Human Solutions Joyful About $100,000 Raised at Golf Tournament to Help Needy Families

Aurora, Oregon, September 26th, 2013. With cold weather approaching funds raised at a recent charity golf tournament are much appreciated by homeless advocates at Human Solutions. Event sponsor, Dennis’ 7 Dees Landscaping and Garden Centers presented local charity, Human Solutions with a check for $100,402 to help fund two shelters and other programs for homeless families. Each year, Human Solutions provides shelter and/or housing to over 1000 families, including over 400 homeless children.

The amount represents a increase over last year’s tournament, which raised $57,000, especially impressive in this economy. “We were very proud of our efforts in 2012, but when we heard about the lack of funds for the Family Winter Shelter, we just decided to up the ante” said Dave Snodgrass, president of Dennis’ 7 Dees Landscaping and Garden Centers. “We’ve been working on this, literally since we put the signs away last year.” Snodgrass continued.

“The tournament is a great way for community members to really help our neighbors who are struggling. It always amazes me how much we can get accomplished when we all band together. The problem of homelessness is too big for one agency or even the government to fix, but my brothers; Dean, Drew and myself are proud we can make a difference by doing our part right here where we work and live.” stated Snodgrass.

The Emergency Family Winter Shelter is currently scheduled only to be open from November 2013 through March 2014. “We will use the funding from this tournament to now keep the shelter open through April, insuring that homeless children and their families will have a roof over their heads along with a safe environment to begin their pathway out of poverty.” stated Human Solutions, executive director, Jean DeMaster “None of this would be possible without the partnership between Human Solutions and Dennis’ 7 Dees. It is a model of how much can be accomplished, in a community, when two small organizations have big goals with great determination.” concluded DeMaster.

Human Solution’s next event will be Gresham Breakfast: Wednesday, October 16th, 7:00am-8:30am
Persimmon Country Club. Here’s a link with more information:

About Human Solutions:

Human Solutions’ mission is to help low-income and homeless families and individuals gain self-sufficiency by providing affordable housing, family support services, job readiness training, and economic development opportunities.

Human Solutions has been helping homeless and low-income families build pathways out of poverty for 25 years. Our 245-mile service area in outer East Portland and East Multnomah County includes some of the highest poverty neighborhoods in Multnomah County. Last year, we touched the lives of more than 88,000 people. We offer services in four interrelated areas:

• Prevention Services: Each year, we help over 7,000 households avoid having their utilities shut off and remain warm and safe in their homes by providing utility assistance. We also help over 440 households remain in their homes each year through short-term emergency rent assistance.

• Direct Services to Homeless Families: We operate emergency shelter, transitional housing, “Housing First” programs, and permanent supportive housing. Acting on the belief that housing is a basic human right, we move homeless families into permanent housing as quickly as possible and then offer them the supportive services necessary to stabilize their situations and overcome their homelessness.

• Employment and Economic Development Programs: Having a family wage job is essential to a family’s ability to overcome homelessness and be self-sufficient. Human Solutions operates three distinct employment and economic development programs that help more than 300 individuals with significant barriers to employment find family wage jobs and/or improve their job skills to increase their household incomes each year.

• Affordable Housing: Human Solutions owns and operates 16 high-quality affordable housing complexes containing 608 apartments. At each property we offer Resident Services, which help families maintain housing by connecting them to quality social, educational and employment services (both within Human Solutions and in the wider community) so they can move forward in their lives. Last year, about 620 families, comprised of more than 1,900 people, resided in our affordable housing.