In the Portland community, homelessness is a pressing issue. Thousands of people live unsheltered on our streets, and almost everywhere you drive, there will be a tent on the side of the road.
My work with Shine has been about bringing a greater sense of dignity, independence, and security to people who are working to transition out of homelessness in my community.
Since I was a kid, I’ve always loved inventing and tinkering, and it’s been fantastic to apply these skills to Portlanders’ higher quality of life. Shine is a group of high school students working to design, build, and install electricity and shower and hygiene facilities.
I’ve really enjoyed working alongside my team to make a meaningful difference in a creative way. The Shine team installs solar panels, wires batteries, installs equipment inside of tiny homes and manufacturer’s wash pod and shower pod devices to provide mobile hygiene access to the homeless community.
I got the ball rolling with Shine, but there’s no way I could have done it alone. My bar mitzvah torah portion Nish Patim focused on understanding, caring for, and knowing the stranger.
I’m proud that Shine’s products have helped people transitioning out of homelessness, find jobs, a greater sense of community, security, and comfort.