Catholic Charities, a social services organization that works closely with the Archdiocese of Portland, plans to take over responsibility of the St. Francis Dining Hall, where parishioners have served homeless people for more than 20 years.

Catholic Charities staff will be on-site over the next three months to assess the dining hall, said Richard Birkel, the organization’s executive director.

Catholic Charities will hire a site coordinator to manage the dining hall and a client services coordinator to direct services for people who come seeking help, Birkel said. Brian Fallon, the current dining hall director, will report to the new site coordinator, who will report to St. Francis’ priest, George Kuforiji.

The positions’ contracts only last for three months, and Birkel said he doesn’t know what the leadership of the dining hall will look like beyond that.

The dining hall is a mission of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Southeast Portland. It offers a daily meal to homeless people along with access to showers, public bathrooms, clothing and toiletries. It is the only organization offering public services to homeless people in the area.

Catholic Charities wants to build on what parishioners have done for decades, Birkel said. He said he wants to include everyone in discussions, including campers and police.

“The parishioners have a long tradition that they are proud of,” Birkel said, “and we certainly want to honor that and build on that.”

Birkel met with city officials, parish leaders, business owners, police and representatives from the Archdiocese Monday to discuss Catholic Charities’ plan for the dining hall. Birkel said a deal with the parish would be finalized by the end of the week.

The people at this meeting will meet monthly over the next three months to continue to discuss the dining hall, Birkel said.

Birkel said his organization plans to bring in case managers to connect people with various programs, including addiction and mental health services. He said the dining hall would continue to offer a daily meal. Birkel said he’s also looking at how other property can be used, such as available land at St. Francis Park Apartments adjacent to the church and owned by Catholic Charities.

The plans are part of Catholic Charities’ Healthy Housing initiative which aims to reduce chronic homelessness by 20% over five years in five U.S. cities, including Portland.

The organization is looking at about a dozen parishes in Portland that have land that could be repurposed, Birkel said.

Julie Cusumano (right) talks with Tom Hogan while she prepares the Sunday meal in the St. Francis Dining Hall kitchen. With the help of her daughter and her friend, Cusumano made home fries, sausage, coffee cake and scrambled eggs for more than 40 people.Peter Talbot | The Oregonian/OregonLive

Changing leadership at the dining hall is one of many changes long-time parishioners have been experiencing over the past year, since Kuforiji began as priest in 2018.

It’s going to be a delicate act to work with parishioners, Birkel said. He said Catholic Charities doesn’t want to come in as “the new sheriff in town.”

That has been a concern of parishioners who have dedicated themselves to the dining hall and cherish the community it provides for them — and those in need.

Jerry Harp, chair of the pastoral council at St. Francis, said he thinks parishioners and the people they serve will benefit from being connected to a larger network of funding and services.

“My main concern is that the mission of the dining hall stays true to its vision of radical and inclusive hospitality,” he said.

On a recent Sunday, Harp stood in the basement kitchen at St. Francis speaking French and laughing while he helped prepare the Sunday meal.

After mass, six people stood in the dining hall kitchen, mixing refried beans into four huge pans of tortilla chips. They poured red chili sauce, flattened more beans over top and sprinkled in olives. Enchilada casserole.

One woman had another name for it. She called it the Eucharist of the dining hall since some of the volunteers no longer go to mass because of increasing tensions over the changes in the parish.

A cross hung over the door to the kitchen. Beyond it, in St. Francis’ basement, people sat, talked and sipped coffee. Many of them had come in from the street, where homeless people’s tents lined the sidewalk.

One parishioner said the dining hall is everything to St. Francis. Melinda Pittman said they may not have as much money or resources, but parishioners can offer a sense of community and dignity that larger organizations like Catholic Charities can’t.

Sophia Sherlay, Cusumano's daughter, blends eggs so they can be used for scrambled eggs. Sherlay, who will be a college sophomore this fall, said she has been helping out at the dining hall her entire life.Peter Talbot | The Oregonian/OregonLive

But increasing homelessness and criminal activity in the area as well as a lack of resources has placed strain on the operation.

Catholic Charities, city officials, several business owners, parish leaders and the Archdiocese previously met July 22 to discuss problems at the dining hall. Robert King, a senior public safety adviser in the mayor’s office suggested the dining hall close for 30 days to reassess its operations.

He said criminal activity in the area made business owners and community members concerned for their own safety.

There have been 123 calls for service in the St. Francis block in the past three months, according to a document from city officials. There were 17 calls for disturbances, five for harassment and three for assault.

There were as many as five calls in a four-hour period some days, well above average according to the document.

In a July 25 email to the Oregonian/OregonLive, Archdiocese spokesman David Renshaw said the dining hall may have to be shut down for a period to clean and update it, but “no specifics have been decided.”

Harp said the dining hall would remain open if campers moved off the sidewalks.

Last weekend, police came and swept the area, moving as many campers out as they could. Some, like Carla Couperthwaite, couldn’t move. The car she had been living out of was broken down.

Standing outside St. Francis Dining Hall, Couperthwaite said she had to be gone by Monday or her car would be towed. She was able to get a new battery for her car, but it still wouldn’t start.

Carla Couperthwaite stands outside her car Monday near St. Francis Dining Hall. She said she was told she needed to move her car by Monday or it would be towed, but she can't get her car to start.Peter Talbot | The Oregonian/OregonLive

Couperthwaite said helping out at the dining hall for the past two years has helped her get back a sense of self-worth and dignity. It has also given her better social skills and taught her to be “politely aggressive” with other campers.

Couperthwaite has two dogs, Niccova and Gino. She said she takes them for a walk every morning. She also takes care of two plants she hangs on the branches of a tree next to her car. She said when she found them, they were wilted. On Sunday, they looked healthy and green.

When police came last weekend, she said most people packed up and left when they were asked. She said the area feels safer now, but she’s not sure where she’s going to go.

She started to tear up.

“It’s going to be difficult,” she said. “I’ll find somewhere to go.”

Carla Couperthwaite gives her dog Niccova a drink of water from her cup. Couperthwaite said she takes Niccova and her other dog, Gino, for a walk every morning.Peter Talbot | The Oregonian/OregonLive

-- Peter Talbot

ptalbot@oregonian.com

503-221-5772; @petejtalbot

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