FIRST STEP is a selective, one‐on‐one reentry navigation program supporting women returning to Multnomah County from Coffee Creek Correctional Facility, after long periods of incarceration. For women leaving prison, release is not a moment of freedom, it is often a moment of profound vulnerability.
Many women return to the community with no identification, no income, no housing, no healthcare, and no support network. They carry the weight of trauma, disrupted family relationships, outdated skills, and the immediate pressure to survive in systems that are difficult to navigate even under the best circumstances. Within days of release, women face heightened risks of homelessness, exploitation, relapse, and re‐incarceration, not because they lack motivation, but because the systems meant to support reentry are fragmented and difficult to access. FIRST STEP exists to close those gaps.
Bridge to belonging, purpose, and stability.
OREGON HARBOR OF HOPE
Walking along side individuals until they are safe, stable, and ready to stand on their own.
OUR MISSION
We are committed and dedicated to creating a bridge to belonging, purpose, and stability for people returning from long‐term incarceration and for communities impacted by homelessness. We do this through reentry navigation, advocacy, and partnership‐driven systems change, ensuring that people are supported with dignity, continuity, and accountability, not left to fall through the gaps.
OUR VALUES
We believe that people succeed when systems are coordinated, support is consistent and dignity is non-negotiable. Oregon Harbor of Hope is committed to create models that are ethical, effective and replicable, strengthening community while honoring the humanity of every person we serve.
THE "FIRST STEP" PROGRAM
A reentry navigaton program that prioritize relationship, dignity and stability.
IT'S ABOUT THE JOURNEY
Being ready for a change is not enough, the first months after release from incarceration, or when ready to leave homeless behind and start a transformation, determine whether someone stabilizes or cycles back into crisis systems.
Without continuity, people face overwhelming barriers: no identification, no healthcare, no housing, no income, and no support network.
These gaps lead to preventable harm, recidivism, and long‐term instability. Oregon Harbor of Hope exists to close those gaps, not by duplicating services, but by ensuring systems work together and people are supported with dignity every step of the way.
ADVOCACY PROGRAMS
Lasting change requires more than good intentions, it requires the right voices at the table. Our advocacy work centers the experiences of people impacted by homelessness and reentry, working alongside partners to strengthen systems and put dignity at the heart of policy and practice.
Portland Voice
Portland Voice is an advocacy initiative amplifying the voices of people living in Multnomah County impacted by homelessness and system involvement. The program engages policymakers, institutions, and the public to shape narrative and policy grounded in lived
experience and accountability.
Five Principles
Five Principles is a dignity‐centered framework guiding policy development, program design, and institutional accountability across homelessness and reentry systems. It promotes approaches rooted in dignity, effectiveness, and long‐term stability.
Partnership as Practice
Oregon Harbor of Hope operates through partnerships that we have cultivated over 10 years. We provide navigation, continuity and advocacy. Our Partners provide healthcare, employment and stabilization services. This model ensures people are supported without duplication, confusion or unmet expectations, and allows systems to work better together.
Oregon Harbor of Hope exists to build bridges, not just for individuals, but across systems. By centering dignity, strengthening partnerships, and committing to lasting change, we help people move from survival to belonging, purpose and stability.