A $10,000 grant from the Spirit Mountain Community Fund will provide Human Solutions with much-needed funding for emergency shelter for homeless families as another round of below-freezing temperatures hits the Portland area.

Human Solutions is experiencing record demand for services, particularly emergency shelter. Executive Director Jean DeMaster said this reflects the loss of living-wage jobs in the economic downturn and a lack of affordable housing in Portland.

"Our Family Winter Shelter opened in November to a record number of homeless parents and children, and demand is still very high," DeMaster said. "The Spirit Mountain Community Fund grant will help immensely as we work to provide services to every homeless family in need of shelter this winter."

Human Solutions' Homeless Families Program serves children and parents in homeless families through a combination of emergency shelter, rapid rehousing and intensive case management to help families permanently overcome homelessness with long-term housing and income stability.

The program is expected to serve at least 1,120 homeless parents and children in more than 350 households this year. Services are concentrated in the high poverty areas of outer east Portland and East Multnomah County.

The pubic can help Human Solutions by donating baby supplies, jackets, blankets, pillows and travel-size toiletries for homeless families at the Family Winter Shelter and two other emergency shelters operated by Human Solutions.

For more information, visit www.humansolutions.org.