After being evicted from their St. Louis apartment in January, Angelique Oliver-Jones and her 13-year-old daughter, Karriah, packed what they could, loaded up their dog Chanel and set out to rebuild their lives thousands of miles away.
Over the next several months, the family bounced between eight cities across three states before eventually arriving in Portland where they are currently staying at an overnight-only shelter.
Amid that instability, Oliver-Jones has been searching for a moment to breathe. She finally found that at Good Circumstance, a women’s library and day center in Old Town.
“I feel like I manifested this place,” Oliver-Jones said.
The library, which opened July 21, offers women and other people of marginalized gender identities, especially those experiencing homelessness, with a place to spend time during the day. It provides books, computers, art supplies, musical instruments, classes and peer support. The selection of quiet activities differs somewhat from other day centers around the city that are often more focused on providing showers, mailboxes and support services. “I can’t stress enough how safe it feels to be able to be in an environment such as this,” Oliver-Jones said.