Do Good Multnomah

Working with our community's most vulnerable as houselessness sees all-time rates requires kind, composed and experienced staff.

Amber, the program manager at one of our permanent housing sites, spends her time advocating for Veterans as they work to keep their housing. In the past, she's helped manage larger, complex congregate shelters. Her work has always started and ended with building meaningful connections.

"I find immense joy in this work because I have been blessed with the ability to remind individuals of their inherent worth, the kindness they deserve, and the remarkable potential that lies within them. It is a humbling experience to witness the struggles that people face, as we all encounter difficult times at various points in our lives. This realization fuels my passion for being a source of light during their darkest moments." - Amber Johnson, Do Good program manager

Today, Do Good is celebrating Juneteenth across our program sites.

From a homemade meal at the Arbor Lodge shelter to games and live music at the annual Juneteenth community gathering at the Paul & Geneva Knauls Building, this holiday is an opportunity for both celebration and reflection.

We first celebrate and gather to remind ourselves of the strength brought by warm community, music, culture, food and more. But we also reflect to acknowledge that the dream of complete freedom for Black Americans remains unrealized for so many. Black Americans face dramatically higher rates of houselessness, continued discrimination, and institutionalized racism – a reality our staff work to overcome alongside our participants every day.

"Juneteenth is important to remember where we came from. A lot of people struggled and sacrificed for us to have the freedom and rights that we have today. We must celebrate and honor the hardships of our ancestors," says Darrell, a Do Good resident.

Thank you to all our staff who have put so much time, care and love into organizing these celebrations for our participants and each other.

Attention! An amendment to Multnomah County’s proposed 2027 budget would CLOSE the North Portland Drop-In Center!

If passed, the HUNDREDS of individuals who use the Drop-In Center would be left without access to bathrooms, shelter referrals, peer support services, mail services and more — all without a deadline for when another similar facility would open up. It would undo months and months of relationship-building that is required for folks to get and stay housed.

If the goal is to lessen the impact of the houseless community on the neighborhood of St. Johns, closing the Drop-In Center will only worsen the problem, as the community that accesses the Center will have no place to go.

"The loss of staff and peer support poses operational risks to the nearby North Portland health clinic. Without the day center, clients are likely to congregate at the clinic, repeating previous issues with overcrowding and staff disruptions." — Multnomah County Homeless Services Department

We agree that there is a DIRE NEED for houseless services in St. Johns and the greater North Portland area. But we believe this is NOT THE APPROACH, and will only HARM folks who need daily services in the short term.

County Commissioners will be voting on the budget this Thursday, June 4. Please help us advocate for this facility and the folks it serves by submitting a public comment via email at [email protected].