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1160 Grant Street Eugene, OR 97402

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541-683-0836

community@cssoregon.org

Motorcycle Club on a Mission for CSS

April 14, 2023

The idea had been discussed for some time at the Eugene-based Free Souls Motorcycle Club, Jake Courtright recalls. That idea being the creation of a group consisting of Veterans bonded by their love of motorcycle riding and shared military experiences. And so, finally in November 2021 the Veteran Riders Motorcycle Club was officially recognized as a Support Group of the Eugene Free Souls Motorcycle Club. That began perhaps an unlikely journey which eventually led to an important connection with the Community Supported Shelters community.

Veteran Riders Motorcycle Club (VRMC) began with five members and has grown to ten members including Army, Marine, and Navy Vets. The group ranges in age from 26 to 78 years old, and members meet regularly to ride and for other social events. In addition to riding together, the club serves as a support group. “We have people who know what you’ve been through and have walked through the same sand, so we do a lot of checking on each other and calling,” notes Jake. “The basis of the club is for outreach to Veterans in our community.” To remain in good standing, the club is required to do community outreach projects on a yearly basis. Jake recalls that “right from the bat when we stood up and started, we said we are going to start it right off with announcing a cold weather drive for homeless Vets.”

Club members reached out to their wider network of family and friends including the larger Free Souls network and gathered over 400 pounds of clothing and gift cards for donation in only 30 days. The next question was where the donations should go?

Jake happened to have an acquaintance who worked at CSS and shared information about the CSS program, specifically the work that CSS is doing with unhoused Veterans including offering a stand-alone community for Vets. By mid-December of 2021, the VRMC delivered their first large donation to CSS for use by Veterans and other members of the CSS communities.

In 2022, the club continued to support CSS through donations. “Last November we had a little bit more time and people knew what we were doing, and we were able to do a little bit more,” Jake recalled. He emphasized the involvement of family, friends, and the wider community in the success of the club’s donation drive. Jake shared a story about a donation they received from a movie theater in Coos Bay that had done an event for the movie Frozen. At intermission they had a snowball fight using 500 pairs of new rolled up woolen socks. Afterwards, having heard about the club’s drive, theater management contacted Jake and donated the socks that became part of last year’s donation to CSS.

In 2023, the VRMC intends to become even a closer partner with CSS by learning more about specific needs and targeting those items as they collect donations throughout the year.

Heather Quaas-Annsa, Director of Philanthropy at CSS, notes how important organizations like the Veteran Riders are. “Donations of goods and services, or in-kind donations, help CSS access resources that would otherwise be too expensive on our tight budget and allow us to prioritize monetary donations towards our programmatic expenses. We are incredibly grateful for the ongoing support and generosity of the Veteran Riders Motorcycle Club.”

Reflecting on the past two years, Jake pointed out that the recipients of his club’s donations aren’t the only ones who have benefited, noting that he’s had fellow members tell him that the club’s donation efforts make them “feel useful again.” When asked what he would want people to know about the Veteran Riders, Jake sums it up nicely. “We are a good group of guys trying to reach out to our community and help our brothers stand up.”

If you are interested in learning more about Veteran Riders Motorcycle Club, they would love to hear from you. They can be reached at info.vetridersmc@gmail.com.

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A Driver’s License Can Alter Lives

January 22, 2025

Soon after Mark moved into the Skinner Safe Spot Community in 2022 he got a CSS staff job on the maintenance crew. He worked 10–12 hours a week, and his primary responsibility was cleaning up Huts when clients moved out, preparing them for the next occupants. He didn’t have a driver’s license. He had one “many years ago” in California before he became homeless, but then he didn’t have a vehicle and he let his license lapse. He had never had a license in Oregon, where he moved in 2014. So for the maintenance job, he says, “I would commute by way of my bicycle. I carried all the cleaning products and brooms and mops and whatever I needed on my bicycle.” Things went well, and when the maintenance crew was reorganized about six months later, he was offered a new position, at 30 hours a week, in which he would be the primary maintenance person for three communities. It required he drive a CSS vehicle, so the offer was contingent on him having a driver’s license. “My supervisor at the time told me that CSS

Breaking The Cycle: Fostering Financial Literacy

January 21, 2025

A CSS Yurt on a rainy cold December afternoon in West Eugene may not be a place you would expect to find two Eugene area bank branch managers enrolling new depositors. Even more remarkable is the effort and journey that brought them there. The story begins earlier this year when Downtown Eugene KeyBank Branch Manager Michelle Khanthanhot reached out to Blake Burrell, CSS Director of Community Impact. What ensued is a focused grassroots effort by Michelle and another KeyBank Eugene Branch Manager Jose Contreras to educate the CSS community about financial health and planning. “For KeyBank it is important that we are involved in our community,” says Michelle. “Blake and I connected and it has just kind of evolved in the last 6 months.”

Grants That Create Pathways to Stability, Creativity, and Community

January 20, 2025

Community Supported Shelters is thrilled to share news of the incredible support we received from our community partners in 2024. These grants have allowed us to expand our programs, enhance our services, and make a meaningful difference for the individuals we serve. Here are the highlights:

Family Reunites and Forges a New Beginning

January 14, 2025

Robert hadn’t seen his brother Dan in 17 years. “I’ve been looking for him. I hadn’t had any luck and, honestly, I didn’t think he was still around.” But when Robert moved from one CSS community to the Micro-Mission Community in mid-September, he saw a face he knew. “Oh my God, it’s my long lost brother,” he said. And they gave each other a big bear hug. Dan, 56, has been in CSS Safe Spots for two years and Robert, 59, about a year. Eugene natives, they have both dealt with many difficult challenges. But, thanks to CSS, they have been reunited in a safe place and will help each other build more stable lives. “It was meant to be,” Dan says.

CSS Leadership Team Advocates for Alternative Shelter Models at National Conference in Washington, D.C.

November 1, 2024

This past summer, the leadership team at Community Supported Shelters took a powerful step forward in advocating for alternative shelter solutions by attending the National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH) conference in Washington, D.C. The team joined thousands of advocates, policymakers, and service providers nationwide to share best practices, exchange ideas, and drive critical discussions on addressing homelessness with innovative, community-centered approaches.

Access Center Expands Services

October 31, 2024

The last time Shaggy (given name Steve) got a haircut was right before he moved into the CSS Lot 9 Community about two years ago. His hair was long and he’d been sleeping under the Harlow Street Bridge between Eugene and Springfield and he wanted to make sure he didn’t bring any lice or other parasites into the community. He shaved it all off.

HIV Alliance Brings Testing and Education to CSS Communities

October 30, 2024

Since August, residents of the 14 CSS Communities in Eugene have seen a white van and new faces arrive on site during Tuesday group meetings. HIV Alliance is a Eugene-based nonprofit focused on supporting people with HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C, and other sexually transmitted diseases—and actively promoting prevention through testing and education.

Empowering Voices: Homeless Not Voteless

October 29, 2024

In partnership with The League of Women Voters of Lane County (LWVLC), CSS is making significant strides in expanding voter registration outreach to unhoused individuals in our community. Historically, unhoused individuals have faced numerous barriers to voter registration and participation including lack of a permanent address, identification issues, lack of information on candidates and issues, and limited access to information about the voting process.

Art Partnership Celebrates Community

July 23, 2024

On Friday, August 2, 2024, art created by CSS community members and staff will be featured on Eugene’s First Friday Art Walk in an exhibition titled “Community is Key” at the Oregon Supported Living Programs Arts and Culture Center (110 East 11th Avenue, Eugene). The exhibition, which opened on the First Friday Art Walk on July 5, is the culmination of a partnership between CSS and OSLP that began almost magically on a rainy day last Fall.

Director's Letter: Shared Leadership

July 22, 2024

We are delighted to bring you the Summer edition of our shelter program's newsletter. A special welcome to our new friends from the National Alliance to End Homelessness Conference in D.C. For those receiving our newsletter for the first time, our mission is to support the unhoused in rebuilding their lives through intentional community. We seek to provide not only a safe haven for those experiencing homelessness but also a nurturing community that fosters growth, dignity, and hope.