Our Peaceful Place Benefit Dinner- why you need to give

Our Peaceful Place Annual Benefit Dinner Appeal from Our Peaceful Place on Vimeo.

Watch the video. Then come to the dinner! Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Beaverton on Cornell, October 22nd, 6pm. $15 for individuals, $50 for families, $500 for businesses that want to sponsor a table. All the Indian Curry you can eat! All food is donated, so every penny goes to our work with the homeless!

Car Donation helps needy family

When we met this family, the father was out of work and they were living in a disabled car on the streets of Portland. Through Our Peaceful Place's help, we got them into housing in Gresham and the father into a part-time job as an auto wrecker in Tigard. However, this meant he was spending several hours a day on Max and Trimet to get there.

One of our Board of Directors had a car that was reaching the end of it's useful life- a Mercedes with 300,000 miles on it and a broken transmission. Knowing that the car was worth at least several thousand in parts alone, he donated it to this family. Little did he know that as a mechanic, the father would repair the car, and start using it as his commuting vehicle! The father of this family is now commuting much easier down 205, spending 45 minutes for his commute vs the 2 hours each way Trimet would take. Thank you to Bill Mumford for donating this car!

Major Fundraiser

OPP's Annual Fundraiser will be October 22th at 6:00pm at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Beaverton.
$15 per person
$50 for a family of 2 or more (kids or teens or adults – we did not break it down by age groups for kids)
$500 for a table for 8
You can purchase a table by sending a check to P.O Box 3093, Clackamas, OR 97015, or for more information visit our main website at Our Peaceful Place

Freddy M.

Got word tonight that Freddy M. was found dead in her apartment this morning. Freddy had been homeless a long time before she got into housing. I met her in 2004. She was soft spoken because of a medical condition and generous. Loyal and tender hearted. She was talented. She had a warm and wonderful sense of humor.
Even though Freddy could have called on me any time if she needed something, I only heard from her when she wanted to let me know what was new, to check on my welfare and when someone else needed something.
An exception was last fall; she wanted to know if I could bring her a broom and dustpan. Someone had given her a tent... Finally she was warm and comfortable.  She had been setting it up down town late at night on an out of the way corner and would take it down before the sun came up. She wanted to be able to sweep the corner so I took her a broom.  I watched her as she swept the whole block.
I checked on her a few nights later and while we visited a neighbor came by who was walking his dog. Freddy spoke to him commenting on the cold, wet, weather and asked about his dog, Freddy was friendly, he was abrupt. I had a sick feeling he was going to call in a complaint about her tent. He did and she was unable to use it after that.
When I got that call earlier tonight I thought I would like to be able to say to that man, "Really? You couldn't have just let her alone that night? How was she hurting you?" But then I would want to confront every one who ever discounted or dismissed her in any kind of way. 
Freddy was really something and she will be missed.

Veterans that need permanent housing.

There are many homeless veterans in Portland. I have met hundreds, each one has served in my life time and I delight in any opportunity to serve them. I am currently working with two veterans who are being considered for safe, affordable, permanent housing. They have this opportunity to have their own address and a place to call home. There is only a small window of opportunity for this to happen for them. Application fees have been covered but they each need a $300 deposit. If they can come up with this amount from here on out their monthly rents will be subsidized and covered by VA Pensions that are pending. In other words, for $600 we can end end homelessness for two Vietnam veterans... Now that's a welcome home!

Our new facebook page address

We’ve hit 25 likes on facebook, so our new facebook address for Our Peaceful Place is:

http://facebook.com/OPP.PDX

I promise- this is the last technical post.  At least until I figure out how to get Our Peaceful Place a Google+ circle……

Ted Seeber

October 15- save the date

The yearly Our Peaceful Place Benefit Dinner will be October 15 this year. $500 for a table of 8- $62.50/person. Since local Indian Restaurants make and donate all the food, and the venue is donated as well, every penny goes to support our ministry with the homeless.