By Madeline Braun
It’s no secret that many members of our community are facing increasing threats to their rights and well-being. If you or your neighbors are in need of support — such as free legal aid, case management, health care or peer support — there are the local organizations that can help. These organizations provide low- or no-cost services throughout Eugene and Lane County.
Is there a resource we should add? Please let us know at Editor@EugeneWeekly.com.
Immigration Services and Latino Outreach
Catholic Charities’ Immigration Legal Services (ILS) is a nonprofit law program offering low-cost consultations and legal representation to immigrants and refugees in Oregon and southwest Washington. Services, including assistance with visas and Green Card applications, DACA, asylum seekers, removal defense and support for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. Visit the ILS website for a full list of services offered. No walk-ins.
CatholicCharitiesOregon.org, ils-intakes@ccoregon.org, 503-542-2855
Comunidad y Herencia Cultural (Noche Cultural) seeks to serve the Latinx community by providing cultural, artistic and educational programming that considers both heritage and lived experiences. Comunidad also provides an “Ask the Expert” series of presentations in Spanish by health care professionals designed to address physical and mental health challenges specifically affecting our Latinx community.
Facebook.com/ComunidadyHerenciaCultural, Nochecultural.com, 760-580-2895
GLAD (Grupo Latino de Acción Directa) provides support to Latinos and other underrepresented groups in Lane County and across Oregon. Programs include education, community engagement and Spanish interpretation services, as well as connecting asylum seekers to legal resources.
GladLaneCounty.org, 313 East 8th Avenue, GladofOregon@gmail.com, 458-205-3295
Legal Services
CLDC (Civil Liberties Defense Center) defends activists, pursues civil rights litigation and educates people about our rights. The CLDC offers a host of resources, including legal primers and “Know Your Rights” toolkits, available in Spanish, Arabic and English. Visit their website to find “Know Your Rights” information for immigrants and allies; explainers on power of attorney and guardianship; steps to take to preserve digital safety; and a bilingual flyer on what to do if a government agent shows up at your door.
CLDC.org, 1711 Willamette Street, Suite 301
Lane County Legal Aid Office provides free legal services to the low-income community in Lane County. Cases are typically related to housing, benefits, family law, and domestic violence, although all cases are assessed upon client intake. The Lane County Legal Aid Office also operates a Senior Services Program for the Lane County senior community. The Eugene office is open Monday-Friday from 9 am to 5 pm. Services are provided in English and Spanish. Not currently accepting walk-ins.
OregonLawCenter.org, 101 East Broadway, Suite 200, 541-485-1017 or 1-844-595-8330
BIPOC Services
Black Cultural Initiative has programs serving the Black community in Lane County. Services include small business incubation, financial literacy and education, workforce development, youth and family services, and healthcare referrals.
BlackCulturalInitiative.com, 1695 Jefferson Street, 541-654-0318
Eugene/Springfield NAACP, the county-wide branch of the national NAACP coalition, provides educational programming, community building and events. Programming includes youth development, academic support and the Annie Mims public library, providing access to literature about African-American culture, art and history.
The NAACP also provides case management, health advocacy, housing support, harm reduction and other services through a partnership with the HIV Alliance: provided at the NAACP office, Tuesday-Thursday 1pm to 3pm, for anyone in Lane County who self-identifies as BIPOC.
NaacpLaneCounty.org, 330 High Street, Eugene, OR (NAACP office and Annie Mims library), Info@naacplanecounty.org, 541-484-1119
H.O.N.E.Y. (Honoring Our New Ethnic Youth) is a local nonprofit providing empowering programs to multiracial, ethnic and underserved youth and families in Lane County. Programs include academic, educational and literary support for students of all ages; culture clubs, enrichment camps and career development.
HoneyNonProfit.org, HoneyNonProfit@gmail.com, 541-337-3670
Queer and Trans Care
The Lavender Network is a cooperative center offering community space and a range of services, including gender-affirming hormone injection support program, STI testing, PrEP navigation services, harm reduction supplies, peer support groups, gender-affirming products and clothing and a food program (open Thursdays from 10 am to 2 pm).
Services provided by the HIV Alliance, Transponder, Queer Eugene, Pride Day Equality Project and Authentic Movement Project.
HIVAlliance.org/the-lavender-network, 440 Maxwell Road, 541-321-0872
HIV Alliance is a statewide organization that provides sex education, HIV care services and prevention, harm reduction, Hepatitis C case management and even COVID-19 testing and vaccination. The Alliance for Community Wellness, HIV Alliance’s clinical services department, provides behavioral health counseling, peer support services, supportive housing and more. Visit the HIV Alliance website for a full list of services.
HIVAlliance.org, 1195 City View Street, 541-342-5088
TransPonder is a transgender-founded and led nonprofit providing support, resource navigation and education. Recurring events include Queer, Trans & Disability Support Group; QTBIPOC discussion group; TransParent support group for caregivers of trans/gender-diverse youth; gender diverse yoga classes; and a job skills program. Events offered in-person and virtually. Visit the TransPonder website for a full calendar of event times and locations.
TransPonder.community, Info@TransPonderOregon.org, 541-321-0872 (call), 541-632-8953 (text)
Queer Eugene is a nonprofit dedicated to providing resources and education regarding the queer community. The group leads sessions on diversity, equity and inclusion policies with a mixture of whole companies and individual employers and employees. Queer Eugene is a great place to start if you’re looking to make your business or organization a safe space.
QueerEugene.org, 440 Maxwell Road, 541-321-0872
Survivors of Sexual Assault and Women’s Services
Hope & Safety Alliance provides trauma-informed care and services for all survivors of domestic and sexual violence. Services include emergency services, legal support, housing support, food and supplies, peer counseling and transportation. By appointment 9 am to 5 pm Monday through Friday. Online web chat available, as well as 24/7 crisis line. Services are available in both Spanish and English.
HopeSafetyAlliance.org,1577 Pearl Street, 2nd Floor, 24/7 crisis line: 541-485-6513, office phone: 541-485-8232
Planned Parenthood of Southwest Oregon provides reproductive health care, essential health services, education and advocacy. Planned Parenthood provides birth control, abortions, information on healthy relationships, identity and more.
Plannedparenthood.org, 3579 Franklin Boulevard, 541-344-9411 or 800-230-PLAN
Sexual Assault Support Services of Lane County (SASS) is a nonprofit organization providing outreach, advocacy and support to survivors of sexual assault and their loved ones. Advocates provide information, referrals, peer counseling. SASS also operates a 24-hour crisis and support line and 24-hour advocacy. Visit the website to see a schedule of drop-in support groups.
Sass-lane.org, 24/7 crisis line: 541-343-7277, office phone: 541-484-9791
Youth, Homelessness and Addiction
Black Thistle Street Aid volunteers provide weekly non-emergent medical outreach to the Eugene/Springfield area via roving outreach teams and monthly pop-up clinics. Its team of medical providers (MDs, PAs, RNs, EMTs) and clinical herbalists provide integrative health care through a harm-reduction, trauma-informed and humanistic lens.
BlackThistleStreetAid.org, 541-232-8546
Carry It Forward cultivates systematic efforts to reduce the harms of homelessness and support the necessary work that ends it. It provides advocacy and outreach, works with Hope on Wheels, which restores donated and purchased used RVs to provide housing for families across Lane County and vocational engagement for members of the workforce development program, and more.
CarryItForward.net, P.O. Box 50121, Eugene, OR 97405, 541-654-0139.
CORE (Community Outreach Through Radical Empowerment provides case management for people ages 16-29. Provides trauma-informed care, resource navigation and low-barrier services through street outreach, job skill and recreation workshops and hard reduction. Also provides a safe space for young people ages 16-24 at the Zephyr House in Eugene.
COREEugene.org, Zephyr House 692 Jefferson Street, (call or text) 541-870-0036
Looking Glass provides services for youth, adults and families in Lane County, including counseling, homeless youth services, housing services, educational and vocational services as well as residential and outpatient treatment. Also provides emergency shelter and other support for homeless youth, ages 11-20. Looking Glass’s Rural Program in Cottage Grove has a drop-in center offering food, clothing, internet and job search materials to youth. Services available in Spanish and English.
LookingGlass.us, 24/7 crisis line: 541-689-3111, office phone: 541-686-2688
Neighbors Feeding Neighbors a compassionate faith-based group that provides meals to the hungry and unhoused in Eugene. The group serves food at the corner of 5th Avenue and Washington Street, Washington Jefferson Park, 9 am to 10 am, Wednesday through Saturday.Facebook.com/NeighborsFeedingNeighbors, 541-513-5623