Vulnerable People and Places Blog

 Please fill out this short survey to help inform our process for creating this nonprofit. Thank You.  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1q5bcTTvUsbnpMzB65mUSORTDPZ4bKngspjACqHrDDA8/edit?usp=sharing

Image courtesy of Pinterest.com   There is a stigma that surrounds the word  homeless  and a lack of empathy that is carried with it. When people think of the word  homeless,  they may envision an unstable individual who may have substance abuse problems, mental health issues, and financial instability. The truth is that being homeless, doesn’t mean that someone is without a home.  “ Because a house (or housing) is just a place.   It is simply a physical space that they currently do not have. ”  While a “ Home is so much more than a physical space "     -  dogoodmultnomah.org By calling individuals who are experiencing houselessness  homeless , you may be stripping away that person’s preference to connection and community. Some people choose to be houseless because they have a greater sense of community among others who are also houseless. The negative stigma of someone who is seen as unstable creates a difficult understanding ...

  How do Non-Profit Organizations Benefit Our Society?  Think of non-profit organizations, or nonprofit institutions, as the glue to our society. They directly serve communities and people within a community by providing services and programs that serve and benefit the public. They work for the people and with the people, Unlike businesses and other profitable organizations, the owners and investors of non-profits don't accumulate any of the revenue, hence the non- profit bit.  Any profit that the organization receives, which usually comes from investors, goes towards the purpose of the organization.  Non-profits tend to work much quicker when solving public issues than the government. They don't need majority votes and they work much closer with the actual people, and they are usually located in the immediate area of the issue. Another beautiful thing about these organizations is that they provide an immediate relief for people that can't find it anywhere else. They...

 Below are 2 surveys. The first one is about asking people if they would be willing to help a nonprofit and how they think they might be able to help. The 2nd survey is for businesses asking for information about their experiences with homelessness in Portland and If they have ever wanted to do things to help. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc4WK1N0UhksEkWXoscXf5GHpH5tTCU-yAzf4xR_nNIWBFmSw/viewform?usp=sf_link https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd2az-NAQfMv1c3zcHn0dz1g-xUSfUtorlLyL_ejMM9OOEgrQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

The 5 reasons why starting a nonprofit may be the right move for you:      A nonprofit is a legal body of interest that establishes an operation that helps assist public or private foundations. Non- profits help battle fund mismanagements as their goal is not to financially assist the owners of the corporation but the goal of the profit.                                                                                                                                                             I STOCK by Getty Images So you’re thinking about starting a nonprofit and you’re hoping to find a p...

There are 10 important things to consider when starting a non-profit. The first and most important question to ask yourself is why you want to start a non-profit. While there are few hoops you have to jump through to have a no-profit declared. It will still take a lot of work to make your non-profit successful. Will, you have the determination to do the leg work when that work gets tough? Next, you must ask yourself what is your mission. What are you trying to accomplish by starting your non-profit? Once you have those steps figured out, it’s time to write an elevator speech. You’re going to be talking to a lot of people, to either inform them of your organization or to try to get donations. So you need to be able to explain the non-profit in a few minutes. The fourth step to consider is how will you achieve the goals you set for yourself. It’s all well and good to be able to talk about your ambitions, but you need to also have a plan to fulfill those ambitions. The fifth step ...

By Cody Jones It is often overlooked how many people are without a place to call home on a nightly basis. One may come to a big city like Portland and see the homeless people on park benches and huddling in street corners but view them as an annoyance. They fail to consider where these people are getting their next meal and do not think about where these individuals may go when the sun goes down. Instead, they keep walking, ushering their family in front of them, on their way to the next boutique store or fancy restaurant. The stark reality is that there are over half a million people on the streets across the United States ( Washington Post ). These people are struggling to find their next meal, find a warm place to sleep, and ultimately survive. One would think if there are over a half-million homeless people across the country that more people would deem it an important issue to address. Instead, it is often put on the back burner in terms of city planning. I think one reason it is ...