Jay has been at the Navigation center for about a month. Jay, who was recently diagnosed with cancer, and his wife moved to Portland from the Midwest. Originally, they planned on staying with his brother-in-law while they got back on their feet, that didn’t work out. Soon they found themselves out on the street.

The Navigation Center is a temporary, low-barrier shelter offering intensive case management to help support people experiencing homelessness regain stability, connect to essential support services, and access stable and permanent housing options.

Area service agencies refer people like Jay to the Navigation Center, and once they are received, they can stay for up to 90 days. In those 90 days, case workers and other support staff help the residents move towards safe housing and more sustainable living.

“Things are coming together,” says Jay, “we’re on our way to getting an apartment of our own.”

The Union Gospel Mission partners with Transition Projects, who runs the navigation center, to provide 200 hot meals a day, six days a week to guests at the shelter. “I love delivering the food here,” smiles Terry a UGM graduate, “knowing that we’re helping people get off the streets, I can’t think of a better job.”

To help fund these meals please visit ugmportland.org/donate