Unity Shelter

Ever wonder what it's like to live without shelter? You're invited to find out.

Join Executive Director Shawn Collins and Unity Shelter board members and staff to learn about the root causes of houselessness and how our community might engage in advocacy.

LIving Without Shelter: Myths and Realities
7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 17
First Congregational Church, Corvallis

Thank you to everyone who joined US last Friday for our Community BBQ! We were so grateful for the large turnout and for our community coming together to enjoy good food and great company. We look forward to seeing you all at our next event! ❤️

Thank you Corvallis Housing First for the recognition and partnership! ☺️

For those who couldn't be there for our Spring Into Housing Fundraiser, we'd like to share more about the recipients of this year's Housing Heroes. First up, our long-time partner, Unity Shelter! Pictured here left to right: Shawn Collins, Luther Maclean, Ailiah Schafer, Lexi Greenley, Ginny Gustafson Lucker. Here is what our Program Director, Dan Easdale, had to say:
"Our first Housing Hero recipient should come as no surprise as
we are practically attached at the hip. I am speaking, of course, of
Unity Shelter! For the past 3 years Unity Shelter has managed all
aspects of shelter operations at TSC. Unity Shelter staff have been
at the desk 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, since
the day we opened! They welcomed every new person in, they
have responded to every request for toilet paper and laundry soap,
helped fix TVs, charged scooters, opened and closed the gate
thousands of times, and brewed thousands of gallons of coffee.
More importantly Unity Shelter staff have provided the essential
service of one on one interactions with clients on a daily basis. They
are the listening ear when a resident needed someone to talk to,
they went door to door checking on people to make sure they are
ok, some times multiple times a day, they encouraged, made sure
people had enough or even something to eat, waited with
residents while an ambulance comes to help, and countless,
countless other acts of kindness and love.
Even more remarkable they created a sense of community unlike
any other site that I have been a part of. They held movie nights,
BBQs, bingo nights, corn hole and even a scooter race. Most of the
residents have expressed such gratitude to have been at TSC, many
felt a sense of belonging that they had not felt in a long time. It is
impossible to detail all the many tasks and blessings the Unity
Shelter staff have bestowed on the residents, but we are grateful
to this bunch of exceptional human beings and do bestow on them
the Housing Hero Award."

Stay informed about what's happening in the community! Our newsletter offers quarterly updates and news about Unity Shelter's work. Click the link below to sign up and stay connected!

http://eepurl.com/iC_00M

Thank you for your partnership Connected Real Estate Group!

Connected Real Estate Group is hosting a for our local non-profits; benefiting Community Outreach, Inc., CARDV, CASA-Voices for Children, Vina Moses Center and Unity Shelter.

While any/all donations will be very much appreciated, the specific items we are looking for include but are not limited to: Period care products, Toilet paper, Soap, Shampoo, Conditioner, Toothpaste, Baby Wipes, Deodorant, Men's/Women's underwear, Razors, Shaving Cream, Twin Sheet Sets, Mattress Protectors, Washcloths, Bath Towels, Laundry Soap, Lotion.

If you can't come by during our drive-thru drop off on May 9th from 3-7pm, please feel free to contact your favorite Connected real estate broker. Our office is located at 435 NW 5th St in Corvallis. Thank you!

We’ve still got plenty of blue bags waiting for you! 💙Visit any of our locations to grab yours and join us in celebrating Earth Week 🌎. Fill it with cans and bottles ♻️, then drop it off at any BottleDrop location. Simply scan the QR code, and BottleDrop will add an extra 20% to your donation until May 4th.

Big thanks to staff Sophie for showing off our bags!

We are immensely grateful to the Benton Community Foundation for awarding Unity Shelter a $10,000 grant for our Traditional Health Worker (THW) program!

Since January of 2023, Unity Shelter’s team of three THWs have helped over 325 individuals set up and attend at least 335 appointments, including access to outpatient care, detox, substance use treatment, adult foster care, nursing homes, and primary physical and mental healthcare to meet basic needs.

We have continued to seek funding to expand this program and widen our reach within the community. With approximately 1000 individuals served throughout the year at Unity Shelter programs, the need for more individualized support to address basic needs, medical support, and personal barriers is critical.

This grant will help us continue providing these important services. We cannot thank everyone over at the Benton Community Foundation enough! 💙

Hi everyone! 👋

We're excited to announce that Unity is participating in the BottleDrop Give fundraiser for Earth Week! 🌱

Do you have cans piling up? You can donate them using our blue bags! ♻️ From April 22nd to May 4th, every donation you make will be matched for Unity Shelter by 20%.

Need blue bags to collect your cans/bottles? Visit one of our locations to pick one up, and then drop it off at any BottleDrop location when it's full.

Have any questions? Feel free to DM us.

Your support would mean the 🌎 to us!

What a great opportunity!

Spread the word: we're hiring! Details of both full-time positions and application requirements are on our website: https://www.vinamoses.org/join-our-team

Applications close:
April 18 (Operations Coordinator)
April 25 (Resource Coordinator)

On December 21st, Corvallis and Albany observed The Longest Night and remembered those in our communities who died without a home.

Today's the day! Warm up with US is 1-4p at the First Congregational church. There will be a panel beginning at 2pm. If you can't join us in person, follow this link to livestream the conversation on houselessness in Corvallis. Hope to see you soon!
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88400918767

✨Today is Giving Tuesday ✨ Whether it’s donating, volunteering, or simply spreading the word about Unity Shelter and the impactful work we do, every little bit helps make a difference. Check out this link if you are able to donate or volunteer: https://linktr.ee/unityshelter
Together, let’s create positive change! 💙

✨Celebrating ! The last Sunday of November is dedicated to acknowledging all the hourly workers who play a crucial role in keeping our communities thriving. A special shout-out to all our staff at Unity Shelter for the incredible work they do each day. We appreciate you 🙌

This year, 2 Towns Ciderhouse chose Unity Shelter as the local organization to support for their annual harvest party. Come support both a local business and a great organization that does so much for the community!

Huge thank you to 2 Towns for choosing Unity Shelter as the benefactor for the second year in a row! Get your tickets and join us on Saturday, October 14th for some great food and drinks, and awesome live music!!🧡🍻

It’s going to be a hot one this week☀️🔥 Stay safe and cool with the help of these resources in town!
PLEASE NOTE: the Hygiene Center is closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. We will still offer Stone Soup meals on Monday 8/14 from 5:30-6:30pm, and Wednesday 8/16 from 1-2pm.

A big thank you to First Alternative Natural Foods Co-op for their generosity and support. Starting July 1st, you can make a donation to Unity Shelter at any of their registers. They will match donations up to $2,500.
Visit the Co-op between July 1st and 14th to donate!

If you’re able, donate today! (https://givebutter.com/E3L9FU)

Men's Shelter Closing, What Happened and Where Homeless Can go Now - The Corvallis Advocate Unity Shelter has announced they will close their Men’s Shelter in South Corvallis on Tuesday, June 20. The Hygiene Center at that location, which provides food and services such as laundry and showers to people who are homeless, will continue operating with some reduction in hours and days of ope...

Unity Shelter needs your help! Due to the senate walkout we don’t have enough funding to sustain our normal operations. We have had to do the difficult task of laying off many employees, and are substantially changing our operations. Please consider making a donation (https://givebutter.com/E3L9FU) or apply to volunteer (https://www.volgistics.com/appform/1365282550)!

Still need to do some spring cleaning? Have any of these items just sitting around your house? We’d love to take them off your hands! Contact us for information on how to donate.

Thank you! We are very grateful for the support of this community! 🤍

Another great quarterly meeting last night. Our first one in person after meeting via Zoom for two years! Excited to be giving to Unity Shelter to help with microshelter building.

Some more pictures from , thank you Corvallis Chamber of Commerce! We can’t give enough thanks to our staff, the organizations we partner with, and the members of our community for the continued support. We truly couldn’t do it without all of you!

Thank you to Benton Community Foundation and Corvallis Chamber of Commerce for the recognition of the work we do in our community. It is a team effort and could not be done without our incredible staff and community partners. What an honor to be named alongside an inspirational group of non-profit nominees!

In response to the City's rejection of the proposal for a rolling moratorium on camp clearing, our Executive Director Shawn Collins writes:
"At some point, the real risks to health and safety faced by those without shelter need to be acknowledged, and some balance struck between those real risks and the potential risks presented by imagined lawsuits."

Read his full response here:

As I See It: No consideration of risks to those living without shelter On Dec. 8, the Corvallis City Council discussed a proposal for a rolling moratorium on camp posting and clearing that originally was shared in September.

At 5:30 pm tomorrow night, the first and longest night of winter, we are gathering at the skate park for a memorial. We invite you to join us in honoring the lives of our neighbors experiencing homelessness we have lost this year.

Unity Shelter wants to bring the festivities to our guests! We're looking for holiday donations for all of our programs to spread the cheer. Give us a call at 541-286-5121 or email [email protected] if you have any questions! 🎄

In case you missed it, Shawn, our Executive Director, joined KLCC to talk about Unity Shelter just in time for ! Listen now, and scan the QR code or visit https://givebutter.com/wwGy5b to donate today!

https://www.klcc.org/economy-business/2022-11-29/giving-back-klccs-special-program-on-giving-tuesday

When you head over to Common Fields this November, have a beer AND support Unity Shelter! We'll see you there! Cheers!🍻

We are happy to announce that the Unity Shelter is our Hops for Hope partner for the month of November! Unity Shelter is dedicated to helping those in need by providing a safe environment for temporary housing coupled with case management services and resource navigation.

10% of every glass sold of the designated beer on draft will be donated to Unity Shelter!

P.S. TRIVA is tonight 6-8pm. We have some cool new prizes!

Jim Parr Philipson, former pastor at Corvallis First United Methodist Church, passed away October 16, 2022. Jim was essential to the creation of Room at the Inn, leveraging experience he had starting a shelter in Bend. Jim's support was instrumental to creating the initial Room at the Inn board and bylaws, and he served regularly as a volunteer, taking shifts and working directly with the women experiencing homelessness who come to the shelter. His memorial service will be held on November 1st, 2022, 1 pm, at the Corvallis First United Methodist Church. Memorial contributions in his name are gratefully welcomed to the Unity Shelter's Room at the Inn program. A donation to Room at the Inn supports a program that does what was dear to his heart: "to feed the hungry, care for people who are experiencing homelessness, comfort those in grief and pain."

Jim Parr Philipson Memorial Gifts By Unity Shelter

This year's benefactor of the Harvest Party is the Unity Shelter! They are a non-profit that provides basic needs, support, emergency shelter, and transitional housing to those experiencing homelessness in Corvallis and Benton County. They strive to create safe spaces for people to rest, recover, and connect with supportive services.

For more information and how to help, check out the link to their website below. ⬇️
https://www.unityshelter.org/home.html