MARCH 2023
EDITOR’S NOTE
by Bonnie Gregg, Poverty Awareness & Communication Team, and member of Madeleine Catholic Parish
Bigotry is not inherited, but we quickly learn the biases of our people by their words and example. Education is the main defense against the narrowness of vision that closes the door to truth and broader understanding. Today the wisdom of the world is open to us, but it is important that there be an honest accounting of our past and clear-eyed analysis of our present Filtering what is taught through the lens of a few, shortcuts education. When books are burned and government defines education’s message, our democracy is at risk.
Under the leadership of Portland Public Schools Superintendent Guadalupe Guerrero, no books are being burned in Portland, and the district is adhering to its expressed commitment to racial equity and social justice. Superintendent Guerrero will be speaking at the March 2nd 12:00, Zoom meeting of the Interfaith Alliance. You are encouraged to attend. See Announcement.
For homeless children whose families are constantly on the move, couch surfing, living in cars, campsites, shelters, or on the street, “going to school” presents its own set of problems. Read about how Portland Public Schools is enabling these children to have an educational experience that may one day free them from the chains of poverty. See the “PPS Program for Homeless Children” in this newsletter.
Oregon Governor Tina Kotek’s proposed 2023-25 budget focuses on issues to which she is committed: Oregon’s housing crisis, improving access to mental health and addiction services, and improving outcomes for Oregon students. Learn about “Kotek’s Spending Priorities” in this newsletter.
Multnomah County has unveiled a new plan to get more people off of Portland's streets and into apartments. Read Alex Hasenstab’s OPB report on “Housing Multnomah Now” which allocates $14 million over the next year to move people directly from tents to apartments.
At the last meeting of the Interfaith Alliance, Cole Merkel, Executive Director of HereTogether commented that looking out the window of our car as we pass the homeless camped along our streets, we may be tempted to think that nothing is being done to change things, but he asserted, we’d be wrong. Hundreds of people in a variety of organizations are working every day to care for people and find them permanent housing. He provided a “roadmap” as to just how this may be accomplished. For more information read David Groff’s Summary of the February 2 Interfaith Alliance Minutes.
A one size fits all solution to serving and ending homelessness will not work for the most vulnerable people declares Scott Kerman, Executive Director of Blanchet House, particularly those who live on the margins, those who are disconnected, broken, disenfranchised, vulnerable, discounted, and the forgotten of society. Nevertheless, within the despair and at times horror in our midst, we also see grace and hope.” To read Scott’s full blog, check out Voices from the Street.
We are told to “Beware the Ides of March”, the date Julius Caesar was assassinated memorialized in Shakespeare’s play, but we need have no fear of omens, or the darkness that so often surrounds us. As long as there are educators like Guadalupe Guerrero, and people working on the front lines of poverty, social/racial justice, income equality, physical/mental health care, and against violence in all its forms, we can move forward with hope in our hearts. Bonnie Gregg