Jake

Chapman
CST 362
9/24/2014
Multnomah Homelessness Op-ed
Objective: To educate elite decision makers about Mercy Corps commitment to
clothing the homeless, so they are motivated to lobby for the issue at hand.
Imagine your closet, full of shirts, pants, sweatshirts, and of course your favorite
pair of shoes. Now imagine all of that being gone, winter is coming and the rainy
season approaches and you are without even the most basic form of shelter,
clothing.
This is the stark reality for so many in the city of Portland. While walking the streets
of Portland one sees the disheveled less fortunate, often times their clothing is full
of holes and is so dirty that it is beyond cleaning. Many lack basic shoes that help
to get them safely to shelters or places of refuge during the harsh rainy season of
the Northwest.
On a single night, researchers collected data from Multnomah County and Portland
to gauge the severity of the homeless problem. On one night in January 2013,
researchers found that 2,869 people were in emergency shelters or without shelter
at all. These individuals were exposed to the harsh rain and cold, that plagued the
Northwest for the majority of winter and they did so without even having proper,
warm clothing. Researchers also found that 474 of these individuals were families
with children.
Of course this count was not comprehensive and projections indicate that on that
night, there were at least four times that amount of people living on the streets of
Multnomah County. Nearly 11,500 people without the basic necessities such as
shelter and warm clothing is a number that cannot be tolerated.
In 2011, a similar study found that on January 30, there were 1,718 people living
unsheltered on the streets of Multnomah County, in 2013 this number had jumped
to 1,895 individuals.
This is a dire situation. These unsheltered individuals are ill equipped for the
elements and must be clothed to handle the situation that they are in. Learning
that on any given night there can be as many as 300 children on the street is
enough to push anyone to action.
As a remedy to this problem, donate lightly used clothing to homeless shelters as
well as the Salvation Army. These foundations supply the less fortunate with
amenities that they need in order to survive. Without the donations of those who
can afford to give extra clothing to the homeless, many of these unsheltered people
will suffer through the elements and potentially die.
About Mercy Corps:

Mercy Corps works on a daily basis to improve lives in the worlds toughest places.
Mercy Corps has been tackling issues such as poverty, conflict and disaster since
1979. Mercy Corps responds to dire situations by providing food, water and shelter
and partners with communities to plan for recovery and the future.
Neal Keny-Guyer is the CEO of Mercy Corps.
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