Hope for the Homeless Foundation

It was a Saturday night, like any Saturday night in Portland, Oregon. The roads were clear, and it was 50 degrees out. We were invited to a special meeting of friends. A group that has wanted to see if they can have a positive impact on the city of Portland’s homeless crisis.

As we showed up just on time, we found out many more people showed up than they expected, and they needed more chairs. The room was packed with over fifty people who all indicated by their presence they were “mad as hell and did not want to take it anymore.” The homeless problem has become hugely challenging, especially in downtown Portland.

This meeting had been called to see if we were interested in supporting a different approach to battling the homeless crisis in Portland. The president of this 501(c)3 not for profit organization, Doug Marshall, a commercial mortgage broker, and his wife Carol have spent the last 25 years helping the homeless and have envisioned a new way to try help solve this problem through the Hope for the Homeless Foundation (HHF).

For most of us it’s difficult to know which organizations are doing a good job helping the homeless return to stability. Recognizing this problem, HHF’s plan is to evaluate grassroots organizations and pick the best ones to financially support. After vetting the organizations, those who financially contribute to HHF will vote on an annual basis, to decide which organizations they choose to receive funding.

The challenge is overwhelming, and the bar is high, and Doug asked all of the people at the event to donate a minimum of $1,000 to create a strong showing and help develop a dynamic funding base. He also asked all of us to spread the word of this amazing organization.

Julie and I do not typically send out requests like this to our clients and friends but felt that this organization, one that we support, might be worth your looking into. So, we decided to take this space usually reserved for market updates to share information regarding this foundation.

You can play a role in helping deliver hope to homeless families in Portland.

With increasing rents and the cost of living, many people with less opportunity and fixed incomes have landed on the streets and not found a safe place to live. They need our support. I respect the fact that we have been fortunate and ‘there, but the Grace of God go I.”

Julie and I urge you to review the rest of the information in this December 2019 Quickfacts which relates to more information about the foundation and sends you to a link to the foundation website. Doug and Carol and the board of Hope for the Homeless Foundation (HHF) are seeking people who want to help reduce the number of homeless and help resolve the homeless crisis by supporting their innovative approach to the problem.

When you get there, consider helping in any way you can. Thank you for considering this organization in your charitable giving plans.

Happy Holidays,

Cliff and Julie Hockley and the Bluestone and Hockley staff.