Building Hope, One Village at a Time
3
Micro-Villages Built
80+
Villagers Sheltered
30+
Active Volunteers
40+
Community Partners
Our Core Mission in Action
Villages
Safe, supportive micro-villages offering transitional housing and wrap-around services that help villagers rebuild their lives with dignity.
Volunteers
Our dedicated volunteers bring warmth, skills, and compassion — the heart behind every WeShine initiative and success story.
Donations
Your generosity powers WeShine’s mission — every contribution helps provide shelter, safety, and hope to those in need.
Parkrose Community Village
- Location: 12501 NE Halsey St., Portland
- Site partner: Parkrose Community United Church of Christ
- Opened: August 2022
- Capacity: 10 sleeping pods
St. Andrew’s Village
Our most recent village, located on the property of St. Andrews Episcopal Church, opened its doors in April 2025. St. Andrews Village provides safe, accessible shelter for adults over 45 or those with disabilities. With a full kitchen, ADA access, and strong community partnerships, St. Andrews Village represents WeShine’s most recent step toward expanding hope across Portland.
- Location: 7600 N. Hereford Avenue, in North Portland
- Site partner: St Andrew’s Episcopal Church
- Construction parter: Home Building Foundation-HomeAid Portland
- Opening date: April 2025
- Capacity: 10 Sleeping pods
Avalon Village
- Location: 2539 SE 19th Ave., in Portland’s Hosford-Abernethy Neighborhood
- Site Partner: PBOT
- Opened: August 2024
- Capacity: 10 adults
Together, We Build Hope
Volunteers are the heartbeat of WeShine. Whether you’re lending a hand at a village site, helping organize supplies, or supporting residents as they transition into permanent housing — your time and energy make a real difference. Every act of kindness adds up to a brighter, stronger, and more compassionate community for all. Join us in bringing light, safety, and opportunity to Portland’s unhoused neighbors.
How to Get Involved
Joining WeShine as a volunteer is simple — and every step you take helps create lasting change. Here’s how you can start your journey with us:
Sign Up Online
Fill out our short volunteer application form to tell us a bit about yourself, your skills, and how you’d like to contribute.
Attend Orientation
Join our orientation session to learn more about WeShine’s mission, safety guidelines, and volunteer opportunities.
Start Volunteering!
Once approved, you’ll be matched with a village or project that best fits your interests. It’s time to roll up your sleeves and make an impact!
What Our Volunteers Say
“People at WeShine can stay for up to two years. That is shown to be working as far as long-term, actually getting someone into housing and a new job. We need more WeShine villages. We need more villages like this.”
Rachael Price
Community Volunteer
“What I like about it is they help more disadvantaged homeless people.”
Gregg
Portland Shed
“Nobody wanted them there. We went to a meeting. It was terrible. People were yelling, screaming. After two years, it’s amazing. I’d be happy to have 3 or 4 more in my neighborhood. That’s how well it’s gone.”
Jennifer Jackson
WeShine Board Member and Parkrose Village Neighbor
“The WeShine model of having smaller villages with less pods and more support is really the way that folks can get the help that they really need to transition to permanent housing.”
Monica
Gather:Make:Shelter
“It’s a model that’s shown to work all over the country as far as getting people permanently moved into affordable housing.”
Chris Tanner
Co-Founder and Former Board Member
Together, We Make Change Happen
In the News
In Partnership for Change
We had an awesome community fundraiser at @hollywoodtheatr on Saturday August 29th! It was all very wonderful, campy and funny and the theater was packed! Lots of folks got to learn about WeShine for the first time.
Did you know WeShine was on @katutv on The Arc program? There is a link to the broadcast in our bio! Check it out! Yay Publicity!
#communityfundraiser #portlandia #butimacheerleader #unhousedneighbors #katunews
We had an awesome community fundraiser at @hollywoodtheatr on Saturday August 29th! It was all very wonderful, campy and funny and the theater was packed! Lots of folks got to learn about WeShine for the first time.
Did you know WeShine was on @katutv on The Arc program? There is a link to the broadcast in our bio! Check it out! Yay Publicity!
#communityfundraiser #portlandia #butimacheerleader #unhousedneighbors #katunews
Here in Multnomah County, people experiencing homelessness are 40 times more likely to die from an overdose than the general population. In 2024, 214 of the 372 people who died while homeless in our county lost their lives to overdose. These aren’t statistics. They’re villagers, friends, and neighbors.
At WeShine, we believe compassion saves lives. Substance use is a health issue, not a moral failing, and stigma only pushes people further from help. Harm reduction, naloxone access, and stable transitional shelter give people a real chance to survive and heal.
One hopeful sign: overdose deaths in our county dropped for the first time in over a decade last year. Harm reduction works.
If you or someone you love is struggling, you deserve support, not shame.
#internationaloverdoseawarenessday #harmreductionsaveslives #endthestigma #weshinepdx #unhousedneighbors
Here in Multnomah County, people experiencing homelessness are 40 times more likely to die from an overdose than the general population. In 2024, 214 of the 372 people who died while homeless in our county lost their lives to overdose. These aren’t statistics. They’re villagers, friends, and neighbors.
At WeShine, we believe compassion saves lives. Substance use is a health issue, not a moral failing, and stigma only pushes people further from help. Harm reduction, naloxone access, and stable transitional shelter give people a real chance to survive and heal.
One hopeful sign: overdose deaths in our county dropped for the first time in over a decade last year. Harm reduction works.
If you or someone you love is struggling, you deserve support, not shame.
#internationaloverdoseawarenessday #harmreductionsaveslives #endthestigma #weshinepdx #unhousedneighbors
We here!!! Come watch a movie with us! It starts at 2:00 at @hollywoodtheatr
#weshinepdx #unhousedneighbors #butimacheerleader #gaymovies #natashalyonne
We here!!! Come watch a movie with us! It starts at 2:00 at @hollywoodtheatr
#weshinepdx #unhousedneighbors #butimacheerleader #gaymovies #natashalyonne
15 more days! Come laugh and support a great cause at @hollywoodtheatr August 29th. 2:00pm Come hang with staff after the movie @hollywoodq_pdx
#unhousedneighbors #weshinepdx #butimacheerleader #moviefundraiser #portlandqueer
15 more days! Come laugh and support a great cause at @hollywoodtheatr August 29th. 2:00pm Come hang with staff after the movie @hollywoodq_pdx
#unhousedneighbors #weshinepdx #butimacheerleader #moviefundraiser #portlandqueer
Join us for this super goofy and very queer classic film at the one and only Portland @hollywoodtheatr for a FUNDRAISER! Tickets can be bought at the door OR at our link in bio. All proceeds go to WeShine: Building and Operating Neighborhood Microvillages for our unhoused friends. @hollywoodq_pdx
WHAT: 🎥🍿But I’m A Cheerleader!
WHEN: Saturday August 29th at 2:00pm
WHERE: Hollywood Theatre
4122 NE Sandy Blvd. Portland, OR 97212
WHY: It’s fun to have fun and support a good cause!
#portlandhollywoodtheatre #butimacheerleader #natashalyonne #unhousedneighbors #2slgbtqiaplus
Join us for this super goofy and very queer classic film at the one and only Portland @hollywoodtheatr for a FUNDRAISER! Tickets can be bought at the door OR at our link in bio. All proceeds go to WeShine: Building and Operating Neighborhood Microvillages for our unhoused friends. @hollywoodq_pdx
WHAT: 🎥🍿But I’m A Cheerleader!
WHEN: Saturday August 29th at 2:00pm
WHERE: Hollywood Theatre
4122 NE Sandy Blvd. Portland, OR 97212
WHY: It’s fun to have fun and support a good cause!
#portlandhollywoodtheatre #butimacheerleader #natashalyonne #unhousedneighbors #2slgbtqiaplus
We are happy to announce that WeShine was awarded a grant from the Oregon Community Foundation @the_ocf in the amount of $10,000! We are incredibly grateful for OCF for all that they do to build a stronger Oregon! Community is at the heart of our mission and we know our participants thrive better in community. This grant ensures our ongoing work of building and operating micro-villages to serve some of the most vulnerable of Portlanders experiencing homelessness.
🏡♥️🏡♥️🏡
#oregoncommunityfoundation #communitygrants #buildingsafety #homelessservices #weshinepdx
We are happy to announce that WeShine was awarded a grant from the Oregon Community Foundation @the_ocf in the amount of $10,000! We are incredibly grateful for OCF for all that they do to build a stronger Oregon! Community is at the heart of our mission and we know our participants thrive better in community. This grant ensures our ongoing work of building and operating micro-villages to serve some of the most vulnerable of Portlanders experiencing homelessness.
🏡♥️🏡♥️🏡
#oregoncommunityfoundation #communitygrants #buildingsafety #homelessservices #weshinepdx
#unhousedneighbors #microvillageshelters #pdx #homelessservices #celebrate
#unhousedneighbors #microvillageshelters #pdx #homelessservices #celebrate
Huge THANK YOU to EVERYONE who showed up for our free lunch and tour of our new improved Parkrose Community Village! You made this beautiful day possible and as a community we made this new beginning for our Parkrose participants possible. Our friends from the awesome @soundfoundationsnw drove down from Seattle to celebrate with us! We also had our partners from @lmcconstruction, our board, volunteers, neighbors and long time supporters show up for us today! We love this entire WeShine family. You all are the best! 💝
Huge THANK YOU to EVERYONE who showed up for our free lunch and tour of our new improved Parkrose Community Village! You made this beautiful day possible and as a community we made this new beginning for our Parkrose participants possible. Our friends from the awesome @soundfoundationsnw drove down from Seattle to celebrate with us! We also had our partners from @lmcconstruction, our board, volunteers, neighbors and long time supporters show up for us today! We love this entire WeShine family. You all are the best! 💝
Newsletter
Get in Touch with WeShine
info@weshinepdx.org
Location
1817 17th Ave, Portland, OR 97212

