News & Stories
The Who, What, Why of Rogue Retreat.
Telling the story of Rogue Retreat takes more than one person — it takes our village. Here, we share narratives from our participants, donors, and community partners. We also celebrate milestones and post online editions of our monthly newsletter.

Rogue Retreat’s Urban Campground Changes Its Name
In preparation for its move later this year, the Medford Urban Campground, operated by Rogue Retreat, is changing its name to Rogue Retreat Crossings. “Rogue Retreat Crossings is a name that aligns with what the campground actually is. Everyone at RRC is at a...

Holidays At Hope Village: Rogue Retreat’s first annual It’s A Wonderful Village Event Launches
The residents at Hope Village helped host two events for the community in the last quarter of 2022, one of which led to the other. On October 31st, 2022, Hope Village celebrated its five-year anniversary in the community. Residents decorated their tiny homes for...

After the Storm: Building New Hope at the Medford Urban Campground
On January 4th, a massive storm ripped through the Rogue Valley, leaving downed branches, broken fences and destruction in its wake. Unfortunately, the Medford Urban Campground endured severe damage, including torn tents, canopies and sleeping bags.“The campground...

Rogue Retreat Hires Sam Engel Executive Director
Rogue Retreat’s Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Sam Engel as the organization’s new Executive Director & Chief Executive Officer. He began this role effective January 25, 2023, with transition support from Interim Executive Director...

The Realities of Homelessness at Christmas
When people face homelessness, Christmas is typically far from their minds. They’re not worrying about what gifts to buy for their loved ones. They’re not making travel plans to see their families. And they’re certainly not struggling to find the perfect decorations...

Opportunity Breeds Hope: Rogue Retreat Values Spotlight
Core organizational values can be easily missed in conversation when the topic is so pressing as the one Rogue Retreat is ready to have at any moment. This conversation typically involves speaking about the mission of Rogue Retreat to “create opportunities for the...

Kelly Shelter Moves Into New Home at Navigation Center
When facing homelessness, there are more challenges than simply a lack of housing. Those who are unsheltered may also require help finding employment, getting their birth certificates, or seeking mental health treatment. However, the new Navigation Center will allow...

Matt Vorderstrasse – A Heart Felt Goodbye
I have had the distinct pleasure of working for the mission of Rogue Retreat for just over 4 years on staff after nearly 5 years as a Board Member. During this decade, I have watched us grow by leaps and bounds and set the precedent of creating a working roadmap for...

Leonard’s Story
The reasons why someone becomes homeless are varied. For Leonard Adams, it was a series of events which began several years ago. Initially, Leonard was staying at the Medford Gospel Mission and then moved in with his...

5 Ways You Can Help A Homeless Person
During the winter, our thoughts often turn to how we can serve others. This includes the men, women, and children who are homeless in our own community. Homelessness is a huge problem in the United States, with more than 500,000 people living in a state of...

Introducing Foundry Village
We are excited to introduce Foundry Village to you. Foundry Village is a partnership between the AllCare Community Foundation and Rogue Retreat. Foundry Village is the first transitional housing community in Grants Pass. It comprises 17 tiny houses and a community...

A Life of Giving, A Legacy of Generosity
When you focus on the good things in life, that spirit of thankfulness and compassion lives on from generation to generation. This is the legacy of John D’Arcy, and his daughter and son-in-law, Nan and Tom Gunderson. Through a donation of stock valued at $100,000 from...

Michelle DeLeon is “Doing the Next Right Thing”
The well of homelessness can run deep, but with a compassionate hand up, it is possible to climb out of the well and into light again. With the help of Rogue Retreat, Michelle DeLeon was able to escape the spiral of homelessness and create a better life for herself....

2021 Newsletters
Every month, Rogue Retreat publishes a newsletter and mails it out to community members. In it, we highlight our progress, give kudos to participants, showcase our generous donors, and more. We invite you to explore our past newsletters. We are grateful to raise hope and restore lives.

Introducing The Talent Gateway Transitional Housing Project
We’re excited to introduce the Talent Gateway Transitional Housing Project. So many individuals and organizations have come together to make this possible. We’re honored to be a part of this project. A joint effort between the Talent Urban Renewal Agency and the...

Robert Transitions from Hope Village to His Own Apartment
Robert Hansen is one of the many success stories we are privileged to witness. He successfully utilized the services available, has two steady jobs, and has been saving money for when an opening becomes available in a local apartment complex. His enthusiasm was...

Earlene Strosser: Giving is Something Everyone Can Do
A passion for helping and serving others has been a key ingredient in how Earlene Schlosser lives. After a turbulent early life, Earlene believes her story truly began at 40 years old. “The Lord has blessed me so richly since then. The best things in my life — I don’t...

Home for Now
This documentary short film by High Country News follows two families who are currently staying at Rogue Retreat’s Redwood Inn after they lost their homes in the Almeda Fire last year. The Redwood Inn was purchased in partnership with the City of Medford, funding was...

Restoring Lives
A Video by Rogue Retreat Sharing Rogue Retreat’s Mission to Restore Lives Rogue Retreat’s tagline is Restoring Lives. That’s what we do. Through this video, we show how Rogue Retreat does that. We’re not just housing people, we’re supporting them in all facets of...

$2.55 Million Dollar Grant
Oregon Community Foundation Awards $2.55 Million to the City of Medford and Rogue Retreat Partnership to Help Almeda Fire Victims According to a City of Medford media release, “on Wednesday, March 10 the Oregon Community Foundation (OCF) announced funding for a...
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