's team to move in. We are so thankful for all the volunteers with Catalyst who made this happen!"

Following the project, Homeless Liaison Director Lisa Mentesana had this to say:

"Thank you to Catalyst Northwest Ministries for remodeling our new office space! You've helped to create a warm, welcoming space of hope and dignity for our homeless students and families to receive support services from. Our Title X staff and The Beaverton School District appreciate your generosity of time, energy and resources! Shawn, Steve, Catalyst Volunteers, you're our Earth Angels!"

Thanks to the 45 volunteers who donated 250 man-hours of labor to pull-off this wonderful project!