SPARC lights the fire!

   By John Elizalde and Sarabelle Hitchner, First Unitarian Economic Justice Action Group, First Unitarian Committee on Hunger and Homelessness; Interfaith Alliance on Poverty

Portland, Multnomah County, Gresham and a host of others have stepped into the lions’ den according to Mark Dones from the Center for Social Innovation.  Mark was clear at the SPARC Community Kickoff that SPARC is likely to light up the way that our community has social systems, rules and maybe laws that adversely impact people of color and contribute to these people being homeless.  And we’ll need to deal with that reality.

Supporting Partnerships for Anti-Racist Communities launched in Multnomah County under sponsorship of A Home For Everyone, the municipal and county government partnership to end homelessness in the region.  SPARC will assess and address the ‘stark racial and ethnic disparities found nationally among people experiencing homelessness,’ according to the program brochure.  This means we’ll ‘fundamentally change the conversation we are having about the root causes of housing instability, risk for homelessness and barriers to exiting homelessness for people of color.’  The process brings together policy makers, service providers and people with lived experiences to understand how racism impacts homelessness.

SPARC is an initiative of the Center for Social Innovation (center4si.com), a 12-year old social change research and consulting group out of Needham, MA.  To date, there are 10 communities around the country in these conversations and making changes.  Whereas homelessness is a national phenomenon, it impacts people locally and must be addressed community by community.

The program kickoff was held March 19 and began a week of intensive program activity that will continue over a 3-year process.    There will be the requisite quantitative analysis of Multnomah County data as well as qualitative study.  Economic Mobility, Housing, Behavioral Health, Criminal Justice, Family Stabilization and Network Impoverishment will be part of the qualitative review.  A thesis could be (and in all likelihood has been) written on each of these features.

Critical for us will be a plan to reach ‘racial equity.’  This means the deliberate policies and practices that provide everyone with the support they need to improve their lives.  In broad terms this means a program that includes on-going anti-racism training, persistent professional development for people of color, full time equity positions in government and service agencies, governing board diversity, anti-racist community efforts and innovative interventions.

A couple of important points came from the panel of experts who spoke at the kickoff. 

• It is more than poverty that is driving homelessness for people of color.
• Homeless people know what changes to social systems would improve their circumstances.
• Outcomes of work are the test of equity, not simply lip service to policy.
• Listen to people of color and believe them. Folk really do know what their lived experience is.
• We who are white don’t get to call ourselves allies or accomplices of people of color – they make that call.
• We of Caucasian heritage live with a different cultural history, memory, and confidence in government-driven change than our neighbors (and government leaders) whose families were interned in WWII, repatriated to Mexico early last century, or suffer the uncertainty around deportation today due to DACA --- for example.
• If you are having a discussion about race and racism and there isn’t a person of color in the room, something is wrong.

As the song says, ‘we’ve only just begun’ and it seems like a big deal that our community is taking this deep dive into an important realm of our social fabric.

 Kaia Sand, Executive Director, Street Roots stated in her opinion piece  “SPARC-ing conversation on homelessness and race, Street Roots-March 23-29, 2018” -

“Oregon has a history of excluding and displacing people of color.  Federal housing policies, forced relocations of Native people, mid-century termination of some Oregon tribes, exclusionary housing laws, racist real estate practices, planning and policies, terrible terms on housing mortgages and on and on.  And then there’s less to pass on - people of color lose out on intergenerational wealth.  This all impacts housing stability.

Interfaith Communities Unite Against Gun Violence

  Campaign Chair, Mark Knutson, Pastor of Augustana Lutheran Church, stated:  "Oregonians of all ages are rising up to stand alongside our young leaders who have seized this moment with courage and vigor to shape a safer future for all of us. “

Pastor Knutson is a Chief Petitioner  of the effort to  “Lift Every Voice”  Interfaith Campaign to Ban the Sale Of Assault Weapons and Large Capacity Magazines in Oregon. 

A co-petitioner is Rev. Alcena Boozer, former principal of Jefferson High School and Pastor Emeritus of St. Philip the Deacon Episcopal Church, and Rabbi Michael Cahana of Congregation Beth Israel. The Treasurer is Imam Muhammad Najieb, Director of the Muslim Community Center of Portland and a veteran of the Marines.

Rev. Lynn Smouse-Lopez of Ainsworth United Church of Christ is serving as an alternate petitioner, and a number of other faith leaders and young leaders are serving on the campaign steering committee and six sub-committees.  They hoped  to obtain 2,000 signatures to take to Salem on Monday, March 26.

PORTLAND “MARCH FOR OUR LIVES”

KOIN  reports that “Portland, Salem and Vancouver    were among the cities across the globe holding "March for Our Lives" rallies, organized by Florida high school students after the slaughter of 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland on Valentine's Day. Event organizers estimate between 20-25,000 people attended the march and rally in Portland.  

SUMMARY -- MARCH 6 CULLY HOUSING ACTION TEAM (CHAT) MEETING

  March 6, 2018 – 5:30 pm – 8 pm by Marilyn Mauch

City Council Hearings on the Relo Ordinance, Feb. 28th& March 7

The Relocation Ordinance, commonly called the “Relo Ordinance,” was set to be in effect for only one year. It enabled households served a no-cause eviction or a rent increase of 10 percent or higher in a 12 month period to be paid relocation assistance by their landlord. The City Council Hearing on February 28 was 1) to vote on whether or not to make the ordinance permanent and 2) to address rentals to tenants who occupy the same dwelling unit as the landlord or a landlord who rents only a single dwelling unit in the city of Portland. Approximately 24% of rentals fall into these categories.

The Interfaith Alliance provided a van and John Elizalde drove 15 Cully residents to the City Hall hearing on the 28th. A handful of Interfaith Alliance folks attended the hearing via other transportation.

Council consideration of the ordinance at the 28th meeting started later than anticipated and while the council members generally seemed supportive of making the ordinance permanent, they wanted to discuss further policy regarding rentals of single dwelling units.   At the subsequent council session on March 7th, the commissioners made permanent the February 2016 renter relocation policy. What’s new? Landlords renting single dwelling units are no longer exempt to the provisions of the Relo Ordinance except in limited circumstances.

• Good News!! The city will fund 75 new affordable housing units in Cully! Drawing on the 250 million in bond monies for affordable housing, the City will buy property to build 75 affordable housing units in Cully. The contract is in process and the location of the housing can’t be announced yet.

• Reaching out to African Americans living in the Cully area. Living Cully received a small grant of $3,000 to host events to engage African Africans living in Cully. A series of game nights will take place at the Living Cully Plaza with the first scheduled for Friday, March 16, 6-9 pm.

• Hacienda CDC News The full name of Hacienda CDC is Latino Community Development Corporation. Formed in 1992, its mission is four-fold: To strengthen families by providing affordable housing, homeownership support, economic advancement and educational opportunities. The corporation’s offices are located in a large, colorful building at the corner of 67thAvenue and Killingsworth Avenue, directly across from the Living Cully Plaza building. In the Cully neighborhood, the corporation has already built housing communities on four vacant lots and renovated one run-down apartment complex – (a former hotbed of drug activity and prostitution), thereby creating in total 325 units of community-centered affordable rental housing in Cully.

Exciting, Promising Milestone - But City Funding

Needed! Hacienda has now completed all plans for the redevelopment of the Living Cully Plaza building, formerly known as the Sugar Shack. The Shack cannot be salvaged. Hacienda CDC must now go to the City to ask for monies to finance the rebuilding of the Plaza property. Hacienda CDC met with residents to gather information about their needs for the building. A new building will provide 150 affordable housing units, a community gathering space, laundry facilities and much more tailored to Cully family needs.

Breakout Groups: Those present broke into three study/planning groups. They were: 1) Land acquisition – supporting Hacienda’s efforts to buy properties and develop Living Cully Plaza; 2) Eliminating barriers to home ownership; and 3) Engagement strategies for youth.

The Home Ownership Group is new and just beginning its work. A number of families have rented in the Cully neighborhood for a rather long time. They wish to open bank accounts, start putting money into the bank and perhaps someday be able to use the savings toward the purchase of a home. The purpose of the Home Ownership Group is to 1) acquire information about opening a bank account and 2) what’s involved in trying to buy a home, 3) how to spread the information to other Cully residents and last, 4) to advocate with first-time homeowner programs such as Habitat. These organizations might open the possibility of homeownership to them.

Some of the questions/points that arose at our short breakout session were:

. Can one get a bank loan if the person doesn’t have a social security number?

. Can one buy a home if the person doesn’t have a social security number?

. How does one get an ITIN necessary to open a bank account? (An ITIN is a nine-digit tax processing number assigned, for example, to people who do not have a legal status or social security number in the U.S.)

            .

PORTLAND HYGIENE PROJECT

  So, you find yourself broke, homeless, facing  life on the streets of Portland.  Besides finding food, clothes, bedding,  and a place to sleep, you need to locate a toilet available through the day,    and somewhere to wash your body, brush your teeth and launder your clothes.

The HYGIENE PROJECT, done in partnership with the PSU School of Social Work and the Sisters of the Road in Old Town/Chinatown, explored the need for showers, toilets and laundry facilities for those without permanent housing. Portland State University students discovered that Portland’s homeless population is suffering due to lack of access to proper hygiene facilities

Lisa Hawash, an assistant professor in the PSU School of Social Work, led the research and survey of 550 homeless people, over a 2-year period from 2014 and 2016. The graduate students found that 40% had experienced health problems due to lack of hygiene resources, including staph infections, scabies, lice, open sores, endocarditis and urinary tract

KOIN news reported that “surveyors learned that 40% of people use public restrooms at City Hall, libraries,  and the mall, 33% use the Portland Loo and 32% use shelter restrooms. The most common place people reported taking care of their hygiene needs was Transition Project or JOIN because those are a few of the places that provide showers, laundry and bathrooms. Other places mentioned in the survey were Red Door, Rose Haven, Sisters of the Road,  and Union Gospel Mission.

“After completing their survey of people at shelters and service organizations, Hawash’s students are calling for a community hygiene center that would be open every day, for at least 12 hours, with showers and supplies, bathrooms, laundry facilities and lockers. Hawash emphasized the importance of finding many ways to solve homelessness. There can be affordable housing bonds, the Right to Rest Act, shelters and hygiene centers but those things on their owe won’t solve the systemic problem. She said a hygiene center is one of the ways to address the issue.

The hygiene center would be

• Open seven days per week, at least 12-14 hours per day;
• Accessible showers and supplies
• Accessible bathrooms
• Washer/dryer laundry facilities
• Storage/locker space.

“As a community social worker, I believe in the dignity and respect and human rights for all people and people’s self determination,” Hawash said. “At the end of the day, it’s about inherent worth.”

 PORTLAND RESCUE MISSION   HygiHOMELESS CARE KIT:

A typical Care Kit consists of a watertight gallon-size zipper lock plastic bag filled with items like:

• Water bottle
• Socks
• Tuna and crackers
• Granola Bar or cereal bar
• Fruit snack or applesauce cup
• Crackers with peanut butter or cheese
• Gift certificate to fast food
• Hand wipes
• Pack of Kleenex
• Maxi pads
• Depends
• Toothbrush and toothpaste
• Nail clippers
• Band Aids
• Chapstick
• Comb or small brush
• Mints, cough drops or gum
• Note of encouragement or uplifting Bible verse

CANDIDATE FORUMS FOR MAY 15 PRIMARY ELECTION

 THE INTERFAITH ALLIANCE ON POVERTY AND THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS ARE SPONSORING TWO  CANDIDATE FORUMS FOR THE MAY 15^TH PRIMARY ELECTION: April 10, Tuesday at 6-9pm, Multnomah County Board Room, 5601 SE Hawthorne Blvd. .Candidates invited to participate are running for  Portland Metro President and  Multnomah County Chair and Commissioner District 2

April 24, Tuesday at 6-9pm, Multnomah County Board Room, 5601 SE Hawthorne Blvd. Candidates invited to participate are running for Portland Commissioners, Districts 2 and 3;  and Portland Metro Councilor, Districts 2 and 4

MARCH 1 INTERFAITH ALLIANCE MEETING

On behalf of Congregation Beth Israel, Rabbi Rachel L. Joseph,    welcomed a full house of Interfaith Alliance and Community members to the March 1 meeting of the Interfaith Alliance.

Rabbi Rachel advised that  Congregation Beth Israel was founded in 1858, when Oregon was still part of the Oregon Territory. It was the first Jewish congregation west of the Rockies and north of California.  The then new Congregation held religious services in Burke's Hall, which was located above a livery stable located on First Avenue.

The first Synagogue, located on SW Fifth and Oak streets, was built in 1859. After two succeeding Synagogues, they have worshiped beneath their current Byzantine Dome on SW 17^th & Flanders for 88 years.

Rabbi Rachel advised that Congregation   Beth Israel is a Reform Judaism congregation devoted to “Good works,  Chassidic Thought, Light,  and Healing,”  their goal  to build community and bring healing to a broken world.

Sally Rosen introduced guest speaker, Brandi  Tuck, Executive Director of Portland Homeless Family Solutions

 Brandi grew up in Coral Springs, FL and attended the University of Florida, where she earned degrees in political science, philosophy, and non-profit organization. In 2005, Brandi moved to Portland and began work  at the Oregon Hunger Relief Task Force conducting an anti-hunger public policy and outreach for federal nutrition programs.

In 2007, Brandi founded Portland Homeless Family Solutions and has worked as the Executive Director ever since.  Brandi received the 2009 Skidmore Prize for Nonprofit Service, the 2010 Bank of America Local Hero Award for her leadership in social services and the 2013 WVDO Crystal Award for Executive Fund Raising.

Brandi declared:  “Homelessness is not normal.”  She recalled that  the 1940  New Deal provided $89 Billion for a Federal Housing Authority  to support affordable  housing for the white, but not black community.

From the 1940-80’s, housing funds were defunded to $20 billion.  Public housing fell into disrepair and was torn down.  At the same time mental health facilities were closed and patients were released out into the streets without resources.  As the housing crisis grew, waiting time to get housing assistance grew.

Wages have stagnated while the cost of food, health, transportation, and rents have risen.  Child care averages about $900 per month.

After World War II, the GI Bill supported with middle class with education and housing assistance.  Wealth was accumulated and passed down to the next generation.  Now the passage of wealth  has slowed to a trickle.  Students encumbered with debt, have limited resources to purchase homes.

As rents rise, more people face evictions. As more and more people are forced out of their housing,   shelters have become the resort of the homeless. Tent cities arise.  Tiny houses spring up on  vacant lots.  The city allocates more money for multiple housing, but it is never enough because wages are never enough to cover the rising cost of rents and living.

Our mission is to empower homeless families with children to get back into housing - and stay there.  We take people “as they are”, building relationships, understanding that they may be trauma affected by their life experiences.

PHFS assists families experiencing homelessness move back into housing as quickly as possible. They provide rent assistance and case management for 6-12 months to help families keep their housing long-term.

They help families with a 72-hour eviction notice get to keep their housing. They pay security deposits, moving costs, or back rent for families so they never have to experience homelessness with their children.

They provide families a safe, warm place to sleep every night of the year.   – private sleeping spaces, food, showers, laundry, computers, and clothing. PHFS relies on a team of over 800 volunteers to help provide supportive, compassionate services

Families are enabled to take evidence-based classes to learn new skills they can use to get and keep housing. Classes include Incredible Years Parenting, Rent Well Tenant Education, and the ARISE Life Skills

PHFs goal is to bring “everyone to the table” to find solutions for the homeless in Portland . Their goal is to find “long term, sustainable” solutions.

When freezing temperatures struck in December of 2017, Portland Homeless Family Solutions partnered with Congregation Beth Israel to provide night shelter for 75 family members through April 30, 2018.

ANOTHER DAY IN THE LIFE OF AMERICA

  Although we are all horrified at the slaughter of high school students at Parkland, we are less affected by the 17 year olds gunned down on our own streets.  It has just become so common. Another shooting, another candlelight vigil.  Another day in the life of America. Last year by the end of August , there were  10,223 gun deaths, 20,530 gun injuries, 1,343 unintentional shootings, and 244 mass shootings.    

Gun violence is heaviest in neighborhoods struggling with poverty, unemployment, failing schools, and racial disparity.    Therefore, as we consider how to stop gun violence,-- in addition to banning assault weapons, improving background checks and providing mental health services,-- we need to consider  measures to reduce poverty. . Lack of affordable housing, education, health care, racial equality, and job opportunity provide the conditions for gun violence to thrive.

Fremont United Methodist will hold a community forum on gun violence on Sunday afternoon, March 11^th.  A Gun Protest rally to coincide with national marches will be held on Saturday,  March 24^th,  starting at 9:00 in the morning, at Tom McCall Park.   B. Gregg

Mandatory Relocation Fee

  Christian Bryant, Portland Area Rental Owners Association President, advises that the. "City Council will vote on making the Mandatory Relocation Fee a permanent fixture in our local Landlord / Tenant Laws. As many of you know there has been a lot going on in Portland surrounding our industry. As of right now the only law change has been the Mandatory Relocation Fee Ordinance. It’s always had an expiration date, but on February 28, 2018 Portland City Council will be voting on whether to make this a permanent ordinance and if approved how they will amend the law going forward. If you don’t know the specifics, this ordinance requires landlords with two or more rental units in Portland to pay a relocation fee up to $4,500 to their tenants in certain circumstances. The first thing that can trigger this fee is if a landlord raises their rent by 10% or more in any 12-month rolling period. The other main trigger is tenant no-cause notices to move out. You can also trigger this fee if you make a “substantial” change to the lease agreement. As a member of the Oversight Committee for this ordinance, I have done my best to speak out on behalf of Portland landlords and investors, but now it’s time for you to take action. This topic will come before the city council on February 28, 2018 at 3 pm at City Hall. If your schedule permits and you want your voice heard, put this on your calendar and plan to show up. You will need to sign up for public testimony when you arrive and most likely they will limit each testimony to two to three minutes. The main topic is whether this ordinance should become permanent, but there are a couple amendments that will most likely come up for a vote. The biggest one is the removal of the 1-unit exemption that currently exists. If you haven't been paying much attention to this issue because you have been exempt, then you need to attend to have your voice heard before you lose your exemption. How drastically would a $4,500 fee affect you financially? Would this cause you to sell your Portland rental to someone that will live in it rather than keep it as a rental? As 2018 progresses there will be several ordinances and reforms up for debate that affect landlords in Portland. I will try to keep you updated as best I can, but here are a few websites to bookmark so you don’t miss any opportunities to voice your opinion."

WHO WERE YOUR GREAT, GREAT GRANDPARENTS? WHAT DID THEY DO? HOW DID THEY INFLUENCE YOU?

WHO WERE YOUR GREAT, GREAT GRANDPARENTS?  WHAT DID THEY DO?     HOW DID THEY INFLUENCE YOU? These were some of the questions posed to those attending the February 2 Interfaith Alliance meeting by Karen Moran, Westminster Presbyterian, and Jessica Rojas, NE Coalition of Neighbors  who recently participated in a poverty training program presented by Dr. Donna Beegle.   In order to better understand “generational poverty” IAP members were asked to look back on their own roots and culture, starting with their   grandparents 3 generations back.

Except for those with Native American background,  all had come from  foreign shores,  aboard ships of varying sizes -- some in the hold of a slave ship, others aboard a merchant vessel, a few in cabins, most in steerage.     The common ingredient was hope that at the end of their journey they would find a better life.  That was true of   rich and poor, slaves and indentured servants.

They dreamed of equal opportunity,  freedom from enslavement,  escape from tyranny, land of their own, and the “right to life,  liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”    They brought with them the wisdom, strength, and skills of their families and the generations who had preceded them, --  together with a resolve to create something new, a nation where everybody got a fair chance and were protected by a government of laws not the caprice of dictators or the landed gentry.

That nation, built by our immigrant grandparents and their children has now become a model for the world.     We are entrepreneurs, inventors, educators, engineers, scientists, etc.  We are also fighters for social justice, equality, a healthy ecology, and economic fairness--because not everyone  has benefited  equally from the American dream.  Kathryn and Jessica will be conducting further “poverty training” sessions in coming months.

POOR PEOPLE'S CAMPAIGN

  Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis, Campaign Co-Chair, Poor People’s Campaign, explains goals of 2018 campaign. “Dr. Martin Luther King watched as a teacher in Marks, Mississippi cut an apple in four to feed four hungry students. That sight moved him to tears and inspired him to join with others to launch the first Poor People’s Campaign. That same year, Dr. King traveled to Memphis to support Black sanitation workers who went on strike to demand respect and a living wage. They declared their humanity to the world with signs that read, “I AM MAN,” and their struggle helped fuel the Poor People’s Campaign.

50 years after Dr. King visited, "Marks is still one of the poorest counties in the United States. Memphis and Marks were the first stops on a tour spotlighting the harshest poverty in the nation. Over the next two months, we will travel coast to coast, from immigrant farming communities in California’s Central Valley to Alabama’s Lowndes County, where families are suffering from inadequate wastewater treatment. “We won’t just highlight poverty, but the inspiring organizing that is changing lives. On every stop, we will meet local organizers to elevate their leadership and invite them into our campaign.”

On Tuesday, March 6^th,  from 6:00-7:00 PM, at Ainsworth United Church of Christ,  2941 NE Ainsworth,  you will have an opportunity to learn more about the  POOR PEOPLE’S CAMPAIGN.

Program is being hosted by Ainsworth United Church of Christ, Sisters of The Road, Social Welfare Action Alliance, and the Western Regional Advocacy Project (WRAP).  Coffee and snacks provided.

LEGACY HEALTH - HILL BLOCK PROPERTY

  On August 1, 2017, Prosper Portland, the Office of City of Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, and Legacy Health announced a collaborative project to develop the Hill Block property, a vacant 1.7 acre block currently owned by Legacy Health.

The property is located within an area that Prosper Portland and the City of Portland condemned in the early 1970s under urban renewal for an expansion of the hospital campus, displacing 171 families, 74 percent of which were African American. The focus of the new development is to honor Portland’s African-American community, support community housing and economic needs, and further Legacy Health’s mission of promoting health and wellness for children and families.

ALBINA VISION

The Albina Vision plans to restore a 30-acre area into a version of the largely residential neighborhood that existed 60 years ago, before it was razed for construction of the Memorial Coliseum and other structures. Led by Rukaiyah Adams (Chief Investment Officer with the Meyer Memorial Trust) and Zari Santner (former Portland Parks Bureau director), the "Albina Vision" hopes to "rebuild a community, not just physical spaces" and "be honest about the destruction of this neighborhood, not back away from that history."

“The plan will keep the Memorial Coliseum and Moda Center, but build new streets and buildings in the areas around them. It will also include a large "cap" covering I-5, Interstate Ave and the railroad tracks, stretching  from NE Clackamas Street north to beyond NE Broadway Ave. and west to the riverfront  It would provide public access to the river, create new buildings and streets, and move existing parking underground”

When Project Leader Zari Santner and Architects  Hennebery Eddy were invited to help develop a physical and economic vision for the district, they recognized the “opportunity to use design to reflect the needs, goals and aspirations of a community, convey possibilities for integrating the district into the city, and incorporate the relationships and connections to nearby sites, prompting community conversation and input.

“A group of engaged citizens and community leaders collaborated over six months, conducted five in depth work sessions to review the history of the district, its current configuration and status, the range of prior proposals and current studies under way, articulate values and develop a physical framework for the future.  These advocates of the city were given no specific development agendas, free to establish their own standard of a successful outcome.

“The resulting Albina Vision is not prescriptive, but rather is a framework to foster the growth of a diverse, sustainable, urban district – on par with great neighborhoods of the world. It includes short, mid- and long-term goals, considerations and aspirations that address transportation infrastructure, the built environment, and what it means to foster a diverse, sustainable community. “

 Rukaiyah Adams, Chief Investment Officer of Meyer Trust,  has spearheaded the Albina Vision. She says she is driven by the belief that  “we are all just trying to take care of one another.” A desire to succeed in the capital markets for the benefit of everyday people brought Rukaiyah to Meyer Trust.

 She was born in Berkeley, California but grew up in the Walnut Park area of northeast Portland, now called the Alberta Arts district, and attended King Grade School. She holds a BA from Carleton College with Academic Distinction, a JD from Stanford Law School, where she served on the Law and Policy Review, and an MBA from The Stanford Graduate School of Business

Rukaiyah said the current Rose Quarter is an example of the “primacy of the car” and that she wants to, “rebuild a community, not just the physical spaces” of a neighborhood that she refers to as “ground zero for the discussion about equity and history in Portland.”

YOUR TAX DOLLARS - TIME TO SPEAK OUT

“

“Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed.”   Dwight D. Eisenhower, U.S. President and World War II Commanding General of the Allied Forces

President Donald Trump’s  2018-19 Budget proposals are now on the table; priorities below:.

$716 billion – for  defense.    Trump declares that  “We’re going to have the strongest military we’ve ever had by far.  We’re increasing our arsenals of every weapon.  We’re modernizing and creating a brand new nuclear force.” 

In addition, budget proposes::

• $23 billion -- for a border wall, $2.7 billion to detain up to $52,000 undocumented immigrants, and $782 to hire 2,750 more customs and immigration agents.
• $21 billion -- for infrastructure spending; money also to be drawn from state and private funds.
• $10,000 billion -- for opioid treatment to fund Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics, which would require $5 billion be cut from current programs.  Spending would be subject to year-to-year approval of congress.

TO HELP PAY for these programs,  the Trump plan would cut Medicare by $554 billion over the next 10 years, a 6 percent reduction from projected spending, including cuts in Medicare payments going to hospitals and rehabilitation centers.

 It would also  completely eliminate 66 federal programs, for a savings of $26.7 billion, (more than enough  to pay for the border wall of $23 billion) including: 

• Education Department Programs — $4.976 billion;
• Health & Human Services -- $4,834 billion;
• State Department US AID -- $4,256 billion;
• Housing and Urban Development -- $4,123 billion
• Other Independent Agencies Programs- $2,683 billion
• Agriculture Department Programs-- $855 million
• Commerce Department Programs-- $633 million
• Labor Department Programs-- $527 million
• Environmental Protection Programs -$493 million
• Interior Department - $122 million
• Energy Department Programs -- $398 million Low Income Home Energy Assistance -- $235 million

   Since this is currently a PROPOSED budget, now is the time for concerned citizens to contact their congressmen.   For those of us who do not want to see cuts to Medicare, Education,  US Aid, Affordable Housing,  Home Investment Programs, Scientific Research (Energy, Climate), Five Earth Science Missions,  National Wild Life Refuge, Aid to Developing Nations, Global Agriculture and Food Security Programs, Environmental Protection, Migrant Worker Training, Public Broadcasting etc., our course is clear.   We need to speak with our conscience, affirming how we want our tax dollars spent.   On the other hand, such a “mighty military”  would make a fine parade.         B. Gregg

Deborah Kafoury Comments at February 2 Meeting of Interfaith Alliance

Guest speaker at the February 2 Interfaith Alliance meeting, held at Westminster Presbyterian Church was Deborah Kafoury, Multnomah County Chair.     Here are excerpts from her remarks : “Thank you for having me here today. If there is one thing that I’ve learned during my time in public office, it’s that no one person -- no matter how rich or powerful they might be -- can have the same impact as a community that’s working together in common cause.

This nation’s wealth is unevenly shared across our communities and the impact of that injustice is staggering. We see people sleeping on our streets, or huddled in their cars and many of us think -- this problem is too big for me -- I don’t know what to do to help. But the people in this room roll up their sleeves and get to work. So thank you.

“My good friend Israel Bayer often says that homelessness isn’t normal. In 2016, he gave a talk called Homelessness In America: The Journey Home. I hope you’ll look it up online. In that speech, Israel takes us on a journey through our past. He talks about the massive federal cuts to housing services in the 1980s during the Reagan administration that led to street homelessness throughout our cities.  From 1978 to 1983 the federal housing budget was slashed from $83 billion to $18 billion. And since then, we haven’t done much as a nation to make up the gap.  

“Street homelessness is the most visible sign of poverty, and the basic injustice of people being forced to sleep on our streets should inspire us to action.  But it is important to recognize that for hundreds of thousands of people in our community, poverty is a crushing burden they bear in the shadows.

“ On any given night, there are nearly 1,700 people sleeping on our streets. But across Multnomah County in 2014 one third of residents couldn’t afford to pay for the basic things in life: food, medicine and housing. That’s a quarter of a million people.

• 44% of the county’s population in poverty were communities of color, and 26% of the county’s communities of color were in poverty.
• 19% of the county’s population in poverty is foreign born, and 23% of the county’s foreign-born population is in poverty.
• 22% of the county’s households in poverty are single-parent households, and 42% of the county’s single-parent households are in poverty.

“And while our official poverty statistics have declined, they haven’t returned to pre-recession levels.

“At the same time, rising costs for health care, education and housing are putting a squeeze on families in poverty.

“ So what can we do? Well first off, we can stop doing things that perpetuate poverty. ​Last year Congress passed a monstrous tax bill that repealed the estate tax, blew giant loopholes in our business tax code and generally discarded any sense of fiscal responsibility or fairness. One analysis had the top 1 percent getting 83 percent of the gains while in the bill’s final year, it raised taxes on 53 percent of Americans.

“Secondly, we can put our money where it does the most good.​ At Multnomah County, we are pushing hard to move away from funding jail beds and emergency medical services, and instead focusing on prevention, stability and housing. By focusing on wraparound services, whether its in our SUN Schools, our mental health system or in the thousands of supportive housing units across the county, keeping people stable and secure saves money and helps them build their way to self sufficiency. In October, the city of Portland and Multnomah County committed to doubling the number of supportive housing units in our community, creating 2,000 more over the next ten years.

“Racism can be both a root cause and exacerbate experiences of poverty for communities of color. That’s why we’ve prioritized investing in a broad range of solutions that meet communities where they are with strategies that best work for them -- culturally specific services in our youth services, domestic violence, aging and community health worker training.​ Creating an atmosphere of safety, trust and belonging is critical to effectively doing our work to address poverty.”

“Finally, and most importantly, we can change the conversation. We shouldn’t assume that poverty is normal, that homelessness is intractable and there is no hope for change. We have overcome big challenges in the past and we can build a better society that’s more fair and just.”

Deborah concluded: “I know that throughout Multnomah County there are thousands of people who want to do the right thing. They want to help. They just need to be asked. Our Community Health Improvement Plan​ is a prime of example of partnering with our community members in creating a plan for our collective success

JOIN US! MAKE A DIFFERENCE! Attend February Community Meetings

"HILL BLOCK" MEETING,  TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 6-8 PM, NEW SONG CHURCH, 220 NE RUSSELL.

Metro Wide Peace and Justice Service, Augustana Lutheran - 7:00 PM - WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21

Doctor of Ministry Rev. Kip Banks is pastor of East Washington Heights Baptist Church in Washington DC and  the National Director of Advocacy for the Progressive National Baptist Convention that was founded by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Rev. Dr. Ralph Abernathy.   

Joining Rev. Banks  will be JOSHUA DUBOIS who was the White House Director of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships for President Obama. He is author of the book “The Presidents Devotional” and was named by TIME Magazine the “Presidents Pastor In Chief”. This will be an evening of great music with an inspirational message calling America to a renewal for justice and peace work. We are expecting an overflow gathering of between 500-1000 people and will have closed circuit televisions in the fellowship hall for the overflow and speakers outside to accommodate all. No charge just a freewill offering. All are welcome.

INTERFAITH ALLIANCE MARCH 2 MONTHLY MEETING  will be held at Congregation Beth Israel, located at 1972 NW Flanders from 12:00-2:00 PM

Featured speaker will be  Brandi Tuck, Executive Director of Homeless Family Solutions, who founded the organization in 2007 with a mission of “giving hope to homeless families.”

Come join us, share your thoughts,   listen to those working on the front lines of poverty,  and consider how together we can make a difference.  

THE WARMTH OF OTHER SUNS, By Isabel Wilkerson

“THE WARMTH OF OTHER SUNS” provides an excellent commentary on the epic story of “America’s  African American Great Migration” from the South to the North and West between 1915 - 1975.  It is told through the true stories of four individuals who made the journey.  Herself a child of the migration, Pulitzer Prize winning author,  Isabel Wilkerson, tells how individuals responded to the Jim Crow  south, where despite their emancipation following the Civil War,  black people were valued primarily for their labor and compensated as the white land owners saw fit.  Their children were allowed to attend schools only when they were not needed for field work and every aspect of their lives was segregated.  If they expressed any resentment, they could be beaten, or lynched.  Isabel, whose own family had been part of the great migration, tells their  story with graceful imagery and humanity. “It was during World War I that a silent pilgrimage took its first steps within the borders of this country.  The fever rose without warning or notice or much in the way of understanding by those outside its reach.  It would not end until the 1970’s and would set into motion changes in the North and South that no one, not even the people doing the leaving, could have imagined at the start of it or dreamed could take a lifetime to play out.

“     Their decisions were separate.  joining a road already plied decades before by people as discontented as themselves.  A thousand hurts and killed wishes led to a final determination by each fed-up individual on the verge of departure, which, added to millions of others, made  what could be called migration. It would become perhaps the biggest underreported story of the twentieth century.  It was vast.  It was leaderless.  It crept along so many thousands of currents over so long a stretch of time as to make it difficult for the press truly to capture while it was happening.”

On April 28, 1917, an editorial in the Cleveland Advocate wrote  “There is no mistaking what is going on; it is a regular exodus.  It is without head, tail, or leadership.  Its greatest factor is momentum.  People are leaving their homes and everything about them, under cover of night as though they were going on a day’s journey – leaving forever. 

Breaking Away   “I was leaving without a question,  without a single backward glance. The face of the South that I had known was hostile and forbidding and yet out of all the conflicts and the curses, the tension and the terror, I had somehow gotten the idea that life could be different.  I was now running more away from something than toward something.  My mood was I’ve got to get away; I can’t stay here. “    Richard Wright, “Black Boy”

FEBRUARY 2018 INTERFAITH ALLIANCE MEETING

Next meeting of the Interfaith Alliance will be on Thursday, February 1, at 12:00 PM at  Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1624 NE Hancock.  Featured speaker will be Deborah Kafoury, chair of the Multnomah County Commission.

“THE ALTERNATIVE” by Mauricio Miller

 Book Review by George Johnson, Rose City Presbyterian Church Do you ask why poverty is still prominent for the past several decades?  Not enough money or is the plan seriously flawed?  What can/should be done today?  The book “The Alternative” as the title suggests, proposes a new approach to eliminating poverty.  According to the author most of what we, the well-intended, know about poverty is wrong. Social programs should invest in the strengths of the poor and not be simply charities.

The author, Mauricio Miller, entered US as a young boy with his mother and sister as an emigrant from Mexico.  His mother wanted an education and better life for her children.  His life in poverty and the sacrifices his single mother made for her family make for thoughtful reading. His family, as with others in in poverty, lived in a social network of community interactions.  Learning to be resourceful and working together they survived.  He learned that it does not take talent to live with resources, but living in poverty --- every day presents a new learning experience in survival. The prevailing thought by many in social work is that people in poverty make poor decisions, thus, continuing poverty.  Miller takes serious issue with that concept - they know what is best for them, but have insufficient resources or opportunities to live out their dreams.  They feel obligated to follow the social workers instructions or suggestions rather than follow their own solutions.

He entered University of California, Berkeley, as an engineering student.  Living and interacting with students from the elite, money class was an enlightening experience opening a new understanding of life that he never knew existed.  He hoped to graduate and get a job.  Affluent classmates considered those basic components of life expected entitlements, primarily through family connections.  He did graduate, get a job, and was drafted to serve in Vietnam.

Mauricio Miller was not satisfied with life and distraught after the suicide of his mother.  She was unable to maintain the stresses and abuses as a single mother and felt unsuccessful in giving her children what she wanted for them.  (Reader can learn about his sister who did not follow his path.) He wanted to be more involved with people and helping the under privileged. After a few years he headed a social service NGO.  It was “successful” with nationwide recognition.  He was invited by President Clinton to the 1999 State of the Union address.

But he was not satisfied.  He felt hypocritical and that advancements of his clients were minimal; thus the program was not justified.  He calculated that clients would be better off if he gave them directly the money he received for the projects.  What to do?  At that time, by serendipity (or God’s providence), Governor Jerry Brown contacted him and asked what California could propose to a national poverty grant announcement.  His thoughts went back to his mother.  She was extremely resourceful and also talented as a seamstress.  What could she have accomplished if she had access to even small financial resources?  She and other immigrants were extremely resourceful, relied on each other, and shared what they had.  Would not these basic concepts be the basis for a new approach?  Would not learning what they need to survive be valuable - a bottom up rather than a top down approach - in social service?  Would not those in poverty know better about living in poverty than those with post-graduate degrees from prestigious universities?  Governor Brown was impressed, took his advice, and was awarded the grant.

The last portion of the book describes development and principles of his “alternative” approach.  It grew into what is called today the “Family Independence Initiative” (FII).  It began in Oakland, and has expanded into several cities (https://www.fii.org/   https://www.uptogether.org/) including Portland by partnering with the Multnomah Idea Lab (https://multco.us/dchs/mil).  The basic principle is that clients are in charge. They are paid to work together and develop their own plans, and in doing so they “educate’ the social workers. Program resources go to clients with much less to social workers. The purpose of this review is not to explain in detail or defend the FII.  Readers are encouraged to access the internet sites to learn and understand.

All who are troubled by poverty and want to alleviate this injustice in our society should read this book.  Mauricio Miller describes the flaws in our social service network and how the strengths of the poor, not the weaknesses, should be emphasized. Importantly, the book provides the reader insight of how those around us in poverty view themselves.  What is the future for social programs?  What initiatives should we support, advocate and participate in?  What can we learn from the past?