Homeless Family (Portland, Beaverton, Milwaukie: RV park, loan, house)

[MuseofaBlindPoet]

We arrived in lovely Portland Oregon in March after traveling across country from Florida in our RV. In our family there are two adults, five children, and our dog. Upon arrival we were turned away from every RV park we tried to enter due to either the age of our RV, the appearance of our RV, or the number of people in our RV. We only had enough money to cover an RV space for three months. Instead we were left have to move around every night, putting more money into gas, killing our RV with in-city driving, and making it impossible for us to find work. Finally we met someone nice enough to let us park in his driveway, making use of his electricity, in hopes of giving us a chance to find work and make other arrangements.

Then the city came and told us we couldn't do that. Now we are out of money, waiting for the state to decide if we can get TANF because they aren't sure we are in need of the assistance. My husband is taking his recertification test so that he can get work in a gym (Personal Trainer). I myself am pregnant with our sixth child and unable to work. We cannot go to a shelter, not only because we have a dog that we will not get rid of (we have had her for three years), but because if we were to go to a shelter our family would have to be split up, three of our children possibly having to go into foster care.

At this point I would rather go back to Florida, back to our old jobs, and our five bedroom house. But we cannot because the carb in our RV has died, we are out of money, and no agencies are willing to help us, other than free food.

Did I mention that CPS is threatening to take our children?

Maybe I should.

[deegers]

So sorry to hear your situation! I can only offer some information I ran through for you on the web. You may have already done these things, but I figured I would try and offer you feedback. My first thoughts were what do you need right now to help the situation besides having jobs. You need your RV fixed, money, and a place to go (this all equals keeping children). My first thought was connect with some really good churches who may offer programs that share professional skills with their congregation and may know of a car mechanic that might be able to help you as well as find some funding somehow or suggestions on where they might find a temporary place for you to "hide" yourselves until you can some employment underway and income coming in. They are there to be an outreach to the community if they are a good solid church. Suggestions I have been given are the following:
1. very, very good church --- Good Shepherd Community Church Good Shepherd Community Church

2. west side, probably SW of Beaverton very good church Southwest Bible Church

3. west of Beaverton, toward Forest Grove
yet another good church Home

That's all I have from my books but maybe there's local churches already around you that you might be able to check in with. The important thing is to explain the situation and your immediate needs as I had listed. It might get things rolling to be organized since time is not your friend.

Other information I thought of was calling the following contacts I found online and see if they have any suggestions for your situation and/or possible networking for mechanics, funding, temporary locations, plan of action, etc:

-Ruth Benson-Project Homeless Connect Coordinator 503-823-2392

-Central City Concern Administration 503-294-1681/cccadmin@centralcityconcern.org

-or the above has a department called Worksource 503-226-7921

-Since you seem to have some internet access, Welcome to Beyond Shelter is a thing in LA that produces living spaces for homeless and ways to build self-sufficiency.

Hope this gives you some direction a little bit. My prayers and my heart goes out to you...

[MuseofaBlindPoet]

We are in the Milwaukie are mostly, though over the last month we were in the area of 122nd (from Stark to Sandy).

[Wicked Felina]

Hello, Muse..

Sorry for your situation. As we all should know, it wouldn't take much for any of us to be in your position.

Deegers told you about Good Shepherd Community Church. And if you are still around SE 122nd Avenue, it is really not that far for you to go. There is a bus route that goes out that way. I have been to that church, and they are indeed helpful and wonderful people.

Since you have some sort of connection to Milwaukie, try contacting Clackamas County Social Services, call (503) 655-8641. They run some homes for those in need.

Thank you for not dumping your dog. There is a judge in one of our counties, who arranges foster care for the pets of people who have been sentenced to jail. I will try to contact the appropriate person tomorrow (6/25), and get some kind of information for you.

Good luck to your family.

[MuseofaBlindPoet]

We rescued our dog from a kill shelter in Florida when she was 10 months old. They were going to put her down because she was so skittish and no one wanted her. She had been severely abused. Our friend here in Portland that tried to help us offered to keep her for us, she has gotten to know him some and is accepting of him, but still flips out if we are away from her for more than a day. My dog doesn't need anymore trauma in her life, and it upsets my children to be away from her more than it upsets them to know we don't have a place to live. I don't know that going anywhere without her is an option.

[hymalaia]

i hate to be a dick but I can't help myself. If you are having so many financial problems why are you pregnant with your sixth child!?!?!

[MuseofaBlindPoet]

Up until this point (the move to Oregon) we didn't experience financial problems. We came here on a promise that was not kept in my husband's field. Had we not moved it would not be an issue at all. We would still be living on two acres of land in a five bedroom house. Instead we gave that up for what we thought was going to be something better. Excuse us for trying to better our family and getting screwed.

More than anything, we just want to go back home.

[Alaskapat528]

Originally Posted by MuseofaBlindPoet

We arrived in lovely Portland Oregon in March after traveling across country from Florida in our RV. In our family there are two adults, five children, and our dog. Upon arrival we were turned away from every RV park we tried to enter due to either the age of our RV, the appearance of our RV, or the number of people in our RV. We only had enough money to cover an RV space for three months. Instead we were left have to move around every night, putting more money into gas, killing our RV with in-city driving, and making it impossible for us to find work. Finally we met someone nice enough to let us park in his driveway, making use of his electricity, in hopes of giving us a chance to find work and make other arrangements.

Then the city came and told us we couldn't do that. Now we are out of money, waiting for the state to decide if we can get TANF because they aren't sure we are in need of the assistance. My husband is taking his recertification test so that he can get work in a gym (Personal Trainer). I myself am pregnant with our sixth child and unable to work. We cannot go to a shelter, not only because we have a dog that we will not get rid of (we have had her for three years), but because if we were to go to a shelter our family would have to be split up, three of our children possibly having to go into foster care.

At this point I would rather go back to Florida, back to our old jobs, and our five bedroom house. But we cannot because the carb in our RV has died, we are out of money, and no agencies are willing to help us, other than free food.

Did I mention that CPS is threatening to take our children?

Maybe I should.

Look up the local Lions Club there, they will often provide help. Anymore, these out of state jobs seem to turn to bunk, which is a good idea for the person hired not to pack up and move but give the job a couple months before doing so. Which in your case it's too late. Good luck, and please keep the dog, it's part of your family. Did you also check with Lutheran Social Services since they will sometime help. I would not split up my kids but in today's world, harder when you have lots of kids and your being pregnant unfortunately complicates matters.

[GB1]

Come on, City-data folk. You're being scammed.

A family of seven and a dog leaving behind a 5BD house that they own, driving from Florida to Oregon in an RV on the "promise" of a job for the husband?

A family that moves five children in the middle of the school year rather than wait for Dad to get set up in a new city with a job and a house?

A family that owns a 5BD house in a respectable community, but doesn't have family or friends who can forward them a loan so they can get home?

A family where the dad's gonna get work rilly rilly soon, just as soon as he gets that darn old personal trainer recertification?

A family that's never posted here ever before except to tell their tale of woe? (The pregnancy and the abused dog from the kill shelter are nice touches, though a bit much.)

Given the fact that they say they're from Florida, the time of year, and the RV, I'd guess these people are Travelers, who descend on the Northwest in May-July. Portland seems to have a reputation for being both generous and gullible.

Don't know where this is going, but I'd guess it would start with monetary donations and end with them wanting to sell their beautiful new RV in order to get the money to leave town ("More than anything, we just want to go back home"). Once they found a sucker who would swallow this nonsense, the scam would be on in earnest, and God knows where it would go from there.

The posters who are suggesting churches and Lions Clubs are very sweet and their attitudes commendable, but that's what scam artists depend on. If nothing about this story sets off any alarm bells with you, you're not paying attention.

Anyone who wants to be foolish enough to help them should arrange to meet them at a police station. Whatever you do, don't let them anywhere near your house.

[nanannie]

Yep,I am glad someone else said what my first thoughts were. We get "travelers" in our area as well. They have put a bad name on the Irish. You can google info on them (headquarters are in Murphy NC) Been around for a century.