Tim & Shennewa’s Story
Tim is from Portland. He’s an artist who, over the years, has owned two tattoo shops. He fell into homelessness after his daughter passed away unexpectedly.
While living in a tent near SE 79th and Powell Blvd., a Transition Projects Navigation Team member visited to ask if he ever thought about getting into a shelter. Tim’s love for his dog had kept him from seeking shelter in the past, but that barrier no longer stood in the way with Transition Projects shelters allowing pets.
Staff got Tim on the waitlist and promised to return when it was his turn. Tim admittedly thought he would never see that Transition Projects outreach worker again. To Tim’s surprise, the team member eventually showed up to let him know he had a space in our River District Navigation Center shelter.
He fondly remembers the shelter manager, Duncan, being a positive and kind voice during his stay.
While in shelter, Tim worked with a case manager to find a permanent housing option. Together, they secured a studio apartment and a grant for rental assistance.
That’s when Tim was introduced to his rapid rehousing case manager, Shennewa.
Shennewa is from California. She’s a mother, has a degree in social work, and likes to help people. As she puts it, “My gift is my service.”
Over her three years at Transition Projects, Shennewa worked in a shelter and the Resource Center before her manager, witnessing Shennewa’s skills and work ethic, recommended she become a case manager.
The job sounds simple: eliminate barriers the participants may have to maintain housing once their rapid rehousing grant is up. The reality is that it’s complicated, as each person she works with has a different story, circumstance, and, ultimately, a set of unique barriers.
With Tim, that meant working with him to finish the process of getting his ID, addressing legal issues stemming from accumulated fines, and accessing medical services. It also meant helping to get Tim into a new one-bedroom place with a Housing Choice Voucher - also known as Section 8 - to have a space more suitable for the long term.
Shennewa gives Tim the credit, assuring he did all the work; she simply provided him with the tools. He quickly points out, “I don’t think I could be in the place I am now if it wasn’t for her.”
“I just want my participants to be the best version of themselves,” she explains. “I walk their journey with them.”
As for the future? “The sky’s the limit,” Tim said. “I did a lot in the last year, and there’s a lot to do in the year ahead.”
Professionally, he wants to focus on getting his stained glass window business off the ground.
Perhaps even more importantly, he wants to find a way to host movies in the park blocks for kids to enjoy, “all in the name of my daughter.”