On October 13, we will receive the Peacemaking and Global Witness offering, one of four special offerings received during the year by our denomination. The offering supports direct efforts toward peacemaking and reconciliation and aids those whose lives have been disrupted by a disordered and chaotic world. A quarter of the offering is retained by the local church.
Our portion will support Second Home, an Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon (EMO) program that initially began in Beaverton and has since been extended to multiple school districts. Second Home provides stable housing for unaccompanied teenagers 16 and older experiencing homelessness. Often these students are couch surfing with friends interspersed with nights outside or in cars. Second Home removes that daily uncertainty for students so that they can focus on finishing high school. In addition, because their relationship with the host families is goverened through a mutually agreed upon rental contract operating under Oregon contract law, the students develop a crucial rental history to help them going forward. Students in the Second Home program have a 90-95% graduation rate.