trans•form
v. trænsˈfɔrm; n. ˈtræns fɔrmShow Spelled [v. trans-fawrm; n. trans-fawrm] verb (used with object)
1. to change in form, appearance, or structure; metamorphose.
2. to change in condition, nature, or character; convert

Randi, age 34, has been working to transform everything in her life since her clean date of December 22, 2010. Everything in her story – before and after recovery – is a depiction of determination and stunning contrasts.

Family

Before: Randi spent her early years growing up in an abusive home where drug use was the norm. She left at age 13 and was homeless for 6 years, into drugs and the crimes that go along with them. She re-connected to her dad and step-mom at age 19. Even she could see that they wanted to be there for her but it was such a foreign feeling that she flitted in and out of their lives, never sure how to handle their genuine concern. In prison in 2004, she realized she was pregnant. Getting out of prison as a single mom was not easy. She went to Central City Concern’s residential treatment facility for pregnant/parenting moms in 2008 and did ok for a good while. Her son was a motivation – she wanted to be a good mom. She stayed clean for five years, held a job, got her own place and her son back from DHS. In 2010 though, she relapsed and rapidly lost everything. She was ready for a true change.

After: Randi surprised her dad and step mom by asking them if they could take her son for a while so that she could check into treatment. It was an expression of trust that gave her parents hope. Maybe things would be better this time. Today, she drops in frequently. She has a close and strong relationship with her 9-year-old son. He gets to play with his cousins regularly. She joins in the monthly girl time her step mom gently urges with all her daughters. Last year, Randi invited everyone over for Thanksgiving dinner.

in photo from left: Randi's dad Lewis, Randi, her mom Lori and son Cole in center.

Housing

Before: After prison, Randi slept on a lot of couches and in a lot of motels. It didn’t help her potential for lasting recovery. She didn’t have true friends and she never stayed long anywhere. She would breeze through her parents’ house sometimes and eat a little. Then, be gone again.

After: Today, Randi lives in Central City Concern’s family housing that is a supportive environment for families in recovery. She has many peers who she relies on as well as a parent mentor who coaches her through the rough spots with grace and humor. Her son has seized many rich opportunities there, like basketball camp with the Blazers, and Easter egg hunts on the central lawn. He relishes having his own room, chores, responsibilities, pride and most importantly, security that his mom will be there in the morning. Every morning.

Self-Sufficiency

Before: Dealing drugs paid for a place to sleep on most nights and after Randi first got clean, she worked for a while at a fast-food restaurant. Her high school years were fractured so she got her GED in prison. She didn’t have a vision for what she might do in the work world.

After: Randi is on the dean’s list at the local community college. Soon, she’ll transfer to a four-year college and she aims for a BA in criminal justice. A self-sufficiency program manager at Central City Concern helped her get a driver’s license again and connected her to meaningful employment. For the past seven months, she has worked full-time for a county reentry program specifically for women. She has a caseload of about 26 women. Her work is a daily reminder of how far she has come. She is really good at what she does. Parole officers now seek out her advice. She is strong and confident and does everything in her power to bring the same to others. She is changed.

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On October 12th in Downtown Portland, the Clean and Safe District, managed by Portland Business Alliance, honored Roy Carter as Outstanding Clean & Safe Cleaner. Ralph Lawrence was announced as this year’s Outstanding Clean & Safe Security Officer. Emily Flint, General Manager of Macy's, was awarded the 2012 Downtown Retailer award, while Mayor Sam Adams was recognized as the 2012 Downtown Champion.

Roy and Mayor Sam Adams are pictured below. Roy Carter boldly demonstrates some of tasks required for his position as an employee of Central City Concern and the Downtown Clean & Safe program. He moves his arms, clasps his hands, and shifts his eyes with supreme confidence, competence, and purpose. “It’s all about what I’m doing today,” he says. “If I’m out there [on the sidewalks], I’m working hard.”

Less than a year ago, Carter found himself outside of incarceration for the first time in ten years. Society had changed drastically without him. Roy says he “promised myself to live a better way” once he got out, but “the way people looked for work and the way companies hired had changed; my past scared me away from applying for jobs.”

Roy became a regular at CCC’s Employment Access Center (EAC), where he dived into classes that helped him retool his resume, write cover letters, and sharpen his interview skills. He was then referred to CCC’s Community Volunteer Corps (CVC), volunteering 80 hours of his time at local nonprofits and building soft skills in the process. Opportunities to do positive work, Roy says, “filled me with self-worth. It felt so good.”

As a result of his exemplary work with CVC, Roy ultimately found employment with the Clean & Safe program.  For five months, Roy pushed a cleaning cart along Fifth and Sixth Avenues of Downtown Portland. He showed up on days he wasn’t scheduled to demonstrate his dedication. He showed kindness to everyone he encountered. Business owners along his streets praised Roy’s work, many saying that the streets had never been so clean.

Six months ago, Roy heard of an opportunity to apply for the Special Project Bike Operator position. Just a few months prior, he was scared away from applying to jobs because of his past; now, Roy set out to secure this position. He credits his time with EAC and CVC for giving him the confidence to acknowledge that he could, in fact, be a valuable employee. “I was able to accept who I was in the past, but also that this,” he says while pointing to his heart, “is who I am now, and this is who I want to be.”

To no one’s surprise, Roy secured the full-time position. He now looks over a much-wider section of Downtown. He is called upon to respond quickly by bike to sensitive, sometimes dangerous, issues, and has a perfect record of responding to calls in less than 30 minutes. Members of the community and business leaders commend Roy’s effectiveness, expertise and attitude.

Roy has played a significant role in increasing the visibility of the Clean & Safe program in the community, and he continues to look forward. “It makes my heart really big to have others notice what I do,” Roy says. “I spent a lot of time taking away, but now I have a chance to give back and contribute.”

Roy continues, “Others saw that I really wanted to change. They gave me a chance to change.” Now he finds purpose, confidence, and self-worth in changing his neighborhood block by block, day by day, all for the better.

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When Central City Concern gave me housing, healthcare, and addiction treatment services, they didn’t change the world. But for my daughter and me, the whole world changed.

In December 2006 I was pregnant, homeless, and addicted to drugs and alcohol. I wasn’t feeling very merry or bright about the approaching holidays.

The gift I wanted more than anything? Change. And I wanted it desperately.

A friend told me about the Letty Owings Center, a program run by Central City Concern that provides housing and healthcare for pregnant women who are homeless and struggling with addiction. I got in, and by March 2007, I was clean and sober. For the first time in a long time, I was living in a safe, stable, supportive environment surrounded by people who wanted me to succeed. In August 2007, I gave birth to a healthy baby girl.

In April 2008, I moved out of the Letty Owings Center and into Central City Concern’s alcohol- and drug-free family housing. Over the next three years, Central City Concern gave me the support I needed to stay sober through their Recovery Mentor Program, get job training through their Supported Employment program, and be a good mom.

Central City Concern gave me the gift of change I so desperately wanted five years ago. Now my daughter and I have our own place. I have a job that I love and I’m off all public assistance. And this year, I’m looking forward to the holidays.

I am so grateful for the support I received from Central City Concern. But I know there are hundreds of people out there who are still struggling like I once did. This holiday season, you can help by supporting Central City Concern with a gift of $500, $250, $100, or whatever you can afford. To make your gift on our secure, online server, click here.

Please make that gift today. The need for your support has never been greater.

 

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Central City Concern brought an array of service to Salina Perez -- beginning with Letty Owings Center and Alcohol/Drug-Free Family Housing to Supported Employment services. See how we never gave up on Salina and how far she has come.  (This video was shared at our annual Working Our Way Home luncheon.)

http://www.youtube.com/centralcityconcern#p/a/u/0/uJBe4t1HfU0

 

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Thank you for visiting this website to learn more about how Central City Concern helped me turn my life around.

Arrogant, unstable, unwilling to change.

High school dropout. Cocaine addict. Hustler and thief.

Chronically homeless. A drain on society.

That’s how I’d describe myself up until Thanksgiving 2008, when Central City Concern gave me one more chance to turn my life around.

I’d run away from home at age 10 and starting using drugs at about the same time. Between the ages of 12 and 44, I’d been arrested almost 200 times—126 times in Portland, alone. I’d spent 32 years living on the streets, been through four rehabs, and made countless trips to jail.

I was exhausted. And I was ready for something different.

I first became a client of Central City Concern in the Fall of 2006. CCC offered me a safe place to live and a case manager to help me get pointed in the right direction. I wasn’t particularly grateful for the help, at first. In fact, I continued to cause trouble for two more years. But Central City Concern never gave up on me.

In March 2009, I got a room at The Estate, one of several CCC buildings dedicated to housing people who are newly engaged in treatment and recovery. Shortly thereafter, I was hired on as a “barrel pusher” for the Clean & Safe program, where I started to gain job skills and earn a reputation as a dependable employee. I worked my way up, becoming a janitor through CCC’s Business Enterprises program.

Now I’m the Weekend Supervisor for the Clean & Safe program, a father to my children, and a mentor to other addicts struggling to get clean and off the streets. I’ve got my driver’s license, I’ve paid off my debts, and I’m planning on enrolling in community college so I can continue to advance professionally.

None of this would be happening for me without Central City Concern. I’m in the mainstream for the first time in my life.

I know there are countless other people out there like me who still need help. On any given night, approximately 2,500 adults—some with young children—are sleeping in shelters or doorways in the City of Portland. Nearly all of them are suffering from mental health problems, alcoholism or drug addiction. Some are victims of domestic violence. Some are military veterans with PTSD. Some have had experience with the legal system.

They all deserve the same chance I got to get on their feet.

That’s why I’m asking you to make a donation today to Central City Concern of $250, $100, $50, or whatever you can afford. You can click here to do so.

Thank you very much for supporting Central City Concern and giving others like me the chance to turn their lives around, too.

Sincerely,

Darrell W.

P.S.: For more information on who is homeless and why, please visit the National Alliance to End Homelessness website’s FAQ page.

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at left: Selena, happy customer employed (and promoted) at Burgerville with her supervisor
Daniel Cogan.

I want to congratulate the 200+ individuals who turned out Wednesday night at City Hall to celebrate the accomplishments of the 460 customers of the Employment Access Center (EAC) who became employed in 2010.  Customers were placed in jobs across 15 different sectors in 53 zip codes with an average hourly wage of $13.46. 


above: David Wynde at left, Rachel Beaudoin in center with her supervisor and manager from U.S. Bank

It was a remarkable event that was organized and orchestrated by the entire team of 24 staff at the EAC and Kathy Pape.  Ed Blackburn, Commissioner Nick Fish , Mayor Sam Adams, Customer Walter Ryce, Customer Rachel Beaudoin and U.S. Bank Employer and Vice President David Wynde all spoke so beautifully about the importance of employment in recovery and ending homelessness. 

Jennifer Wilcox then handed out 91 graduation and outstanding achievement certificates after which everyone enjoyed a large spread provided by VOA’s food services.  May next year be as bright as 2010!

Rachel Post
Director of Supportive Housing and Employment
Central City Concern

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I wanted to place a well deserved shout out to our CCC 2011 NAMI walk team. This year we were festooned in beautiful vibrant yellow and orange t-shirts, carried multi-colored signs and radiated lots of enthusiasm. We clearly had a presence on the waterfront.



Our participants included; 16 staff, 6 consumers and 5 volunteers. Several people walked over to our table to pick up signs to carry in the walk in support of CCC.

A special thanks to Jenni Eldredge, Cheryl Zechman, Chris Colburn and Maria Gargano who comprised our illustrious planning committee. Thanks to Nic Granum who drove the RCP van for the 2nd year in a row.

And thanks again team CCC for all your support.

Walkers for the CCC 2011 Team

Erika Armsbury and daughter Zara Hayes
Anne Holcombe
Laura Brown
Katie Hainley
Richard Braucher
Linda Golden
Claudia Krueger
Cheryl Zechman
Michael Mellick
Laura Nelson
Hydee Rickert
Seiza the Fairy deTarr
Maria Gargano
Jenni Eldredge
Nic Granum
Kathleen Roy
Anne Clark
John Harlan and son (Criminal Justice)
6 fabulous consumers


Kathleen Roy, LCSW
Assistant Director of Mental Health

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On what we hope will be a sunny Sunday on May 22nd, more than 30 of our staff members, clients, providers and friends from the 12th Avenue Recovery Center will join hundreds in the community for the NAMI Northwest Walk. The National Alliance on Mental Illness is a strong advocate for people with mental illness in the community, working to reduce stigma and isolation, and providing support to family members as well as professionals in the field.

The 2011 event marks the third year of an official Central City Concern team and every year we draw more and more participants. Each walker joining our team will receive a CCC 12th Ave Recovery Center t-shirt. We will provide transportation to and from the walk from the Recovery Center location. Click here to register for the walk today!

There are a number of compelling stories from people in our community about why they participate in this walk - check it out here. Join us!

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Last Thursday, nearly 100 of Letty Owings Center's closest friends gathered to raise funds for Laura's Place - a transitional housing option for graduates of LOC. The evening was a great success with more than $40,000 raised! We'd like to thank generous major donors NW Natural, Providence Health Plans and George Anderson, in-kind donors Wilfs Restaurant and Sysco Portland, and the many individuals in the audience who pledged the support of the program! Also thanks to the wonderful Brad Mersereau for his jazz piano and Adam the Great magician. It was a musical and magical night for all!

Click here to view a few photos from the event!

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Join us on Thursday, April 21st at 5:30 p.m. at Wilfs Restaurant for an evening of Magic & Music! Beverages, hearty hors d'oeuvres, jazz piano by Brad Merserau, magic by Adam the Great. This event benefits Laura's Place - a transitional housing option for women who have completed treatment at LOC, but who still need support to maintain their success. Laura's Place has provided stability and promise for LOC clients since it opened in 2008. But the cost of running Laura's Place is not covered by traditional funding sources -- come have some fun with us and help us keep Laura's Place a vibrant option for self-sufficiency.

Online ticket purchasing now available. Click here.

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