School & Community News

Tate Justesen ('99)

Tate Justesen(Sherman County High School �99), an attorney with Stahancyk, Kent, Johnson & Hook, upon hearing of his firm's plan to have each attorney give away fifty brownies on Valentine�s Day, thought first of the homeless. He gathered together his team and headed down to Blanchet House of Hospitality, a local Portland, Oregon homeless shelter, where he helped prepare lunch.

Over the last fifty-seven years, Blanchet House has served over 14 million meals to the hungry. Blanchet House provides room and board for close to thirty men who each work a six-hour shift every day in the kitchen and the eating area. Blanchet also owns a working farm in Yamhill Co. where about thirty men work for their room and board. Much of the food generated at the farm is taken to the Blanchet House to be used for meals.

Tate has long felt homelessness to be one of society's major ills and he knows that sometimes it's those who have the least who need the most. As a Family Law attorney, who specializes in divorce and custody matters, he's seen many a broken heart. "Everyone deserves love, especially on Valentine's day," says Tate.