Stories from the Street: Love, Loss, and the Power of Outreach
Images altered to protect the privacy of individuals involved.
A Story of How NWCC Outreach Helped Reunite a Daughter in Crisis with Her Family
For the past few months, NWCC Humanitarian Team member Terrance has been checking in on a woman living near the Food Innovation Center. Despite frequent contact—and offers of food, water, and shelter—she consistently declined help. Her mental state was fragile, made worse by the recent loss of her beloved dog, her constant companion. In deep distress, she couldn’t bear to part with her pet’s body and chose instead to remain isolated in her tent.
Though she showed little outward signs of crisis, our team knew something wasn’t right. We contacted the County Project Response Team for a mental health assessment, but she didn’t meet the threshold for a hold. Still, we didn’t stop there.
Through persistent, compassionate work, our team was able to locate and connect with her mother. That conversation led to a moment of grace: her mother traveled to Portland and took her daughter home. With tears in her eyes, she thanked us for “taking care of her baby.”
This is just one example of the many hours our outreach team spends supporting individuals—often one person at a time—to improve the wellbeing of our entire community. With patience, respect, and humanity, we can help people find their way back to safety and connection.
Read more about NWCC’s advocacy and humanitarian work at NWCC News.
Want to support this important work? Become a member or donate today. Contact Chase McPherson, Executive Director, at Chase@nwccpdx.org to get involved.
