Reconnecting Home: A Family Reunion on the Streets of Portland

With compassion and persistence, NWCC’s Terrance helped a mother reunite with her daughter after years apart—showing that sometimes the first step isn’t shelter, but connection.

Virginia and Jason were contacted by Terrance, and while they declined shelter assistance, they did express a desire to contact home. Without a cell phone, they gave Terrance a phone number for Virginia’s mom.
Her mother, who lives in Tucson, Arizona, had been searching for Virginia and was relieved to receive the call. She told Terrance she would drive out to Portland to pick them up.
In the meantime, Terrance worked with the couple to help them stay in the same area while they waited. He offered food, resources, and took a photo of their tent and exact location, which he shared with Virginia’s mom to make the reunion easier.
Two days later, she arrived in Portland. Thanks to consistent communication with Terrance, she was able to locate her daughter and Jason right away. The three of them headed back home to Arizona—grateful, reunited, and safe. Virginia’s mom was overjoyed to have her daughter and her partner back in her care.