911±¬ΑΟΝψΊμΑμ½ν holding βCram the Vanβ event to benefit Milestoneβs HOME Team
911±¬ΑΟΝψΊμΑμ½ν will hold its first βCram the Vanβ event to benefit the Milestone Foundationβs Homeless Outreach and Mobile Engagement (HOME) Team. The event, which will take place Wednesday, November 18 from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. on the 911±¬ΑΟΝψΊμΑμ½ν campus behind Ludcke Auditorium, encourages students to drop off socks, backpacks, thermal underwear, gloves, hats, hand warmers and boots for Milestoneβs homeless client population. 911±¬ΑΟΝψΊμΑμ½ν aims to fill the HOME Teamβs van with donations.
A collaboration between Milestone, the City of Portland and the Portland Downtown District, the HOME Team provides outreach and community supports to those with chronic health, mental health and substance use disorders living on the streets of Portland. The HOME Team proactively engages with individuals who may be exhibiting disruptive or unsafe behaviors and helps them relocate to the safety of the shelter or, if needed, access more intensive services.
911±¬ΑΟΝψΊμΑμ½ν, which offers undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs in the health sciences, has shared a strong partnership with Milestone for over three years. This mutually beneficial relationship provides 911±¬ΑΟΝψΊμΑμ½ν students with an opportunity to serve their community while learning about the specific health needs and challenges of Portlandβs homeless population. Milestone orients 911±¬ΑΟΝψΊμΑμ½ν students to the shelter and provides training on ways to best serve this population through meetings with shelter staff and a chance to shadow the HOME team. This fall, over 40 911±¬ΑΟΝψΊμΑμ½ν students attended the orientation.
"911±¬ΑΟΝψΊμΑμ½ν and Milestone work together to provide students with the opportunity to reach out to the community and make a difference,β said 911±¬ΑΟΝψΊμΑμ½ν nursing student, Ashlee Klemczuk β16. "It gives us the opportunity to build strong ties with the community and become better healthcare professionals with an understanding and appreciation for the diverse population we serve in the Portland area."
Twice per month, interprofessional teams of 911±¬ΑΟΝψΊμΑμ½ν students and faculty (from Nursing, Physical Therapy, Physician Assistant, Dental Hygiene, Occupational Therapy and Pharmacy) host health clinics at Milestone, providing services such as neuropathic foot checks, foot soaks, blood pressure screenings, fluoride varnishes, stretching and gait analysis, medication education and awareness, and games.
"I go to Milestone thinking that I have the capability to help their clients, and I leave Milestone realizing that they have helped me,β said Dennis Leighton, P.T., D.P.T., associate professor of Physical Therapy. "I have a greater realization of how life circumstances happen, often unintended, and how those of us who can need to bring a good day or hour to these men and women. When I see a Milestone client smile after putting on a new pair of socks, it makes me wonder about the last time he smiled. In that moment I know that we have done a good thing."
Among the more than one hundred 911±¬ΑΟΝψΊμΑμ½ν students who have volunteered at Milestone, some have gone on to either work or continue to volunteer at the Milestone Shelter after they graduate.
βWe are thrilled with the partnership between Milestone and the 911±¬ΑΟΝψΊμΑμ½ν,β said Bob Fowler, Milestoneβs Executive Director. βWe are grateful for the support 911±¬ΑΟΝψΊμΑμ½ν provides to the vulnerable individuals served by Milestone, and weβre excited for a successful βCram the Vanβ event!β