A Brief History

The idea of "The Inn" was conceived in May of 1968. The concept was nurtured and discussed by several families until September when it was presented to a larger group of potentially interested members of Resurrection Lutheran Church of Portland. The Inn was designed as a residential group home for adolescent boys with the first one coming in February 1969. The founding group organized the program around the belief of the infinite dignity and worth of each person, coupling those with the concepts of forgiveness and responsibility. The Inn's Group Home moved in 1980 to its current location.

Since 1985, the Inn has grown as we practice our mission of Expanding Opportunities with youth and their families. The Inn's focus is on adolescents who are in transitional periods of their lives. The Inn began to provide Transitional Living Services for homeless youth in Clackamas County in 1990, to provide support and teach skills to enable them to successfully transition to responsible adulthood. Our work with the homeless led to working with youth in foster care, since numerous homeless youth once were in foster care. If youth in foster care can learn skills and complete their education as they transition from state care, there is less chance they become homeless. To reach that goal, The Inn provides Independent Living Services for adolescents in Foster Care in Multnomah County, Mentoring for youth in Foster Care in Multnomah County and Independent Living Services for adolescents in Foster Care in Clackamas County in collaboration with Parrott Creek Youth and Family Services.