The overwhelming amount of love and acceptance is something I noticed repeatedly throughout my summer as an intern and is what I grew to appreciate and admire most. All of this love I was receiving was the exact fuel I needed to give back my own love, support, and acceptance to the community of Dandelion House and Portland as a whole.

Our interactions under the bridge run the gamut. Yes, we occasionally face difficult situations. We are working with people who carry enormous burdens of stress and suffering, after all. What consistently surprises me, though, is how often those we serve, who have every reason to be enraged with the world, are simply, sincerely grateful. Even so, my conversation with this particular young man struck differently somehow.

We are excited for the growth of Dandelion House. Our goal is to invite one or two full-time Catholic Workers to join our work, and to increase the number of guests we are able to support. We like to think of it as Dandelion Village, where the sharing of daily life leads to the belonging, support, and thriving to all who live here.