From service to solidarity…
Helping organizations build the skills and tools necessary to move towards solidarity with the communities they serve and care for.
Located in the Pacific Northwest on the stolen ancestral lands of the Cowlitz, Multnomah, Kathlamet, Clackamas, Tumwater, Tualatin Kalapuya, Wasco, Molalla, and Watlala bands of the Chinook, and many other nations of the Nch’i Wána - “The Big River”. We recognize the sovereignty of these nations and their people, many of whom are now part of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, the Chinook Nation and the Cowlitz Nation.
Johnnie Shaver (he/him)
Community-Centered Consultant | Trainer | Advocate
With over 20 years of experience organizing alongside unhoused, Black, Latine, Native, and LGBTQIA2S+ communities, I bring both professional expertise and lived experience to my work. Having personally navigated homelessness and food insecurity, and as a visibly fat and transgender person, I offer a unique, trauma-informed perspective on community care, advocacy, and systems change. I’m dedicated to centering communities with data-driven, evidence-based solutions to poverty and homelessness.
I specialize in creating resources that bridge the gap between policy and practice, providing organizations and service providers with actionable tools, training, and support for healing-centered work, including:
Services & Expertise
Disaster Response & Housing Solutions
Provide technical assistance, training, and field support to Continuums of Care (CoCs) and HUD grantees nationwide.
Collaborate with FEMA, the Red Cross, the CDC, and emergency responders to support disaster survivors.
Deploy on-site to assist communities in crisis, ensuring equity-driven recovery efforts.
Program Design & Community Initiatives
Develop and manage community-driven programs, including:
Rapid Rehousing and Permanent Supportive Housing programs
Cross-functional peer support programs
Seasonal cooling stations and warming shelters
Village-model non-congregate shelters
Culturally specific shelter and housing programs
LGBTQIA2S+, Black, Brown & Native shelter and housing programs
Culturally specific free food programs
Transgender pantry program at Esther’s Pantry in Milwaukie, Oregon, 2019.
Harm reduction resource programs
Mobile Harm Reduction Clinic, SHARE, Clark County, Washington, 2018.
Free Naloxone cabinet program, The Marie Equi Center, Portland, Oregon, 2024.
Coordinate volunteer teams
Build partnerships between agencies, organizations and mutual aid networks.
COVID-19 partnership between Oregon Food Bank and Portland Mutual Aid Network, distributes over 6,200 food boxes in Multnomah, Clackamas, & Washington Counties, 2020.
Partnership between SHARE and Clark County Public Health to support the Mobile Harm Reduction Clinic, 2018.
Training & Capacity Building
Designed and facilitated a wide variety of trainings and presentations, including:
Client Engagement Best Practices
HUD: Equal Access Rule Workshop
Board Governance Best Practices
Continuum of Care 101
Unraveling the House: Navigating Local and National Housing Systems
How to Queer a Peer Program
Food as Harm Reduction
Transgender Solidarity for Organizations
Transgender Civil Rights in Oregon
Trauma-Informed Spaces
Tools & Product Development
Created tools to support communities and providers, including:
Unraveling the House: Making Sense of Multnomah County’s Low Income/No Income Housing System – A zine breaking down housing systems and access barriers.
Engaging Community Toolkit: Healing-Centered Approaches to Social Service Programs – A guide for service providers on trauma-informed, community-led engagement.
CDC’s Infectious Disease Toolkit for Continuums of Care – Subject matter expert for The Cloudburst Group and the CDC in the latest version of the toolkit.
Speaking Engagements & Conference Presentations
Past engagements include:
Closing the Hunger Gap, 2019
The Power of Open Choice Pantries
Food Lifeline Annual Conference, 2019
Client Voice Beyond Stories
I am committed to developing service models, policies, and training solutions that are anti-racist, anti-colonial, that empower communities and create lasting change. Let’s work together to build more just and effective systems that enhance community solidarity.
Offerings…
Technical Assistance + Consulting
Need support navigating complex grant reporting? Looking for guidance on maximizing your HUD Emergency Solutions Grant?
Wherever you are in the process, a 30-minute consultation is a great first step toward reducing barriers, streamlining compliance, and enhancing client-centered programs. Let’s work together to create solutions that drive impact.
Program + Service Design
Whether you're developing a new harm reduction program to align with funding requirements or redesigning a housing initiative to be more client- and community-centered, I can support your organization at any stage. Together, we’ll create programs that are collaborative, data-driven, and rooted in healing-centered engagement.
Training
With over 20 years of experience as an anti-oppression facilitator and trainer, I bring a diverse and adaptable toolkit to every workshop. I offer customized trainings tailored to your organization's needs, whether by adapting sessions from my Workshop Catalog or developing new content to address your specific goals. Let’s create impactful learning experiences that drive meaningful change.