At this time, the glossary below is identical to the glossary found in the e-book version of Fire in the Dark, but any future updates will appear exclusively below and will show a revision date accordingly.
GLOSSARY
This glossary is the project’s central source of information about the various terms, concepts, agencies, buildings, places, and events that are mentioned throughout its pages. The information appearing herein is only as comprehensive as was believed necessary in order to define, clarify, or enrich the meanings of the entries in the contexts in which they appear in the project. While the definitions, therefore, are not intended to be exhaustive or applicable to every life context, they are intended to help one better understand and appreciate more finely the many details, nuances, and technical terms within the project as well as to support additional interest.
All religious terms apply to the Roman Catholic Church and some may also apply in part or even completely to other Christian denominations. The texts of any prayers quoted are common traditional quotations. Given the Church’s 2000-year history and universal dimension, there are surely other versions and translations in use, and many individuals nowadays prefer to compose the content that is addressed in the prayers using their own words.
It is hoped the glossary in and of itself will serve as a catalyst of sorts, a type of agent of change, by leading readers to new thoughts and connections within themselves which in turn will lead to increased positive impact on the wider world.
-A-
AA. See Alcoholics Anonymous
Access Clinic
Per Kate at the time she and Ron were taping the stories, this was a small clinic, no longer in existence, with a doctor and one or two nurses who provided medical evaluations to indigent individuals and prescribed medications for them. Kate’s vague recollection was that the clinic was located between S.W. Fourth and Fifth and Stark in downtown Portland, several blocks from Skid Road, which would put it in the same location as the Multnomah County Westside Health Center today (see entry). However, the 1975 phone book lists a Multnomah County “Medical Access Clinic” at 105 S.W. 5thAvenue, which also is a possibility per Kate and would have been several blocks closer to Skid Road.
Act of Contrition
Prayer expressing sorrow for one’s sins. It is commonly said as part of the Sacrament of Reconciliation (also “Sacrament of Penance,” “confession,”or “going to confession”):
“O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended you, and I detest all my sins because of your just punishments, but most of all because they offend you, my God, who are all-good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve with the help of your grace to sin no more and avoid the near occasions of sin.”
Acts of Faith, Hope, and Love
Three traditional devotional prayers.
Act of Faith: “O my God, I firmly believe all the truths that the Holy Catholic Church believes and teaches; I believe these truths, O Lord, because Thou, the infallible Truth, hast revealed them to her; in this faith I am resolved to live and die.Amen.”
Act of Hope:“O my God, relying on Thy promises, I hope that, through the infinite merits of Jesus Christ, Thou wilt grant me pardon of my sins, and the grace necessary to serve Thee in this life and to obtain eternal happiness in the next. Amen”
Act of Love:“O my God, I love Thee with my whole heart and above all things, because Thou art infinitely good and perfect; and I love my neighbor as myself for love of Thee. Grant that I may love Thee more and more in this life, and in the next for all eternity. Amen”
Addy’s (grocery store)
Small storefront convenience store on S.W. Burnside, Portland (between 4th & 5th Avenues, Kate thinks). Addy was the name of the owner.
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
Practice of spending time before the Blessed Sacrament (Eucharist or consecrated bread) in a church, affirming belief in the real presence (see below), contemplating its mystery, fostering interior communion with Jesus, and characterized by any of several forms of quiet prayer.
During this time the Blessed Sacrament resides in the tabernacle where it is normally reserved, or it is exposed specially for this purpose in an object of display called a monstrance.
The real presence (simply put) refers to the complex and fundamental Catholic belief that in the Eucharist Jesus Christ is present truly (not only symbolically), really (objectively, not only subjectively in one’s mind), and substantially (body and blood, soul and divinity).
Adult and Family Services (AFS)
No longer a state governmental entity with this name,the services once provided by AFS now are provided by the Children, Adults, and Families Division (CAF), State of Oregon Department of Human Services. CAF overseas self-sufficiency and child welfare programs in the state.
Al-Anon
A worldwide organization whose purpose is to help those who live or work or otherwise interact with alcoholics (e.g. family,co-workers, friends).
http://www.al-anon.alateen.org/index.php
Alateen
That part of Al-Anon that is for younger members,usually teenagers. See Al-Anon
alcoholic blackout
Period of memory loss related to drinking alcohol.
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)
“Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. There are no dues or fees for AA membership; we are self-supporting through our own contributions. AA is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics,organization or institution; does not wish to engage in any controversy, neither endorses nor opposes any causes. Our primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety.” “. . . at any [AA] meeting you will find alcoholics talking about what drinking did to their lives and personalities, what actions they took to help themselves, and how they are living their lives today.”[quotes from Alcoholics Anonymous Website in 2008] http://www.aa.org/
Started by two men in the U.S. in 1935, AA has twelve main steps (The Twelve Steps) in its recovery program (e.g. admitting one is powerless over one’ s drinking and over one’ s life because of drinking, turning one’s life over to God or a power greater than oneself, making a moral inventory and amends for past wrongs, offering to help other alcoholics). It is an organization both voluntary and worldwide. Many other addiction recovery programs have adopted the principles and traditions of AA (e.g. Overeaters Anonymous, Sex Addicts Anonymous, Gamblers Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous).
alcohol seizure
Seizure triggered by complete withdrawal from alcohol,or sudden reduction in the amount normally consumed.
apostle
One of the twelve men specially called by Jesus in the Gospels to bring his teachings to the world (examples are Saints Peter, Andrew,Thomas, and John).
Apostles’ Creed
Summary of the faith professed by Christians, which traces its roots back to the apostles of Jesus Christ:
“I believe in God the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from there he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.”
archbishop
Title given to a bishop who governs an archdiocese,which is a territorial division of the Church.
archdiocese. See archbishop
Arlington Hotel
333 N.W. Sixth Avenue, Portland.
-B-
Baloney Joe’s
Grass roots night shelter for homeless individuals which opened in 1978 in a storefront somewhere on N.W. Couch Street, Portland, and operated into the late 1980’s. It closed in 1995 under another name and different management. Over time, Baloney Joe’s offered several services in addition to shelter and meals (e.g. dental work provided by volunteers, daytime services). It was an activity of the then Burnside Community Council and its chairman, Michael Stoops. Originally on Skid Road, Baloney Joe’s later re-located across the river from Skid Road, to the east end of the Burnside Bridge, north side of approach ramp.
“The Burnside Community Council [no longer operating] is a non-profit, community organization dedicated to assisting the homeless and poor. This transitional assistance takes the form of emergency shelter, food, health care, counseling, information and referral, advocacy, employment assistance [ . . . ].” [from the Summer 1987 issue of These Homeless Times]
baptism
Sacred rite by which a person becomes a Christian.
baptize. See baptism
BCC Pipeline
Monthly newsletter of the now defunct Burnside Community Council, Inc., Portland.
Beaverton (Oregon)
City located approximately 7 miles southwest of Portland, and part of Portland metropolitan area.
Benediction (of the Blessed Sacrament)
Religious service involving exposition and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament (Eucharist or consecrated bread), a blessing by the priest of those who are present, and usually the use of incense and the singing of traditional hymns.
Bernadette of Lourdes, Saint (1884-1879)
French peasant who at the age of fourteen claimed that the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to her many times (reportedly eighteen). An unaccountable spring and reports of miraculous healings contributed to making Lourdes a world-famous site of pilgrimage. Bernadette became a nun eventually and in 1933 was declared a saint by the Catholic Church.
Bethany Center
A place for people with AIDS to go to receive free massages and sometimes haircuts. Closed in 2004, the center was started by Fr.Bruce Cwiekowski in 1998 or 1999 and was housed in a couple of apartments provided by Providence Portland Medical Center adjacent to their facility. Every other Sunday individuals would come to the CHAT group (Christ Has AIDS Too),which was a spiritual session, and on special holidays dinner would be served.
bi-polar disorder
Also called manic-depressive illness, a serious disorder basically involving extreme mood swings (from highs of things like increased energy, being extremely anxious or irritable or happy, talking too much and fast, and delusions, to lows of things like feeling very sad, depressed, inability to concentrate or sleep, and lack of interest, energy, or appetite).
bishop
Commonly the leader and chief priest of a diocese.Considered to be a successor of Jesus’ twelve apostles, he, among other duties,ordains priests and participates as a member of the college of bishops, whose head is the pope.
blackout. See alcoholic blackout
Blanchet. See Blanchet House
Blanchet Farm
Large working farm in Carlton, Oregon, founded and operated by Blanchet House of Hospitality in Portland, where some forty men recovering from substance abuse continue their efforts to remain clean and sober while working and learning teamwork and similar life skills.
http://www.blanchethouse.org/farm.html
Blanchet House (of Hospitality)
[Blanchet House of Hospitality provided Kate with her first important experience of the Burnside Skid Road area and played a fundamental role in and throughout her work on Skid Road.]
“From Social Club to Social Work—What began as a social club, founded in 1938, at the University of Portland has since developed into an institution unique among its kind in Portland’s oldest and deepest ‘poverty pocket’, the Old Town/Chinatown area. Today, not only does the original Blanchet House of Hospitality, at 340 N.W. Glisan Street, founded in 1952 continue to offer to the poor: free meals, beds, jobs, and HOPE, but it has been joined by two more properties to become a multi-unit complex of charitable endeavors. The scope of Blanchet House of Hospitality has grown to include Blanchet Farm in Carlton, OR, and Mr. Riley’s Place at 615 N.W. 18th.Charity – With No Commercials—’Unique’ was the word we used to describe our organization in relation to others in the locality and it applies in certain important aspects. Of primary note is the fact that the Blanchet operation is not the integral agency of a church (although named for the pioneer first Archbishop of Oregon and directed by a board of Catholic laymen); nor is it an adjunct of government or of public fund groups such as the United Way, but rather it is independent of all, both legally and financially. Another unusual aspect is our policy regarding those we aid: no moral judgements are imposed and no participation in religious services are required.
A further distinguishing feature is the composition of our staff. All staff members are unsalaried volunteers; the Executive Directors Have come from business or non-profit management backgrounds. The other staff has been recruited from among those we serve. The latter live in the House and perform all of the daily tasks involved in its operation, thus contributing to their own self-esteem and developing a community spirit. Since its inception,the House has served over seventeen million hot meals, provided over one million night’s lodging, distributed over 800,000 items of clothing, and filled over 120,000 temporary jobs. Countless food boxes also were given to families in need, and small loans were made for training courses, licenses, tool purchases and whatever might contribute toward another chance in life. A number of new charitable undertakings have been successfully launched with aid from Blanchet House in the form of money for a few months rent, food supplies,equipment and experienced advice.” [quote from Blanchet House Web site in2008] www.blanchethouse.org
[For more information on Blanchet House but through Kate’s eyes, see stories Beginnings, Blanchet House, and Mel& Harvey. See also From the Times segments Blanchet House of Hospitality: I & II.]
Blessed Mother
The mother of Jesus Christ.
Blessed Virgin. See Blessed Mother
Body of Christ
The community of believing Christians—the Church—ofwhich Jesus Christ is considered to be the head.
Broadway Hotel
10 N.W. Broadway, Portland.
Brother (religious)
Male member of a religious order who is not a priest and not studying for the priesthood.
Burnside area. See Skid Road
Burnside, down on. See Skid Road
Burnside Hotel
[Located at 208 N.W. Couch Street, Portland, second floor, this hotel opened November 1, 1969, and closed February 1, 1973. The following quote was taken from information provided by Gil Lulay in 2008. Gil,a former Catholic priest, is Fr. Jim Lambert in this project. It was a newspaper article about him—”Priest Runs Skid Road Hotel”—that wasKate’s primary inspiration to go to Skid Road and ask Gil if there was anything a nurse/nun could do to help out.]
“I was assigned to the Downtown Chapel, [then located at] 516 West Burnside, Portland, in the summer of 1968, as an associate pastor. As one of my responsibilities, I was liaison for Downtown Chapel to Hub-CAP, the church community action program for the downtown area. Hub-CAP was the ecumenical community outreach program sponsored by the Portland Council of Churches. There were, I believe, 13 member churches in Hub-CAP, including Lake Oswego Methodist, First Unitarian, Zion Lutheran, St. Mary’s Cathedral, the Downtown Chapel and others. My focus at Hub-CAP was, of course, on the Burnside area.
“When the hotel opened, the Downtown Chapel contributed $300 each month to pay the rent. I moved into the hotel, and slept there with the men at night. Once we had a kitchen operating, I took some of my meals there with the men too. I kept my room at the Downtown Chapel at the same time, and was at the chapel each morning to celebrate Mass and for breakfast.
“For the hotel, I remember building kitchen cabinets at my Dad’s shop in Salem [state capitol fifty miles south of Portland], and installing the kitchen. I remember that the sizes were right,but I failed to allow for the fact that the walls were not plumb and true. I had to use a sledge hammer to get them into place. Those cabinets weren’t coming down until the walls came down.
“We had showers for the men, and a washer and dryer for them to clean their clothes. We hustled beds, mattresses and linens from St. Vincent de Paul [thrift store] and from the Providence Hospitals. We collected food from the markets on the east side of the river [e.g. produce from the old produce houses in inner southeast Portland]. The men prepared the meals—some good cooks came off the street. I remember some of the faces and stories, but the names slip my mind.
“The men who came in were required to keep therules—No drinking, No fighting, Help with your assigned tasks—and the consequences would be expulsion. If the men came back at night after drinking ,they would not be admitted. Some stays were short. Some stays were for extended periods of time. The rules enforcement is what led to the opening of the Drop-In Center [see Drop-in Center]. It was gut-wrenching to turn an intoxicated resident away at the door at 10 p.m. when it was raining and there was no other place for him to go for the night.”
[See From the Times segment Housing I for photo of Burnside Hotel and Gil Lulay.]
Burnside, on. See Skid Road
Burnside Project. See Burnside Projects
Burnside Projects See also Transition Projects Inc.
[The following quote was taken from information provided by Gil Lulay in 2008. Gil, a former Catholic priest, is Fr. Jim Lambert in this project. There are several references in the quote to entities that have their own glossary entries: Burnside Hotel (regarding Hub-CAP churches), Cardinal Café, Clean-up Center, Downtown Chapel, Drop-in Center, Last Chance Café. Burnside Projects eventually changed its name to Transition Projects Inc.]
“Around 1971, I saw the need for some structure for the programs, if they were to continue after I no longer was present there.That is why Burnside Projects was incorporated [in 1971], with a board of directors that could carry on the work of continuity. [As stated in the articles of incorporation, the purpose of Burnside Projects was ‘To provide lodging, food and other assistance for poor and homeless men.”]
“Before incorporation [from 1969-1971], the programs operated ‘seat of the pants.’ The Downtown Chapel was the chief support, as well as the Hub-CAP churches [ . . . ].
“In 1971, Burnside Projects was operating the Everett Street Drop-In Center primarily [also called simply the Drop-in Center]. The staff from Burnside Projects also managed the Clean-up Center [in the basement of the Downtown Chapel], but this was as much a project of the Downtown Chapel as it was of Burnside Projects. [ . . . ] The Last Chance Café had been left behind, as had the Cardinal Café [i.e. they had closed].”
[In the 1986-87 Portland phone book Burnside Projects listed its main office and “Emergency Night Shelter” as 523 N.W.Everett Street, and its “Burnside Clean-up Center” as 601 West Burnside, which would have been still in the basement of the Downtown Chapel. With the 1987-88 phone book, main office and shelter are listed as 435 N.W.Glisan Street, about three blocks away. At some point in 1987 the Clean-up Center moved from the Downtown Chapel to the Burnside Projects location. In 1991 Burnside Projects changed its name to Transition Projects Inc. (TPI), and it is still located at the Glisan Street location (though at 475), with greatly expanded services to individuals who are homeless.]
[Additional information from Kate: “Hugh did very well at Burnside Projects. He was kind of in charge of several of the areas there by 1988. Burnside Projects had really developed by then. I had a deep respect for what they did. One of the services they had was crisis intervention; if somebody, for example, was being evicted from his hotel, I could pay for him to stay at the Burnside Projects night shelter if there was an available bed. I did this for quite a few months with one man, which was why my ministry funds got so depleted at a certain point.” (from Hugh Wright’s story)]
Butte Hotel
Located at 610 N.W. Davis Street, Portland, this hotel is owned by Central City Concern and is Section 8 Housing for single adults. A Mass held on World AIDS Day, December 1st, at which those who are in need of healing—especially individuals with HIV disease or AIDS—come forth for special prayers and support.
-C-
Call to Action
Catholic national movement to promote justice and equality in the Church and society, involved in issues such as stopping war, abolishing the death penalty, ordination of women priests, acceptance of gay and lesbian individuals.
Canon Law Society of America
Professional organization of Roman Catholic canon lawyers in the United States that promotes the study and application of canon law in the Catholic Church. Canon law is the body of general laws and regulations governing the Church.
cardinal
Member of the clergy, usually a bishop of a prominent diocese, appointed by the pope, and who serves a prominent role in Church administration, including the election of a new pope.
Cardinal Café (also The Cardinal)
[The following quote was taken from information provided by Gil Lulay in 2008. Gil, a former Catholic priest, is Fr. Jim Lambert in this project.]
“The [Cardinal] Café was opened in a restaurant on [West] Burnside between (I believe) 3rd and 4th Avenues, on the north side of the street. One of the residents of the Burnside Hotel [see Burnside Hotel] painted a red cardinal on the front window. My best guess is that the café opened sometime between October 1970 and March 1971 and closed before the end of 1971.
“The café grew out of the work at the [Burnside] Hotel. As residents came into the hotel and stayed for a period of time, there was no work to keep them busy and no way for them to earn spending money. Many of the men from the street had food prep experience, and some of them were rather good cooks. We had work for only two at the hotel, preparing the three meals each day for the residents. The purpose for the café was to provide a source of some small income for the residents of the hotel. It was opened for about a year, and provided meals to the public for breakfast and lunch.
“[ . . . ] The chief chef went on to be the Clean-up Center manager [see Clean-up Center] for a number of years after the café closed. All income from the café went back into paying the rent and supplies, and paying a small stipend to the men from the hotel.”
Care Unit
Defunct alcoholism detoxification and treatment facility on N.W. Lovejoy Street between Nineteenth and Twentieth Avenues, Portland, apparently affiliated with the also defunct Physicians and Surgeons Hospital.
Cascade AIDS Project
Agency established to “lead efforts to prevent new HIV infections, care for people affected and infected by HIV/AIDS, educate communities to eliminate stigma and shame, and advocate for immediate action in combating the pandemic.” [quote from Cascade AIDS Project Web site in 2008]
Catholic Charities (USA)
National social service network that provides ” . . . a continuum of services—food, shelter, supportive housing, clothing, financial assistance, and other forms of help—that give people a leg up when life has knocked them down.”
” . . . We also strive to strengthen families and build stronger communities by offering a variety of other programs such as counseling, immigration and refuge services, adoption, disaster response, child care, employment training, supports for seniors, and much more.”
“Why do we do this? Because our Catholic foundational values tell us that every human is worthy of dignity and respect, and that if any are in need, then we share in the responsibility to help them.” [quotes from Catholic Charities Web site in 2008]
http://www.catholiccharitiesusa.org/
celibacy
Abstention from marriage, by promise, by Catholic clergy.
Central City Concern. See detoxification center
chastity, vow of. See vow
Chicken Coop Hotel, Chicken Coop, Chicken Coop Flop, or Chicken Coop Flophouse. See Holm Hotel
CHIERS (Central City Concern Hooper Inebriate Emergency Response Service). See detoxification center
CHIERS wagon. See detoxification center
Christian Brothers de la Salle (Brothers of the Christian Schools)
International Catholic religious order of men founded by St. John Baptist de La Salle (1651-1719), French priest, for the education of young people, especially those poor.
Church, the
Roman Catholic Church; Catholic Church
Clean-up Center
[The following quote was taken from information provided by Gil Lulay in 2008. Gil, a former Catholic priest, is Fr. Jim Lambert in this project.]
“The Clean-up Center was opened in the basement of the old Downtown Chapel, on the corner of 5th and Burnside in 1970. The entrance was at 516 W. Burnside [on the south side of Burnside, where the present U.S. Bank Tower stands]. There were 2 or 3 doors there—one to the sacristy of the chapel, another to the basement of the chapel. Father Louis Weis was the pastor at the chapel at the time, and was a support for all of the projects that we undertook in the [Burnside] area. [Fr. Weis is Fr. Harold Webster in the project.] Through the chapel, he provided the $200/month stipend for each of the three conscientious objectors [see conscientious objector], and provided $300/month for the rent for the Burnside Hotel [see Burnside Hotel]. In addition to that, he opened up the basement of the chapel for the Clean-up Center. There was a shower facility there, and we set up a washer and dryer to help to recycle the clothing the men left when they came for a shower. He also spent hours keeping the laundry moving through the machines.
“With clothing contributions from the Hub-CAP churches [see Burnside Hotel], we set up a clothing room. Men from the Burnside Hotel staffed the center, dispensed the clothing and towels, cleaned the facilities and kept the laundry going. The facilities were makeshift, at best.
“In 1971, [ . . . ] [a bank] wanted the 5th and Burnside site for construction, so the bank worked out a property exchange with the Archdiocese of Portland. The bank purchased an old hotel on 6th and Burnside, gutted the 4-story structure and rebuilt it to suit the needs of the chapel [this is the present chapel at 601 West Burnside]. In the renovation process, the basement was designed as a clean-up center, with more appropriate facilities for the showers, laundry and clothing room. The property exchange took place sometime in 1972.”
[See From the Times segment Clean-up Center for additional information.]
[The Clean-up Center moved in 1987 to the Burnside Projects. See Burnside Projects.]
Communion
Also called both Holy Communion and Eucharist. The body and blood of Jesus Christ, under the appearances of bread and wine that have been consecrated by a priest during Mass. Reception of Communion always involves the body (the Host or consecrated bread), whereas reception of the blood (the consecrated wine) is optional.
Community. See religious community
confirm (confirmation—the sacrament)
Act of conferring or of receiving the sacrament of confirmation in which it is believed the recipient receives special strength for life from the Holy Spirit in order to hold fast to his or her profession of faith and the way of living it requires.
Congregation of Holy Cross
International Catholic religious order of men founded in 1837 by French priest Basil Moreau. Particularly known for work in education. Founded University of Notre Dame and University of Portland (Oregon). http://www.holycrosscongregation.org/
conscientious objector (CO)
[Whenever conscientious objectors are referred to in this project, the reference is always to three and the same three of them. The following quote was taken from information provided by Gil Lulay in 2008. Gil, a former Catholic priest, is Fr. Jim Lambert in this project.]
“Father Louis Weis, pastor at the Downtown Chapel during this time, provided the stipends of $200 apiece [per month] for the two years the COs worked there [e.g. at the Drop-In Center and Last Chance Café]. The three of them were very much into this community work and served the community members well during their time there. [Fr. Weis is Fr. Harold Webster in the project. See Downtown Chapel, Drop-In Center, and Last Chance Café.]
“During these years, the Viet Nam war era, some of those who objected to the war and the draft, upon Selective Service Board review of their individual cases, were granted Conscientious Objector status and were allowed to put in two years of community service in lieu of two years in the Army. To qualify for the CO status, each had to provide a sponsor who would provide a position in a program that served the community. The sponsoring agency for these three COs was the Portland Council of Churches, which then placed the COs in our program in the Burnside area.” [See Drop-In Center for more information on PCC.]
convent
The place where a community of nuns lives.
County Hospital
3171 S.W. Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland.
Known initially as Multnomah County Hospital, and since 1923 located on the campus of Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) in Portland, this medical facility takes patients even today who are indigent, some of whom are from Portland’s Skid Road area (now called Old Town/Chinatown). In the early seventies, the County Hospital became part of the University Hospital complex of OHSU. The County Hospital was the main medical institution to which Kate referred many of the individuals she served on Skid Road in the seventies and eighties.
-D-
Dammasch State Hospital
Psychiatric hospital once located in Wilsonville, Oregon, 17 miles southwest of Portland. Opened in 1961; closed in 1995.
Danmoore Hotel
For most of its history a low-income housing hotel located at 1217 S.W. Morrison in downtown Portland, in 2004 the Danmoore moved to a newly constructed building at 8 N.W. Eighth (Eighth and N.W. Burnside), a few blocks away. Operated by Central City Concern (CCC), the Danmoore is still considered affordable housing and has alcohol and drug-free units. CCC is the agency for which Kate worked as an admissions nurse in the nineties, at their Hooper Detox Center.
decade (of the rosary). See rosary
delirium tremens. See d.t.’s
De Paul. See De Paul Treatment Centers
De Paul Center. See De Paul Treatment Centers
De Paul Treatment Centers
“De Paul works in partnership with individuals, families and communities seeking to create freedom from drug and alcohol addiction. De Paul Treatment Centers is marking its 27th year of providing chemical dependency treatment services to some of Oregon’s most severely affected low-income adults and youth. [ . . .] Established by the Portland Society of St. Vincent de Paul to provide housing to late-stage alcoholics on Portland’s ‘skid row,’ [ . . . ]. The program was located in the 1907 Franklin Hotel at 1320 S.W. Washington St., Portland, which is the present location of De Paul’s adult treatment center and administration. De Paul’s second director, Steve Newton, changed the agency’s focus from providing food and housing to treating the disease of alcoholism beginning in 1977. A recovering alcoholic who was expelled form Notre Dame’s Moreau Seminary, Newton’s vision was to treat the homeless and the poor with the same methods that had proven effective with people who have health insurance and the ability to pay for treatment. The National Council on Alcoholism stated at the time that De Paul was the only agency in the country providing treatment to indigent, late-stage alcoholics. The organization was separately incorporated in 1978. The De Paul Youth Residential Treatment Center opened in 1985 [ . . . ]. Today the Youth Center continues to serve low-income youth from throughout northwestern Oregon with residential and outpatient programs and the De Paul Alternative School.”
[quote from De Paul Treatment Centers Web site in 2008]
www.depaultreatmentcenters.org
[Kate worked at De Paul from 1982-92 and Ron worked there from 1984-86. It is at De Paul that the two met, and without that encounter and their shared experiences there this project never would have been. Kate and Ron both regard De Paul with a certain affection and gratitude that goes far beyond simply serving as the birthplace of their relationship.]
[The following quote is from something Kate wrote in 1977 for a Holy Names Sister who used it in a presentation about her. By 1977 Kate was already volunteering as a nurse at Matt Talbot Center and was a salaried employee at Harmony House. She is referring to a period in 1977 that is likely either just before Steve Newton came to De Paul or in the very early stages of the treatment program he spearheaded.]
“The first part of the week and the first part of the day begins at St. Vincent de Paul Residence [this is in the same physical location as the current adult component of De Paul Treatment Centers, between Thirteenth and Fourteenth and S.W. Washington Street], which is a hotel with alcoholic treatment to some degree. The people cannot be drinking; they are encouraged to go to work, but they do have older people there also. It provides meals and referral service. They were funded through the public inebriate program, and that funding will discontinue at the end of this month. And this will cut back a lot of services that have been given for the men. And at this place I either take referrals from the staff or just go around and see what needs there are.”
detox. See detoxification center
detox center. See detoxification center
detoxification center
Hooper
Formally known as the David. P. Hooper Detoxification Center and currently located at 20 N.E. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, Portland, the detox center began in 1971 and has grown in size and in variety of services through the years. It is one of many programs operated by Central City Concern (see below). Kate remembers when Hooper was first located on the north side of S.W. Pine Street in downtown Portland, between Second and Third Avenues, across from the county jail, which, at that time was at 222 S.W. Pine. In 1973, Multnomah County assumed management of what, until that year, had been the city’s jail; Portland police headquarters was located on the same block as the jail, but on the Oak Street side. In 1983, both the county jail and police bureau moved into the then newly constructed Justice Center about ten blocks away, at S.W. Second and Main Street.
Hooper later moved from S.W. Pine to N.E. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd, which in effect was a move from the west end of the Burnside Bridge (where the majority of the stories of this project take place) to the east end of the bridge.
Kate worked at Hooper from 1972-74 as an outreach nurse and an evening staff nurse, and from 1992-98 as an admissions nurse.
CHIERS
Central City Concern Hooper Inebriate Emergency Response Service, also called the CHIERS Wagon, is a vehicle which picks up individuals who are inebriated on the streets of Portland and brings them to the Hooper Detox Center’s sobering program.
[two quotes below about detox center are Kate’s words and taken from stories in the project]
“[ . . . ]during my first couple of years on Burnside, there was not yet a public detoxification center. If a person needed detoxification, he was taken to the county jail—usually referred to as ‘the drunk tank’ by the men—and he would be kept there for thirty days .” [from Gary’s story] [Kate related many years later that after a man detoxed (after the first few days in jail) he would be required to do work at the jail for the remainder of his thirty-day stay.]
“In the days before there was a detox center, the police would often pick up a man who was sleeping off a drunk on the streets; they would put him in the paddy wagon and take him to the “drunk tank” in the county jail, where he would be kept for thirty days and then be released. With no treatment, no money, and no place to go, he would begin drinking again. There was sometimes an opportunity for a man who wanted to stay sober to go to Blanchet House where he would have a place to sleep and meals, but he would be required to help at meal times and with the operation of feeding breakfast and lunch to hundreds of people daily. Also during that period, a halfway house called Harmony House provided housing to those who wanted to stay sober.” [from Chris’ story]
Central City Concern
“Mission: The Mission of Central City Concern is to provide pathways to self-sufficiency through active intervention in poverty and homelessness.
Philosophy: It is the core philosophy of Central City Concern that in order for a person to successfully achieve self-sufficiency, they must not only have access to housing, support services and employment opportunities, but also must be building positive relationships with those who have had common experiences and can offer support.”
“Currently, CCC works in three broad areas: health and recovery services, housing and residential services and employment. Each of these are then divided into programs that meet the needs of special populations: people with substance abuse, mental health and/or primary healthcare issues, people living with HIV/AIDS, people involved with the criminal justice system, displaced workers, people lacking education and/or job skills, people with disabilities, criminal records, single adults, women who are pregnant, single parent families and people simply living on very low, fixed incomes. Services are linked so that no matter what door someone walks through, CCC staff has the ability to piece together what an individual needs in order to gain self-sufficiency and independence.”
[two quotes above from Central City Concern Web site in 2008]
Dignity Mass
Mass at which there is special effort to make members of the gay Catholic community feel welcome, including gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, and transgender individuals.
diocesan priest. See priest, Catholic
Divine Office
Now more commonly called Liturgy of the Hours, this is the official public daily prayer of the Catholic Church. Present form dates back roughly to the fifth century. The chanting by monks and nuns in monasteries that is familiar to many is often of the Liturgy of the Hours. The complete Liturgy of the Hours is a multi-volume set of books (the English version used in the U.S. is four). All books together span and address the parts of the Church year and consist basically of hymns, psalms, prayers, and biblical and spiritual readings for various parts of the day—especially morning (lauds), mid-morning, mid-day. mid-afternoon, evening (vespers), and night. Often referred to as the breviary. Required of all priests and deacons and once prayed mainly by these and by religious brothers and sisters, it is now prayed also by many lay people.
Dominican
International catholic religious order, known commonly as the Dominicans and formally as the Order of Preachers for their emphasis on preaching. Founded by Dominic de Guzman (St. Dominic) in the early thirteenth century. http://www.op.org/
Downtown Chapel
Located at 601 West Burnside, Portland, the Roman Catholic Downtown Chapel is part of St Vincent de Paul Parish. It is in the heart of the same Skid Road area (now called Old Town/Chinatown) in which the majority of the stories of this project take place. Before this location, the chapel was located on the opposite (south) side of the street, at 516 W. Burnside, where the U.S. Bank Tower stands currently. See Clean-up Center for additional information on the chapel.
[quote below from Downtown Chapel Web site in 2008]
http://www.downtownchapel.org/
“The chapel neighborhood began to change in the 1960s. More transients and unemployed men arrived. So, a new drop-in center was opened in 1970 [in the chapel which, from 1945 to 1973, was located at 516 W. Burnside. The chapel had been at other locations in the area prior to 1945.] Then in 1971, negotiations started for another move—which was to be the last. [. . . ] [ . . . A new chapel was financed for the parish] at the corner of N.W. 6 th and West Burnside—the site of the old Glenwood Hotel. The new chapel was opened in February 1973. It also had residences for priests. And the basement had showers, washing machines and a service center for homeless men. Through the 1970s the chapel took on still more social work. [ . . . ] In 1982 the chapel was remodeled. Changes were made so it could better handle its growing social needs. The second floor had an auditorium and kitchen added. Food programs for the elderly and needy were set up on a regular basis. In 1987 the clean-up center moved from the chapel to the Burnside Projects [see Burnside Projects]. A hotel was opened for a short time in the basement in 1989. [ . . . ] [In 1989, also, the] Congregation of Holy Cross took over care of the parish [ . . .].
“Today, the parish continues to provide a ministry of prayer, service, and education. Through our Open Door Ministries we provide a Morning Hospitality Program, a Food Pantry, and our Brother Andre Café, which provides a warm meal every Friday night. [ . . . ]”
[information in paragraph below also gathered from Downtown Chapel Web site in 2008]
The hospitality program offers such services as foot care, clothing & hygiene, blankets, hair cuts, phone use, laundry vouchers, job- and medical appointment-related bus tickets. The food pantry distributes food bags to neighbors in the area who live in single-room occupancies, subsidized apartments, or who are homeless.
[The following quote was taken from information provided by Gil Lulay in 2008. Gil, a former Catholic priest, is Fr. Jim Lambert in this project and was assigned to the Downtown Chapel from 1968-1972.]
“The Downtown Chapel has always been rectory, worship space, and service space. The rectory at 516 W. Burnside was on the second floor, chapel on the first, and clean-up center services in the basement. [ . . . ] The Downtown Chapel was not a parish as such. It had no assigned territory, but provided Mass services primarily for the people who worked in the Downtown area. Masses were provided at 6:30 and 8:00 a.m., 12:05 and 5:30 p.m. daily, and three times on Sunday for travelers (or those who didn’t want to go to their home parishes).”
Drop-in Center
[The following quote was taken from information provided by Gil Lulay in 2008. Gil, a former Catholic priest, is Fr. Jim Lambert in this project.
The Drop-In Center moved three times in its first year of existence, 1970. Although Gil recalls below that the second and third moves were from Couch Street to Third Avenue, an undated Burnside Projects’ flyer probably from the 1970s (see From the Times segment Service Center/Night Shelter) states the moves to be the reverse—from Third to Couch. Since the flyer indicates the move from Third to Couch took place in September 1970, and since Kate began volunteering in the area in August of that year and has no recollection of the Third Avenue site, it would appear reasonable to favor the two moves in question as having been from Third to Couch, per the flyer.]
“The first all-night Drop-In Center was opened on Everett Street, between 3rd and 4th Avenues, on the south side of the street . The opening date there was March 1, 1970. The purpose of the center was to give the men and women on the street a warm place to get off the street for the night, with a hot cup of coffee. The room was a store front, approximately 16′ wide and 40′ deep. There was a half-bath on the right rear corner. The coffee pot was set up in the rear at the left.
“Before opening, I sent a letter to all the pastors in the Hub-CAP churches challenging them to come down to the Drop-In Center, bring coffee, and spend the night as a supervisor for the people there. [Hub-CAP was, in Gil’s words “the ecumenical community outreach program sponsored by the Portland Council of Churches.”] The hours were from 8 in the evening until 5 or 6 in the morning—hours when other programs in the area were closed. As I recall, all of the church pastors responded, and after the initial round of supervision, the churches provided volunteer supervisors from their congregations for the years that the center was open. Within a year, the center was moved from Everett Street to the first floor of the same building in which the Burnside Hotel was located [see Burnside Hotel] [see also the note above regarding the sequence of the second and third moves]. Jazz de Opus was a yuppy bar on the corner of 2nd and Couch [below the Burnside Hotel and currently a bar of another name], and the Drop-In Center took up residence on Couch [at 216 N.W. Couch], just to the west of the bar, directly below the hotel. We were there from the fall of 1970 (more or less) [September, according to the flyer mentioned in the note above] until we lost our lease [for the Drop-In, probably around September of 1972]. [ . . . ]
“This time period coincided with the Vietnam War. Through the Council of Churches, we became the assigned program for 3 conscientious objectors [COs]. They were assigned to do community service with us for two years in lieu of military induction. [ . . . ] [Per Gil in a separate communication, “The Portland Council of Churches (PCC) was an association of churches of all denominations in the Portland area. During the 1960’s, with the focus in the greater community upon Community Action Programs (CAP) to improve the neighborhood environments, and with the emphasis on ecumenical activities within the Catholic Church (an outgrowth of the Second Vatican Council), the PCC developed various XXX-CAP programs to focus the social concerns of its member churches in their immediate neighborhoods.”]
“When we opened the Drop-In, I put out a call to the Hub-CAP churches, asking for pews to furnish the center. Lake Oswego Methodist had just replaced the pews in their church, so they volunteered to donate some pews. Two of our COs went out to the church to pick them up. They found the church—apparently no one was around, so they proceeded to the church and removed 6 or 8 pews from the church and headed back to the center. We quickly received a panicked phone call from the church secretary. Seems that the guys had removed some of the new pews from the church. They returned and reinstalled the shiny, new furniture and picked up the old ones.
“I always thought it poetic that we furnished the overnight sleep center with church pews. People have been sleeping in pews for centuries—why not use them for the center? The men and women came into the center and stretched out on them and under them—instant bunk beds.
“The center was then moved [around the corner] to 3rd Avenue, west side, between Burnside and Couch [at 25 N.W. 3rd Avenue] when we lost the lease on Couch Street. This operated the same way as the previous center, but with the addition of open daytime hours. Sister Kate St. Martin had come for dinner at the Burnside Hotel one evening with another Sister companion, and from that time on she was hooked! She brought her nursing, nurturing, caring skills to the area and worked out of the Drop-In Center, the Blanchet House, and the hotel opened by Blanchet House on Couch Street called the Matt Talbot Center, just to the west of the Burnside Hotel [the two buildings abut against each other]. [. . . ]
“At the Couch and 3rd Avenue sites, the COs carried on other advocacy services for the men and women from the area. They helped the residents make contact with Social Security, SSI, VA, Welfare, Job Services and other assistance programs that offered the potential of help for the residents. [Job Services was, per Gil, a “State of Oregon job placement office that offered casual labor placements for those looking for work or for workers.”]At the time, there was no neighborhood presence for these programs. Through the work of the COs, this began to change, as some of the service organizations came into the area to meet the people on their own turf, rather than requiring the clients to come to the bureaus’ offices. This was the beginning of the services that are now (as I understand it) the chief focus of the programs in the area.
“Around 1972, the Drop-In Center moved from the 3rd Avenue site to a location on Everett Street [523 N.W. Everett Street], and became known as the Everett Street Drop-In Center [also Everett Street Service Center]. Location was on the north side of the street[ . . . ].
“I left the Downtown Chapel in February, 1972, and continued to work with Burnside Projects [of which the Drop-In Center was part] until the fall of 1973, when I left the program and went to work for the Human Resources Bureau of the City of Portland.”
[Additional information from Kate: “During the day some of the men in the Drop-in Center would socialize and play cards. I used to provide tobacco, cigarette papers, and rollers for the men there who had none.” (from Les’ story).]
[See From the Times segment Drop-in Center and Service Center/Night Shelter for additional information.]
drunk tank
Jail or other police custody unit in which persons arrested for drunkenness are kept until sober.
dry-drunk syndrome
Symptoms present in some recovering alcoholics who have stopped drinking alcohol but who have not adequately embraced the principles of recovery, such that they display their old alcoholic behaviors and attitudes (e.g. they might anger easily, live chaotic daily lives, evidence unrealistic or grandiose thinking, frequently display unacceptable verbalizations and physical actions, show unusually high levels of intolerance, indecisiveness, or impulsiveness). Dry-drunk syndrome sometimes leads to relapse back into full-blown alcoholism.
d.t.’s, the
Known formally as delirium tremens, this is a medically serious component of withdrawal from alcohol in some individuals who have become physiologically dependent on alcohol, especially those, for example, who consume heavily daily over a period of months or years and then cease or significantly reduce alcohol intake. The brain and nervous system are negatively affected, and the individual may display such symptoms as confusion, hallucinations, restlessness, tremors. The d.t.’s can lead to seizures.
[two quotes below are Kate’s words and taken from stories in the project]
“At times, when a person had been drinking very large amounts of alcohol, he would get to the stage where he needed a drink but it wouldn’t stay down. Some told me that they would swallow a raw egg to settle their stomach in this situation. It was a sad, scary situation when a person needed a drink to stave off the possibility of going into the d.t.’s, but the alcohol wouldn’t stay down.” [from Chris’ story]
“He would try to eat a little bit and slow down on the wine, but when he would get this sick the wine itself would make him sick, yet he needed it to keep from going into the d.t.’s or alcoholic seizures. It’s a terrible state when the alcoholic gets so sick that the wine is needed in order to keep going, but it won’t stay down, and the person has to keep drinking quite a bit before enough alcohol gets into their system to settle them down inside.” [from Henry’s story]
-E-
Easter
Sunday on which or period during which is celebrated the resurrection from the dead of Jesus Christ. Greatest and oldest Christian holy day.
ejaculation (religious prayer-form)
Also called aspiration, a short exclamatory form of prayer used to recall or otherwise keep the mind focused on God or other spiritual themes. Some are traditional; others composed by the individual. Examples: “O God, be merciful to me a sinner!”; “Heart of Jesus, burning with love for us, inflame our hearts with love for you!”; “Thanks be to God!”
ejaculatory prayers. See ejaculation
Emanuel Hospital
Now called Legacy Emanuel Hospital & Health Center, this hospital is located in north Portland.
enabler
Individual or system which, by its behavior or policies, allows for and in effect encourages, unconsciously or not, undesirable behavior. In the case of alcoholism, for example, a family member enables by not saying anything to an alcoholic member who is consuming alcohol; a passerby enables by giving money to an inebriated street person who then uses it to purchase a drink; a friend enables by loaning money to an alcoholic to buy food or gasoline for his car after the alcoholic has spent his food or gas money to purchase alcohol. The actions of the person who is enabling delay the consequences of the alcoholic’s behavior and thus increase the likelihood of making his or her problem worse.
enabling (behavior). See enabler
Estate Hotel
Located at 225 N.W. Couch Street, Portland, this hotel is owned and operated by Central City Concern and is transitional housing for individuals in early recovery. The Estate is across the street from what was once the Matt Talbot Center, at 222 N.W. Couch Street, where Kate volunteered many years as a nurse and many of the stories of this project take place.
Eucharist. See Mass and Communion
Everett Street Service Center. See Burnside Projects
Eye Opener (meeting)
Alcoholics Anonymous meeting that begins early in the morning (commonly between 6:00 and 7:00).
-F-
Faith and Sharing Retreat
Faith-based, gospel-focused retreat modeled after retreats begun in the late sixties by Jean Vanier, founder of L’Arche movement (see http://www.larcheusa.org/), and intended especially to include participants with disabilities and those who share life and faith with them. See also retreat (religious).
Fatima
Reference is to the reported apparitions and messages of the Virgin Mary to three peasant children near Fatima, Portugal in 1917 and to related events, believed by many to be miraculous.
feast day
Day reserved by the Church to specially honor God, the saints, and sacred events and mysteries (e.g. Easter, Christmas, Saints Peter & Paul, Pentecost, Our Lady of Guadalupe, All Saints Day). Also sometimes called a holy day.
Feast of the Assumption
Feast day on August 15th commemorating the Catholic dogma that the Virgin Mary was assumed (taken up) into heaven body and soul at the end of her earthly life.
Final Profession (of religious vows)
Commitment for life to the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, made by Sisters, Brothers, and priests of religious communities.
First Communion
Generally, reception of Communion for the first time. Most frequently refers to reception by children once they have reached the age of reason.
First Friday devotions
Devotional practice, including reception of Communion on nine consecutive first Fridays of the month and belief that successful completion brings certain special favors to the participant. Origins with St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, seventeenth century French mystic nun and the promises she claimed that Jesus made to her regarding devotion to him.
flophouse. See Holm Hotel
Foster. See Foster Hotel
Foster Hotel
Located at 216 N.W. Third Avenue, Portland, the Foster was renamed Lyndon Musolf Manor in the late 1990s. In the 1970s this hotel was low-income/affordable housing for a variety of individuals, many of whom were elderly and/or had disabilities, and the same is still the case in 2008. The Foster was one of the main hotels on Skid Road that Kate was in and out of frequently in the 1970s and 80s, visiting and helping many individuals. Below, in her own words from various stories of the project, Kate describes the Foster as it was in her day.
“The Foster was not alcohol-free at that time.” [from Frank’s story]
“This was one of the first hotels renovated in the area in the late seventies or early eighties. What they did was take two of the original sleeping quarter rooms and make them into one little apartment. Each apartment had a shower, toilet, and wash basin. There was a small closet for clothes and a little recessed area with a couple of drawers and a place where they could also hang some clothes. There was a two-burner stove without an oven, and a little cupboard above it for canned goods. Under the sink and stove was a small refrigerator. They had a table, two chairs, and a bed. These were basic furnishings, and the apartment was very sparse, but it seemed like heaven to the tenants. Most of them had come from Blanchet House, or they were individuals who had had no home, who had been sleeping under the bridge, or who, for so long, had been living in the Chicken Coop Hotel. They were now beginning to receive a fixed income or SSI; this was the first time they received an income because of age or disability, and they really were so pleased with this.” [from Henry’s story]
[A different description of a another individual’s apartment:] “The Foster Hotel is now [1986] one of the subsidized housing units operated by the Housing Authority of Portland. It was one of the first such units for Skid Road people. When it was renovated, they made small efficiency apartments. The units have a linoleum flooring and a little bathroom with a toilet, wash basin, and shower. There’s a small, two-burner stove, and, under the stove, a very small refrigerator with a small freezing compartment. There’s a sink by the stove, and a little cupboard space with a shelf and two drawers. The apartments have a bed and basic furniture (most of the Housing Authority’s units were unfurnished). This housing was a simple arrangement, but for many of the men who had only known the flophouse, or living under the bridge or at Blanchet House , it was more than they had experienced for many years. And they had their own room.” [from Carl’s story]
“You had to use a key in that [the Foster’s] elevator in order to keep street people from going up, because that hotel was much more accessible to street people than many of the other Housing Authority hotels were.” [from Ivan Miles’ story]
[See From the Times segment Housing II for more information on the Foster.]
Franciscan
Member of any of many religious orders of men and women whose way of living and religious commitments are modeled particularly on the spirituality and rule of life of (Saint) Francis of Assisi (1181?-1226).
Fred Meyer
Multi-department store chain.
-G-
Glory Be
Common doxology or prayer of praise to God.
“Glory (be) to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.”
Good Shepherd Sisters
International Catholic religious order of women founded by (Saint) Mary Euphrasia Pelletier (1796-1868), French nun. “One person is of more value than a world” is one of their guiding principles, and they “admit to a preference for those who in any way have been marginalized or left behind, anyone who has been abused or neglected, especially women and children” (quotes from Good Shepherd Sisters Web site in 2008).
http://www.goodshepherdsisters.org/
Grace at Meals
Prayer before meals invoking God’s blessing on the food and on those who will partake of it; also prayer of thanks to God after meals.
Grace before Meals. See Grace at Meals
Gresham (Oregon)
City located approximately 11 miles east of Portland, and part of Portland metropolitan area.
guardian angel, prayer to
Prayer said to one’s guardian angel, believed by many to be a spiritual being assigned by God to protect and guide an individual through life.
Gus’s Café. See Old Town Café
-H-
habit (religious)
Distinctive garb of men and women religious and priests of religious orders, with specific details peculiar to each religious order. Still worn by many, in formal traditional or in modified form; no longer worn by many others.
Hail Mary
Very common, traditional prayer to Mary, mother of Jesus Christ:
“Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.”
Harmony House
[The information on Harmony House provided below is a composite of several quotes of Kate. These texts have been pulled from various places within the project. Since available material on Harmony House appeared to be very sparse except for Kate’s accounts, it seemed more desirable and perhaps more interesting to use her own words here rather than for me to re-write a single running account using her words as the source. As a result, the transitions between quotes may not be as smooth as could have been otherwise, and the reader will experience some redundancy. The location of each quote is included at its conclusion.]
“The program was begun [in 1970 or 1971, in Portland] by a group of [three] recovering alcoholics who had received a grant to set up a simple rehabilitation program[/halfway house] for men. The program didn’t function too well at this point because not all the men worked, which meant that there was not as much money available to the house as there would have been otherwise to feed the men, keep supplies stocked, and keep the program going.
[ . . . ] [T]he Kerby Street House [ . . . ] was one of two houses that formed the Harmony House group at that time. That house has now been leveled, and the area has become part of the expansion of Emanuel Hospital.” [from Alan’s story.] [The second house was at the corner of S.E. Twentieth and Taylor Streets, northwest corner, facing Taylor. It was eventually also razed and is now a community-use garden for growing produce.]
“Harmony House is the most encouraging part of the work that I do. The program [ . . . ] consists of two houses, halfway houses for alcoholics, and the program director entered the program almost seven years ago. He is a recovered alcoholic with five years sobriety, almost five and a half years now. We have several people in the program that also have any place from one to five years sobriety. And the idea behind Harmony House, the philosophy here, is that a man can return to society, a successful way of living, happily, without the use of alcohol, a satisfying life without this. The people [men] are supposed to be self-supporting, because we feel that the work program is a very important part of their therapy. We are licensed, and we also I think have a good credibility and are highly respected from what we hear from different agencies, state and city, county agencies that help fund us. We don’t receive much in the line of funding. We are applying for some funding, because it’s difficult to run a program like this on just the income from the clients.” [from a text Kate wrote in 1977 for one of her Holy Names Sisters, who used it in a presentation.]
[By 1977, the two houses mentioned above were those at S.E. Twentieth and Taylor Streets and on S.E. Thirty-ninth Avenue, a few blocks north of Division. At some point during this general period a third house was added, in Oregon City, a town south of Portland., such that all three houses for a while were operating at the same time. In addition, yet one more house may have opened later (mid to late1980s or after this?), in Hillsboro, a town west of Portland.]
“[Harmony House initially] was only loosely organized. [ . . . ] The program in those early years consisted of house meetings, staying sober, and looking for paid employment. [ . . . ] It was a very unpretentious program. As the years passed, the government became involved with federal funding, which resulted in the inevitable paperwork and more accountability. More board members were added in time, which I too was, in addition to being a counselor and general support person. Donations used to come once in a while, but we tried to encourage the men to find a job as a means of supporting themselves and the program. They didn’t have to pay very much in rent (I think it might have been twenty or thirty dollars a week); it was very little at first, and then as times got better or the men were earning a little more, they would be asked to pay a little bit more.” [from Scott’s story]
“The program was low-key: the men were expected to go to work if they could; they had group[/house] meetings, and they met individually for counseling with some of the staff (including me at that time). The men didn’t have to come to us from detox; they could move into the House just on the basis that they were alcoholic and wanted to remain sober.” [from Matthew’s story]
“The most responsible man at Harmony House was usually selected as manager of the house. We’d take whoever had the longest sobriety and looked like he could probably manage.” [from Charlie’s story]
[Harmony House had an administrative office for a time at 2005 S.E. Hawthorne Boulevard (upstairs), which is only a few blocks from the Taylor Street house. Since at a certain point the Taylor Street house, which had been housing about nine men, no longer met the requirements for a residential facility, it became administrative offices and a place to hold board meetings, and the Hawthorne office likely closed as a result.]
“We kept all our records, files, and equipment there [referring to the Taylor Street house after it could no longer serve as a residential facility and house the men]. We used the back room as the manager’s office, the dining room as an administrative office with our records and files, and the living room for meetings and counseling sessions. And upstairs lived Steve; he was the only one holding that place down, and he was there so that the house wouldn’t be open to vandalism.” [from Steve’s story] [At whatever point Steve stopped living at the house, Kate and Sandra (one of Kate’s Holy Names Sisters) lived there for a year.]
“It is important to know that Harmony House was not an alcoholism treatment center such as De Paul Center. It was an alcohol- and drug-free environment in which everybody who was on the staff was a recovering alcoholic, and the people were expected to go to the house meeting. [ . . . ] [In the early years the men were expected to go to AA meetings. Later this requirement was relaxed in favor of just house meetings, which in effect served as a type of AA meeting.] It was a supportive atmosphere and a supportive group of individuals, and that was about the sum of it. Some of the men did very, very well; they stayed with the program long enough, they got a job, and then they supported the program by paying for their room and board at the house. Others, if they didn’t look like they were making efforts to look for or take jobs, or if they drank, would be asked to leave. It was rare that people were asked to leave if they were trying.” [from Kirk’s story]
Henry Building
Low-income housing for single adults, at 309 S.W. Fourth Avenue, Portland, currently managed by Central City Concern. See detoxification center for more on Central City Concern.
Hillsboro (Oregon)
City located approximately 15 miles west of Portland, and part of Portland metropolitan area.
HIV Day Center
Multi-service daytime center in Portland serving individuals living with HIV/AIDS whose income is low.
http://www.emoregon.org/HIV-day_center.php
Hobo Parade
The Hobo Parade, later called Homeless Parade, began in 1980, partly as a reaction to Portland’s Rose Festival Parade (see Rose Festival Parade) and the negative intersections experienced between the police and homeless individuals who would be in the same basic area as the Rose Parade and related activities, and partly to raise community awareness and understanding of homelessness and of the dignity of those who experience it. The parade included the selection of a King and Queen of the Hobos [or of the Homeless]. The parade was sponsored by the non-profit Burnside Community Council (see Baloney Joe’s), and proceeds were to benefit the charitable work of the council. The Homeless Parade was held in 1988, which may have been its final year.
Holm Hotel (also called Chicken Coop Hotel, Chicken Coop, Chicken Coop Flophouse, Chicken Coop Flop)
9 S.W. Second Avenue, Portland.
[See introductory comment for Harmony House. Same case for Holm Hotel.]
“On the southwest corner of Second and West Burnside was the Holm Hotel, with its entrance on Second Street. [There were a lot of stairs to go up.] The men in the Holm [ . . . ] did not have to be sober to stay there; they could drink and they could be drunk. While the Holm and the Western had separate street entrances, you could go through to one small area of the Western from the third floor of the Holm [the Western hotel was south of the Holm and next door to it].” [from “Beginnings” story]
“[The Holm and the Western were] . . . right across from Salvation Army [which is still there in 2008]; but, at the time I started on Burnside [1970], the Western had been closed down. When I think of it now, I realize there were fire traps that existed in some of the buildings on Skid Road at the time; you could have really gotten trapped if there ever had been a fire in one of them.” [from Randall’s story]
“The hotel was a maze of rooms, and it could be a task just to go around and know where everyone was.” [from Victor Haddock’s story]
“It [the Holm] was nicknamed “Chicken Coop” because of the chicken wire that covered the top of each partitioned sleeping space. The main purpose of the wire was for ventilation and lighting. It also prevented a man from tossing his empty wine bottle into the next partitioned space when he was finished. Each room had a door that the occupant could lock. The Holm was a flophouse where a man could stay for one night at a time, for fifty or sixty cents.” [from Chris’ story]
“He [Nate] was in a large, large room which was subdivided into smaller, partitioned, rooms with chicken coop wire over them. Some of the partitioned rooms were along the window side, and they were brighter and cost more. There was an aisle and then a big square in the middle of this large room, and that square was subdivided into small rooms. There was one little light bulb up in the ceiling of the entire space, so you can imagine how little light there was. These inside rooms were usually the kind that would be rented on a one-night basis to people who just wanted to stay a night or two; those who were there for a longer term had the outside rooms. In the early days when I first started down on Burnside [1970], the outside rooms were sixty cents a night and the others were fifty. When I’d send people to that hotel, Oliver [the manager—see Oliver’s story] would always give me the rooms for half-price or less, even much less, in spite of the fact that he took a loss on this favor. I would pay the bill, then, at the end of the month.” [from Nate’s story]
“This was one of the hotels where I could just give a man a note that said, “If you have room, will you put so and so up for three to five nights?” and they would do it. They would mark down the number of nights that he stayed, and then at the end of the month I’d pay the bill for that person and for however many others I might have sent. Oliver was very good about helping me in this way, and he gave me cut rates (which Salvation Army did not do). He reduced the rates for me, and he kept them much, much lower, even when he had to keep raising prices for others because of heating and utilities. There were no women in that hotel at all; in fact, they didn’t even let women up. But Oliver got to know me and trust me—and the fact that I was a nun I know had a lot to do with allowing me in.” [from Oscar’s story]
[See From the Times segment Housing V for photos of a typical chicken coop flophouse and of one Holm Hotel cubicle.]
holy card
Small prayer card, usually with prayer or other religious sentiment on one side and related picture on other. Used commonly to promote particular religious devotion or thought or as remembrance of deceased individual.
Holy Communion. See Communion
Holy Cross Associate(s)
Catholic volunteer organization founded by the Congregation of Holy Cross and whose mission includes “to engage lay people to grow in the life of Christ through Christian service, spirituality, simple living and community” (quote from Holy Cross Associates Web site in 2008).
http://holycrossassociates.nd.edu/
Holy Cross order. See Congregation of Holy Cross
Holy Father. See Pope
Holy Names Community. See Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary. See also Community
Holy Names Sisters. See Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary
Holy Spirit (also called Holy Ghost)
In Christianity, the third person of the triune Godhead: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Commonly associated with God’s spirit or movement within individuals, with spiritual grace, sanctification, and spiritual gifts.
Home Hotel
16 S.W. Third Avenue, Portland.
[See introductory comment for Harmony House. Same case for Home Hotel. In addition, while the Home still functions as a hotel, it is important to note that the comments below regard primarily the 1970s and the situation may be much different today.]
“At the opposite end of the block from the Holm, on the southeast corner of Third and Burnside, was the Home Hotel, which had its entrance on Third Street. The men in the Holm and the Home did not have to be sober to stay there; they could drink and they could be drunk.” [from “Beginnings” story]
“By contrast [with the Holm Hotel], the Home [ . . . ] had more stable residents and slightly larger rooms, with regular ceilings.” [from Chris’ story]
“The Home was one of several rundown hotels in the area that people could stay in for a night or two. These hotels were usually dirty, dark, and kind of smelly. Some of them, I found out later, were owned by some of the very wealthy people in Portland. The buildings had steadily deteriorated over the course of many years before any improvements were made. Perhaps the owners foresaw that these properties would later be developed for housing and business [as part of urban renewal and gentrification], and so would increase in value. I remember feeling angry when I realized that the owners were benefitting financially at the expense of poorly lit, poorly ventilated, poorly heated buildings that had been left to deteriorate.” [from Ed & Gina’s story]
“At the head of the stairs was an office and bedroom for the manager.” [quote originally from Arnold’s story but later omitted]
Hooper. See detoxification center
Hooper Detox(ification) (Center). See detoxification center
Host. See Communion
Housing Authority. See Housing Authority of Portland
Housing Authority of Portland (HAP)
“HAP is committed to providing safe, decent and affordable housing to individuals and families in Multnomah County, Oregon, who face income or other life challenges.” [quote from Housing Authority of Portland Web site in 2008]
HUD (U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development)
“HUD’s mission is to increase home ownership, support community development and increase access to affordable housing free from discrimination. ” [quote from HUD Web site in 2008] http://www.hud.gov/
Hunthausen Peace Award
Award named for retired Catholic Archbishop Raymond G. Hunthausen of Seattle, known for his efforts in the areas of peace and justice.
-I-
indulgence
A way to lessen or take away what is called the “temporal punishment” that remains for sins even after the guilt associated with those sins has been forgiven (by confession to a priest, for example). Temporal punishment is a correction, of sorts, of the consequences of one’s sinful actions. When a person steals, for example, then later asks forgiveness of the individual who was stolen from, the forgiveness (mercy) granted eliminates the associated guilt (as does the confession indicated above)but the person still needs to make reparation or restitution (justice), correcting the consequences (the temporal punishment) of his or her actions. Indulgences are a way for an individual to satisfy the temporal punishment for his or her sins in this life rather than in purgatory (see entry), or for the sins of a deceased person whose soul is in purgatory. Indulgences frequently involve prayers, compassionate actions, fasting, or almsgiving.
Irish Christian Brother
Member of an international Catholic religious order of men founded by Irishman Edmund Rice (1762-1844) for the education and care of young people, especially those poor. Also called Christian Brother.
-J-
jack-roll
To rob, often including physical harm and sometimes while an individual is inebriated. A term in common use during Kate’s time on Skid Road.
jack-roller
A person who jack-rolls. See jack-roll
J. Arthur Young Award
Award Kate received in 1970 or 1971 from the Beaverton (Oregon) Area Chamber of Commerce for her dedicated community service on Portland’s Skid Road, including work with Skid Road alcoholics and drug addicts who were from the Beaverton area. Award included a purse of perhaps a few hundred dollars. See From the Times segment Award for photo and brief article.
Jesuit
Member of an international Catholic religious order of men, formally known as the Society of Jesus, founded in 1540 by Spaniard (Saint) Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556). Jesuits are commonly associated with education and with the Spiritual Excercises which were developed by Ignatius and regard spiritual discernment and the deepening of one’s faith experience. http://www.jesuit.org/
Jesuit novice. See novice (religious)
Jesuit Volunteer. See Jesuit Volunteer Corps
Jesuit Volunteer Corps
” . . . Jesuit volunteers are called to the mission of serving the poor directly, working for structural change in the United States, and accompanying people in developing countries. The challenge to Jesuit volunteers is to integrate Christian faith by working and living among the poor and marginalized, by living simply and in community with other Jesuit Volunteers, and by examining the causes of social injustice. Since 1956 the Jesuit Volunteer Corps has worked in collaboration with Jesuits, whose spirituality the volunteers incorporate in their work, community, and prayer life. . . . ” (quote from Jesuit Volunteer Corps Web site in 2008).
https://www.jesuitvolunteers.org/
Joyce Hotel
322 S.W. 11th Avenue, Portland.
-K-
-L-
Last Chance Café
[The following quote was taken from information provided by Gil Lulay in 2008. Gil, a former Catholic priest, is Fr. Jim Lambert in this project. Per Gil, the Last Chance Café opened most probably during the last quarter of 1970 or possibly at the start of 1971, and it likely closed at the end of 1971.]
“It [the café] started as a daytime response to some of the first-aid type needs of the area residents. The most pressing need was for first-aid type medical attention. Cuts, abrasions, blisters, open sores were common occurrences with the men and women who lived on the streets. Most of these went untreated—of lesser concern to the wounded as they tried to cope with their daily struggle for survival (something to drink, to eat, a place to spend the night). There was seemingly no end to the problems that the men and women brought in off the street—some of them were very simple needs that a little time and attention could alleviate. The conscientious objectors were outstanding in their responses to these people. The café got its name from its role as a last chance source of nourishment for the clients. The staff hustled soup and sandwiches for the hungry that came to them.”
[When asked on another occasion what he meant by “last chance source of nourishment,” Gil responded with the information quoted below.]
“The meals for the residents of the area often came with a limitation or a catch. Blanchet House served breakfast and lunch only. The Portland Rescue Mission and the Union Gospel Mission required attendance at chapel before the meal. If they missed chapel, they missed the meal. If they came in, they were in for the night (if they wanted to maintain their standing with the mission.
“If you had a street life-style, time schedules and restrictive conditions were not high on a list of daily goals. Hunger was constantly there for those who were more committed to alcohol and to upward mobility (or more in need of alcohol than they were of the approval of others). They couldn’t always eat—the digestive system sometimes reacts violently to the presence of food when it has seen too much alcohol flow by. The café attempted to provide a bowl of soup (or sandwich) on the client’s schedule rather than on the kitchen’s schedule.”
[The two quotes below are Kate’s words and taken from stories in the project.]
“Another one of the fellows from the group of conscientious objectors opened what was called the Last Chance Café, which, in effect, was a meal service operation where men could get coffee and a bowl of soup (or chili, depending on the day). The Café was located on the south side of Couch Street, between Second and Third, and was below the then Burnside Hotel [Gil Lulay believes the café may also have been located for a time on N.W. Second Avenue, street level, also below the Burnside Hotel; this, in effect, would put it just around the corner from Kate’s placement of it. If this is so, the café likely quickly moved to the location on Couch Street] The men could get this meal for twenty-five cents. If they didn’t have that much money, they could pay whatever they had or use a voucher from me, which was a simple note that would allow them to get the meal free.
“My use of the space in the Last Chance Café came to an end in 1971 or 1972.” [This was when the café closed and by which time the Matt Talbot Center had opened at the end of the same block and Kate had begun to volunteer there.] [from “Beginnings” story]
“I mentioned in a previous story that at one time, in the back of the Last Chance Café, I would meet with some of the street people who would want to see me about some medical problem or other need. This was during the Vietnam War when some conscientious objectors had to put in community service. One of these conscientious objectors had opened a little space near the entrance to the Burnside Hotel and called it the Last Chance Café. Street people could get soup or chili, and coffee, and I believe bread, for twenty-five cents or less. In the back of this, in a little dark room, I had a small area to work in. It had no running water and just one light bulb hanging from the ceiling. I think I only spent time there during the lunch hour, around noon. The café itself probably didn’t last longer than a year, if that. I would simply see a few people who would come to see me. I would do things like make referrals to other services, call for transportation, and distribute simple, over-the-counter medications such as remedies for pain and colds.” [from Paul’s story]
lauds. See Divine Office
Librium
Tranquillizer used to treat anxiety, as well as symptoms of withdrawal in acute alcoholism (including the d.t.’s and seizures).
limbo
Refers most commonly to a Catholic belief held by some, but which is not part of Church dogma, that children who have died without receiving baptism (essential to salvation) go to a special place in the afterlife, where there is no suffering but which is not heaven proper.
liturgy
The many official public worship services of the Church, presided over by a priest or other representative, including, for example, the celebration of Mass; administering of baptism, marriage, and other sacraments; benediction; and recitation of the Divine Office. Often used alone to refer to the Mass.
Loaves and Fishes (Centers)
Non-profit, non-sectarian agency in the Portland, Oregon tri-county area which delivers “meals on wheels” to homebound senior citizens. Seniors who are able may also be served the meals at thirty-plus Loaves and Fishes centers.
Lord’s Prayer
Christian prayer which traces its origins to Jesus Christ.
“Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.” Sometimes added is: “For the kingdom and the power and the glory are yours, now and for ever.”
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Macdonald Center (Maybelle Clark Macdonald Center)
605 N.W. Couch Street, Portland
“The Macdonald Center fosters the sacredness and dignity of all individuals, builds community by breaking down isolation through outreach and hospitality, and provides assisted-living for low-income residents in an urban setting. Through service, education and research, the Macdonald Center raises public awareness about the challenging health and life issues faced by individuals who are homeless and poor. This work of the Macdonald Center is nourished by a faith tradition that identifies with those who are poor, isolated, and in need.” [quote from Maybelle Clark Macdonald Center Web site in 2008]
As their brochure in 2007 states, “Our award winning urban Assisted Living Facility (100% Medicaid) is the first of its kind in the nation. [ . . . ] We hope our facility will serve as a model for other urban centers.”
According to Kate and referring to the center: “Initially it was in the basement of the Butte Hotel. You would go into the basement from the street, on the north side of this building. They had comfortable chairs and a radio, television, and coffee, and mostly men would come in. It was a place to get off the streets—a drop-in center—and it was called the MacDonald Center at that time, after Maybelle. I don’t know when it transferred to the downstairs of the Downtown Chapel. And then, a little over a year ago [1992], they built the new building on Sixth and Couch. They do a tremendous service to the people with mental illness or chronic disabilities, and they still continue to give clothing and food stuffs (when available) to others who come in.” [from the interview question on the social justice involvement of the Catholic Church on Skid Road]
Macdonald, Maybelle Clark. See Macdonald Center
Madeleine convent, The. See Madeleine parish, The
Madeleine parish, The
Catholic parish in northeast Portland that for years had a convent of Sisters.
maintenance drinker
“A maintenance drinker [ . . . ] is one who has to begin his day with a drink, and who then continues drinking all day. To put it simply, a maintenance drinker is someone who lives to drink and drinks to live. When I say “drinks to live,” I mean that without the alcohol he can go into severe tremors, the d.t.’s, or an alcohol seizure.” [from Dan’s story]
maintenance drinking. See maintenance drinker
Marlene’s (Marlena’s) (tavern)
125 N.W. Sixth Avenue, Portland.
Marshall (Union) Manor
2020 N.W. Northrup Street, Portland.
Mary
In the context of this project, the mother of Jesus Christ.
Maryknoll Sisters
International Catholic religious order of women founded in the United States in 1912 by Massachusetts-born Mary Josephine Rogers(1882-1955), religious name Mother Mary Joseph. “Maryknoll Sisters are committed to crossing boundaries, whether cultural, social, religious, geographic or economic to proclaim the Good News of the Reign of God.” “After handing over most of our schools, hospitals, and other institutions to local lay leaders, we work in smaller numbers in more places and in non-structured ministries such as basic Christian communities, adult education, leadership training, teaching English in China, fostering income-generating projects, and working with people who live with HIV/AIDS.” [both quotes from Maryknoll Sisters Web site in 2008]
Marylhurst
When Kate uses this term she is referring primarily to the convent and main administrative offices of the Oregon province of the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary (her religious order), located at Marylhurst, Oregon, about ten miles south of Portland. The immediately surrounding grounds contain The Christie School (a psychiatric residential treatment center for children founded by the Sisters); Mary’s Woods (a retirement community developed by the Sisters); and Marylhurst University (founded by the Sisters in 1893).
Maryville Nursing Home
Senior care facility in Beaverton, Oregon, opened in 1963 by the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon and still operated by them in 2008. This is the same religious order of women that Kate first joined in 1935, at age fourteen.
Mass
Primary act of worship of the Catholic Church, celebrated daily. Also called the Eucharist. Among its many components are Penitential Rite (acknowledgment of one’s sins and asking God’s pardon); Gloria (hymn of praise to God); Liturgy of the Word (readings from Old and New Testaments of Bible); sermon; Creed (profession of faith); Liturgy of the Eucharist (during which consecration of the bread and wine occurs); reception of the Eucharist (the consecrated bread and wine); and dismissal or sending back into the world to do good.
Mass in Time of AIDS
A Mass that especially welcomed those who were HIV-positive or had AIDS. Begun by a local Catholic priest, the Mass was originally held at Koinonia House (also called Campus Christian Ministry at the time, at Portland State University). It transferred to the then nearby HIV Day Center (see HIV Day Center) in southwest Portland and finally to St. Stephen Episcopal Church. This special Mass was held approximately once a week from about the late 1980s until 1996 or so.
Mass of Healing
A Mass at which those who are in need of healing come forth for special prayers and support.
matins. See Divine Office
Matt Talbot (the hotel/center). See Matt Talbot Center
Matt Talbot (the person)
Matt Talbot was born in Ireland. He was an alcoholic who sobered up “cold turkey” with the help of a friend of his who was a priest. He died in 1925 on his way to Mass, which he attended daily because he believed that it gave him the strength he needed in order to stay sober. He has served as a model for may recovering alcoholics since. The case for Matt Talbot’s canonization (declaration that he is a saint) is in progress, and the title “Venerable,” conferred on him by the Church in the 1970s, is a step in that process.
Matt Talbot Center
[Located at 222 N.W. Couch Street, Portland, the center opened in 1971 and closed in March or later of 1981. After a fire in Matt Talbot on 1/13/1977, which damaged part of Kate’s office there, she temporarily worked out of the Estate Hotel across the street until the center was repaired and reopened.
The quote below is from the story Beginnings.]
“In order to take care of the tenants who were displaced when the Western Hotel was closed, a group of individuals that was involved with Burnside Projects secured use of some space which eventually became the Matt Talbot Center.
“This space was located on the southeast corner of Third and Couch, above the Old Town Café (which used to be called Gus’s Café). At the opposite end of the same block, on Couch and Second, starting on the second floor, was the Burnside Hotel ( which is where La Patisserie coffee house is located currently). The Burnside Hotel and the Matt Talbot Center together took up the entire side of the block between Second and Third Streets on Couch, above the storefronts.
“The space for Matt Talbot Center was very old, and in terrible—just ungodly—shape. You cannot believe the awful shape it was in. They fixed it up and turned it into low-income housing for the men. And by low-income housing I mean two and a half dollars a week, fifty cents a day, or, if the occupants couldn’t pay that much, nothing. The occupants would have to remain sober in order to stay there.
“Sean Simons was, for a short time, the first director of Matt Talbot, and Brother Eric Hobbs , a Jesuit, came on the scene soon after.
“It was when Eric came that the name of the center was chosen. Matt Talbot was a man who lived in Ireland. He was an alcoholic who sobered up “cold turkey,” and he served as a model for many other alcoholics. He also attended daily Mass because he believed that it gave him the strength he needed in order to stay sober.
“Eric got a couple of volunteers from the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, and other volunteers, to work there. Matt Talbot Center was good for many of the younger occupants—I’d say those between twenty and thirty-five years of age. They did well there, let me put it that way. They received guidance and counseling. There wasn’t a recovery program in place exactly, but the men were required to stay sober and not to smoke pot (which wasn’t quite as prevalent as it is now). [Kate states in Esteban’s story that for men who relapsed and were asked to leave the center it wasn’t too difficult to get back in once they quit drinking.]
“After the building was renovated, a little room on the second floor was set up to serve as both a clinic and a social service room for me when my use of the space in the Last Chance Café came to an end in 1971 or 1972.
“The clinic had a shelved storage unit for over-the-counter medications and other medical supplies. There was a desk, and there were several chairs. Eric later had a wash basin installed, which was helpful for dressing changes, among other things. Sometimes there would be so many people waiting to see me that Eric decided eventually to put a bench in the hall outside the clinic for people to sit on while waiting their turn. I had a phone. And Eric had a small seven- to eight-inch hole cut in the wall (low on the wall where the phone line came in), so he could hear me calling through in case of an emergency—if I needed help quickly with one of the men, for example, or if I felt threatened.
“Such was my office. The room was simply provided to me; I never had to pay anything for rent.
“I had a lot of over-the counter medications donated—usually in the form of samples—from such places as drug stores and sales people. I also used my ministry funds for medications and medical supplies that were needed.
“People would come up to see me every day—between twelve and fifteen people on some days. Some would come for dressings and other nursing services, some for appointments with local health clinics, some for housing, transportation, money, cigarettes, clothing—you name it. It became a place of many services for the people. I functioned partly as nurse there, partly as social worker, partly as counselor. My services at Matt Talbot were on a volunteer basis.
“That was the last little downtown clinic/office that I was in, except for a temporary place across the street in the Estate Hotel after there was a fire in Matt Talbot in 1980.”
Meals-on-Wheels
Any of many programs nationally (not always called by this name) that deliver prepared meals to individuals who are unable to prepare meals for themselves for various reasons (e.g. age, disability, convalescence).
Milwaukie (Oregon)
City located approximately 6 miles south of Portland, and part of Portland metropolitan area.
ministry
In the religious context in which Kate uses the term, to serve God by serving others.
mission
Organization, often faith-based, that offers help to the needy, commonly food, clothing, temporary shelter, employment assistance. Also called rescue mission. Examples in Portland are Union Gospel Mission, Portland Rescue Mission, Salvation Army.
missionary work
Charitable or religious activity performed in a foreign country, often with the intent of putting one’s faith into practice or of evangelizing.
modified habit. See habit
Morning Offering
Traditional prayer said in the morning, soon after rising.
“O my God, I adore you, and I love you with all my heart. I thank you for having created me and saved me by your grace, and for having preserved me during this night. I offer you all my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings of this day. Grant that they may be all according to your will and for your greater glory. Keep me from all sin and evil, and may your grace be with me always.”
mortal sin
Mortal sin is sin of such a serious nature that the life of the soul ends, as does the relationship with God of the individual who commits the sin. Mortal sin, as all sin, is forgivable.
mother house (religious order terminology)
In the context of the present project, the building housing both the local superior and the administrative offices of Kate’s religious order, located in Marylhurst, Oregon.
Multnomah County Detoxification Center. See detoxification center
-N-
night shelters
[The following quote is from Todd’s story.]
“During the1970s there were several night shelters that existed. They served as a place to sleep. In the beginning the people slept on the floor; later on they slept on small cots that were low to the floor. And there were times during the approach of cold weather when new sleeping bags would be distributed to people to use and keep.
“These shelters had some requirements such as when people could come and when they would have to leave. In the earlier days they didn’t necessarily have to be sober, but they did have to take responsibility for their behavior; if their behavior was disruptive, for example, they would be asked to leave.
“Some of these shelters also provided refuge from the elements during certain hours of the day, and sometimes there were staff people who provided information and referral services.”
Northwest Pilot Project
Begun in 1969 in Portland, was and still is major advocate regarding issues of homelessness, housing, and seniors.
http://www.nwpilotproject.org/
Northwest Tower(s)
Low income housing facility located at 335 N.W. 19th Avenue, Portland.
novena
Private or group devotion involving nine days of prayer for a special intention or occasion. Often includes Mass and/or Benediction. A rosary novena involves praying the rosary as part of the novena.
novice (religious)
Individual admitted to a religious order for a probationary period of training and supervised formation before taking vows.
novice mistress
Nun who directs the training and formation of novices.
novitiate
Both the period during which novices are trained and formed for religious life and the place where novices reside.
nun
Member of a religious order for women, typically living life in community and adhering to the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. Also commonly called Sister.
-O-
Oak Apartments
333 S.W. Oak Street, Portland.
obedience, vow of. See vow
OHSU. See Oregon Health Sciences University
Old Town. See Skid Road
Old Town Café
32 N.W. Third Avenue, Portland.
Formerly Gus’s Café (at least between 1970 and 1975), this café was located at street level, below the Matt Talbot Center. Beer and wine were served in both cafés, and it was not uncommon for men from the area to get inebriated there. In 2008 it is a tavern.
“on Burnside.” See Skid Road
Operation Nightwatch
Located at 522 S.W. 13th Avenue, Portland, and begun in 1981, “Operation Nightwatch is an ecumenical night ministry of friendship and community for the street population of downtown Portland.” [quote from Operation Nightwatch Web site in 2008] http://www.operationnightwatch.org/
[The quote below is from Wayne’s story.]
“When I was working at De Paul Center, a man came down from Seattle to talk to me about Operation Nightwatch, a hospitality ministry which had been founded or co-founded by a Jesuit. The man who came to see me was involved with the program in Seattle and was interested in setting up a similar program in Portland. He asked about possible locations, and ultimately a program was set up in a building storefront on Southwest Thirteenth, between Washington and Alder, across from the De Paul Center building. Mort Lincoln became the first director. On Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, between 8:00 p.m. and midnight, homeless people from the streets, or residents from the hotels in the area, would be welcomed for hospitality; this service was for any of these who cared to come in. Coffee and sandwiches would be served, card and table games would be played, and once a month they would have a movie and popcorn. At that time, Nightwatch was staffed by volunteers who served one day a month; I used to serve on Thursdays.
“Operation Nightwatch was set up for basically nighttime hospitality. During cold weather, as many as one hundred individuals might pass through in an evening. I think people came in as much for the coffee and the warmth as for anything else.
“Part of the program was a street ministry outreach that involved two volunteers who would walk the streets and talk to people they saw in groups or in taverns. If they met any emergencies of any sort, they would call detox, an ambulance, or the police, according to the need. This outreach was a caring presence on the streets.”
Oregon City (Oregon)
City located approximately 12 miles southeast of Portland, and part of Portland metropolitan area.,
Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU)
Located at 3181 S.W. Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, and now called Oregon Health & Science University, this institution “is the state’s only health and research university. OHSU’s fundamental purpose is to improve the well-being of people in Oregon and beyond. As part of its multifaceted public mission, OHSU strives for excellence in scholarship, research, clinical practice and community service” [quote from OHSU Web site in 2008]. http://www.ohsu.edu/ See also County Hospital.
Oregonian, The. See The Oregonian
Oregon Journal
Now defunct Portland daily newspaper.
Our Father. See Lord’s Prayer
Our House. See Our House of Portland
Our House of Portland
Residential care facility in southeast Portland providing services to individuals with HIV/AIDS. In addition, a wide variety of services is offered off site to those who are living with HIV/AIDS and are in various stages of independence, including help with more affordable access to food, clothing, personal care items, and other goods associated with living independently and managing a household. http://www.ourhouseofportland.org/
Our Lady of Grace
One of many honorary titles given to Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ. Derived apparently from the story of the Annunciation in the gospel of Luke, when the angel greets Mary with the words, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”
Our Lady of Guadalupe
Title given to Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, who is reported to have appeared to a Mexican peasant in Guadalupe, Mexico, in 1531. Among other things associated with this reported event are a shrine of widespread pilgrimage, the construction of a very large basilica, and a famous icon of Mary mysteriously imprinted on the peasant’s cloak.
-P-
Passion of Christ. See Stations of the Cross
periodic drinker
Individual who engages periodically in drinking binges involving excessive and uncontrollable drinking. Periods between binges may be as short as a week or as long as years, may involve controlled drinking or no drinking at all, and during them the individual may function normally in all aspects of living.
periodic drinking. See periodic drinker
pope
Supreme leader of the Catholic Church, elected by the cardinals of the Church and serving for life. Considered by Catholics to be the successor to St. Peter, the apostle believed to have been appointed by Jesus Christ to be the Christian church’s first leader after Christ’s death.
Pope Paul VI
Leader of the Catholic Church from 1963-1978. His papacy spanned the majority of the Second Vatican Council and initiated the challenging implementation of the council’s decrees in the contemporary world.
postulant
Individual who has taken the first step toward becoming a nun, brother or similar, and who spends time exploring his or her vocation to the religious life with the particular religious order (e.g. Franciscan, Dominican) to which application has been made. See novice (religious), which would be the next step.
poverty, vow of. See vow
priest, Catholic
Male individual who, upon receiving the sacrament of (Holy) Orders from a bishop, officiates at worship services, administers the sacraments (e.g. baptism, Eucharist), and performs various other duties in the name of the Church. Among the two classifications of priests, diocesan priests serve the specific diocese for which they are ordained; they do not generally live in community, and they make a promise to their bishop to be celibate (not to marry). By contrast, religious order priests serve their religious congregation (e.g. Jesuit, Franciscan) in whatever place and in whatever work they are assigned. They make vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience within their religious community
Professed Sister
Nun who has made her final (for life) profession of vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience and has been fully received into her religious community.
Providence (Portland) Medical Center
Catholic hospital located in northeast Portland.
Provincial (of a religious order)
Member of a religious order who provides general supervision over the communities of religious of the same order living in a given province or geographical area.
Public Inebriate Program. See Public Inebriate Project
Public Inebriate Project
Nationally funded grant program initiated in the 1970s in Portland to address the issues of and relationship between homelessness and chemical dependency in an effort to find solutions to both in Portland and Multnomah County.
purgatory
In Catholic teaching a place or state of final purification of those souls of the dead who will reach heaven, achieving final union with God, but only after a period of final cleansing of human imperfection that was not achieved during their earthly life. See indulgence, “temporal punishment”
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religious (noun)
Member(s) of a religious order (nun or sister, brother, friar, monk, priest).
religious community
Religious order. Also specific local religious community one lives in. Kate’s current Community, for example, is the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, and the first Community she belonged to was the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon. Term is used also as an adjective (e.g. community living, community life, meaning living a communal life with other members of the same religious order).
religious house
Convent, monastery, priory where religious live and pray in community.
religious life
Way of living of religious order men and women.
religious novice. See novice (religious)
religious order
Group of men or women living under a religious rule (plan of life and discipline), living in community, professing the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, and whose organization is approved by appropriate Church authorities.
religious order priest. See priest (Catholic)
retreat (religious)
Time for withdrawing from one’s everyday living world to a quieter place where one can deepen and re-energize one’s spiritual state through any of several means (self-examination, meditation, individual and group exercises, prayer, Mass, sacrament of reconciliation [confession], guest speakers, discussions with a spiritual director, etc.). Retreats can be private or group and can last anywhere from a few hours in the local parish hall to a weekend or even thirty days (Thirty-day Retreat) in a formal retreat house or center in another part of the city or another town. Group retreats commonly are organized around a theme.
retreat house. See retreat (religious)
retreat master. See retreat (religious)
retreat, thirty-day. See retreat (religious)
Rich Hotel
Located at 205 N.W. Couch Street, currently low-income housing for adults and managed by Central City Concern (see detoxification center for information on CCC). The Rich is across the street and at the opposite end of the block from the once Matt Talbot Center where Kate volunteered as a nurse for 10 years.
Rocky Butte Jail
Located at 9755 N.E. Hancock Drive, Portland, this Multnomah County jail closed in 1983 to make room for the I-205 freeway, and its operations were moved to the then newly constructed Justice Center in downtown Portland.
“When visitors arrived, they had to explain who they were and why they had come. [ . . . ] The jail had a line of about twenty booths with phones, at which visitors would sit to talk with the person they had come to visit. Visitors would have to sit right beside each other. There was thick glass between the visitors and the inmates, and all parties would be talking through phones. The connections were very, very poor, and this was made worse by the fact that you could hear the persons to the right and to the left of you all the while that you were trying to hear the person you had come to see.” [from Dan’s story]
Roman collar
Stiff white neckband worn by priests (and other clerics) as part of their public attire, commonly seen in combination with a special black clerical shirt.
rosary
Perhaps the most common devotional prayer of Catholics, prayed to and in honor of Mary (mother of Jesus Christ), using a string of beads for counting the various prayers said during recitation. Consists primarily of saying the Apostle’s Creed followed by set combinations of Hail Mary’s, Our Father’s, and Glory Be’s, and including recalling briefly various events and mysteries in the lives of Jesus and Mary.
rosary novena. See novena and rosary
Rose Festival
Hundred-year-old festival held in Portland, Oregon every June. Among the large variety and number of activities taking place over the course of almost two weeks is the nationally recognized Grand Floral Parade, the festival’s signature event, including a court of queen and princesses selected from area high schools. http://www.rosefestival.org/
Rose Festival princess. See Rose Festival
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sacrament
Christian liturgical rite involving an outward (physical, sensible) sign or action believed to communicate God’s grace (love and spirit) and sanctification to the participant’s soul and to have been instituted by Jesus Christ during his earthly ministry. Catholics accept seven sacraments: Baptism, Eucharist, Confirmation, Reconciliation (commonly Confession), Anointing of the Sick (formerly Last Rites or Extreme Unction), Matrimony, and Holy Orders (ordination of deacons, priests, and bishops).
sacristy
Room in a church, usually close to the altar area, where the priest vests for services and in which are stored vestments, sacred vessels, and other items that are used in liturgical services (e.g. Mass).
saint
Any individual who has died and is now in heaven experiencing eternal life with God, whether declared to be a saint by the Catholic Church (canonized) or other body, or not.
Sally McCracken Building
532 N.W. Everett Street, Portland. Currently owned and operated by Central City Concern and offering Section 8 housing (see detoxification center for more on CCC; see Section 8 Housing).
Salvation Army
The site located at 30 S.W. Second Avenue, Portland, is the site Kate was familiar with and went to often.
“The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.” [quote is mission statement from Salvation Army’s USA Western Territory Web site in 2008]
http://www1.usw.salvationarmy.org/usw/www_usw.nsf
Founded in England in the last half of the 19th Century, this international organization operates many services, some of which are emergency disaster services, social services, adult rehabilitation services, emergency shelters, group homes, transitional living centers, provision of emergency food.
“After I began going down to Blanchet’s soup line , I would afterwards walk down to the Burnside Hotel and Salvation Army to talk to some of the men there.” [from “Beginnings” story]
Saturday Market (Portland)
Located below the access ramp of the west end of the Burnside Bridge, “The mission of the Portland Saturday Market is to provide an environment that encourages the economic and artistic growth of emerging and accomplished artisans. Central to this mission shall be to operate a marketplace. That marketplace, and other market programs, shall honor craftsmanship, design innovation, marketing ethics, and authenticity of product.”
“Every Saturday and Sunday from March until December the Old Town/Chinatown neighborhood transforms into a thriving arts and crafts open-air marketplace.”
[quotes from Portland Saturday Market Web site in 2008]
Sauvie Island
Located approximately ten miles northwest of Portland, at the junction of the Willamette and Columbia Rivers, the island is known for its large wildlife area, fresh produce, and recreational activities.
School of the Americas
Renamed in 2001 the “Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation,” this U.S. Department of Defense facility is a combat training school for Latin American soldiers and is located at Fort Benning, Georgia. The facility is highly criticized by many, including Kate, for the participation of many of its graduates in human rights violations against their own people.
Second Vatican Council
Twenty-first general council of the Catholic Church, from 1962-1965, convened by Pope John XXIII and concluded by Pope Paul VI, in which more than 2,500 bishops and other clergy from throughout the world participated. Put simply, the purpose of the council was to renew the Church, modernize its institutions and forms, and promote unity among Christians. The council produced sixteen major documents, which, among a large variety of other topics, included the unification of all Christians, greater participation of the laity in Church life, and the relationship between the Church and the modern world.
Section 8. See Section 8 Housing
Section 8 Housing
Referring to Section 8 of the 1937 U.S. Housing Act, this federal housing program, operated by the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD), provides financial assistance to qualifying low income renters and homeowners.
seminarian
One who is preparing academically and spiritually to receive the sacrament of Holy Orders, thereby becoming a priest. Most typically refers to diocesan (not religious order) clergy.
Serenity Prayer
Part of a larger prayer attributed to Reinhold Niebuhr, though the origin of the piece quoted here is debated. Adopted in modified form by Alcoholics Anonymous and, in this project, associated with that organization.
“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.”
Service Center (Everett Street Service Center). See Burnside Projects
severe tremors
“Severe tremors are usually the sign of impending d.t.’s or alcohol seizures; when someone has severe tremors, he or she needs either medication or alcohol to prevent going into the d.t.’s or alcohol seizures.” [from Dan’s story] [see also d.t.’s and alcohol seizure]
Sister. See nun
Sister of St. Mary. See Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon
Sisters of St. Ann(e)
Canadian religious order of women whose primary focus is on education and healthcare.
http://www.sistersofsaintanne.org/bc/mission.htm
Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon (SSMO)
Religious order of women, founded in 1886 and based in Beaverton, Oregon, having a focus on education and health care. This is the order which Kate joined in 1940, and with which she became a Sister in 1946 and remained until 1975. In 1975, she made formal transfer to the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, the order to which she still (2007) belongs. It was at Maryville Nursing Home (in Beaverton), founded and still operated by the SSMO, where Kate sharpened her interest in nursing starting in 1969, eventually becoming a registered nurse in 1969. It is that same year in which Kate has her first experience serving men from Skid Road who would come for treatment at the county hospital where she was gaining additional nursing training.
Sisters of the Holy Names. See Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary
Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary (SNJM)
International religious order of women founded by Marie Rose Durocher in 1843 in Montreal, Canada. Their primary mission regards education, defined broadly, with a strong social justice component. They founded and operate Marylhurst University, a few miles south of Portland, and St. Mary’s Academy (high school) in Portland. This is the order Kate transferred to in 1975, after more than twenty-five years as a member of the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon.
http://www.snjm.org/EnglishContent/homeeng.htm
Skid Road
Term applied to many logging areas in the Pacific Northwest of the 1800s, including Portland, Oregon, which areas were characterized by skidways, or roads made of railway ties, logs or the like, which would allow logs from felled trees to be moved by sliding them along the skidways from where they had been felled to the point at which they would be loaded for transportation to their next destination. In Portland, West Burnside Street was one such skidway which extended from the forested west hills (which were apparently barren from logging at one point) all the way down to the Willamette River. The part of this area that was close to the river was inhabited by loggers and by many individuals who were down on their luck or destitute, transient, alcoholic, or day laborers who lived in inexpensive nearby lodging or flophouses, around which were also bars, brothels, liquor stores and the like.
Skid Road is defined geographically differently by different individuals. For the purposes of this project, it refers primarily to the area from N.W. Glisan Street to the north, to S.W. Pine Street to the south, and from the Willamette River to the east, to Broadway Street to the west. However, in terms of downtown Portland generally speaking, the project stretches south to S.W. Morrison Street and west to S.W. 14th Street. In both cases, Burnside Street traverses the area, dividing it north from south. See map at start of book.
The phrases “in the Burnside area,” “on Burnside,” and “down on Burnside,” as used in the project, refer to the Skid Road area delineated above and to Burnside Street.
When Skid Road began undergoing gentrification and urban renewal in the 1980s, the area north of Burnside and a small section south of Burnside came to be called Old Town/Chinatown. The term “Skid Road” is no longer in use to refer to these areas, except in historical retrospects. As evidenced in various pages of the project, many publications from the 1970s and 1980s use the term “Skid Road.” For more on Old Town/Chinatown, see http://oldtownchinatown.net/
Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVDP)
International non-profit Roman Catholic lay organization founded in France in 1833 by twenty-year-old Frederic Ozanam. and named after Vincent de Paul, a saint renowned for his work with the poor. Various Catholic parishes in the United States commonly have parishioner volunteers who form their own local chapter of SVDP and provide outreach services within their parish, perhaps most notably in the areas of food and clothing distribution to the needy.
On a national level, some of the many services provided by the St. Vincent de Paul Society across the United States and listed on their national Web site in 2008, include: food programs; emergency financial assistance; emergency transportation; disaster relief and victim services; rent/mortgage assistance; shelters for the homeless; and abused; assistance for victims of AIDS, substance abuse, and crime; thrift stores; free pharmacy services; employment services and job training; GED programs; homemaker services; budget counseling; nutritional education; youth programs; prison ministry and halfway houses for ex-offenders; burial of the indigent. http://www.svdpusa.org/
Spirit, the. See Holy Spirit
sponsor (for Baptism and Confirmation)
Individual who acts as witness and commits to support the faith journey of another individual at the latter’s baptism and/or confirmation
SSI. See Supplemental Security Income
St. Andrew’s (St. Andrew Parish)
The parish, in northeast Portland, of which Kate is an active member and in whose church she worships regularly.
http://www.standrewchurch.com/
stasis ulcer
Breakdown of the skin on the leg that develops because of poor blood circulation. Can be slow and difficult to heal, develop into an open sore or ulcer, and become infected.
Stations of the Cross
Devotion involving praying in front of and meditating on pictorial representations of fourteen particular moments in the last sufferings of Jesus Christ, from his condemnation to death to the laying of his body in the tomb. Each scene is most commonly presented separately in the form of pictures or statuary that hang from the interior walls of a church; sometimes the scenes are in the form of small shrines in a garden setting outside. Especially common during Good Friday of Holy Week. Related in origins to the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem, the street along which Jesus walked with his cross on the way to his death and on which many Christians believe the fourteen moments took place. Also called the Way of the Cross.
Stewart Hotel
127 S.W. Broadway, Portland.
St. Francis Outreach
“Outreach in Burnside is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization serving the disabled poor in Portland’s Old Town Chinatown neighborhood. [Old Town/Chinatown is the very same geographical area as that in which the stories of this project take place.]
“Sister Maria Francis began this work in 1982 under the name of St. Francis’ Outreach. We incorporated in 1986 as Outreach Ministry in Burnside, and use the simpler Outreach in Burnside as our business name. All of these reflect our work and commitment to people with multiple disabilities live independently with dignity.
“Most Members of Outreach live with dual diagnosis, a combination of addiction and mental illness. Some have dementia, brain injuries, or developmental disabilities. Most have been mandated to have a representative payee to manage their money, mostly from Social Security or the VA.
“Outreach has never had government funding, nor direct ties to any denomination. Its strength comes from literally hundreds of individuals who support Outreach. Our daily operations are conducted by a small, dedicated team of six persons, three full-time and three part-time, who uphold the dignity, respect and health of the Members, and function as a community that is family.” [quote from Outreach in Burnside Web site in 2008] http://www.aracnet.com/~omib/
St. Mary of the Valley (School)
At the time that Kate entered the convent, the term “St. Mary of the Valley” referred to a large complex in Beaverton, Oregon, operated by the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon, that included a convent, mother house, grade school, high school, and boarding school. http://www.ssmo.org/
St. Philip Neri Church
Catholic church in Portland, at S.E. Eighteenth and Division streets.
St. Vincent de Paul Society. See Society of St. Vincent de Paul
Superior (religious)
Person who governs and has authority over a local or larger religious community. May exercise authority over just an individual house of religious.
Superior General (of a religious order)
Highest ranking official in a religious order, having authority over all provinces and individuals of the order.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
Income provided by the federal government to qualifying low income individuals who are elderly or have one or more disabilities.
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Taft Hotel
Located at 1337 S.W. Washington St., Portland., this was low-income housing, including for individuals with disabilities and who are elderly.
The Oregonian
A Portland, Oregon daily newspaper.
Tom McCall Waterfront Park
Public park greenway in downtown Portland situated along the Willamette River. The east end of the Skid Road area of this project flanks the park.
Transition Projects Inc (TPI). See also Burnside Projects
Located at 475 N.W. Glisan Street, Portland, TPI has been in operation since 1969, originally under the name Burnside Projects Inc. “The mission of Transition Projects is to serve people’s basic needs as they transition from homelessness to housing.” [quote from Transition Projects Inc Web site in 2008]
Twelve-Step meeting. See Twelve-Step Program
Twelve-Step Program
Originally an alcohol addiction recovery program based on the “Twelve Steps” of Alcoholics Anonymous. The steps are listed here because alcohol addiction and recovery play a significant role in the grand majority of the stories of this project.
Step 1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol — that our lives had become unmanageable. 2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. 3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him. 4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. 5. Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. 6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. 7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings. 8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all. 9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. 10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it. 11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out. 12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
A Twelve Step meeting is a meeting based on the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous and whose purpose ultimately is recovery from addition, whether from chemical dependency or any number of other addictions.
See also Alcoholics Anonymous and http://www.aa.org/]
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Union Gospel Mission
15 N.W. Third Avenue, Portland.
“Since 1927, Union Gospel Mission has been ‘Feeding the hungry, restoring the addict and loving our neighbor…’ Union Gospel Mission was founded by 40 area churches to assist the needy and hurting in Portland. Today, Union Gospel Mission remains true to that vision through offering meals and Christian outreach to the homeless and needy and providing addiction recovery [ . . . ].” [from Union Gospel Mission Web site in 2008]
University of Oregon Hospital
Part of Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, and not to confuse with the County Hospital (also part of OHSU) to which many indigent men from Skid Road were referred by Kate. See County Hospital, and Oregon Health Sciences University
University of Portland
Catholic university in north Portland, founded and run by the Congregation of Holy Cross religious order.
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VA. See Veterans Administration
Vatican II. See Second Vatican Council
veil (religious)
Distinctive head covering of many women religious. Made of fabric and not covering the face, a veil is part of a religious habit and is of specifications peculiar to each religious order. The wearing of veils (and habits) is now optional for many Sisters.
vespers. See Divine Office
Veterans Administration
VA or U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. http://www.va.gov/
veterans check
Monthly pension or disability compensation check from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for qualifying individuals.
Veterans Hospital – Portland
Located at 3710 S.W. US Veterans Hospital Road, Portland, and now called Portland VA Medical Center, this institution is connected by sky bridge to Oregon Health & Science University (see glossary entry) with which it also shares staff.
Virgin Mary
The mother of Jesus Christ.
Voice of the Faithful
“Voice of the Faithful (VOTF) arose in 2002 in response to shocking revelations in the life of the Catholic Church: widespread clerical abuse of children; silence of clergy in the face of known or suspected abuse; and the moral, governance and pastoral failures of Catholic bishops in response to abusers and survivors alike. In the face of such breaches of trust, VOTF emerged from the determination of Catholic laity to find their voice and to claim their proper role in the governance of the Church.” VOTF’s stated goals are: “To support survivors of clergy sexual abuse, To support priests of integrity, [and] To shape structural change within [the] Church.” [quotes from Voice of the Faithful Web site in 2008]
http://www.voiceofthefaithful.org/
vow (of a member of a religious order)
Solemn and binding promise made to God, deliberately, freely, and publicly. In the context of this project, the reference is to the three vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience (also called the Evangelical Counsels) that are made by men and women religious. The primary intended result of taking and remaining faithful to one’s vows is to come closer to God than the individual would otherwise. Poverty involves basically forsaking ownership of all property (which is owned instead by one’s religious Community). Chastity is basically forsaking marriage and children, as well as deliberate commitment to chaste living. Obedience is basically commitment to obey one’s religious superior.
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Washington Plaza Apartments
1129 S.W. Washington Street, Portland.
Western Hotel
Southwest Second Avenue, Portland., between Burnside and Ankeny, abutting south side of Holm Hotel. See also Holm Hotel.
“Adjoining the Holm [Hotel, which was located at 9 S.W. Second Avenue, and to the south of the Holm] [ . . .] was the Western Hotel. The Western had been closed before I arrived on Skid Road because it could not meet city codes. It was later remodeled and [. . .] used for low-income housing. While the Holm and the Western had separate street entrances, you could go through to one small area of the Western from the third floor of the Holm. Brent, who was the night clerk of the Holm, occupied this small area. At the time I began on Burnside, the lower part of the Western was occupied by gypsies. They often stood in the doorway as an invitation to have one’s palm read.” [from “Beginnings” story]
“The Western [ . . . ] was later renovated with studio apartments for low-income housing. You had to be admitted by someone releasing the lock. The four floors opened onto a courtyard that was open to the sky and uncovered. This open area was surrounded by walkways on all four sides that led to the rooms. You could look up to the open sky or down to the level below.” [from Nick’s story]
Westside Health Clinic (Center)
426 S.W. Stark Street, Portland. Part of Multnomah County Health Department. Provides low cost, sometimes free healthcare services to low income populations, including homeless individuals. Operates large HIV clinic.
White City
Town in southern Oregon, about ten miles from Medford, and location of the VA (Veterans Administration) Southern Oregon Rehabilitation Center & Clinics (formerly the VA Domicilliary).
“The VA Southern Oregon Rehabilitation Center & Clinics (VA SORCC), as VA’s only free standing Rehabilitation Center, serves as a regional and national resource for underserved special populations, e.g., homeless, chronically mentally ill, and substance abuse, providing quality residential treatment in psychiatry, addictions, medicine, bio-psychosocial, physical and vocational rehabilitation. [. . .] ”[excerpt from mission statement of VA SORCC Web site in 2008]
http://www1.va.gov/directory/guide/facility.asp?id=146&dnum=ALL&map=1
[following quote from Todd’s story]
“A lot of the men from the street used to go down there during the winter months because they would have a bed and meals and it would be better than the streets. The domiciliary was like an old soldier’s home; I mean, this is the way they used to refer to it. It was like a nursing home or a retirement home, where a veteran could go for help and rehabilitation; and, in those days, if they had the room, he could stay. I don’t think there were requirements other than that he wanted to be there and he wouldn’t drink. They later put in a detox unit and an alcoholism treatment program of some kind, encouraging the men to go to AA and things like this; but before this, if a person started drinking, they would ask him to leave and give him a ticket back to wherever he had come from. Also, Veteran’s [the VA] used to pay for a man’s ticket to go there if he wanted to go but didn’t have the funds, which was the case a lot of times if he wasn’t yet drawing a pension or disability. I believe that those who received a Veteran’s income gave up part of it while they were there, because they were getting their room and board free. I don’t know what the capacity was exactly, but I think they could accommodate quite a few hundred men. They had every activity for these people: crafts, games, films, entertainment, even a golf course (but they did not have a swimming pool). The men slept in kind of alcoves—areas partitioned off, but not up to the ceiling. They had a bed, a stand, and a chair. They had to have army neatness—you went through the facility and everything was just shipshape. They had a hospital for those who were ill. A lot of people there were in wheelchairs, were disabled, and a lot of them were older.”
Willamette National Cemetery
Located at 11800 S.E. Mt. Scott Boulevard, Portland, this is a veterans’ cemetery operated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Willamette River
Major Oregon river flowing approximately 187 miles from Eugene in the south through Portland in the north and emptying into the Columbia River.
wine sores
Infected areas on the skin of alcoholics thought to be due primarily to a combination of prolonged nutritional deficiencies and poor hygiene practices rather than to the wine itself.
“With the men’s heavy drinking and lack of protein, they develop what are called “wine sores.” The capillary system is so fragile that it doesn’t heal easily. The sores become deeper and deeper with infection, and they may scab over.” [from Nate’s story]
“Anybody who got an infection and was drinking a lot would be malnourished, wouldn’t have enough protein, and usually would be slow to heal. If he had a cut or a wound or an ulcer on his leg, for example, it would become deeply infected, and the wine sores (as they were called) that developed would scab over and not heal underneath; he would think the sores were healing because they weren’t open or draining.” [from Casey’s story]
World AIDS Day Mass of Healing
A Mass held on World AIDS Day, December 1st, at which those who are in need of healing—especially individuals with HIV disease or AIDS—come forth for special prayers and support.
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