PORTLAND, Ore. — Following the misdemeanor arrest of two homeless people in Portland for using an outdoor power outlet to charge their phones, Salvation Army workers have set up a cellphone charging station.
The Oregonian reports that the Salvation Army Female Emergency Shelter announced Tuesday that it has five USB ports and four electrical outlets available for any homeless woman who wants to walk in and charge anything.
Salvation Army spokeswoman Teresa Steinmetz says keeping electrical devices working is crucial to finding and holding down a job, a place to live and other connections.
Last year two homeless people were charged with misdemeanor theft of services when they were found charging their phones at an outdoor electrical outlet. Under Oregon law, there is no minimum monetary loss for theft charges. Both cases have since been dropped.
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