at-risk

Life in a broken world can be difficult as a child or as an adult. For kids the stability or lack of stability in their home directly impacts their future. Children with an incarcerated parent have more than a 70% chance of also becoming imprisoned. Those from single parent homes or who are bounced around from family to family often have life-long struggles, too. Youth specialist Chap Clark contends that it takes about five solid, positive adult relationships per child to increase chances of healthy adult life. In Portland, many people move into adulthood without those solid and good relationships. The absence of parental love, accountability, guidance, instruction, etc. increases the opportunities for abuse, poor choices, addictions, relational struggles, and the like. We want to follow Christ into relationships with kids who are living with some of these situations which put them at risk for destructive or painful lives.

Another way people can be living in a place of high-risk is by engaging in prostitution. Women who are abused and exploited in this way need to be loved and helped by Christ-followers regardless of how they came to such a choice.  

Follow the links below to find opportunities to serve at-risk children or women in prostitution: