Steve's Imports - a Committed Advocate for Portland's Homeless

Family owned and operated, Steve's Imports has served the automotive needs of Portland, Oregon, customers for more than three decades. The firm repairs a full range of quality German and British makes including Mercedes, BMW, Jaguar, and Volkswagen. Steve's Imports maintains a strong community presence and was featured in a recent Autobody News article for its homeless advocacy efforts.

Steve Spinnett, the company's head, has a background in local politics and previously served as mayor of Damascus, Oregon. When people who were homeless began living nearby, he sought to understand what had brought them to this particular juncture in their lives. He also sought out practical ways of helping them, such as by letting them charge their electrical devices and access water through an outside spigot.

Steve Spinnett also learned how to differentiate people who were legitimately homeless, those who had experienced trauma or a run of bad luck and could not get out of their situation, from criminal elements who used homelessness as a pretext for dealing drugs. He assisted one woman who was an addict and near death in receiving drug treatment through his local church and by connecting with a compassionate family. The result was that she regained her health and renewed a relationship with her long-estranged father.

Mr. Spinnett characterizes his current mission as one of engaging with other area business owners in emphasizing the importance of compassion, rather than simply viewing homeless people as a problem.