As
of December 15 we will have a new and (unfortunately) much needed
service on the coast. Pioneer House, now in its fifth year of
operation as a shelter serving Clatsop County, will begin to accept
troubled teenage boys. "We began sheltering teenage girls
two years ago," said Pioneer House executive director Debbe
Cintron, "but until now we had to send the boys to Portland.
"This all began," she continued, "when a gentleman
from Portland said to me, 'You need to keep your kids in the community.'
These kids from the coast have nowhere to go so they flee to Portland.
The most vivid example I have is a girl who was facing abuse at
home. She ran away to Portland and there was gang-raped. If we
can keep our kids here, we can help them. Girls generally get
help once they have been victimized: Boys don't get help until
they become criminals.....and that may be too late."
Cintron has been executive director at Pioneer house for the last
four years. Prior to that she spent three years working for Child
Resource and Referral. "I've always worked in a social-service-type
capacity," she continued. Cintron had been a teacher in Missouri
working with developmentally disabled adults, prior to coming
to Oregon. "I came to Oregon because of my desire to live
by both the ocean and the mountains," she said.
Cintron has been working on adding the teenage boys aspect of
the shelter for the last year and a half. They have been applying
for grants and looking for a house to convert for their use. They
haven't found one, yet. In the meantime, they will begin accepting
boys on December 15 because that is when "Meyer Memorial
is going to cut the check," she said. The Meyer Memorial
Trust has pledged support on two levels for the program: They
are granting $125,000 toward the shelter itself, and an additional
$35,000 to get the program up and running. They have agreed to
provide the operational portion of the funds as early as December
15, so Debbe can accommodate the teens already waiting. "I
will only be able to accept two males and two females between
the ages of 13 and 18, and those slots are already spoken for."
This will not be the first time Pioneer House has pioneered new
territory. This shelter began as part of a block grant and coordination
between Pioneer Presbyterian Church on Clatsop Plains, with support
of the Community Action Team and the Clatsop County Board of Commissioners.
It is one of the few that will accept entire families or portions
thereof. "There is nowhere even in Portland," said Cintron,
"that a single dad could stay with his child. We can accommodate
that small family as well as we could a family of eight."
The shelter capacity is 30 persons, and occupancy varies from
18 to 35. Prior to inception of the teenage program they could
shelter as many as six families and five single women. Families
may arrive at Pioneer House for as little as a 3-day emergency
stay or up to one year. "We shelter them, provide food, laundry
and action plans to see what services are available to them."
That is where the work comes in for the "guests" of
Pioneer House. The price they pay for staying there is a commitment
to pursue an "action plan" for getting the help they
need to get back into a stable home. Guests are not allowed to
stay there if they are not willing to "walk the talk."
Guests find out about Pioneer House through a variety of sources.
"Most agencies and churches know the kind of services we
provide. " The reasons that many shelters do not accommodate
teenagers are requirements and staffing. Debbe is in the process
of hiring a full time staff coordinator for the program. "These
kids need someone who can spend time with them," she said.
The coordinator will be responsible for case planning and coordination
with other agencies. There will also be a treatment manager and
a program consultant who will work closely with the rest of the
Pioneer House staffers.
As for living requirements, until a stand-alone shelter is operational,
the teens will be housed in two unoccupied bedrooms that are located
in Pioneer House itself. The youth will be separated from the
general house population during sleeping hours and will be in
locked and monitored sleeping quarters. In addition they have
installed 24-hour monitored fire protection and become ADA compliant.
In addition to the operational funds to be provided by Meyer Memorial
Trust, the Commission on Children and Families has authorized
a $7,000 grant for support of the teen shelter. Once the shelter
is fully operational in its own facility, Debbe estimates it will
cost $230,000 per year to run it with both staffing and occupancy
at capacity. LCB
Pioneer House
Contact: Debbe Cintron,
executive director
Mailing Address: P. O. Box 685
Astoria, Oregon 97103
Telephone: 503/325-5510
Fax: 503/325-2047 (please call first)
e-mail: shelter@pacifier.com
Hours: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
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