Hope University
Sharing ways to bring hope and stability to your community.
Our vision is a world where all unsheltered people have a place to call home and are empowered to strengthen the quality of their lives. Through Hope University, we provide online and on-site training for communities outside Southern Oregon, so that cities and leaders can create, fund, and operate their own successful housing and job readiness programs.
“This has been really helpful to see a success story. I think there’s a lot of conversation about what could be tried, but it’s great to see something working on the ground like this.”
– Tonya Graham, City Councilor, Ashland, OR
Teaching the Rogue Retreat Model of Success
Together with our partners and local leaders, we’ve created a multi-faceted supportive network of shelter sites and transitional housing alongside an array of comprehensive, wrap-around supportive services. In this partnership continuum, supportive services are the main ingredient and are available at all levels of shelter and housing.
HOPE: Lifts the broken hearted, sparks belief in positive outcomes, and infuses the model with goodness.
FUNDERS: Individuals and organizations who invest time, money, goods, or services that furthers our vision and mission.
COMMUNITY PARTNERS: A comprehensive network of community service providers that join with us to help participants reach their highest potential.
SUPPORTIVE SERVICES: Rogue Retreat’s “Secret Sauce” is the framework that restores lives by providing guidance, counseling, and referrals to Community Partners who focus on overcoming barriers.
SHELTER & HOUSING: Creative, innovative, and temporary shelter and housing. solutions that stabilize formerly homeless program participants and gives them a place to call home.
Collaboration with partners
Our partnership-based model has not only helped participants restore their lives, but has also helped transform our regional communities in Jackson and Josephine counties. Through a comprehensive partnership with the City of Medford and many others, this model has attracted leaders from outside of Southern Oregon who want to learn from our experience.
Developing a hands-on program
Through our Hope University hands-on program, we educate and train other communities to help their homeless neighbors. We do this through a lens of collaboration and wrap-around facilitation, all while providing participants with a necessary ingredient for success — hope.
“I really appreciated the training provided to many of us. You did a great job of orchestrating a large amount of information very articulately & concisely into a short period of time! I am very grateful to have it & will be sending the materials on to others in the community.”
– Nancy Brown, Mt Vernon, WA
How can Hope University help your community?
Our goal is not to expand Rogue Retreat outside of Southern Oregon, but rather to empower other communities to write their own stories of success. Hope University workshops and offerings are custom-tailored to each city or region while modeled after Rogue Retreat practices. While not an exhaustive list, these offerings include:
Phase 1 – “Listening Tour”
Homeless Needs Assessment
We will facilitate a survey of the homeless population to assess what they see as needs for shelter, meals, and other resources. We get the opportunity to join you in meeting the homeless neighbors in your community. This needs assessment data and information is used to help inform the strategic planning session.
Community Service Provider Survey
We will facilitate a survey of community leaders, partners, and service providers to capture input on community needs. These results will be transcribed and used to help create a unifying regional vision.
One-Day Strategic Planning Session
Work with Hope University staff to identify a community vision. Using the compiled data from the homeless needs assessment and the community service provider survey create a community SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis, and establish an action plan that is unique to your community.
Phase 2 – “Training”
Leadership Expansion
Hope University will provide tours of programs in both Medford and Grants Pass, Oregon, as well as in-person training with leaders of Rogue Retreat.
Shared Learning
We will customize and deliver certificate-based and “best practice” training in a variety of behavioral, mental health, and trauma-informed care for leaders and staff in your region. This may include a Fundamentals of Peer Support class, a Poverty Simulation event, and De-Escalation Training panels.
Phase 3 – “On-going Supports”
Community Inventory & Resource Guide
Hope University will work with community leaders to identify existing inventories of community partners and help identify potential gaps in services, priority initiatives, and potential partnerships.
On-Demand Coaching & Technical Assistance
Our staff will provide on-demand coaching and technical assistance for safe shelter, support, and resources that are culturally informed, and promote self-reliance, dignity, hope, and holistic healing.
Results-Oriented Action Plan
Based on the information provided for and during the strategic planning session, Hope University will inform and help create a Master Plan of Action that may include a comprehensive Road Map of activities to accomplish the vision and goals of the action plan along with measurable results and outcomes.
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“We have learned through the years what to do and what not to do. If we can share with other groups what we have learned to inspire them and support them, we will be excited and honored to serve.”
– Chad McComas, Co-Founder and Executive Director
Klamath Falls – Klamath Tribes
Hope University is currently working with Klamath Tribes, Klamath Tribal Health & Wellness (KTH), and Klamath Tribal Council to stand up a managed Campground in downtown Klamath Falls. The Klamath Tribes own a plot of land that previously had a structure on it that burned down a few years ago. They are now looking to repurpose that land to use it as the temporary home for a pallet shelter facility (managed campground).
Hope University helped gather all the information necessary to submit a site application for use of this property for a shelter. The site application was submitted on behalf of KTH in March of 2022 and was approved within weeks by mid-April.
Hope University will continue to support, train and coach the Klamath Tribes as they prepare the site and stand up the managed campground. Hope University is currently providing: Fundamentals of Peer Support training, de-escalation training, homeless needs assessments, community service provider surveys, and a three-year strategic plan to create a continuum of shelter services for homeless tribal members.
Redmond – Oasis Village
Oasis Village is a proposed tiny house village on 2 of 10 acres off Highway 126 in Redmond, Oregon. The site proposal includes 10 “Tiny Bedrooms” in Phase 1 of the project and later they are hoping to triple in size. They are also looking at having RV hookups and a managed campground with a “community center” onsite that has a commercial kitchen and shower & laundry facilities.
Hope University has partnered with the Oasis Village group first in hosting them on tours of Rogue Retreat facilities. Along with those in-person tours, Hope University has provided technical assistance like leading a one-day strategic planning session at Redmond City Hall with key stakeholders in the area.
Hope University sent a small team to Redmond in mid-May of 2022 to facilitate a Poverty Simulation. The trainers on the team also provide other training like the Fundamentals of Peer Support class.
Roseburg – UCAN & Gary Leif Navigation Center
Hope University began working with the City of Roseburg, Oregon in January of 2020. This work began with supporting the Roseburg Homeless Commission to complete a homeless needs assessment and a strategic planning session in April 2021.
The City of Roseburg selected a non-profit called the United Community Action Network (UCAN) to run their Navigation Center, which had the deadline to be operating by June 30th, 2022.
UCAN enlisted the help of Rogue Retreat’s Hope University to help kickstart facility operations. These services included partnering and coaching in community partner and neighborhood meetings, providing Fundamentals of Peer Support training, helping develop job descriptions and policy & procedure manuals, and providing job shadowing opportunities at Rogue Retreat facilities.
Interest in Hope University services has been expressed by other communities such as Cave Junction, Benton County, and broader Deschutes County (including Bend and Madras).
We have also received inquiries from communities in other states like Del Norte County, California; Sitka, Alaska; and Dallas, Texas.
“The City [of Roseburg] is so grateful for the partnership we have formed with Rogue Retreat and is excited to see the positive outcomes from implementing a program to assist our homeless based on Rogue Retreat principles and programs. The part I can’t stress enough is the incredible support we have received from the staff at Rogue Retreat.”
– AMY SOWA, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER/CITY RECORDER – CITY OF ROSEBURG, OR
Contact Us about Hope University
Hope University costs are built around the needs of each community. Contact us to schedule a free consultation with our Rogue Retreat team, or to be added to our Hope University email list.