The Time Had Come

"Quietly they pack up their few belongings. Not saying a word to each other or those forcing them to go.
"The 'cleaners' are threatening to take an old persons walker. An old mans cart. A back pack because they are on the sidewalk next to my house and the sidewalk was posted. They threatened me with the cops. I moved my home and he told me to move it again he is going to cause me problems.

"Silently the homeless move down the road. Small groups and single people breaking off going in different directions. No communication. Just a sense of loss. A sense of defeat and anger. Shoulders slumped and heads down. They keep walking trying to just remember why they even bothered to wake this morning. Each one lost in their own thoughts their own devastation. Finally they look up and see how far they have come only to realize that even as far as they have come they will only have a few hours rest if that. They set down their heavy loads and Finally look at one another realizing that not a one of them can keep moving. The time had come for them to make their stand. It was time to stand and fight. No more flight."

-L. Karen Burch, living in an RV on the streets of Portland, watching her friends in tents be forced to move, even though their spaces were clean and on public sidewalks

Sweeps Kill: New Podcast

Here's a new podcast of Nowhere to Lay His Head!

This month I interview... myself (well, I talk for a while) about how sweeps kill and how I worked this last year to try to get the city to stop killing sweeps.

Anyway, here's the podcast:

http://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/id/4904050#sEMBQwzEx5DQqkAz.01

And here's some articles confirming my actions this year:

Forgotten Realms: the beginning

Arrested in Gresham for speaking out for the homeless

Camp Serenity

Ending Camp Serenity

Sweeping 500 off of the Springwater Corridor

Trial dismissed

Fire at Forgotten Realms

5 Reasons Why Portland's Safe Sleep Policy Didn't Work

The Safe Sleep policy of Charlie Hale’s administration came to an abrupt “sunset” on August 2.  This ended an idea in which the city and the homeless might come to an agreement as to how public land, including sidewalks, might be utilized for sleeping. It came in a package with other stated benefits for the homeless, including storage for possessions, intentional campgrounds with porta potties and sanitation pick up.  Charlie Hales ended the policy, implying that the homeless didn’t follow through on their part of the deal.  There were more complaints than ever about trash, open drug use, tent fires and general chaos.

I agree that the Safe Sleep policy didn’t work, but I would add that it was never given the opportunity to work.  That the homeless were never included in process of making this policy a success.

1.  The policy wasn’t communicated well to the homeless

The mayor’s office created a half-sheet flyer which was intended to communicate to the homeless and advocates the details of the policy.  Unfortunately, it was filled with policy language and it was better understood by the police and policy makers than by those it was supposed to be communicating to.   For communication to the homeless, a writer used to working with homeless citizens should be used, so that the concerns of the homeless might be addressed.  The policy was communicated clearly to only a few homeless citizens, especially those placed in city-approved locations.  All others were forced to guess what exactly the policy meant. 

2. The policy wasn’t organized well

Homeless citizens, like every citizen of Portland, need certain shelter and certain possessions during the day as well as night.  Many of them cook their own food and live relatively independently.  The policy kept homeless citizens from their possessions during the day.  But even so, there was only two places for homeless citizens to keep their possessions during the day, and they were only accessible to a tiny minority of them.  There was insufficient sanitation pick up. 

If the mayor’s office had listened to the groups working with homeless camps, as well as they worked with lawyers, policy makers and the police, they would have understood the needs and the variety of locations of homeless citizens throughout the metro region.  They would have known what the lifestyles of the homeless really were and would have been able to draft a policy that would have been realistic for their homeless citizens and not just the idea of a single man with a backpack.

3. "Safety" had too many exceptions

Because the policy was enacted by the mayor’s office, there were many areas in Portland that were swept because they were outside the influence of the mayor.  Certain bureaus, ODOT, Metro and other agencies felt no requirement to follow the mayor’s policy.  Clean and Safe, who is contracted with the city through Central City Concern to clean up camps in the downtown area continued to sweep without halting.  Because there was no clear indication where the Safe Sleep policy was enforced, the homeless didn’t know where they could go to participate in it. 

4. The policy depended on volunteers to enforce it

The city only had a few employees to communicate with the homeless, and the police, not being social workers, didn’t see it as their job to communicate the mayor’s policy, so the city depended on a number of unfunded agencies to communicate the policy to the homeless.  Boots on the Ground, an organization of homeless advocates, would receive a list of homeless camps who were not in “compliance” and they would be told to re-organize the camps or else the camps would be swept.  Boots and other agencies and homeless communities were on hand to move the homeless to city-designated spots when there were too many complaints about them in one area.  And when they were set up in a designated spot, these agencies were also told to organize the camps and to keep the peace. If an area didn’t have a sanitation pick up, the volunteer organizations were asked to pick up trash.

Although these organizations did what they could, they did not have the staff to connect with the dozens of camps they were asked to organize.  They were not even given gas reimbursements, let alone with any funds to hire more staff, or to provide porta potties or trash bags.  The city drained these organizations without providing anything but more work to do.  Eventually the resources of the volunteer groups were reduced and they were no longer able to assist the city.

5. The policy was measured by public support

In the end, the measure of success of the policy didn’t depend on how well the homeless complied to the policy, but on the reduction of complaints to the city about the homeless.  The one area that the policy did succeed was in giving the homeless the false impression that they didn’t need to hide anymore.  The mayor’s office didn’t, and still does not, understand that homeless citizens to be acceptable to many of their housed neighbors, they would have to be hidden.  As long as they saw people sleeping in tents, there would always be some who assumed that defecation, trash, drug use came with it.  So the complaints increased, but there wasn’t confirmation that most of the complaints were realistic. 

There were many camps that were filled with trash and had needle caps.  But for the most part, the camps were never told, “You could stay here if you would just keep it clean.  Here are trash bags.  Fill them and set them on the side of the road and they will be picked up.” 

It is interesting, that the Safe Sleep policy did make one major difference among homeless citizens.  Many more of them clean up.  They get trash bags wherever they can and clean up their space.  They know that it is a basic requirement of them living in their space.

Many camps did major clean up.  But because the camp next to them did not, it was assumed that they were all the problem.  If an area of camps are swept there was a lot of “trash” left behind.  But that is the consequence of sweeps.  People have to leave essential possessions in a hurried sweep.

If the Safe Sleep policy were built with homeless leaders, if it were better communicated, if the city had paid workers to enforce it in a friendly and helpful way, if the policy were given more time to enact social change among the homeless population, despite public complaints, it would have worked.  As it stands, it is an example of poor government planning.

An Open Letter to Portland/Multnomah County Officials

As a housed resident and taxpayer of Multnomah County, I would like to stand up and be counted as one who supports the homeless. It is not enough to eventually provide enough housing. It is not enough to make plans to get enough shelter. Right now, the citizens who happen to be without four walls and a roof are being abused by officials from various agencies.

I would like Multnomah County to be the first county in the United States to declare that we will not be party to the abuse of our homeless citizens. We will not tell them to move unless we give them a place to go. We will not verbally abuse our homeless, and openly reprimand our officials that do. We will not take the possessions of the homeless, unless we have given a 72 hour notice, like we require of renters who lapse in their payment.

We must not assume that our homeless are criminals, transients, lazy or the cause of the major ills of our society unless we have evidence that an individual does display such characters. We must not move our citizens around as if they were piles of garbage that no one wants around.

Let's treat our homeless as human beings. People who need help. Not just some walls to hide them, but caring people. Let's be a city that cares as much about our poor citizens as our wealthy ones.

Let's make this happen for those on the street right now.  Let's not wait.

The Mundane Crisis

A few years ago, I was at a meeting about emergency crisis preparedness and I spoke to a Red Cross worker, who had been trying to prepare different communities for the different regions.  He didn’t know who I was (and I still can’t remember his name), but I asked him, “What is the number one emergency crisis that could hit Multnomah County?”  His response was, “The emergency crisis that Multnomah County faces every day is homelessness… but I don’t think that’s what you are asking.”  It wasn’t, but it should have been. 

Recently, the mayor of Portland and Los Angeles declared homelessness an “emergency crisis”, but we have lived with this crisis for such a long time, we don’t have the drive to get ourselves worked up for it.

If an emergency, such as an earthquake or hurricane hit our county and left four thousand people homeless, it would make headlines across the nation.  Yet the four thousand people who are homeless make no headlines at all.  But we should recognize that homelessness has all the hallmarks of an emergency crisis, without a dramatic event.

92 percent of all homeless women have been physically or sexually assaulted.  (National Resource Center on Domestic Violence, http://www.vawnet.org/applied-research-papers/print-document.php?doc_id=558 )

90 percent of all homeless men and 100 percent of all homeless women suffer from PTSD (Australian/New Zealand Psychiatry  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11127626 )

Those who experience homeless are a third to a fourth more likely to die young.

(Care of the Homeless, University of Tennessee Health Science Center) http://www.aafp.org/afp/2014/0415/p634.pdf

Those who experience chronic homelessness cost the public between 30 and 50 thousand dollars per homeless person per year.   (US Interagency Council on Homelessness-- http://usich.gov/population/chronic)

Let's be certain about one thing: Homelessness is a severe crisis.  People's lives are on the line.  Let's take it with the seriousness it deserves. 

The Six Point Plan to End Homelessness

Daniel Hong, Jose Serrica, Michael Withey and others in Portland have presented to the Mayor of Portland a six point plan to end homelessness.  I think that this is a significant approach to actually accomplishing the goals of Portland to end homelessness.  The one-track approach of trying to get some of the homeless housing, even the most needy, has not worked.  A less expensive, multi-faceted approach is necessary.  Here is their proposal, as found on Facebook "The Six Point Plan to End Homelessness":

Homeward Bound, otherwise known as the "10 Year Plan To End Homelessness" has failed. Non-profit corporations that were paid to put themselves out of business, could not bring themselves to do so. Tens of millions have been squandered on new buildings that temporarily help few, while real solutions are offered at no charge to the public and are quickly put to an end by City government or members of the homeless industry.

One case that immediately comes to mind is Right 2 Dream Too. This small "camp" hosts up to 80 individuals nightly at no cost to the city. This "camp" has saved Portland tax payers millions of dollars in emergency room visits, legal costs, etc. More importantly, it saved lives. Unfortunately, R2DToo is fined over $1200/month because no good deed can go unpunished. Another case in point would be the new "Bud Clark Commons" Building. At it's initial cost of $40 million, there could be housing for 2,750 individuals in self sustainable, community supportive "Eco-Villages." Bud Clark no longer allows showers or laundry past 2:00pm due to budget cuts.

While some may wish to stay on the street indefinitely, most do not. The public typically will see the "chronically homeless man" and think that that is the face of homelessness. Most do not see the family living in a van or the women that just lost her home to foreclosure, sleeping on her daughters couch. This segment of homeless do not want to be seen but they do want to be helped. We all need to ask ourselves, what would I do if that was my sister or my brother? Would you care enough to get involved then?

With the help of the homeless community, homeless advocates and the general public, this document was formed. You will find within this document, some of the answers to the issue of homelessness.

Here are some ideas to ponder:

1. Eco-Villages

Small communities that are self sustaining already exist in Portland, Oregon, successfully. Homeless advocates have been working hard to bring their plans to fruition, lacking only the support of our city government and members of the homeless industry. These Eco-Villages are our least expensive and most favorable option for a long term solution.

2. Americorp Relief Camps

Americorp comes in after natural disasters to bring immediate relief and temporary housing. Federally funded and volunteer run. Relief camps would offer all of the things that you would expect including lodging, meals, laundry, storage, employment assistance, educational assistance, counseling, ect. etc. Those staying at a relief effort would have a case worker that would actively participate in securing the needs of client, with the end goal of permanent housing. I would like to remind everyone that Americorp is a Federal program and the Federal Government should by all means, be utilized whenever possible for it's vast amount of resources.

3. Rest Stations

A "Rest Station" is a place in which one would erect a tent in which to sleep, from dusk till dawn. While at a Rest Station one would not be allowed to consume alcohol or drugs. One would not be allowed to roam or visit with others. One would be there to sleep and only to sleep. Rest Stations could be located throughout the city in "Low Key" areas so as not to disturb residents or business. Rest Stations would be monitored by security officers.

4. Existing Buildings

City or privately owned buildings could be transformed into housing using volunteers and donated building materials. Millions of tax dollars would be saved on construction costs.

5. Campgrounds

City or privately owned land could be leased and a permit to operate a campground could be granted. A fee could be charged to residents that would cover costs including security. Dodge Park is a camp ground operated by Portland Parks and is closed to the public between October and May. This park should be made available to a responsible entity that can guarantee that the park will remain in its pristine state and that this camp be a safe, clean and cooperative environment.

6. Day Centers

A "Day Center" would serve the immediate needs of a person experiencing homelessness by providing vital services that one would need to be able to become gainfully employed. One would have the ability to shower, store their belongings and be assisted with job searches.

Another service that would be offered at a "Day Center" would be Education. Volunteers would assist with enrolling those desiring a GED, collage courses and vocational training through Pell Grants and all other types of financial assistance.

I fully support this proposal.  As an advotate of the homeless in East Multnomah County I've been talking about the need of a multi-faceted approach for years.  This proposal comes the closest I've seen to the desires of the homeless that I have spoken to.

I have two suggestions beside the six proposed above:

1. The distribution of street-ready mobile homes made to attach to bicycles.

2. A campaign to Multnomah County home-dwellers and especially police officers to treat the homeless as fellow citizens and not criminals, so as to reverse the trend of dehumanization.

In order to follow the outcome of this, or to support this proposal, please follow their Facebook page. 

Permitted To Be Nowhere

The cities of Multnomah County are like a lot of other cities throughout the United States.  They like to look like they are helping the homeless when they are actually oppressing them.

According to The Oregonian,  the owner of some private property has decided that he would temporarily allow the homeless to camp on his unused property in downtown Portland until he sells it.  "I'm willing to let them out of doorways," says Michael Wright, pointing out the benefit to the community.


The city of Portland, however has a problem.  There is no permit for it, they say.  And no one is allowed to camp, not even on private property.  Of course, that is the city ordinance.  That camping outdoors without a permit is illegal in Portland.  Remember that when your kids decide to camp in your backyard.

Or, perhaps, the activists of Occupy Portland should be informed as well.  They have been camping in public areas, not just private.  I want to make it clear, I am not opposed to protest.  I am opposed to the city's hypocrisy.

Or let's take Gresham.  There is at least two police officers, on city time, that have been going to homeless camps and ripping up their tents, sleeping bags and tarps.  They are vandalizing private property.  This is nothing new to the homeless in Gresham.  Those that lived on the Springwater Corridor would have their personal possessions ripped up and thrown in a dumpster by a county paid official.  Or there is the camp under a bridge in Gresham that came back to find their possessions thrown into a pit and burned up.

Many of the homeless are given tickets by a variety of Gresham police.  These tickets are sentences to leave Gresham and not come back.  Yes, they aren't binding by a court, but some homeless just follow it so as not to cause more trouble for themselves.  Many homeless claim Gresham as "home" and have no where else to go.

Okay, okay.  The homeless get the idea.  They aren't wanted here.  Somehow they are considered criminals just for living outside and trying to survive.  Look, if you can arrest them for drug use or for violent activity, no one is really complaining.  But the fact is, the homeless are being targeted as criminals because of what they don't have, not what they do.  They don't have four walls and a roof and that makes them criminals.

Oh, sorry, the camp in downtown Portland on Mr. Wright's property DOES have walls.  Made out of doors.  The City of Portland says that it is not according to code and must be torn down.

Look, here's the point.  You don't want the homeless to be hanging around on the streets?  THEN GIVE THEM A PLACE TO GO!  It is not enough to deny someone a place.  A body takes up room and space.  The cities of Multnomah County have basically denied the homeless the right to exist.  Can this really be legal?

The city of Portland just built a facility that houses 130 homeless and shelters no more than a hundred more. Where are the thousands of other homeless supposed to go?

Let's be completely frank.  The majority of homeless in Multnomah County have lived in the county since before they were homeless.  They became homeless here.  This means that these homeless are our responsibility.  We cannot deny them the right to exist.  The right to sleep.  The right to live.

We must work on a plan to live with the homeless because they aren't going anywhere.

Applied Bible Passages

You have heard that it was said, "Do not oppress the poor." But I say to you, if you have as much as voted for one who 
would kill an innocent person, then you are complicit.


Iraq Body Count


Afghani Civilian Deaths in 2011


 If you take a poor man's tent or sleeping bag or coat, even in the name of a government, that poor one will cry out to Me and you shall be homeless and helpless. For what else are they to keep warm in? (Exodus 22:22-27)

God takes his stand among the judges, police and council members. "How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? Vindicate the mentally ill and homeless, do justice to the afflicted. Rescue them out of the hands of the wicked, those who are willing to harm the ill and pitiful for the sake of themselves."(Psalm 82)

‎"The outcry against them is very great. I shall go down and see if they have done according to the outcry, and I will know if it is true"

The Bud Clark Commons

Pretty, isn't it?  It's the Bud Clark Commons, and it is a fine-looking addition to Portland's downtown area.  It has a day shelter, a 90 bed shelter and a hundred and thirty single resident apartments.  Those hundred and thirty apartments went to the most needy homeless residents of Portland, mostly to folks who struggle with both mental health issues and addictions. This has been and is a noble project. The idealism and care for the most needy is truly inspiring. 

What is also inspiring is the price tag.  Altogether, it cost the city fifty million dollars to build it.  I don't know how much it will cost to maintain it, but that's got to be a pretty penny.  The city plunked down 29.5 million dollars for it and they obtained other grants for the balance.  *Loud whistle*  That's a chunk of change. It must show how much Portland cares about homelessness. 

That's certainly what Steve Rudman, Excecutive Director of Home Forward said:  "This new building underscores that homelessness is at the forefront of our community's priorities. We are excited to be part of the solution that continues the city's momentum towards ending homelessness."  

Hmmm.  That's interesting.  The goal of the city is to end homelessness?  And this is part of the solution?  Wow, that's really generous of the city.  So their goal to end homelessness is to provide housing like this?  That's great.  However, that comes with quite a price tag.  

In Multnomah County, according to the latest street count, there were 4655 people sleeping on the street or in shelters on January 26.  Of course, there are less people homeless in the winter than in the summer when people don't feel as guilty putting family members on the street, but let's just work with that figure.  If the city was going to spend as much money on all the homeless as they did on the 220 people they just provided housing and shelter then that would be... $1,057,955,815.  A billion fifty eight million dollars.  That's more than half of Portland's annual budget.

That doesn't seem rational, especially in these times of tight budgets and frugal spending.  This must not be Portland's plan to help the homeless, to provide them all with housing.  Perhaps what Steve Rudman said is completely accurate: Homelessness is a focus of the city, not the actual population of homeless people. 

I suspect that the Bud Clark Commons wasn't developed at the request of homeless people.  Frankly, homeless folks are pretty frugal as a group. If the city were to ask them-- the actual people who are homeless, not the "experts" on homelessness-- how to help the homeless, they would have gotten a lot of answers.  "Tell the police to leave us alone," some would have said.  Others would say, "Get us jobs."  Some would say, "Let us have our own space to build up and to keep secure."  Perhaps some of the less thrifty would say, "Rent us all apartments."

However, not a single homeless person would say, "Spend fifty million dollars on a facility to house 220 of us."  

The Bud Clark Commons only makes sense if you take actual the actual homeless population of Portland out of the equation.  It seems like a great opportunity for the city to show that the city of Portland has the issue of homelessness as a focus.  But more than 95 percent of the homeless population aren't touched by the fifty million dollars spent.

I think next time the city wants to spend fifty million-- heck, even 29.5 million-- dollars on the homeless, they should get together the leaders of the various homeless communities in Portland (yes, there are leaders), and create a series of project that could help literally thousands of homeless folks.  When we see that happening, perhaps I would believe that Portland is actually interested in helping the homeless instead of just creating an expensive facade of care. 

Vital Statistics: A Summary of Portland's 2011 Street Count

Some facts from the “2011 Point In Time Count of Homelessness in Portland/ Multnomah County, Oregon”

All statistics reflect the state of homelessness on January 26, 2011.  This doesn’t give an accurate overall picture of homelessness in Multnomah County for many reasons, but the three primary reasons are:

-January is one of the lowest counts of homelessness of the year

-It is very difficult to find all the homeless.

-Many homeless ask not to be counted

Even so, this count is important because it gives a general idea of homelessness in the county, it is helpful in comparison to other cities and it helps us see the trends of homelessness.

To read the full report, please go to this link and download the free file

The Statistics:

2,727—People counted who are sleeping on the street or in vehicles or in shelters on the night of January 26.

1,928—People in temporary transitional housing on that night.

35—The percentage of increase of families who became homeless since 2009

751—Homeless children

9—The percentage of increase of homelessness since 2009

12—The percentage of veterans who are homeless

More than half of those living on the street were living on the street two years ago.

The count in East Multnomah County (East of 182^nd) increased to 92 from a single individual in 2009. (A personal note: this is because of the participation of the day shelter programs in East County)

11- Percentage of homeless in all of East County (East of 82^nd), where services for the homeless are scarce.

46—Percentage of homeless that have been homeless for more than 2 years

69—Percent of homeless that have been homeless for more than 1 year

52—Percentage of the homeless who have lived in Multnomah County for more than 10 years.  However, the majority of the general population of Oregon do not originate from Oregon.

101—Increase of beds in shelters from 2009

53—Percentage of the homeless in shelters who are a part of a homeless family

37—Percentage of homeless women

35—Percent of homeless woman affected by domestic abuse

46—Percent of communities of color (non-white) on the street.  In the general population, 29 percent are communities of color.  African Americans and Native Americans are more represented on the street than other groups.

"Jesus Was A Bum" "Some thoughts on Homelessness"

Two excellent poems from Street Roots, a local street paper in Portland:

Jesus Was A Bum
by Tobiah Tillman

Where do we find Jesus son this cluttered earth?
AS a bastard child He was in His birth.
Born out of wedlock, (gasp) Oh my God!
Destined to be struck down by Satan's rod.

Who was this half man that you follow?
His flesh you eat and His blood you swallow.
Did you know He was homeless and dirty?
Did you you He didn't live much past thirty?

A man born a fugitive to a crazy empire.
He called himself lliving water not holy fire.
A man of love, not a man of hate.
Sacrifice and suffering was this man's fate.

He washed our feet, we spit in His face.
We erected a Wall-Mart in providence place.
We worship the offering and forget the Lord.
When I got to His house I fall asleep bored.

We worship a man who hung out with whores,
And kicked it with lepers, healing their sores.
Did you know Jesus was just a simple hobo?
Yeah? Well how many of them do you actually know?

"Some Thoughts On Homelessness"
by Gimel Gaiah

Why did that street kid call me family?
Why did the rich man just peel a 20 dollar bill and
give it to me out of his wallet?
Why is it hard to look people in the eyes why you
are a stranger to them?
Why did that lady just give me cookies?
Why did that lady give me clothes and a scarf?
Why did she give me such a sweet smile, and he?
I am homeless. Why is all this happening?
A man walks up with 2 huge bags, one full of shoes,
the other a tent, he asks if I am truly homeless and
would I like these items.
All my life I never imagined this.
Homelessness.
Love for a new family of understanding life.
I see the love everywhere, on all street corners.

Street Musicians

Recently a filmmaker named Mary Ann Benner has done a documentary on street musicians in Portland called "In Plain Sight."

When talking about street people, we need to include the musicians. They are also panhandling, but in a way that is acceptable to our culture. Nevertheless, they have a hard row to hoe, as they do not know whether they will have a good day or a bad one, a good month or a bad one. Will they be able to pay their rent, buy their food? It is all up to the generosity of strangers.

This documentary has one of the long-term Anawim folks as a featured performer. His name is Kevin Wayne (whose secret birth name is Kevin McFall-- don't tell him I told you!), and he has been leading worship in Anawim and at Peace Mennonite Church in Portland since 1999. He is a fantasic musician, and he still plays every first friday of the month at Sunnyside Methodist (SE 35th and Yamhill).

Anyway, it's great that Kevin got this opportunity.

Do you want to see and hear him? Although the recording of him isn't the best-- he usually sounds MUCH better-- the second clip is really good. Check it out at:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=98013292

Sisters of the Road by Casey Neill

This is a great song by Portland local, Casey Neill. Although his songs travel around the world, speaking out the stories of those who wouldn't otherwise be heard, he wrote this one about the situation of many street folks here in Portland. Sisters of the Road is a cafe for the street, where you can pay a buck or so for a meal, or you can wipe down some tables for it. The song can be purchased on iTunes or other online spots. Here are the lyrics, but you really need to hear it to get the full impact:

SISTERS OF THE ROAD
Rain falls relentless on these streets, chill you to the very bone
it's coming down tonight in Portland town and folks are warm inside their homes
Trina she came from Missouri, after her mother passed on
to get away from her old man who needed someone to take it out on.
So she took up with the crusty boys in their fingerless gloves
her in the Oregon streets she found a family again to love
and they dumpstered their food, snuck into the shows, took what
shelter they could find
never once did she regret leaving the life she left behind
your friends become your family and lighten a heavy load
with Abbey and DC Louise she was a sister of the road

Trina fell for a punk named Silver from Southern Illinois
who'd been living on the streets of the West COast since he was a 13
year old boy
he knew every free meal in Stumptown, every dry place to keep warm
and he'd take her to 'em when the darkness fell and they'd lie in each
others arms
Silver hustled now and again in the backs of drunk mens cars
scars ran up and down his arms like the tracks in the railyards
when he'd offer it to her, you know she never once took it
beneath the I-5 viaduct his teeth clenched to a tourniquet
one day the cops found his body by the train tracks where he'd hop the
line to Frisco
But for the last year of his life, he loved a sister of the road...

Trina found her way up off the streets and works in a clinic downtown
all the kids she used to know well she never sees them around
but there are more where they came from cast aside and left behind
walking down a lonely street and strung out on the line
for the old hoboes, the migrant laborers, the lost and wayward teens
there's a place where a buck twenty five will get you a plate of eggs and beans
and there is nothing like a cup of coffee when the winter winds blow cold
you can find them down in old town on 6th, the Sisters of the Road...