'People die on the street every day. We just don't hear about it'
EUGENE, Ore. -- Undertaking a two-phase expansion of the Lindholm Service Center in Eugene, St. Vincent De Paul is trying to meet a growing demand from homeless seeking shelter from the cold during the day.
"People will die,” said St. Vincent De Paul executive director Terry McDonald at the center on Monday. “People die on the street every day. We just don't hear much about it. The goal of this organization is to mitigate the worst of those effects as possible."
McDonald said daily visitors to the Lindholm Service Center at 456 Highway 99 North have increased from 130 to nearly 200.
“We have a substantial new, not repeated, number population that we did not have before,” said McDonald as he stood in front of the expansion project, still in demolition.
The first phase of the project, funded by St. Vincent De Paul, will expand the day center to make room for more people seeking shelter from the cold.
“It’s time to do something and act right now because when we get those very cold winter days, suddenly we’re talking about people not being able to survive on the street,” said McDonald. “We must have a response.”
The second phase, which will be funded by the City of Eugene, will expand the center’s kitchen. This phase will commence in the spring of 2013.
Lead volunteer William Miller said veterans are among the new faces coming through the center.
“There’s a lot of veterans that are homeless right now,” said Miller as he prepared sandwiches for lunch on Monday.
“Hopefully the VA can help us out,” added Miller, “but still waiting for that to happen. I keep waiting.”
In addition to the Recession, McDonald said he has a theory about the cause of an increased demand for services from the day center.
“So, as a result of lower public funds available to deal with people coupled with an increased demand, it’s created a perfect storm,” said McDonald.
Miller, a Gulf War veteran injured overseas, said help from St. Vincent De Paul changed his life for the better.
“Oh, god, I was living on the streets just trying to make it day to day,” said Miller. “There’s nights that are just cold.”
Miller first came to St. Vincent De Paul as a client. He said over the last ten years, various programs including the day center on Highway 99 helped him get back on his feet.
“This place is a good, God sent place,” said Miller. “This place is for anyone who’s homeless on the street that needs a little bit of help.”
Yeah I don't see people dying on the streets of Eugene everyday,and in fact think it is quite rare. I grew up in the area,and was always aware of a small homeless population,living in Whitaker how could you not notice? It seemed then that these were just people that for whatever reason would not cope with life. There was that guy,we called him Box Car Willy,apparently he'd been hit by a train? Chronic drunk,nasty drunk. One evening I stopped into the Dari Mart on 1st St. and he was up front causing a scene,and was pissed they wouldn't sell him anymore booze,and the man was standing there with a huge fist full of cash,100's. So he got that kind of money,yet still chose to live on the streets. There were others like him,not as bad,but it was a choice. I just saw very few people who looked like they had something and lost it and were on the streets. I saw tons of mentally ill people and drunks,and those who just want a hand out,life owes them type of people. I still saw that on my last visit to Eugene. Eugene is small enough and has enough programs in place to help those that want it,and if your on the streets then I guess you want to be there. If you are unwilling to accept the rules of St. Vinny's and the Mission then freeze and starve,not my problem. These programs work,and the people of Eugene need to support these programs,not some camp the city will allow. The help is there if you want it,and if your a pissed faced drunk on the street whining about your miserable life then maybe you ought to listen to what these people have to say because they clearly know more than you do about running a life,getting back on your feet than you do. I just see the drunks and the mentally ill,and the only ones who deserve help are the mentally ill. Eugene has embraced this lifestyle with some misguided conception of compassion,and if you really stop and think about it you will see it's all an act. If the city leaders truly cared they would bend over backwards to bring jobs to the area,yet they are so anti business it isn't funny,and get tough on the street people and drunks,Spokane enacted a total ban on panhandling and the problem vanished overnight and do something to treat the mentally ill. Western Oregon just loves this kind of crap,oh look how much we care. By enabling the problem you prove to a thinking person that you in fact don't care. Portland's Dignity Village,umm your living in an old camper or tent with shared bathroom facilities,not seeing the dignity there. If you care and want to help,don't give them cash,don't accept them,support the programs offered by places such as St. Vincents or the Mission and let the professional people give these people a hand up,not a hand out. Sometimes it takes a swift kick in the ass for people to see how things really are. I totally agree with the statements regarding St. Vincents crazy prices,nobody is going to pay more for a common used item that they can go out and buy new for less money.
 @Eric B. Larson I would LOVE to see a ban on panhandling in Eugene.
Well a simple look at the prices of St. Vinnie's prices will give them a clue as to why the money they raise has not been what is expected. Their prices are out of line...way out of line for second hand goods. They have volume in inventory but price the goods at a few cents below "new" goods market value. Goodwill prices are soooo much better on everything all the way around. I shop for second hand allot and St. Vinnie's is off the chart with prices on second hand goods. Change your pricing to be competitive in second hand goods. I won't even go into one of their shops anymore....it is NOT a good buy when I can get the same goods brand new for 5 cents more....just bad business.
 @colorowdy You are correct. I have always shopped these places but in the past 7 to 10 years, St. Vinnie has become an outrage with their prices. Yeah, I know it all goes for a good cause but if I had the money to go pay the prices for new clothes then I would. So they are losing out when they could be hauling it in by taking their prices way down. And the wrinkled stinky dirty condition of some of these high priced clothes are disgusting!
I go right on by SVD and go to the Salvation Army and Goodwill!
@colorowdy Total scam... they get that stuff for free, why the price gouging?... seems like someone got greedy.
St. Vinnie's does a lot of good things for folks that don't have much and are having a hard time. However, I think Mr. McDonald was exaggerating quite a bit with his comment about people dying daily on the street if he was referring to the local area. As an avid reader of the obituaries and public records section of the newspaper my attention is drawn to deaths of people less tha 50 years or so in age. Based on the obiturary (or lack of one and just the public death record) it is possible to infer possible homeless/street people deaths. There really aren't that many, certainly not daily or weekly. The shelter will help keep a lot of people warm and dry that might not have had anywhere else to go and St. Vinnie is doing it largely by their own enterprise. A good deal for everyone. It is needed, no need to dramatize the situation to justify it.
"People die on the street every day. We just don't hear much about it"Â Maybe in Los Angeles or New York but not in Eugene. Don't be so dramatic to make your point.
 @Sloan Kettering People do die every day that are living in the streets in Eugene. Don't be so dismissive.
@Here in Eugene *** @Sloan Kettering commenting on the lack of facts is dismissive?
 @Here in Eugene *** Oh nonsense. Where on Earth are you getting that "fact" from?
well thats because this news service doesnt care about people that die on the streets they care more about pot lately then any other thing thats news worthy. 2 out of 5 of the articles on the side of this page is about potÂ
@quasimodo The bought and paid for propoganda outlets prefer to focus on the police state.