Taylor's house, a grey house surrounded by trees with window signs reading 'home' and 'the drop in'

Taylor’s house for Teens

United Way is committed to changing lives and shaping healthy futures for young people in our community. In 2018, after learning about the gap of available shelters for teens, our board of directors took action and approved the launch of our first impact project – a 24-hour shelter for youth who are unsheltered – by Raul Marquez, a highschool teen and board member. Taylor’s House offers safety, stability, structure and resources to at-risk, homeless, runaway and street youth.

United Way partnered with Mid-Valley Community Action Agency as the service provider who runs the day-to-day operations of the home. Hundreds of community members, as well as the Oregon Legislature, helped to assure Taylor’s House success.

The Data

The homeless crisis is blatantly obvious in our cities. However, the crisis extends to students who are struggling to find a safe place to sleep while keeping up their studies, profoundly affecting their ability to retain information and stay on grade level.

​The number of students reported by the Oregon Department of Education:

  • Marion County: 1,800 students are “couch-hopping” or homeless.
  • Polk County: 190 students are “couch-hopping” or homeless.
  • Yamhill County: 647 students are “couch-hopping” or homeless.