Former staff from White Bird Clinic's shuttered Front Rooms department have started their own homeless services in downtown Eugene.
RAVEN—or Radical Assistance for Vulnerable Eugene Neighbors—provides food, clothing, and social support four days a week outside First Christian Church.
Jeremiah Perry-Weed said he and four other Front Rooms employees founded the group after they lost their jobs in December. He said it didn't feel right to drop clients he had built trusting relationships with.
“Coming back to see these people that I've worked with for years and years has been really cool," he said, "[to] stay in their life as a supportive force."
Perry-Weed said RAVEN is a space to continue teaching Front Rooms' strategies for engaging with unhoused communities. He said staff have been passing down their wisdom and experience for decades, but those could've been lost after December.
While RAVEN is currently entirely volunteers, Perry-Weed said they're working to obtain non-profit status. One day, he said the group may have its own mail service program for homeless clients.
"Right now, we're just trying to keep our our relationships with our partners and our clients until we can hopefully do something more substantial," said Perry-Weed. "Be the way Front Rooms was."
Meanwhile, White Bird continues to provides meals and supplies at its main building, but with reduced hours. The clinic's Executive Director, Jeremy Gates, said it's also accepting new clients for its mail services, which were formerly housed at Front Rooms.
In an email to KLCC, Gates said he was pleased that another group was providing complimentary services on weekday mornings, a time when White Bird no longer hands out regular meals.
"Clients receiving services and connection is always great news to hear," wrote Gates. "No matter when and where they receive them."
RAVEN receives financial support from community partners and public donations. On Saturday, the group is hosting a benefit concert at Viking Brewing in Eugene.
