The Eugene Mission is embarking on a 24-hour conversation with the community.

The event, called “Conversations on a Bench,” will be livestreamed from the Eugene Mission, a nonprofit recovery center and shelter for people experiencing homelessness. 

It’s a literal conversation — and gives a voice to people with work and lives that intersect with homelessness. Executive Director Sheryl Balthrop will sit on a bench at the Eugene Mission and have one-on-one conversations with community members. Guests include homeless services providers, local officials and leaders, and people who have been unhoused and received help. 

The event starts at noon Thursday, Oct. 8, and lasts until noon Friday, Oct. 9.

“The challenge of homelessness is growing in our local community, but that doesn’t mean we have to lose hope,” Balthrop said in a statement. “This event invites people to see past myths and engage with the reality of what it means to experience — and overcome — homelessness.”

The public can watch in person or online and submit questions and comments online during the livestream. Guests will discuss issues that intersect with homelessness that include addiction, recovery, policy and affordable housing.

Members of the public can show up to watch in person at any point during the event at the Eugene Mission campus, 1542 W. First Ave., Eugene. 

You can watch online on Facebook and YouTube. 

The event’s primary purpose is to raise awareness, educate people and dispel myths about homelessness, said Kelly Rush, a spokesperson for the Eugene Mission. The event also a fundraiser for the organization. Donors have built a $150,000 pool that matches community donations up to another $150,000.

The event is the second annual 24-hour livestream. It’s part of a coordinated plan through Citygate Network, a national association of gospel missions. More than 100 nonprofit organizations will hold livestreamed events in North America during the same time period. 

The Eugene Mission is a faith-based Christian nonprofit that serves people of all backgrounds, regardless of religion. More information about “Conversations on a Bench” is available at the Mission’s website.

Ben Botkin covers politics and policy in Lane County. He has worked as a journalist since 2003, most recently at the Oregon Capital Chronicle, where he covered justice, health and human services and documented regional efforts to combat fentanyl addiction. Botkin has worked in statehouses in Idaho, Nevada, Oklahoma and, of course, Oregon. When he's not working, you'll find him road tripping across the West, hiking or surfing along the Oregon Coast.