It is with our deepest sorrow that we share the news of the untimely and tragic passing of Housing First Umpqua’s star volunteer, Christian Avana. Christian was an outreach worker and community organizer who donated both time and talents with Housing First Umpqua (HFU). Christian could relate to those living on the streets because they shared some of the same struggles, like finding a meal, a place to shower and access to needed healthcare. While living in a vehicle with no steady income, they did projects and small jobs to have a little money for food and gas.

Christian was kind, had a “helper” personality and a commitment to learning what needs to happen in our community to end homelessness. They not only provided direct outreach to those living rough, Christian attended meetings and strategy sessions on a regular basis, and sometimes represented HFU with other community groups. They helped us distribute donated survival gear like tarps, tents and sleeping bags, and interviewed those living rough, learning about their most pressing needs.

Christian was a young person, eager to learn about the legislative process, passionate about justice for people and the planet, just figuring out what their place might be in the world of politics. They stayed quite busy, often spreading themselves too thin. But there are too few volunteers like Christian, stepping forward in our community to do the work for the “greater good”. We, at Housing First Umpqua, will miss them a lot. The loss of Christian Avana is a tragedy for the community, but to HFU they will never be “just another homeless person who died."