Get Help: Where Transformation Begins

Meeting People in Their Moment of Crisis  

For many who come to Portland Rescue Mission, the journey toward healing begins with one simple moment: walking through an open door. The Get Help pillar of the PRM Transformation Model exists for that very moment. When the crisis feels overwhelming, and hope feels distant, we are there.  

At PRM, Get Help means meeting people where they are, without judgment, and with compassion rooted in Christ’s love. Guests receive warm meals, safe shelter, and immediate care – 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. In 2025, 7,073 individuals found shelter at the Burnside Shelter, and PRM made over 1,500 mobile outreach connections per month, ensuring help and guidance reached those who couldn’t come to us on their own.
 

Shelby Found Safety and Mercy

“Before I came to Portland Rescue Mission, I was a mess.” – Shelby

Shelby’s story reflects this first step of transformation. After years of raising his child alone, Shelby found himself suddenly homeless when his child turned 18. Fear and uncertainty followed him to PRM’s doors. “I thought I’d be fighting for my life on the streets,” he shared. Instead, he found safety, dignity, and something even deeper, renewed faith.

Through the Get Help services, Shelby experienced what it meant to be known and seen. “I came in thinking God had left me,” he said. “But God was taking care of me all along.” That realization marked the beginning of healing, not because his problems disappeared overnight, but because he was no longer alone.

Meeting People with Grace  

For more than 76 years, Portland Rescue Mission has served as a place of refuge in moments like Shelby’s. Get Help is not just about survival; it’s about restoring trust, rebuilding hope, and opening pathways forward. It is the starting point for transformation. A reminder that every story, no matter how broken it feels, is still being written.  

At PRM, hope doesn’t require having it all together. It simply requires a willingness to step inside and be met with grace.