Family First Resource Center
No family should have to spend the day in a car, searching for a safe place to rest, eat a meal, or simply be together.
The Family First Resource Center is a welcoming day center for families experiencing homelessness or housing instability. Open seven days a week from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., our center provides a comfortable, family-focused environment where parents and children can spend time together while connecting with housing services and other community resources.
Located in Salem, the Family First Resource Center is the only homeless day center within 70 miles that welcomes families of every size and composition. Whether you are a single parent, a two-parent household, grandparents raising grandchildren, or a large family, you are welcome here.
A Place Where Families Can Simply Be Together
For families living in vehicles or other unstable situations, everyday moments often become impossible. Sitting together for dinner, helping with homework, reading a bedtime story, or relaxing on a couch are comforts many families lose when they lose their housing.
At Family First Resource Center, families can:
- Enjoy meals together around a dining table
- Relax in a comfortable, family-friendly environment
- Watch television, play games, and spend quality time together
- Take hot showers
- Access computers and tablets for school, job searches, and essential services
- Meet with caring staff who can help connect them to housing and community resources
Our goal is simple: provide a safe, welcoming space where families are treated with dignity while taking the next steps toward stable housing from 7:00 am – 7:00 pm seven days a week.
Housing Navigation and Family Support
Our experienced team works alongside each family to understand their unique situation and connect them with available services. Depending on your needs, we can help with:
- Coordinated Entry housing services
- Housing navigation and case management
- Connections to community resources
- Assistance obtaining identification and vital documents
- Applications for health insurance and other public benefits
- Referrals to additional family support services
Finding Families Who Need Help
Many families experiencing homelessness don’t know services like Family First Resource Center exist. That’s why our outreach specialists regularly visit parks, grocery store parking lots, and other community locations to connect with families who may be living in vehicles or facing housing instability.
Families can complete a simple self-assessment to connect directly with our staff and begin receiving support as quickly as possible.
Services in Polk County
Family First Resource Center is expanding services into Polk County to better serve families throughout the region.
Family First staff are available at the:
Polk Community Resource Center
1407 Monmouth-Independence Highway
Monmouth, OR 97361
Families can:
- Enroll in Coordinated Entry housing services
- Receive help obtaining identification and vital documents
- Apply for health insurance and other benefits
- Connect with housing and community resources
Transportation is also available for Polk County families who need access to meals, showers, and additional services at the Family First Resource Center in Salem.
Days and hours for Polk County services will be announced soon.
Visit Us
Family First Resource Center
1255 Broadway NE, Suite 110
Salem, OR
Hours:
Seven Days a Week
7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
If your family is experiencing homelessness or housing instability, you are not alone. Our team is here to help you find resources, build stability, and move back toward permanent housing.