2% increase in number of homeless students statewide

Oregon — New data from the Oregon department of education shows the percent of K12 students considered homeless rose by 2 percent since last school year.

With 1,251, the Medford School District joins Portland and Beaverton school districts for highest number of homeless students.

Hearts with a Mission which helps house some of those students says homelessness takes many forms including students who are couch-surfing, living in motels or hotels, or families doubling-up with friends or relatives.

“We work with all different types of kids who are homeless, we try to take a priority to work within their own network of support and how we can develop more of them as we work with them here,” said Bryan Wenzel, Case Manager for Hearts with a Mission.

On December 5th, Hearts with a Mission is holding an open house for its new shelter for children aged 10 to 17.

They say a stable place to live is key to success in school.

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Matt Jordan is the Chief Meteorologist for KOBI-TV NBC5. Matt joined the NBC5 weather team in 2014 after a year as a reporter and anchor in Alexandria, Louisiana. His experience with the severe weather of the Deep South and a love of the Pacific Northwest led him to pursue a certification with Mississippi State University as a Broadcast Meteorologist. You can find Matt working in the evenings of NBC5 News at 5, 6 and 11 as well as online. Matt also has a degree in Journalism from the University of Oregon. In addition to being passionate about news and weather, Matt is a BIG Oregon Ducks fan. When not rooting for the Ducks or tracking down the next storm over the Pacific, Matt can be found outdoors in the Oregon wilderness with his wife, his daughter and their dogs Stanley and Gordi.
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