Privacy and security are fundamental to CCPS’ mission. The cases described on this page are not the lived reality of those we have helped. Rather, these are anonymized and composited vignettes. These writings convey the essence of who we help, what we do, and how we’ve saved lives in our community… but names, details, and context have been distorted to protect the very real people we’ve assisted.
Morgan
Morgan contacted CCPS just a few months after we founded. Their prior job had been eliminated by corporate restructuring, and nearly three months of job hunting had turned up absolutely nothing. Despite working odd jobs, scrimping, and saving, Morgan ran out of emergency savings. They requested leniency from their landlord, and they were served eviction papers instead. Within a week, Morgan and their cat would be kicked to the curb.
And the worst part? Morgan had finally found a job offer, but the start date was two weeks after their eviction deadline. Their only course of action was to vacate that apartment, re-home their beloved cat, and find a cheap motel to survive out of (“cheap”—nearly two grand a month) until they could scrounge enough to find an actual apartment and pay a deposit on it. All while making a strong impression with their new employer.
At this point, Morgan contacted CCPS. We took them out to lunch and heard their story. It’s not easy to share the worst chapter of your life with strangers that you just met, but Morgan did so.
After this meeting, CCPS connected Morgan to one of our vetted volunteer hosts in Cottage Grove. Morgan toured the spot, met the host, and moved their belongings into this space for just under two months. By relocating there, Morgan was able to save thousands from motel costs and find a stable apartment much sooner, all while keeping custody of their cat—a life-saving emotional tether during this time of crisis.
We haven’t heard from Morgan since they moved out of that host’s place, back into stable living. Hopefully we never will. If you’re out there reading this vignette, we sincerely hope you’re doing well.
Terrence
Terrence was connected to CCPS by an affinity group of volunteers—a homeless trans man from Seattle who had arrived via Amtrak just hours beforehand—only to find that the living situation he thought would be his sanctuary had in fact been a bait and switch. His only shoes were a broken pair of flip flops, and his only belongings were those in his tattered backpack.
Terrence had been disowned by his Evangelical family a few years ago after starting his transition. His only other support was an abusive relationship… which had reached a breaking point just a few months ago. Now he had no one—and nothing. Terrence’s only option left to him was to try to find solace at a safe house in Portland he’d heard good things about, but which could just as easily be another bait and switch.
Despite the urgency of Terrence’s situation, CCPS had no hosts available. We often don’t. Still, we did what we could. We put the call out to that same affinity group to see if anyone could offer their place for a couple nights while Terrence waited for the next train to Portland. Blessedly, a community member named Lucas was able to offer their space for that short time.
CCPS bought Terrence a train ticket to Portland, provided him some essential clothing from Eugene’s Share Fair, and our Outreach Director gave Terrence the crocs off her own two feet. We told him that if his path ever took him back to Eugene, that we would be here to help however we can.
We only wish we could have done more for him. It’s our sincere hope that the safe house Terrence sought in Portland was the solace for him that he needed.
Juliette
Juliette was struggling to survive a domestic violence situation when she contacted CCPS. Her need was urgent, and there were only small windows of opportunity during her abusive boyfriend’s workday that an evacuation of her belongings would be possible. She had been isolated from her other supports, was self-medicating with cannabis, and she was contemplating serious self-harm. She needed out, and she had nowhere else to turn.
We first spoke to Juliette via late night burner phone call, and the urgency of her situation was both obvious and harrowing. After we spent a week preparing a temporary host’s basement for her to stay in, CCPS (along with two volunteers) evacuated Juliette and her belongings from her abuser’s house in just under seven hours. After the final trip to the storage unit, she collapsed into tears, in both relief and disbelief that she was actually free from the clutches of the man who had tormented her for the past two years.
CCPS connected Juliette to attorneys who were able to help her file a restraining order pro bono, and we facilitated her connection with multiple Eugene social groups which have been instrumental in rebuilding her social life and support systems. Juliette’s story isn’t over, but we purged her info from our records when she moved out of that host’s basement and into her own apartment. Wherever you are, we’re rooting for you.
Our Next Case Needs You.
These vignettes are just examples of how we help folks in need. There are edge cases with even stranger circumstances. There are simpler cases. And there are many failures.
People we couldn’t help.
Folks whose needs greatly exceeded our capacity and bandwidth.
Individuals we tried to help, but lost along the way.
CCPS will continue to fight for people in need for as long as we are able to, but we can’t do this alone. CCPS has always been (and always will be) a grassroots, community-supported harm reduction project for our most vulnerable neighbors in Lane County.
If you’ve been looking for the right opportunity to make our world just a little bit better, please consider supporting our efforts. If you’ve ever wondered “what you would have done” during the Holocaust, or American slavery… you are doing it right now.
If you’d like to make a recurring donation to CCPS, click this link and checkout via Stripe. You can adjust the quantity to the dollar amount that feels right to you. If a one-time donation is more your thing, click here.
More than anything, CCPS is in need of hosts. If you have a spare bedroom, couch, auxiliary dwelling, or other suitable space for someone to live while they get back on their feet…