Real estate brokerage, whether commercial or residential, is centered around people.  Although I’ve only been working alongside my colleagues at FCRE for seven months, I’ve seen first hand their natural desire to enrich the lives of both our clients and other community members as a whole.   Our boutique brokerage office is located in the heart of downtown Salem for this very reason.  Enrichment of lives, and a community as a whole, comes with a responsibility to step into opportunities to serve, learn and expand our mindset - through volunteerism, Board service, pro-bono services or financial giving.  A population of our community in dire need of enrichment is the houseless neighbors in Salem, Oregon.  I’m not writing today to discuss the who or why, but rather to provide an opportunity for a mindset shift - at least to describe one that we were able to experience. 

Church at the Park is one of our local non-profit that works to serve the unsheltered of Salem through strategically managed micro-shelter communities.  These micro-shelter communities provide temporary transitional housing for the unsheltered who are then connected with wrap-around services through their team and other providers in our community.  The services provided more often than not provide a pathway to guests becoming self-sustaining with permanent housing.  

Last week Josh Kay and I were invited to join the leadership team from Church at the Park at a symposium at Community First! Village in Austin, Texas.  We invited two developer friends, Charles Weathers and Bryce Petersen, plus my 16-year-old son, Nolan, to fly to Austin to experience a 51 acre planned urban development in real life.  We stayed in their onsite inn which consisted of camping trailers and tiny cottage bunkhouses for two nights and our team of 13 from Salem spent Saturday learning at a symposium hosted by the leadership team and founder of Mobile Loves and Fishes who built and manages the Community First! Village. 

The founder, Alan Graham, started the non-profit 25 years ago reaching the unsheltered of Austin through his food truck, Mobile Loves and Fishes.  He learned the greatest need amongst the population he was serving was the lack of positive community.  Phase 1 & 2 of their community hosts 370 tiny homes, including some 3D printed concrete homes sponsored by industry innovator ICON.  All neighbors (aka residents) are required to pay rent and abide by the community and civil laws in this true example of an affordable housing community.

The Core Belief of Mobile Loves and Fishes is that the single greatest cause of homelessness is the profound catastrophic loss of family.  In nearly every circumstance, the loss of family also means the loss of a safety net that may otherwise provide an opportunity for support to prevent a person from falling into a lifestyle of homelessness.  

They believe that housing alone will never solve homelessness, but Community will.  One could argue that the unsheltered have community amongst themselves, however, we’re talking about a greater and healthier sense of community.  The village has built community by: 

• Inviting community volunteers into the village;

• Partnering with external organizations for expertise in mental and physical health needs;

• Try to recreate the family unit to allow them to feel known and loved. 

Their vision is not an unrealistic quick fix, but rather to empower communities into a lifestyle of service with the homeless. They do this by providing food and clothing, centered around a core development, enabling them to cultivate community and foster dignity to their homeless brothers and sisters in need.  Through their mission they specifically set out the following goals: 

• Transform the way people view the stereotypes of those who find themselves homeless;

• To reconnect the homeless to self, family, and community;

• Help the chronically homeless rediscover and utilize their God-given talents to do purposeful work.

My takeaway from the experience was the relentless focus of the founder and organization to realize their vision of empowering the community into a lifestyle of service with the homeless.  Understanding the impact they can create with their space and service allowed them to have a single-minded focus on service.  We have several amazing organizations including, but not limited to Church at the Park, UGM, Community Action Agency and many faith congregations working to bring solutions to these issues through their services and collaboration.  

After the symposium we toured downtown Austin and visited Blanton’s Art Museum at the University of Texas.  I was inspired by the painting - Le Blesse [The Wounded], 1930, Eugene Berman.

The painting depicts the biblical parable of the Good Samaritan.  The nocturnal scenes of two figures aiding a third, illuminated by a brightly lit doorway and it left a profound imprint on my heart after experiencing the way Community First! Village serves their neighbors. The Bible story’s message to “love your neighbor as yourself” resonates with the core value of service of our team at FCRE.  

I’ve been challenged, and will carry this deeper understanding first into my home, then next into my professional and volunteer work with the intent to inspire hope and encourage a perspective-shift towards our unsheltered neighbors and the fact we may not be able to solve homelessness, but rather can inspire members of our community into a lifestyle of service with the homeless.  

How can we collaborate to create a peaceful and healthy community where everyone can thrive?

Helpful resources on this topic: 

• NY Times article on Community First! Village - In depth explanation of their planned development. 

• Church at the Park - local non-profit serving the beloved through managed micro-shelter communities.

• Salem Union Gospel Mission (UGM) - Men’s and Women’s shelter

• Mid-Valley Community Action Agency - Assistance for low-income community members.

• United Way of the Mid-Willamette Valley - Recently broke ground on tiny home development for Salem seniors.

• Catholic Community Services - Partners with Church at the Park to provide land for a family micro-shelter community.

THE PLUG
Listing of the Week

The Robertson Building is located in Downtown Salem and sits adjacent to the Capitol Mall. Its proximity to existing government and institutional users make it a pragmatic opportunity for those users who are seeking professional office space in the State’s Capitol with large floor plates available that provide flexibility in space planning and occupancy, at scale not previously available in the marketplace.

This is the largest office vacancy in the entire Willamette Valley and the first time since the initial constriction that this property has been available for lease – providing four entire floors of turn-key professional office and public meeting spaces. The building has undergone extensive upgrades to its systems and infrastructure in recent years. The building is also fully sprinkled, ADA accessible and up to government occupancy standards.

Have questions? Click here to learn more.

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
Get Ready for RainFest 13.0 

Salem Leadership Foundation’s most exciting event is almost here.

Last year, the brave RainFesters were greeted by the threat of snow in the morning, but it was merely(!) freezing cold, windy and wet. The 37 golfers persevered as we worked our way around the goopy links. The following Saturday, another 18 golfers endured the ‘long drive’ (pun intended) to Hillsboro to whack 100 golf balls at TopGolf (so fun!). Two great RainFest events under one RainFest umbrella.

Together, both groups (with help from 626 friends) raised a total of $132,415 for SLF’s 50+ partnerships in the neighborhoods. This brings the 12-year RainFest fundraising total to just over $1 million — ACE!

Have questions? Click here to learn more.