Shepherd’s House Ministries is using their Project SHARE (Shepherd’s House Aid & Relief Effort) van to assist unhoused people during the heat wave engulfing Central Oregon.
The van provides necessary resources: water, food, clothes and even rides back to the organization’s cooling facilities.
Tyrel Hilliard utilizes services offered by Shepherd’s House and says it’s the place to go for your basic needs.
“It means my life honestly because I’ve come close to dying from the heat a few times out there. So this place has saved me more times than I can count,” said Hilliard.
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The van will visit well-known unhoused camp locations including Hummel Road, Juniper Ridge, China Hat Road and more.
“We were out engaging a few of the folks that call Juniper Ridge their neighborhood, their home,” said Evan Hendrix, Assistant Director of the Light House Navigation Center run by Shepherd’s House. “We were able to get around to a few of the encampments and visit some folks and check in and see how they’re doing, specifically with the heat wave.”
The SHARE van will be making trips more frequently with a newly hired driver, Tim Ellis, and temperatures reaching 100 degrees and higher.
The Shepherd’s House cooling centers in Bend and Redmond are open from 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
The Bend locations are on 275 NE 2nd Street in Bend and 1854 NE Division Street, and the Redmond shelter is at 1350 S. Highway 97.
