At agency, families in need come first.

Byline: Whitney Malkin The Register-Guard

Editor's note: This is the second in a series of eight weekly profiles of agencies and programs supported by United Way of Lane County, to coincide with United Way's annual fundraising drive.

The day after she received an eviction notice, Heidi Howell stood on the curb outside her Glenwood home, helpless as workers tossed her life away, throwing possession after possession into the jaws of a cold, steel Dumpster.

Family photos.

Furniture.

Her children's clothing and toys.

Gone.

A month before, her partner, James Ray, had been sent to jail, and the mother of two couldn't find enough money for rent.

An eviction notice, followed by a whirlwind of activity, left Howell and her two children on the streets, thrown from their home with less than a day to move.

"Everything kind of went downhill," she says, shaking her head. "It's sort of like you trip up once and you just can't get your head above water."

Battling harsh rain and cold December temperatures, Howell struggled to keep her then 9-year-old daughter and 4-year-old son in school.

James was released and the couple stayed with friends, desperately trying to find their way home.

A few nights before Christmas, the family found their way to the First Place Family Center's emergency shelter station, a St. Vincent de Paul program that offers homeless families a place to stay by utilizing space at area churches to create makeshift shelters.

The United Way gave $76,404 last year to help fund the night shelter and other St. Vincent de Paul programs.

Last year, more than 400 families and 800 children used the homeless resource programs, which have been in existence for over 19 years.

William Wise, the program director, says Heidi and James are typical of many of the families who come through the program.

"They've worked hard to try and change their situation and we've worked with them," he said.

Along with daily meals, Howell was able to utilize First Place's service station - using provided services like Internet and laundry facilities.

But while the First Place day center is open year-round, the night shelter program is a safety net that doesn't hold forever.

At the time, program policy limited families to a one-month stay, and at the end of January, Howell realized their time had run out.

Bouncing between the Eugene Mission and motel rooms, the couple continued to apply for rentals, but every time, were rejected.

"Because we had that eviction on our record, no one would rent to us," she said. "You just feel like this one thing has totally ruined your life."

Daily tasks such as making dinner became huge hurdles, because the couple rarely found motels with cooking facilities or refrigerators.

Instead, they would end up eating fast food, or frozen Hot Pockets from convenience stores with microwaves.

"I probably gained 40 pounds while we were homeless," says Ray. "You just end up eating junk, because it's cheap and you have nowhere to cook it."

Footing a $1,000 monthly bill for motel rooms made things worse.

"It's so expensive," says Ray. "But we just kept getting denied."

Frustrated by their lack of success with finding their way out of an endless cycle, the couple applied for a grant that would cover their expenses to enroll in St. Vincent de Paul's 2nd Chance renter's rehabilitation program, an eight-week class designed to help homeless families get back into stable housing.

"We really work to make sure people don't fall through the cracks," says Wise. "That's the whole focus of St. Vincent de Paul, is making sure all of the parts work together, from helping people get off the street, to finding jobs and homes of their own."

After completing the program, which includes classes on credit history, tenant rights and financial planning, the couple applied for housing again, this time backed by 2nd Chance's promise that the program will pay landlords up to $600 if a tenant moves out owing money.

Five weeks later, they were opening the door to their own three-bedroom apartment in West Eugene.

"I can't even explain it after going through what we've been through in the past year and a half," said Howell, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "It's great for the kids not to have to worry about where we're going to spend the night."

Along with a caseworker who checks in on the couple to make sure they are heading in the right direction, St. Vincent de Paul also provided the family with vouchers for furniture, clothing and appliances at their stores.

"They really build you from the ground up," said Ray, his throat catching with emotion. "If it wasn't for this set of programs, I don't know where we'd be."