Henry Schmald

Oct. 31, 2014


“I love making those windows.”


Henry Schmald, 72, makes the windows for Community Supported Shelters’ Conestoga Huts in a small woodshop behind his house in west Eugene. The window frames are made from rough fence boards, but Schmald uses his lifetime of woodworking experience to make beautifully finished pieces. He and his wife Marcia Brett install the windows into the huts’ end walls at CSS’s Tine Hive workshop.


“When Occupy Eugene got started, it reminded me of days when I was always involved with good people doing good things. I really admired the work that Sue Sierralupe and her team were doing with the medical bus and hair stylist Benjamin Hunt and all the Occupy people who volunteered at the Egan Warming centers. All these people made me think, ‘Man, I’ve got to find something to do.’ Then people started talking about Opportunity Village and that’s when I first heard about the Conestoga Huts. At one point Erik [de Buhr, CSS program director] brought one of the huts to the Park Blocks and I went to look at it. I got a really good hit off of Erik and I loved his enthusiasm about the huts. I was impressed, too, that they were affiliated with St. Vincent De Paul, which does so many great things in our community. I wanted to do something with the skills I have. I’ve got a small shop, so I can do small things. So when I looked the hut over, I thought , ‘oh, that back window could be just my gig’—and it has been.

“From when I was a little kid, my dad had a wood shop, so I’ve always been involved with wood shops. When I was in the Peace Corps in Gabon, I helped build schools. In the ’70s, I worked with Hoedads tree planning cooperative and after that helped start a woodworking and building cooperative called Boardfoot, that was a great group of people to work with and a big influence on my life.



“Erik and the people working on these huts are what the Dalai Lama meant when, in his talk in Eugene, he talked about younger people who will make good things happen in the 21st century. We’re the folks—like the Dalai Lama—getting ready to say, ‘bye-bye.’ But it’s great to give these young folks a helping hand while we’re still around.


“The huts serve an important community purpose because they make it possible for people who might otherwise be homeless to experience how wonderful it is to have your own place. You can go to the Mission or other shelters but that’s very different from going to your own place. I know how important it is if you are trying to go back to school or get a job to have a place to lock up your stuff, and to just be able to shut a door and be in your own home.


“The quick answer to why I’m involved is that it makes me happy. I don’t feel good unless I’m doing something to help somehow. I love making those windows.”

News & Events

To stay connected to CSS, subscribe to our quarterly newsletter. If you are a member of the media who is seeking info, contact community@cssoregon.org.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Getting Back on Their Feet — Together

January 24, 2026
On a sunny January day, Dan, 58, and Robert, 60, worked together on the CSS Maintenance Crew doing restoration work at the Empire Pond Safe Spot Community. Another typical workday for both of them in some ways, but one that neither could have imagined just a year and a half ago. Dan and Robert are brothers who had not

Partner Spotlight: MECCA

January 23, 2026
The "starving artist" stereotype is well-known. Housed folks often struggle to make an income through art. That difficulty is magnified for unhoused artists, for whom many basic resources are out of reach: good-quality supplies, studio space, and art classes. For that reason, when CSS launched our new Arts Entrepreneur

Strength In Community

January 22, 2026
Right now is a scary time for many of the people we serve. Freezing weather brings real and immediate danger. Increased enforcement and the presence of ICE create fear and instability, particularly for immigrant community members. And harmful language and policies at the federal level continue to further criminalize ho

Shoutouts & Gratitude: Winter 2026

January 21, 2026
Major gratitude to the following local businesses: Slice Pizzeria & Bar, Claim 52 Brewing, High Street Tonics, Venue 252, Chambers Grill & Taphouse, and The Embers. Collectively, they've filled about 100 BottleDrop Blue Bags since Thanksgiving, giving us a financial boost while recycling bottles and cans.

Community Supported Shelters moving into former west Eugene DMV

December 30, 2025
Community Supported Shelters' new main office used to be Eugene's DMV. The building at 2870 W. 10th Place was where Eugene residents got their licenses, registered their vehicles and replaced their license plates from 1985 to 2021. Eugene's DMV is now located at 499 Valley River Center. It moved in 2022.

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS! Bridges on Broadway Opens its Doors to Residents

December 18, 2025
“I’m excited! I can’t wait! I mean, I can plug in stuff. I can go to sleep. I can lock my door!” – Joshua Most of us take these simple things almost entirely for granted. Having access to electricity. Having a place to sleep where you feel safe and secure. But, for Joshua, and the 56 other Lane County households who a

Nonprofit that aids homeless is raising money for building remodel

December 9, 2025
Workers at Community Supported Shelters make do in a cramped space where they share desks and have no space for private meetings with the unsheltered people they serve. The Eugene nonprofit has grown rapidly in recent years, expanding its roster of huts where people can live off the streets. Today there are more than

Could Oregon Trail wagons provide an unlikely solution to the housing crisis?: Season of Sharing 2025

November 19, 2025
Zechariah Boesman was homeless for most of his life. He spent his childhood touring practically “every homeless shelter across America” and landed as an adult in Oregon, where he lived on the streets until a workplace injury convinced him to apply for a tiny home with Community Supported Shelters.

Community Supported Shelters takes on 20 more Conestoga Huts, will expand food efforts

November 16, 2025
Blake Burrell: "For anyone that's ever moved in with roommates, moving 20 people in at one time can be really challenging. So we are taking that incremental approach and are looking somewhere by probably about  July or August, having 20 folks on that property."

Hope in a Difficult Time

October 31, 2025
As we move deeper into fall and prepare for the cold months ahead, we want to share an update on our work and a reflection on what this season means for our community. Recent policy changes and funding reductions across Oregon are already having consequences for people experiencing homelessness. New SNAP rules are e
Show More