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Erik de Buhr builds huts for the homeless but eventually gives them a 'loving shove'
Key Excerpts from Article on Website of Christian Science Monitor
Posted: September 27th, 2015
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Making-a-difference/2015/0917...
Erik de Buhr ...has found his dream job in the construction industry. He uses his skills to build huts, 6-by-10-foot dwellings. Then he gives them away. For the past three years, these small dwellings have become a home for the homeless in Eugene, [Oregon]. Teaming up with 12 local churches, de Buhr and his wife, Fay, are giving people who have been living on the streets a safe place to sleep. So far theyve placed 49 huts in the community, serving 100-plus homeless people. [They also provide] a bridge to other programs. Whether the need is drug rehabilitation or job training, getting eyeglasses or going to a dentist, de Buhr and the churches he partners with can point the way. The emphasis is always on the next step. We foster a culture of self-improvement, de Buhr says. Thats whats rewarded in our camps. The idea is to move homeless people from needing assistance to living on their own. We encourage people to find ways not to be a burden on the social services, de Buhr says. And also for their own well-being not to become dependent on those social services. But in some situations those services are very much needed, he agrees, such as for people with ongoing disabilities or mental health problems. But if you have the capacity to improve your situation, and also live with a certain self-confidence, thats what we want to see, de Buhr says. He, Fay, and their 6-year-old son live in a 6-by-10-foot hut behind their renovated office building. Next door to them are six other huts, temporary homes for homeless people.
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