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‘I have a little more zest for life': Brandi's story

Blog Post
Streets to Stability: Brandi's story
Stranded in the January 2024 winter storm, Brandi and her husband were living in their car when they were offered refuge at Clinton Triangle. Six months later, they are housed.
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Brandi, a guest at Clinton Triangle shelter, poses for a photo with her pug dog. She's wearing a flowered sweater and a medical mask.

Brandi Harpole and her husband came to Portland from Central Oregon last year to attend Methadone treatment together. They were staying with friends, but when that living situation didn’t work out, the couple was stranded in the January ice storm, living out of a trailer in downtown Portland. 

It was their first time experiencing homelessness. 

About a month later, they were contacted by their clinic and asked if they were ready to move into Clinton Triangle, the 160-unit outdoor alternative shelter on SE Gideon Street. 

“We're so grateful because that kind of was a barrier to our success,” Brandi said. “Being homeless and trying to be sober doesn't go hand in hand very well. And that's our ultimate goal, stability. And so, this has been just an awesome opportunity. I made the choice to become clean. It’s what I want for the better of my life.” 

It’s been easier to take steps toward sobriety since being sheltered, Brandi said. 

“When you’re living in your car, there’s pretty much a lot of despair and hopelessness,” she said. “You don’t have a lot of motivation. It was a mess, and so cold. All our stuff was getting wet and moldy, nothing dried. I was just so overwhelmed.”  

Brandi was previously self-employed cleaning houses in Sun River, Oregon. But COVID changed everything. During the pandemic, when her clients weren't hiring, Brandi's children were also growing up and leaving home. She said she went through a mid-life crisis as an empty nester, sinking into depression and addiction. By 2023, Brandi's health took a turn for the worse and she was unable to keep up with the demand for her cleaning services after the pandemic finally subsided.

Clinton Triangle gave the couple a much-needed sense of structure and routine after struggling for the past year. Every day at the shelter, Brandi and her husband wake up at 7 a.m. They have access to showers and laundry, they meet with their care coordinator, attend the methadone program and recovery meetings, and walk their two pups in the neighborhood. They were connected to job opportunities during the March 14 Resource Fair, where Brandi filled out several applications and lined up interviews.

Brandi called the shelter “service rich” and expressed appreciation for the connections to medical, dental and housing services all “under one roof.” 

At Clinton Triangle’s Resource Fair, a service provider ordered a cell phone for Brandi through an assistance program. She’s been able to renew her driver’s license. And now she’s looking into training to be a Certified Nursing Assistant. 

“This place was a godsend,” Brandi said of the shelter. “It was the best thing that could have happened. And it kind of set me on the ground to move forward. I have a little more zest for life now.”

Note: Brandi and her husband moved into housing in early June 2024. 

Story shared with permission; based on March 14, 2024 interview

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