Who We Are
HomePlate is Washington County’s only nonprofit provider of drop-in centers and street outreach for young people experiencing houselessness.
Read more about HomePlate in the Thriving Journal by founder and former Executive Director Bridget Calfee. From Spaghetti to Stability, Bridget shares more about the early days of HomePlate and how it grew to what it is today!
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Mission
HomePlate uplifts and empowers young people experiencing housing instability through community building, education, and access to services and resources.
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Vision
HomePlate envisions a welcoming community where:
all youth feel a sense of belonging and value,
housing is safe, accessible, and sustainable.
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Values
At HomePlate, we treat each youth and each other with respect, caring, honesty, and an open-mind. Our work is about meeting youth where they are, grounded in:
open and honest communication,
respect for the place they are on life’s journey,
compassion for the burdens they carry,
a belief in their independence and power, and
a space where they feel a sense of ownership and belonging.
Our History
2005
With a $3,000 start-up grant, the organization’s founding Executive Director, Bridget Calfee, a steering committee, and numerous volunteers created HomePlate Youth Services, on April 14, 2005.
2007
As this grass roots project proved to be successful and meet an unmet need, HomePlate applied and became a 501(c)3 non-profit in 2007.
2011
Second Drop-in Center begins in Hillsboro
2012
Third Drop-in Center begins in Beaverton
2013
Youth Employment Program begins with Sit-n-Stay Program
2016
New headquarters and Drop-in Center in Beaverton.
After years of sharing donated office space in several locations, in September of 2016 HomePlate rented a house in central Beaverton that also operates as a place where youth can meet with all the staff in one place.
2019
HomePlate starts offering furthering education scholarships
2022
Our new 4,000 square foot drop-in center and campus opens in downtown Beaverton.
Equity Statement
Young people are resilient and valid members of this community who are capable of making their own decisions and deserve a source of support. We aspire to ensure ALL young people feel like they belong, are supported and empowered, learn & grow, and teach others the knowledge they have to share regardless of their intersectional identities of race, ethnicity, faith, culture, language, ability, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation or family status, and other perceived differences - both visible and invisible.
We’re working towards a beloved community, where we all feel a sense of belonging. We accept and acknowledge that creating a more just and equitable world is an ongoing process.
Considering the work is never done, we are committed to continual learning and striving to do better until our community, and the world is free of racism, and racial or socioeconomic disparities, where homelessness is eliminated, with safe, sustainable, and supported homes.
For context on how we got here, read the full statement here.
Resources are distributed equitably;
Young people are not criminalized based on their economic status;
Healthcare - including mental healthcare - is available and accessible;
Those tasked with keeping our community safe are held accountable for their actions;
Young people have a voice in all things that affect them;
Housing is a right rather than a privilege;
Transphobia and homophobia are not tolerated;
Misogyny - which often leads to cycles of domestic violence - is confronted, and support and resources are made available;
Reproductive freedom is a right;
HomePlate staff/board/volunteers mirror the diversity of the community that we serve;
Houselessness is a short-term circumstance and not a chronic condition;
People with physical disabilities are treated with the same respect and consideratio that able-bodied people receive (ableism);
Racism and xenophobia are abolished and not tolerated;
A person’s self-agency is not determined by their age (ageism)
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2022 Annual Report
Click here to see the impact of HomePlate!
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2023 Annual Report
Click here to see last years impact!
Our Philosophy
Understanding the HomePlate philosophy is vital, as it guides all interactions between adults and youth in the program. An in-depth discussion is necessary to fully explore the nuances of the philosophy, but it can be summarized by the simple phrase “Meeting Youth Where They Are”.
In order to “meet youth where they are” we start by establishing a trusting relationship built on mutual respect and non-judgment. Once we have a strong relationship established we offer supportive and solicited guidance regarding concerns about the risks and consequences of certain behaviors and provide information, support, services and supplies as necessary.
Adapted from Reclaiming Youth at Risk: Our Hope for the Future by Larry K. Brendtro, Martin Brokenleg, Steve Van Bockern
Our Youth Development Strategy
In addition to the concept of “Meeting Youth Where They Are”, HomePlate uses a framework of positive youth development called “The Circle of Courage”, which is supported by contemporary research, the heritage of early youth work pioneers and Native philosophies of child care. Each quadrant of the Circle of Courage stands for a central value (belonging, mastery, independence, and generosity) of an environment that can claim and reclaim all youth.
An in-depth training on the Circle of Courage will be provided to all core volunteers. For more information, volunteers can check out the book Reclaiming Youth at Risk: Our Hope for the Future, from which the Circle of Courage concept originated.