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 homeless to have hope.” That statement highlights one of our core organizational values.
Opportunity looks different for each individual, but we all have opportunities. If we take the word at face value, its meaning is “a set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something.” This broad definition is exactly why we value “opportunity” and desire to provide it wherever possible.

You may often hear about the “secret sauce” at Rogue Retreat. This refers to our wraparound supportive services – our case management, peer support work, and working relationships with different community partners. This is one of the most significant opportunities we provide for our unhoused neighbors in Southern Oregon.
Each person that enters one of our programs needs a new set of circumstances that makes it possible for them to do something, but not just anything. They need these new circumstances so they can do something different from how they have been doing it. They need an opportunity to move forward. They need an opportunity to see themselves differently and see their potential success in moving toward self-sufficiency.

As these services are provided for our community, our employees, especially our “frontline teams” that work directly with program participants, have an opportunity as well. Employees of Rogue Retreat see a new set of circumstances every time they walk through the doors. We have an opportunity to help others in new ways every day, and we have an opportunity to support each other through good times and challenging times.

Through some of the most challenging circumstances this organization has seen to date, Rogue Retreat still has the opportunity to tell a story. The heart of our work is still beating. We want to bring new light to our core organizational values – encouragement, honesty, opportunity, respect, and compassion. We want to continue to tell a story of hope, and we want to continue creating opportunities.

You now have an opportunity ahead of you. Rogue Retreat’s story can be shared by more than just employees and participants. You, as a supporter, can share our story, too! Invite others to join the conversation, tour the sites, hear of the successes and challenges that others have faced, and hear how the opportunities to find hope have changed and restored lives.