It Takes a Village.

When volunteers first opened the doors of the Goose Hollow Family Shelter in the winter of 1994, they had one mission: support families with children experiencing homelessness in Multnomah County.

Path Home has stayed true to that mission and steadily evolved to support more families than ever before. Today, we are a year-round housing organization keeping families housed and preventing children from experiencing homelessness in the first place. 

Take some time to meet Joshua, Kassy, and Herman. They’re just a few of our 50+ staff who exhibit incredible passion and dedication to our mission—not unlike the spirit that got us started that cold Portland winter of ‘94.

Joshua- Family Village Chef

Walk into Family Village Shelter and the first thing you'll notice is the smell of something good cooking. That's Joshua. For nearly four years, he's run our kitchen with pride and a dedication to the families we serve. Families who arrive running on fast food tell him that his meals are the first time in weeks they've felt clear-headed and nourished. Residents call him “Grandma Josh‌” because he cooks like family and he strives to serve the best food, not just the best “shelter food”. But Joshua serves more than plates. In his kitchen, he counsels, teaches cooking classes, and reminds struggling parents that he sees them. Josh and his team have turned our kitchen into the heart of Path Home—and their food does more than nourish; it helps heal everyone who walks in.

Kassy - Stability Navigator

Kassy understands the families at Path Home because she's lived their story. As part of Path Home’s Basic Income Guarantee and Prevention program, she keeps children and families housed, away from the traumatic effects of experiencing homelessness. As a trusted support for families, she becomes the friend who answers every call and guides families when they need it most. Her commitment ensures that missed payments and the emotional distress they cause become a blip in the past—protecting children from ever experiencing crisis.It's why she chose Path Home, because she knows that stability gives kids the chance to “feel joy, to laugh, to have a happy childhood, to become happy adults. That's really what generational wealth is—and that's what we're offering families."

Herman - Housing Specialist

Ask Herman what he loves most about Path Home, and he'll tell you it's the trust to show up every day and do whatever it takes for families working to get back on their feet. "I do everything to be the advocate, the liaison, the barrier breaker for them," he says. For Herman, the work is about revitalizing lives, not collecting recognition for it. He clears the obstacles families can't clear alone and lets them walk through. "That's what Path Home really provides for me to do," he says. "So I don't take the credit for it. I just take the effort." That effort—steady and relentless—is exactly how Herman helps families rebuild and find the next place they’ll call home.