JOIN US FOR UPCOMING EVENTS

  APRIL 4 -- March to commemorate the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King is being led by the Albina Ministerial Alliance (AMA) on  The NAACP-Portland Branch (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) and Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon are co-organizers.  The First Unitarian Church will co-sponsor.

When Dr. King was assassinated in 1968, he was actively working to build the Poor Peoples' Campaign which focused on the three social evils of racism, war and poverty. The march coincides with the re-igniting of the Poor Peoples' Campaign here in Oregon and nationally. It is a non-violent action to demonstrate we have not forgotten the vision articulated by King and to show that we continue to strive for the beloved community.

The Interfaith Alliance encourages everyone to join the march. We will gather at the Japanese American Historical Plaza (W Waterfront & NW Davis at 5:00 PM.  From there  at 5:30,   march across the Steel Bridge on Pedestrian Path to  join a 6:30 Rally at Martin Luther King Statue  at MLK Blvd and NE Holladay Street.

APRIL 5 -  INTERFAITH ALLIANCE MONTHLY MEETING

St. Andrews Catholic Parish, located at 806 N. E. Alberta Street. will be hosting the Interfaith Alliance on Poverty’s monthly meeting on Thursday, April 5^th from 12:00 to 2:00 pm.

  Guest speaker will be Scott School Principal, Gina Roletto  She will share her insights educating students  from the multi-cultural, socio-economic diverse families of the Cully neighborhood.

CANDIDATE FORUMS - THE INTERFAITH ALLIANCE ON POVERTY AND THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS ARE CO-SPONSORING TWO CANDIDATE FORUMS FOR THE MAY 15TH PRIMARY ELECTION:

April 10, Tuesday at 6-9pm, Multnomah County Board Room, 501 SE Hawthorne Blvd. .Candidates invited to participate are running for  Portland Metro President, Multnomah County Auditor,  and  Multnomah County Chair and Commissioner District 2

April 24, Tuesday at 6-9pm, Multnomah County Board Room, 501 SE Hawthorne Blvd. Candidates invited to participate are running for Portland Commissioners, Districts 2 and 3;  and Portland Metro Councilor, Positions 2 and 4

 VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

April 14, Saturday, • 1:00-4:00pm  - St. Vincent de Paul needs volunteers to revitalize Oak Leaf Mobile Home Park. Join us to learn how you can help. 

 1:00-3:00pm – “ Training on Poverty” and

3:00-4:00pm  - “Specific Oak Leaf Needs and How You Can Volunteer”

Living Cully Plaza 6723 NE Killingsworth, Portland, Oregon

 We will cover Systematic barriers,  how to build hope through meaningful relationships and networking, the whys behind behaviors and  how  to better communicate

PRESENTERS:

Gienia Baines earned her Bachelor of Education degree in Family and Human Services at the University of Oregon. She has over 15 years experience working in the social service field with her primary focus being people who are experiencing poverty. Gienia is also a certified Poverty 101 trainer through Poverty Bridge, a non-profit in Portland Oregon. Gienia now works as the Social Service Director at St. Vincent de Paul in Oakridge, Oregon, the community where she grew up and raised her 6 children. Both her parents struggled with addiction and mental health issues. She and her children are the first people in her family to graduate from college and to break the cycle of abuse, drug addition, and poverty. Her education and work experience combined with her personal experience of growing up in generational poverty has inspired Gienia to be a consultant to help educate others about the realities of living in poverty, and how to overcome the barriers professionals often face when working with this culture. Gienia was in charge of the revitalization of Oakridge Mobile Home Park where crime was reduced by 94.5% within the first year of St. Vincent de Paul purchasing it. The clean up removed over 300 yards of garbage. Community Caring Days were created to revitalize the neighborhood.

Rhea Cramer studied at the University of Oregon where she earned her undergraduate degree in Family and Human Services and her Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Special Education. Rhea started her career as an early childhood educator at First Place Family Center’s Preschool program, where she worked with families experiencing homelessness. Rhea then worked for Options Counseling Services as a Family Builder providing home visits and case management in hopes of family preservation for families who have involvement with child welfare. Rhea has also served as a University Supervisor in the Family and Human Services Program at the UO and taught courses on generational poverty and addictions in the Substance Abuse and Prevention Program. Rhea also has collaborated with her mother to deliver presentations on generational poverty all over the state of Oregon. Currently, Rhea works as an Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Educator at Early Childhood CARES to provide preschool consultation and home visits to children

JOIN THE ACTION

March 19 -  5:30- 7:30 PM -SPARC Kickoff Event: A Community Convening -   Revolution Hall, 1300 Southeast Stark Street,  110, Portland, OR 97214

 Event Details

Portland is launching the community initiative SPARC (Supporting Partnerships for Anti-Racist Communities) to address racism as a driver of  homelessness. The goals are to engage community stakeholders in a productive conversation about how structural racism results in disproportionate homelessness for people of color and solicit input about ways Portland can address this issue.

What is SPARC?

Racial and ethnic minorities experience homelessness in greater numbers and for longer durations. Through research and action, SPARC (Supporting Partnerships for Anti-Racist Communities) is a catalyst for national anti-racism systems transformation.

Addressing racism and racial inequity in homelessness means fundamentally changing the conversation we are having in America about the root causes of housing instability, risk for homelessness, and barriers to exiting homelessness for people of color. As we initiate dialogue nationally, it is critical to engage policymakers, service providers, and people with lived experience to understand how racism impacts homelessness.

SPARC is an initiative of the Center for Social Innovation in partnership with The Bassuk Center on Homeless and Vulnerable Children & Youth. With support from the Oak Foundation and others, the SPARC team is launching a multi-city initiative to conduct qualitative and quantitative research, hold public discussions and forums, train providers and activists, and collaborate with leadership in systems of housing, health care, education, and criminal justice. Discussions by a panel of local leaders and service providers will cover topics that address racism and homelessness in the Portland area. Join us for light refreshments and networking opportunities following the program.

March 30 -

12:00-2:00 PM - WALK OF THE CROSS -  - starting at Ainsworth United Church of Christ, 2941 NE Ainsworth.

Join  ecumenical, annual public prayer walk to recall the pain and suffering of Jesus Christ, and the present day pain and suffering of many in our community.

OREGON HOUSING ALLIANCE DAY IN SALEM REPORT

“There were several hundred housing advocates gathered in Salem to learn about key legislative measures, how to talk with representatives and visit the representatives and ask for their ‘yea’ votes on these measures. Each attendee was matched with appointments to visit both their representative and senator.We were asked to stress one bill during our visits. HB 4007, Document Recording Fee: What the Oregon Housing Alliance has to say about this bill:

“Preventing and ending homelessness, building and preserving affordable housing, and expanding access to affordable homeownership are all key purposes of the document recording fee. The document recording fee is stable, ongoing revenue that provides critical and flexible funds to housing opportunity. Ten percent is directed to preventing homelessness, 14% to promote homeownership, and 76% to multifamily affordable housing development. Within each of these priorities, one out of every four dollars serves veterans experiencing housing instability. HB 4007 increases the fee to $75, raising an additional $82 million per biennium. HB 4007 includes a proposed First Time Home Buyer Savings Account, providing a small tax incentive for people with moderate incomes to save for the purchase of a first home.”

Another piece of legislation is also important this session:HJR 201 Constitutional Amendment for Affordable Housing, From the Oregon Housing Alliance:

‘Bonds are an incredibly powerful tool to help meet affordable housing needs. The Oregon State Constitution limits the ability of municipal governments to use bonds to build needed affordable housing. The constitution prohibits lending of credit by local jurisdictions which means that bonds issued by local jurisdiction for affordable housing cannot be used with other funding and the housing much be owned and controlled by the local government entity. HJR 201 asks the Legislature to refer to voters a constitutional amendment that would create an exemption for affordable housing. Additional flexibility will ensure more effective use of bonds to address local housing needs’.

“Readers of this report: Please call your representative/senator (use this link to find them www.oregonlegislature.gov/findyourlegislator/leg-districts.html) and ask them to vote ‘yea’ on these two measures. 4007 needs to pass with a 3/5 majority so we need ‘all hands on deck’ to support these measures.”    John Elizalde

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.  

FEBRUARY 2018 INTERFAITH ALLIANCE ON POVERTY NEWSLETTER

BLACK HISTORY MONTH

“THE WARMTH OF OTHER SUNS” by Pulitzer Prize winning author Isabel Wilkerson provides an excellent commentary on the epic story of “America’s  Great African American 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,  Isabel   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.    Every aspect of their lives was subject to segregation. If they expressed any resentment or independence of spirit, they could be beaten or lynched.  Isabel tells their  stories 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.

They fled the warm, sprawling fields of the south for the cold, concrete cities of the north.  “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”

BLACK HISTORY IN PORTLAND                  by B. Gregg

Although Oregon law prohibited slavery from the earliest days  of its provisional government in 1843,   it wasn’t enforced, and a number of early settlers from Missouri came with one or more slaves to help work their new Willamette Valley farms. In 1844, the Peter Burnett-led legislative council amended the law to allow slaveholders two years to free male slaves and three years to free female slaves.   In  1857 an all-white male Oregon constitutional convention was held.    A clause was approved in the state constitution which read:

“No free negro or mulatto not residing in this state at the time of the adoption of this constitution, shall come, reside or be within this state or hold any real estate,  or make any contracts.” under penalty of law.  At the same time Oregon voters cast ballots decisively   voting down slavery.    In 1860, Oregon’s black population was just 128 in a total population of 52,465.  

World War II produced change in established norms.  In 1941 following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States needed ships to fill its navy.    Portland-Vancouver shipyards operated 24 hours per day, producing one Liberty ship each per week. African Americans joined the thousands  coming from  cities and towns back east and the south to work in Swan Island  and  the Oregon Shipyards in Portland, and Kaiser Shipyard in Vancouver

The need   for housing was great.  Vanport, an immense prefab housing complex was constructed  on the site currently   occupied by Delta Park and the Portland International Raceway. Construction began in August 1942  and Vanport  became home to 40,000 people, about 40 percent of whom were African-American, making it Oregon's second-largest city at the time, and the largest public housing project in the nation.   Vanport was   destroyed at 4:05 p.m. on May 30, 1948,  Memorial Day weekend, when a 200-foot (61 m) section of the dike holding back the Columbia River collapsed during a flood.  Miraculously only 15 lives were lost.

When the war ended, many of the “newcomers” returned back east or to the south.  However, many African Americans decided to stay here.  Realtors observed a red-line practice whereby African Americans were not allowed to buy property outside certain boundaries, basically Union Avenue (now MLK) to the west, Lombard to the north, NE 33^rd to the east, and E Burnside to the south.  By 1950 this area had become a vibrant part of the city with thriving neighborhoods, churches, and  stores.

Don Frazier, Pastor of Genesis Community Fellowship, remembers growing up there, how everybody knew everybody, people sat out their porches of a summer evening,  kids played on the street and families dressed up of a Sunday morning to go to church.  It was a neighborhood that felt like home.

The Albina district also  housed a vibrant night life with clubs, restaurants, and music,  which Jim Thompson has described in his book “Jumptown”,  as “the Golden Years of Jazz”.     .

While there had been just a few hundred African Americans in Portland before the war, that number swelled to more than 20,000 during the war, between 1941-1945.  With people making good money, the clubs began to flourish and, in turn, began to attract big- name acts such as Thelonious Monk, Charlie Barnet and Nat King Cole. The scene also began to cultivate local talent. Paul Knauls told of his experience  coming to Portland in the early 1960s and opening the Cotton Club.  He said that Portland had become a mecca of jazz and blues at that point and the clubs had begun to draw many white fans as well as black devotees. He listed acts such as Etta James, Diana Ross, Martha and the Vandellas and the Four Tops as among those who came through Portland at the time.

In 1958,  an Urban Renewal program was launched by the City of Portland to make possible the construction of the Memorial Coliseum, (now Moda Center), the Portland School District Administrative offices, etc. Most of the black jazz and blues clubs in Albina were wiped out by urban renewal.   Eleven hundred homes and businesses owned by African Americans were claimed under “eminent domain” and demolished to make way for the new construction.

Residents forced out of their homes and businesses were left to find accommodations elsewhere.  Many ended up in northeast and southeast Portland, separated from their community.  Gang members moved from Los Angeles to Portland bringing problems with them.

On August 28, 1963, more than 200,000 people, black and white, congregated in Washington, D. C. for a peaceful march with the main purpose of forcing civil rights legislation and establishing job equality for everyone. 

Addressing the crowds, in his “I have a dream” speech Dr. Martin Luther King said   “Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.  But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity.  “But let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline.  You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.

“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."  I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.   . With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood.   “And when this happens, and when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:  “Free at last! Free at last!  Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”

Dr. King witnessed the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by President Lyndon Johnson, legislation that had been authorized by President John F. Kennedy before his assassination.   The law guaranteed equal employment for all, limited the use of voter literacy tests and allowed federal authorities to ensure public facilities were integrated. On February 21, 1965, former Nation of Islam leader and Organization of Afro-American Unity, founder Malcolm X was assassinated at a rally.  Three years later, on April 4, 1968, civil rights leader and Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated on his hotel balcony.

Calling themselves the “BLACK PANTHERS”  young blacks across the nation took to the streets in grief and anger to protest social injustice and police violence.   The Black Panthers’ ten-point platform included “equality in the realms of employment, housing, and education, along with freedom for political prisoners and an end to police brutality. “

In Portland, about 20 young blacks organized as the PORTLAND PANTHERS.   In June 1969, their chapter opened an office on the southeast corner of Northeast Cook Street and Union Avenue (present-day Martin Luther King Boulevard), the first of four locations.  By the end of that year, the Portland Panthers had started a Children´s Breakfast Program at Highland United Church of Christ—where they fed up to 125 children each morning before school.  They also established the Fred Hampton Memorial People´s Health Clinic, extending free medical care five evenings a week at 109 North Russell to anyone of any race. In February 1970, they opened a dental clinic at 2341 North Williams.   When their medical clinic was condemned and razed to accommodate a planned expansion of Emanuel Hospital, the chapter moved their Monday and Tuesday night dental practice to the Kaiser dental clinic at 214 N Russell and their medical clinic to the former dental clinic space on North Williams.

“It felt good,” Oscar Johnson recalls. “We were doing something. We had the respect of the community.” New members were attracted to the social programs, and the Portland chapter grew, though it never exceeded fifty members, about a third of whom were women.   George Barton, a neurosurgeon, was their first volunteer physician, and Gerald Morrell was their first volunteer dentist. As head of Community Outreach for the Multnomah Dental Society, Morrell persuaded many others to join him.   The Portland Panther chapter lasted a decade, finally closing the medical clinic in 1979.

In 1960 the Portland School District implemented a busing program to desegregate schools.  The goal was to improve racial harmony; but the burden was placed on the black community. While white children remained in their schools, black  children were bused out of their communities to attend white schools.  Often children were assigned to different schools each year, making it difficult for black children to become familiar with their new classrooms and hard for their parents to attend meetings, etc. to provide parental support

Since busing increased the enrollment in white schools while decreasing the enrollment in black community schools, it was decided that more black community  schools should be closed.  By 1980,   it was clear the busing program was not working and it was hoped desegregated middle schools might help.   

Due to support from the Black United Front,  Harriet Tubman middle school stood as a precedent for community pushback against institutional racism within the school district.  In 2007, it was converted into the Harriet Tubman Young Women's Leadership Academy, as part of restructuring Jefferson High School. Five years later, the academy dissolved too.

At a community meeting in North Portland’s Center for Self Enhancement , Superintendent Guadalupe Guerrero assured neighbors, “The Portland Public Schools Board of Education, and the district are committed to opening Harriet Tubman as a comprehensive middle school, grades 6-8 for the fall of 2018.”

 THE CULLY NEIGHBORHOOD

Cully is a highly-diverse, majority low-income neighborhood in Northeast Portland, standing on the site of a long standing native fishing village called Neerchokikoo,  The last indigenous person was removed in 1906   after which the land became  an industrial area. The NAYA center is now located there.

 In her  article “Healing the Dark Legacy of Native American Families”, Michelle Tolson, reports that according to Matt Morton, executive director of Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA) in Portland, Oregon,   over 20 percent of native children are in foster care in Multnomah County.

“Our families experience a much higher rate of removal compared to white families in similar situations.   Urban native people are 1.8 times more likely to have no plumbing, twice as likely to have no kitchen, three times as likely to have no phone and three times more likely to be homeless than the general population.

“What we are doing is creating livable neighborhoods and regaining cultural connections through the restoration of natural areas and reintroducing native plants and building open spaces for our community to gather.”

The Cully Neighborhood is named after English stonemason, Thomas Cully (1810-1891) an early settler.  Cully borders Sunderland, Concordia, and Beaumont-Wilshire on the west, Portland International Airport on the north, Sumner on the east, and Rose City Park and Roseway on the south.  It was an unincorporated area of Multnomah County from first European settlement until its annexation to the City of Portland in 1985.  Most of Cully’s development occurred between 1910 and 1960.  Its character from the outset has had strong rural elements, large lots, unpaved and meandering streets, and low density.  Cully is Northeast Portland’s largest neighborhood by land area and population.  It is over 3 square miles and its population as of the 2010 Census is 13,322.

Over the past 30 years working families from many different cultures have moved to Cully making it the most diverse census tract in Oregon.   Only 34% of Cully streets have sidewalks, 24% of residents live within ¼ mile of a park (regional average is 49%,)  85% of Cully students qualify for free or reduced lunch and the poverty rate is 17% higher than the citywide rate of 13% according  to US Census 2010.   Strong Cully-based organizations work together to provide complementary strengths and actions.

• Hacienda CDC is, a Latino Community Development Corporation that strengthens families by providing affordable housing, homeownership support, economic advancement and educational opportunities.
• Verde serves communities by building environmental wealth through social enterprise, outreach and advocacy.
• NAYA (Native American Youth & Family Center) has for 40 years offered a holistic set of wraparound services designed to create stability in the lives of Native American youth and families.
• Living Cully formalized these strong partnerships into a collective impact model in 2010, adding an additional partner, Habitat for Humanity Portland/Metro East.
• Together Living Cully  partners create economic, ecological and social benefit for Cully residents, particularly low-income and people of color, by: increasing job opportunities and building earnings for residents and neighborhood small businesses, providing opportunities for engagement, collective action and cultural expression, expanding safe, high-quality affordable housing in the neighborhood, increasing natural and built investment including parks, trails and healthy housing, and work to ensure low levels of involuntary displacement from the neighborhood.

 LIVING CULLY JANUARY  MEETING  

Marilyn Mauch, IAP Advocacy Team. reports that at the January meeting,  Tom Armstrong  recalled the Cully residents’ campaign to prevent the closure of Oak Leaf and said that in the last couple of years 20 parks have shut down. He noted that some cities have created overlay zoning to protect mobile home parks.

Cameron Hering, Executive Director of Living Cully, reported that   over 2,000 post cards were received from congregations and organizations supporting the overlay zoning for delivery to the Mayor.   On January 19, 2018 Mayor Tom Wheeler advised “Manufactured Home parks are a critical part of the affordable housing that we need in Portland.  We join Verde and Living Cully in wanting zoning and other tools to protect this housing from unnecessary change.  I look forward to getting these code amendments to City Council for action.” 

• NEXT VERDE CULLY WALKING GROUP will meet Wednesday, January 24th, 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm Volunteers will be walking through Cully Park and Habitat’s Simpson Street property. They will be picking up trash and checking out the neighborhood.   If you would like to join the walk, Contact Marilyn  m_mauch@comcast.net)
•  WEATHERIZATION The City’s weatherization funds are making a huge difference in the lives of the occupants of mobile home park.  Home maintenance funds are also being considered in the short session in Salem.
• CULLY HOME REPAIR VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! Brenna Bailey, community organizer based at St. Charles, and her team are trying to find volunteers with the interest, skills  and time necessary to facilitate work  as needed.   Anyone interested, please contact Marilyn at (m_mauch@comcast.net) or Brenna at brenna@latnet.org 

January Interfaith Alliance Meeting. 

Grace Memorial Episcopal Church “A Parish for the People in the Heart of the City”, welcomed the January 2018 meeting of the Interfaith Alliance on Poverty. 

“Grace Memorial’s hallways are constantly filled with music, paintings, sculptures, and energetic conversations,”  Rector, Martin Elfert states. “It’s hard not to feel inspired when you’re here. We like to think that we are using our buildings to give a gift to the community. And I know that we are receiving a gift in return.” Every Friday night at 6:00 PM,  we host a meal, in partnership with Westminster Presbyterian,    to which all are invited.  Rev. Elfert says he thinks of it as his “3^rd congregation.”

During the summer, Grace Memorial holds an Art Camp attended by hundreds of children over seven weeks to celebrate the arts.   Colorful artwork, song,  theater, and dance  fill the building as children greet friends new and old.  Grace Memorial would like to offer the camp to the children of less affluent neighborhoods  by providing scholarships to enable the children to attend.

RIGHTING THE WRONGS   OF BLACK HISTORY

John Elizalde, Carol Turner, Joy Alise Davis, and David Groff r and David Groff, West Minster Presbyterian, Co-Chairs of the Interfaith Alliance welcomed a crowded room of those attending the Interfaith Alliance’s first meeting of the year.  John Elizalde, First Unitarian, and Co-Chair of the Becoming Poverty Aware & Communication Action Team, introduced featured speaker, Joy Alise Davis, Executive Director of  PAALF (Portland African American League Forum)..

Originally from Jamaica, Joy Alise grew up in Ohio, and received her Masters of Urban Design at Miami University. She has expertise working on social sustainability projects, including racial equity strategies, collaborative design strategies, project development, civic engagement and community data analysis.

As Executive Director of PAALF, she has devoted herself to social justice issues  involving  the African American community in Portland.  Joy Alise  explained that efforts are now under way “to right these wrongs.”  The PAALF People’s Plan serves as a powerful tool for research, organizing, and implementation. By viewing the community as the drivers of change, this project engaged over 400 African Americans on their experience living in Portland. Empowering the Black community to assert their right to actively shape the city we live in, the  PAALF People’s Plan   hopes to ensure that solutions are informed by the people affected.

Although African Americans continue to “yearn” for their community,  lack of affordable housing has become another barrier to their return.  Nevertheless, efforts are being made  to support their “Right to Return”.  Joy encouraged Interfaith Alliance members to support organizations working to make this happen.

PUTTING SOUL  INTO BUSINESS  by Thomas Hering (Interfaith Alliance Co-Chair on Advocacy) and Mary Anne Harmer

“We wrote “Putting Soul Into Business” for one reason: hope. “Because we believe the Benefit Corporation is going to be a strong catalyst for a better world and for a better business by adopting and practicing the 3 P’s of People, Planet and Profit. It is our intent in this book to not only show why you should embrace this entity for your business, but how to do it. Along the way you’ll read about companies both larger and small learning about their decisions to become a Benefit Corporation. We believe you will find the transcripts for their interviews with us inspiring. It certainly was the case for us as we talked to these forward-thinking yet humble leaders.

“…It is our hope (operative word, here) you jump in and become part of this fast-growing movement and embrace what a short while ago seemed almost impossible: putting soul into business. “Hope.  --  Hope for the environment. -- Hope for social justice. “Hope for business. -- And Hope for the world.

You see, we believe we are at that proverbial crossroad where there is no more time. Either we stay on the road we’ve been on or we choose to travel the path less followed.  We’ve seen the writing on the wall. Global warming. Hate crimes accelerating. Corporate greed spiraling upward. “The good news is that a new generation of enlightened humans are saying 'enough is enough.' And they are making their beliefs and opinions about the environment and social justice known to businesses with the most potent tool of capitalism: their pocketbooks .  Here's what we write in the introduction of Putting Soul Into Business: How the Benefit Corporation is Transforming American Business for Good...

“A 2015 research study by Nielsen reports nearly 66 percent of global online consumers across 60 countries said they are willing to pay more for products and services by companies that are committed to positive social and environmental impact.    “Buy a product with a social and/or environmental benefit, given the opportunity (90% versus  83% adult average) -- “Tell their friends and family about a company's CSR efforts (86% versus the 72% adult average); and, -- “Be more loyal to a company that supports a social or environmental issue (91% versus 87% adult average)“All of which brings us back to hope and why we believe there is plenty of room for it in today's world.    “It's been said that "hope shines brightest in the darkest moments." Care to join us in leaving the darkness behind?“  If you'd like to see if your business is ready to become a benefit corporation, just take our free 12-question "sniff" test and find out right now.” ~benefitcorporationsforgood.com~

“THE ALTERNATIVE” by Mauricio  Miller – Book Review by George Johnson, Rose City Presbyterian

Do you ask why poverty is still prominent despite an extensive “War on Poverty” the past several decades?   .  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 family, as with others in in poverty, lived in a social network of community interactions.     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.

 His thoughts went back to his mother.  She was extremely resourceful.  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?  California Governor Jerry Brown was impressed, took his advice, and was awarded the grant.

The alternative approach  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.

BLACK HISTORY IN PORTLAND

Although Oregon law prohibited slavery from the earliest days  of its provisional government in 1843,   it wasn’t enforced, and a number of early settlers from Missouri came with one or more slaves to help work their new Willamette Valley farms. In 1844, the Peter Burnett-led legislative council amended the law to allow slaveholders two years to free male slaves and three years to free female slaves. In  1857 an all-white male Oregon constitutional convention was held.    A clause was approved in the state constitution which read:

“No free negro or mulatto not residing in this state at the time of the adoption of this constitution, shall come, reside or be within this state or hold any real estate,  or make any contracts.” under penalty of law.  At the same time Oregon voters cast ballots decisively   voting down slavery.    In 1860, Oregon’s black population was just 128 in a total population of 52,465.  

World War II produced change in established norms.  In 1941 following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States needed ships to fill its navy.    Portland-Vancouver shipyards operated 24 hours per day, producing one Liberty ship each per week. African Americans joined the thousands  coming from  cities and towns back east and the south to work in Swan Island  and  the Oregon Shipyards in Portland, and Kaiser Shipyard in Vancouver

The need   for housing was great.  Vanport, an immense prefab housing complex was constructed  on the site currently   occupied by Delta Park and the Portland International Raceway. Construction began in August 1942  and Vanport  became home to 40,000 people, about 40 percent of whom were African-American, making it Oregon's second-largest city at the time, and the largest public housing project in the nation.   Vanport was   destroyed at 4:05 p.m. on May 30, 1948,  Memorial; Day weekend, when a 200-foot (61 m) section of the dike holding back the Columbia River collapsed during a flood.  Miraculously only 15 lives were lost.

When the war ended, many of the “newcomers” returned back east or to the south.  However, many African Americans decided to stay here.  Realtors observed a red-line practice whereby African Americans were not allowed to buy property outside certain boundaries, basically Union Avenue to the west, Lombard to the north, NE 33^rd to the east, and E Burnside to the south.  By 1950 this area had become a vibrant part of the city with thriving neighborhoods, churches, and  stores.

Don Frazier, Pastor of Genesis Community Fellowship, remembers growing up there, how everybody knew everybody, people sat out their porches of a summer evening,  kids played on the street and families dressed up of a Sunday morning to go to church.  It was a neighborhood that felt like home.

The Albina district also  housed a vibrant night life with clubs, restaurants, and music,  which Jim Thompson has described in his book “Jumptown”,  as “the Golden Years of Jazz”.     .

While there had been just a few hundred African Americans in Portland before the war, that number swelled to more than 20,000 during the war.  With that many people making good money, the clubs began to flourish and, in turn, began to attract big- name acts such as Thelonious Monk, Charlie Barnet and Nat King Cole. The scene also began to cultivate local talent.

Paul Knauls told of his experience  coming to Portland in the early 1960s and opening the Cotton Club.  He said that Portland had become a mecca of jazz and blues at that point and the clubs had begun to draw many white fans as well as black devotees. He listed acts such as Etta James, Diana Ross, Martha and the Vandellas and the Four Tops as among those who came through Portland at the time.

In 1958,  an Urban Renewal program was launched by the City of Portland to make possible the construction of the Memorial Coliseum, (now Moda Center), the Portland School District Administrative offices, etc.. Most of the black jazz and blues clubs in Albina were wiped out by urban renewal.   Eleven hundred homes and businesses owned by African Americans were claimed under “eminent domain” and demolished to make way for the new construction.

Residents forced out of their homes and businesses were left to find accommodations elsewhere.  Many ended up in northeast and southeast Portland, separated from their community.  Gang members moved from Los Angeles to Portland bringing problems with them.

On August 28, 1963, more than 200,000 people, black and white, congregated in Washington, D. C. for a peaceful march with the main purpose of forcing civil rights legislation and establishing job equality for everyone. 

Addressing the crowds, in his “I have a dream” speech Dr. Martin Luther King said   “Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.  But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity.  “ But let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline.  You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.

“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."  I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.  “I have a dream that one day-  every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."  With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood.   “And when this happens, and when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:  “Free at last! Free at last!  Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”

Dr. King witnessed the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by President Lyndon Johnson, legislation that had been authorized by President John F. Kennedy before his assassination.   The law guaranteed equal employment for all, limited the use of voter literacy tests and allowed federal authorities to ensure public facilities were integrated.

On February 21, 1965, former Nation of Islam leader and Organization of Afro-American Unity, founder Malcolm X was assassinated at a rally.  Three years later, on April 4, 1968, civil rights leader and Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated on his hotel balcony.

Calling  themselves the “Black Panthers”  young blacks across the nation took to the streets in grief and anger to protest social injustice and police violence.   .

The Black Panthers’ ten-point platform included “equality in the realms of employment, housing, and education, along with freedom for political prisoners and an end to police brutality.

In Portland,  about 20  young blacks organized as the Portland Panthers .  In June 1969,   their chapter opened an office on the southeast corner of Northeast Cook Street and Union Avenue (present-day Martin Luther King Boulevard), the first of four locations.

By the end of that year, the Portland Panthers had started a Children´s Breakfast Program at Highland United Church of Christ—where they fed up to 125 children each morning before school.  They also established the Fred Hampton Memorial People´s Health Clinic, extending free medical care five evenings a week at 109 North Russell to anyone of any race. In February 1970, they opened a dental clinic at 2341 North Williams.

 When their medical clinic was condemned and razed to accommodate a planned expansion of Emanuel Hospital, the chapter moved their Monday and Tuesday night dental practice to the Kaiser dental clinic at 214 N Russell and their medical clinic to the former dental clinic space on North Williams.

“It felt good,” Oscar Johnson recalls. “We were doing something. We had the respect of the community.” New members were attracted to the social programs, and the Portland chapter grew, though it never exceeded fifty members, about a third of whom were women.   George Barton, a neurosurgeon, was their first volunteer physician, and Gerald Morrell was their first volunteer dentist. As head of Community Outreach for the Multnomah Dental Society, Morrell persuaded many others to join him.

The Portland Panther chapter lasted a decade, finally closing the medical clinic in 1979. “We decided we just couldn´t keep going,” says Sandra Ford, a founding member who worked in the health clinic as a medical assistant.

In 1960 the Portland School District implemented a busing program to desegregate schools.  The goal was to improve racial harmony; but the burden was placed on the  black community. While white children remained in their schools, black  children were bused out of their communities to attend white schools.  Often children were assigned to different schools each year, making it difficult for black children to become familiar with their new classrooms and hard for their parents to attend meetings, etc. to provide support

Since busing increased the enrollment in white schools while decreasing the enrollment in black community schools, it was decided that more black community  schools should be closed.  By 1980,   it was clear the busing program was not working and it was hoped desegregated middle schools might help..

Melanie Sevcenko reported in the   The Skanner News that    “through tenacious protest from groups like the Black United Front, Portland Public Schools eventually agreed to open Tubman at the Eliot Childhood Education Center.  For more than 20 years, the middle school stood as a precedent for community pushback against institutional racism within the school district.  “In 2007, it was converted into the Harriet Tubman Young Women's Leadership Academy, as part of restructuring Jefferson High School. Five years later, the academy dissolved too. “

Christine Pitawanich, KGW, reported on November 16, 2017 that, “Without a school at the heart of the historically African American neighborhood, community members say it’s been difficult to form a strong  community or promote parental involvement. “

At a community meeting in North Portland’s Center for Self Enhancement , Superintendent Guadalupe Guerrero assured neighbors, “The Portland Public Schools Board of Education, and the district are committed to opening Harriet Tubman as a comprehensive middle school, grades 6-8 for the fall of 2018.”

“THE WARMTH OF OTHER SUNS” provides an excellent commentary on the epic story of “America’s 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,  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 Wilkerson tells their 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”

MAYOR WHEELER SUPPORTS OVERLAY ZONING!!!

On January 19, 2018 Mayor Tom Wheeler advised “Manufactured Home parks are a critical part of the affordable housing that we need in Portland.  We join Verde and Living Cully in wanting zoning and other tools to protect this housing from unnecessary change.  I look forward to getting these code amendments to City Council for action.  Additionally, I hope you will join Nathan Howard, one of my Senior Policy Advisors, on January 24^th at  10:00 AM in City Hall to discuss this further and work together   on protecting residents living in Manufactured Housing Parks.” Representatives from three parks are scheduled to attend meeting.

Celebrating -- DR MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY

On August 28, 1963 in Washington, D.C.  Dr. Martin Luther King addressed more than 200,000 people, black and white, congregated   for a peaceful march with the main purpose of forcing civil rights legislation and establishing job equality for everyone.  Addressing the crowds, saying in his “I have a dream” speech    “Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.  But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity.

“ But let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline.  You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.

“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."  I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

“I have a dream that one day-  every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."  With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

“And when this happens, and when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:  “Free at last! Free at last!  Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”

Dr. King witnessed the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by President Lyndon Johnson, legislation that had been authorized by President John F. Kennedy before his assassination.   The law guaranteed equal employment for all, limited the use of voter literacy tests and allowed federal authorities to ensure public facilities were integrated.  On February 21, 1965, former Nation of Islam leader and Organization of Afro-American Unity, founder Malcolm X was assassinated at a rally.  On April 4, 1968, civil rights leader and Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated on his hotel balcony.

The Fair Housing Act became law on April 11, 1968, just days after King’s assassination. It prevented housing discrimination based on race, sex, national origin and religion. It was also the last legislation enacted during the civil rights era.  B. Gregg

JANUARY 2018 INTERFAITH ALLIANCE NEWSLETTER

INTERFAITH ALLIANCE BACKS BALLOT MEASURE 101-JANUARY 23  By Tom Hering,   Advocacy Action Team Co-Chair Passage of Ballot Measure 101 will protect healthcare coverage for one in four Oregonians including 400,000 kids according to supporters of the measure. Measure 101 creates a fee on insurance companies, hospitals and managed care organizations to make basic healthcare affordable and accessible to every Oregonian. Close to 200 organizations support the measure including major healthcare systems such as Kaiser Permanente, Legacy Health, Providence Health Systems and CareOregon.   "Oregonians vote in January and we want to get the word out as soon as possible, If this measure fails, funding for Medicaid is predicted to be cut between $210 and $320 million dollars.

Vulnerable Oregonians including children, seniors and people with disabilities face losing healthcare benefits or coverage altogether."For more information on Measure 101, go to http://yesforhealthcare.org/supporters.

MESSAGE FROM MAYOR TED WHEELER “The end of the year is a time to reflect upon where we’ve been, the challenges we’ve faced, what we have accomplished, and where we resolve to go to in the year ahead.

“My administration did not plan to spend our first months governing from one crisis to the next, but we took on each crisis as it came.  Portlanders care about most:  housing, homelessness, safety, economic growth, environmental problems, equity, and government transparency and accountability. As we look forward to 2018 we must acknowledge that tremendous challenges lie ahead Solving them will not be easy.  But we are a can-do city and mine is a can-do administration.  Working together we can continue the progress we began this year.”

2017 blew in on freezing winds causing heavy snows to pile up on the streets of Portland and bringing death to the homeless who lived there.  Their bodies were found curled up in bus stops, doorways, parking garages, nestled by dumpsters, and lying on sidewalks.

As the year closed,   Multnomah County shelters were again  packed, leaving homeless families out in the cold with no place to sleep but the streets of Portland. When the City and County asked Portland Homeless Family Solutions for assistance, they reached out to their long-time partner, who is also  the newest member of the Interfaith Alliance, CONGREGATION BETH ISRAEL in Northwest Portland for help.     They  didn’t hesitate, but immediately opened their doors to provide "an emergency winter family shelter" from December 11, 2017 through April 30, 2018 to accommodate 75 moms, dads, and kids.     

Alix Prior is the new Family Winter Shelter Volunteer Coordinator. She will be in the shelter a few evenings a week and will be available for questions, concerns, and support. Please contact Alix for anything volunteer related for this particular location. Alix will be hosting orientations, working with new volunteers, will be sending out on-call emails, and will be refining our systems and volunteer roles as we become more settled at the Family Winter Shelter. You can reach Alix at: alix@pdxhfs.org and 971-865-1351

One year ago in January, speaking at Mayor Wheeler’s swearing in,  Interfaith Alliance Co-Chair Carol Turner, said:  “We know there is nothing more complex than the poverty that is visible in our city and the poverty which is invisible, with too many people living in the shadows, always anxious about the next paycheck and always on the edge.”  She indicated that “the current focus of the Interfaith Alliance is to help vulnerable families gain stability through access to homes that are affordable over time.”

Looking back over  2017, the Interfaith Alliance  has worked in several areas to achieve its mission of alleviating poverty in Portland.  Striving to make ourselves better informed, we reached out to organizations serving on the front lines of poverty in Portland.  We also learned first-hand from those experiencing homelessness or the affects of poverty themselves.  Through our members, monthly meetings,  newsletter, and website, we have shared what we learned with our congregations and community. We are also becoming more involved.  When officials from various organizations speak at Interfaith Alliance meetings, that is often the first step into a long-time collaboration, which is built step-by-step  learning  together how  we can partner to find solutions and effect change.

The Interfaith Alliance has  been active  advocating for  legislative and community efforts to  support affordable housing and renters’ rights,  protect children,  support healthcare, encourage racial equality,  promote economic security,     and call for education. Learning what is going on both at the Capitol and City Hall, is important. Getting acquainted with our State Legislators  as well as our City Council Commissioners   can make a difference when we are trying to obtain  their   support.

The Interfaith Alliance is also working to assist families out of homelessness into stable, productive lives.

In January,  the Interfaith Alliance joined with the Multnomah County Library “Everybody Reads” program encouraging the reading of the book “Evicted” by Harvard Associate Professor of Social Justice, Matthew Desmond.  Desmond has stated that ”Losing your home,and possessions and often your job, being stamped with an eviction record, and denied government housing assistance, relocating to degrading housing in poor and dangerous neighborhoods, and suffering from increased material hardship, this is the fallout from homelessness.”

Rae Richen, Rose City Presbyterian, worked to obtain the $1,500  Katherine Bisbee  Mission Grant.  $500 was used to   supply Interfaith Alliance congregations with copies of the “Evicted” book so that they hold reading groups. $1,000,was reserved for bus rental to help our homeless and at risk of being homeless  neighbors and their supporters go to city hall, state capitol, county meetings, etc. enabling them to have a voice at the table when decisions are being made about access to housing.

Holly Schmidt, Westminster Presbyterian, and Claudia Roberts, Fremont United Methodist organized events to promote the “Everybody Reads Program.”

In February, the   Interfaith Alliance joined  the  PORTLAND TENANTS RALLY - supporting an amendment sponsored by Commissioner, Chloe Eudaly requiring landlords to issue a 90 day notice  for a “no cause” eviction and to pay for moving costs.       The City Council voted unanimously to support emergency ordinance.

Members of the Interfaith Alliance headed to Salem to participate in the INTERFAITH ADVOCACY DAY IN SALEM  to  advocate with legislators for legislation regarding housing, hunger, health care, safety and climate justice.

Rev. Connie Yost, First Unitarian  offered a four-week course,  “ESCALATING INEQUALITY AND POVERTY,”   exploring inequality and poverty in the United States and specifically In Portland.     The congregations of First Unitarian and Westminster Presbyterian took advantage of Rev. Connie’s classes during 2017.  LOVE, INC. provided a poverty curriculum program to members of Fremont United Methodist Church.

 In March, the Interfaith Alliance invited Rob Justus to attend their monthly meeting to explain his efforts to assist the homeless into stable housing.  The founder of JOIN, Justus has now turned his attention to construction of affordable housing.  He advised that his company, “Home First Development” is driven by the belief that decent affordable housing is fundamental to the health and wellbeing of a community, Justus’s goal is to provide quality units that rent for $600/month which are at the same time reasonable for owners to operate and maintain.  He has used no public money. Working with non-profit and private donors, he has built 257 units and has other projects underway.

Advocacy members attended “STABLE HOMES FOR OREGON FAMILIES DAY on March 2  Focus was on tenant protections and supporting HB 2004.  That was followed on March 22, with their participation in the HOUSING ALLIANCE’S ADVOCACY DAY.

Also in March 2017, the Interfaith Alliance took measures to improve its communications.

 The  Allianceonpoverty.org  website was  launched.. From the beginning ,  a website had been seen as necessary to the effective communication of the organization, but until May 2016, no one had come forward with the skills to perform the task.  When   professional web designer, Greg Maffei,  volunteered his services “free of charge”, it seemed a miracle. With the assistance from his wife, Donna Prosser,  and help from Rich Hammons, Madeleine Director of Communications, and Bonnie Gregg,  IAOP Poverty Awareness Communication Action Team , the work was completed in  March 2017..

At the same time, it was decided an Interfaith Alliance LOGOS was needed for newsletter, website, brochures, stationery, cards, etc..  Many ideas were considered, then Dave Albertine of the Madeleine Catholic Parish, decided it was time to call in “an expert.” Dave’s son, Alex, is now a member of the US Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya – on the other side of the planet but fortunately only a SKYPE visit away. Together Dave and Alex came up with what they thought might be just the right idea.  The Interfaith Alliance members liked it, too!

Now that we had a brand new LOGOS, an INTERFAITH ALLIANCE  BANNER seemed important for when members attend rallies, march in  parades, hold gatherings, etc.  Rich Hammons,  Madeleine Parish, did the graphics, while, Jeff Behnke, Central Lutheran Church performed the printing of the banner.

The Interfaith Alliance on Poverty gained a lot more visibility in March.

In April, the Interfaith Alliance asked  Marc Jolin, Head of the Multnomah County Joint Office of Homeless Services,  to tell them about the “Home for Everyone” Program.  Jolin revealed that it is a community-wide plan organized in response to Portland’s crisis in housing,  During 2015-2016 they served over 25,00 people with housing and support services.  Marc indicated everyone’s help is needed.  To find out more visit www.ahomeforeveryone.net or ahfe@multco.us, or call 503-988-2543.

May was a busy month.      On May 18,  the legislature  sponsored HOUSING OPPORTUNITY DAY.   Tom Hering, member of Rose City Park Presbyterian and Co-chair of the Advocacy Action Team, and John Elizalde, First Unitarian, along with others from the Advocacy Action Team attended. 

John Elizalde, First Unitarian, and Co-Chair of the Poverty Awareness Communication Action Team had primary responsibility for organizing the May IAOP Seminar.   -- Dr. Mandy Davis,  spoke on BREAKING THE CHAIN OF INTER-GENERATIONAL POVERTY, STARTING WITH THE CHILDREN”,  before a gathering of Interfaith Alliance members and friends, held on May 7^th at The Madeleine Catholic Parish.

Dr. Davis explained that if we hope to help the children caught in generational poverty we need to understand how trauma sets the stage for this generational inheritance.  Science teaches that trauma (toxic stress and adversity) impacts the way our brain develops and functions.  Adversity in childhood leads to challenges in emotional stability, educational achievement, good health, positive relationships, and job success.

Dr. Davis urged those seeking to help children living in poverty to look for ways to create safe, stable and nurturing relationships so that the children can learn skills to reach their full potential.  Physical and emotionally safe places are necessary for children suffering the trauma of generational poverty.

IAOP MEMBER, AUGUSTANA LUTHERAN CHURCH RESPONDED TO HATE CRIME IN PORTLAND

When two Muslims were attacked and killed at a MAX transit station, Mark Knutson, pastor of Augustana Lutheran Church, called the community together.  Guest speaker was nationally prominent civil rights activist, Jesse Jackson. “POVERTY IS AN ANNHILIATION” Jesse proclaimed.  He observed that “We must leave the racial battlefield to seek the economic common ground that will enable us to achieve the moral high ground where all men are treated equally in a global community.  We must pull down the walls of ignorance to build bridges of understanding.  We must remember that regardless of our color or religion, we live in one big tent.”          

On June 29,  members and friends of the Interfaith Alliance gathered to enjoy a potluck and review accomplishments of the 2016-2017.

Tom Hering, Rose City Presbyterian,  and Sally Fraser, Grace Memorial Episcopal, Co-Chairs of the Advocacy Action Team, described actions taken to support tenants’ rights, protest no-cause evictions, promote affordable housing and recommend legislation.

Working with groups within the community including Living Cully and St. Charles Catholic Church, the advocacy team has participated in efforts to produce positive change, joining rallies at the City Hall and State Capitol, as well as supporting renters throughout Portland.

Rae Richen Rose City Presbyterian and Dave Albertine, the Madeleine Catholic Parish, Co-Chairs of the Transition to Stability Action Team reported that working with the Village Support Network, a number of Alliance congregations were successful in assisting homeless families into stable housing.  Since the close of the Village Support Network on May 1, 2017,   other options  are now being explored to provide this service.

John Elizade, First Unitarian, and Bonnie Gregg, Madeleine Catholic Parish, Co-Chairs of the Poverty Awareness Communication Action Team, reported on activities held this year.

Poverty Curriculum seminars were conducted at Fremont Methodist, Westminster Presbyterian, and First Unitarian by Love, Inc. and the Reverend Connie Yost.

In cooperation with the Multnomah County Library, the Alliance promoted reading Matthew Desmond’s book “Evicted” through the “Everybody Reading Reads” program. Holly Schmidt, Westminster Presbyterian, and Claudia Roberts, Fremont Methodist were responsible for spearheading the program’s success.

A four-hour seminar conducted by Dr. Mandy Davis, was conducted at the Madeleine Catholic Parish explaining “Trauma Informed Care.”

The Interfaith Alliance continued publication of a monthly Newsletter, edited by Bonnie Gregg of the Madeleine Parish.

The Interfaith Alliance on Poverty Website was launched in March 2017, through the efforts of Greg Maffei and his wife Donna Prosser with help from Rich Hammons, Director of Communication, and Bonnie Gregg, website assistant, all from Madeleine Catholic Parish.

 Speaking at the meeting was Jessica Rojas, NE Coalition of Neighbors Program Manager.  She shared personal story and perspectives on poverty.

Born into a poor family, Jessica advised that she learned that “real wealth” is found not in the accumulation of possessions, but in the relationships we forge within our families and communities.

Although we tend to think of poverty as lack of money, Jessica directed our attention to other resources of great value.  When the land, rivers, oceans and air become polluted, other kinds of poverty result.  No longer is there clean water to drink, fresh air to breathe, bees to pollinate our plants, soil to produce healthy crops, seas abundant with life, or forests to cleanse the atmosphere.  Jessica commented that “If we do not address threats to our environment, one day we may see the number of “climate refugees” rival those fleeing war zones”.  Other types of poverty include “poverty of homeland” suffered by immigrants, “poverty of discrimination” suffered by people of color, and “poverty of loneliness” suffered by the elderly, mentally ill addicted, and the homeless.

In July, the  “BETTER OREGON COALITION” gathered at Salem.   Members of the Interfaith Alliance representing Westminster Presbyterian, Augustana Lutheran, Madeleine Catholic, Fremont United Methodist ,First Unitarian and Central Lutheran together with the NE Coalition of Neighbors, parents, student workers, business owners, unions and social workers from all over Oregon as well as the Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon  joined together at the State Capitol to inform  the legislature  that our “state is in crisis” and “to invest in people, not corporations!”

Rev. Mark Knutson of Augustana Lutheran Church gave a “barn burner” speech on the steps of the Capitol in which he quoted from Dr. Martin Luther King, saying ”I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality, and freedom for their spirits.”  Despite the efforts of the Better Oregon Coalition, recommended measures were not taken.

In August, INTERFAITH ALLIANCE MEMBERS JOINED CULLY NEIGHBORS

Cameron Herrington, Coordinator of Living Cully, advised that Cully is “the most diverse community in the state”, with 50% people of color, immigrants, and refugees.  The Interfaith Alliance is working with Living Cully to prevent displacement and assist low income residents in their fight against rising rents.

When repairs were needed at Cedar Shade and Arbor Mobile Home Parks,  Interfaith Alliance members rolled up their sleeves to join residents and others volunteering to do the work.      David Groff, Westminster Presbyterian, helped build a stairway at Cedar Shade  while  Les Wardenaar, Fremont Methodist, helped with window caulking at Arbor Mobile.  Marilyn Mauch Fremont Methodist, and Sarah Carolus, Central Lutheran joined those preparing a meal for the workers.

As a member of the Advocacy Action Team, Marilyn Mauch has become actively involved in Cully   She attends their meetings, helps as she can, and joins residents on walks around the neighborhood. As founder of the Backpack Lunch Program, Marilyn  has experience solving problems.  She believes that  problems are not solved by outsiders looking in, but by joining those who face the problems every day from within.

CHANGE OF MEETING VENUE

With the support of Pastor Beth Neal, Westminster Presbyterian Church has sponsored the Interfaith Alliance from its beginning in October of 2015. They first put out the call to other congregations to join them in learning more about poverty as presented in a seminar by Donna Beegle. Thereafter, they promoted efforts to  join forces in helping improve the lives of the poor in our community.  Interfaith Alliance members met at Westminster every month after that until this fall, when Westminster’s parking needed repair.   It was decided to find another venue while repairs were made.

In September,  the IAOP monthly meeting was held at the Madeleine Parish.  Father Mike Biewend,  has  supported the Interfaith Alliance, since its inception.  Whenever the Interfaith Alliance has had a major event to host he has opened Madeleine’s doors and warmly welcomed IAOP members and guests.  He has also encouraged his congregation  to be generous with their time, talent, and financial support.

Guest speakers were  Street Roots  Executive Director, Israel Bayer,  and Newspaper Vendor, Lori Lematta.       Israel said that “investing in affordable housing and homeless services is not only the right thing to do – it is the smart thing to do.  When we support and invest in affordable housing, we are not only investing in Oregonians today, we are investing in the generations of tomorrow.  Affordable housing – like our roads and parks and schools play a vital role in maintaining a healthy society for generations to come.”

Lori shared her personal story, overcoming emotional trauma, problems of health and addiction and escaping homelessness.  She told about life on the streets, constantly having to wait in line, having to be out of shelters by 7:00 AM, having no place to rest in the daytime, how some shelters treat you like children, being bound to the streets, the smell of “death” in the air, never taking a vacation, getting a new outfit.  She also shared what Street Roots had meant to her, allowing her to recover independence, income, and respect

Interfaith Alliance members attended and supported the Street Roots Annual Fund Raising Breakfast. Many congregations invited Street Roots Newspaper Vendors to sell their papers after services.

Interfaith Alliance members participated in the MLK MARCH FOR JUSTICE, commemorating Dr. King’s march 54 years ago,   supporting voting rights, healthcare, criminal justice reform, and economic justice.”

Alliance leader, Tom Hering, Rose City Park Presbyterian, in above photo, observed that

“About 400 (my guesstimate) attended the March this a.m. in downtown Portland. It was powerful to be a part of the MLK march for justice with so many faith communities!  “People I recognized from IAOP were Pastor Lynne Smouse Lopez, Ainsworth United Church of Christ, (one of the organizers of the March), Erik and Diane Anderson, Ainsworth United Church of Christ; Marie Langenes, St.Andrews Catholic Church; Beth Neal, Pastor Westminster Presbyterian; Jim Moiso, Rose City Park Presbyterian, Katie Larsell, Executive Director Unitarian Voices for Justice; David Dornack, Pastor Rose City Presbyterian; and few of the young ministers from Portsmouth Union and Salt and Light Lutheran Church, with whom Marilyn Mauch and I have been working in regard to affordable housing advocacy housing.”

In October Augustana Lutheran Church hosted the   monthly meeting. of the Interfaith Alliance.  Rev. Mark Knutson reflected on “Poverty in Portland”, as he has experienced it through his 22 years of ministry at Augustana..     He stated that “the biggest challenge of our day is discerning what the cutting edge issues of justice, peace, diversity, equity, reconciliation and inclusion will be, and helping position the church to be ready, as a voice of conscience, to be  proactive with others,  in doing what is right.”

In November --  Les Wardenaar,  member  of Fremont United Methodist  and the Interfaith Alliance Advocacy  Action Team wrote an editorial in support of the PORTLAND COMMUNITY COLLEGE BOND MEASURE. 

He stated, “Experts agree that EDUCATION is the most effective way to lift people up and out of generational poverty. This is why our Portland Community College system is such a critical resource in the fight against poverty in our Metropolitan area. It provides accessible, affordable and confidence-building education and training to a population that needs it most.  And this is why--even if you are suffering from "voter fatigue" or think that single issue election doesn't matter--you need to cast your ballot.

Pastor Donald Frazier hosted the November meeting of the Interfaith Alliance at Genesis Community Fellowship.  In addition to being ordained as a pastor, Pastor Frazier also worked as  manager at the State of Oregon Children Services Division for 12 years.  He said that his “twelve years with CSD deeply burdened his heart for ministry to young people, families, and racial reconciliation.  He has also been a leader with Promise Keepers while pastoring at Mt. Sinai and began the Bridge Ministries program, designed as an outreach program aimed at reaching gang affected you and their families.

Attending the meeting was Dr. T. Allen Bethel, Senior Pastor at Marantha Church and also President of the Albina Ministerial Alliance. He shared his perspectives as a pastor and civil rights activist over the past 60 years.  He indicated his goal has been to bring people together to promote education, health, housing community, and justice.

Featured speaker was Felicia Tripp, Deputy Director of the Portland Housing Center who stressed that “home ownership is the key out of generational poverty”.  She explained that once you own your own home, no longer are you at the mercy of landlords, who can raise your rents.  You are able to establish credit, build equity, stabilize your life and that of your children”.  The Portland Housing offers educational opportunities teaching how to negotiate the real estate market, geared to the cultural needs of the applicants.  PHS has assisted more than7,000 families in becoming successful home owners.  Jackie Butts, Home Ownership Program Manager explained that PHS assists home buyers with both down payments and financing.

Other speakers representing  the URBAN LEAGUE OF PORTLAND included Danetta Monk, Housing Program Manager,  Ruthie Carver, Community Health Worker and Cayalaya Sand, Housing Specialist.  They discussed how the Urban League provides a wide-range of home ownership services including counseling and financial education.

In December,  the Interfaith Alliance   stepped up to protect residents of  62 Portland mobile home parks, by  launching a postcard campaign to support a zoning initiative sponsored by Commissioner Chloe Eudaly to make  it more difficult for landlords to close down a park .  Members of nine Interfaith Alliance congregation signed several hundred cards which were hand delivered to Mayor Ted Wheeler’s office urging his support for the measure.

Mary Li , Director of the Multnomah County Idea Lab  was guest speaker at the December 7, 2017 Interfaith Alliance Meeting held at Westminster Presbyterian Church .  The Multnomah Idea Lab (MIL), housed within the Multnomah County Department of County Human Services (DCHS),   tests new policies and innovations that help people and communities thrive.  Partnering with the national Family Independence Initiative (FII) and the Department of Human Services (DHS), MIL works to establish peer groups for families who have recently left the Temporary Assistance to  Needy Families (TANF) program.  The FII model engages families to share resources, provide support to one another, act as role models, and set their own goals.

Mary indicated  that the MIL  designs practices to solve problems, using critical thinking, and applied research  to affect structural change in racial justice and generational poverty.  “Be the change you seek” is their motto.   Instead of relying on  organizations to provide resources, Mary  stated that families/individuals need to build their own wealth by setting goals and joining “circles of support” to achieve them.  

SO WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE IAOP?              Key strategies for  2018 include:

• Advocate with local governments and other entities to increase the amount and availability of safe, stable low income housing.
• Explore and practice ways to have more direct connection with families who are experiencing generational poverty and support their transition to stability
• Increase our involvement with neighborhood initiatives to reduce poverty and continue work with Living Cully/Cully neighborhood and look for other opportunities.
• Continue to become more poverty informed.

CHANGE OF WEBSITE MANAGEMENT

Effective, January 1, 2018, Tom Hering, Rose City Presbyterian Church, and Co-Chair of the Advocacy Action Team will assume responsibility for the development of a new IAOP website platform to replace current model.

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2018 IAOP BUDGET APPROVED

Interfaith Alliance Treasurer, Les Wardenaar presented Projected 2018 Interfaith Alliance Budget for membership review.  Budget was approved as recommended.

Anticipated expenses will include

Communication

Website:                         $2500  Website expenses covering initial start-up and annual hosting fees, maintenance costs,  and payment for prior development

Speakers:                       $500  ($50 Gift Cards for personal stories)

Curriculum:                   $850 – Purchase of program materials to support trainings at individual congregations or groups

Printing:                         $200 – Printing & Photocopying (sign-in sheets, handouts,)

Transition to

Stability:                        $500 (anticipated costs associated with guiding individual family units, including possible training fees for support teams, incidental/miscellaneous expenses, and small direct support items such as temporary help with family deposits or expenses.)

Advocacy Team:           $700 –including $400 for Scholarships for Conferences (average $50 per participant, 2 per quarter)  and  $300 for advocacy activities)

January 4, 2018 – IAOP Meeting

First  monthly meeting   of the Interfaith Alliance will be held at Grace Memorial Episcopal Church, 1535 NE 17^th,  from 12:00-2:00 PM.

Featured speaker will be Joy Alise Davis,  M.A., Executive Director | Portland African American Leadership Forum (PAALF)   

Joy agreed to speak in response to the following letter from   John Elizalde, First Unitarian and Co-Chair of Poverty Awareness Communication Action Team.  John’s letter also  describes the Interfaith Alliance and provides insight into  its goals.

John began his letter, “I am part of the Interfaith Alliance on Poverty, a sort of new group of congregations working to address the systems in our society that perpetuate poverty in our community.  https://allianceonpoverty.org

“We’ve been around for a few years and have worked to involve our members in advocacy, education and helping people transition to stability.  Essentially this group of congregations realized that we were all deeply involved in direct service (and still are).  However, we wanted to make a difference, a longer lasting difference in the lives of our neighbors in need.  We are on a quest to find ways to make that difference.  We don’t bring answers; rather we bring a desire to help, to support and to advocate for organizations on the front line of these changes. “In early October Felicia and Jackie, from the Portland Housing Center, told our monthly meeting about their organization, its work and (most importantly) the people they serve.  We also heard from the housing team at the Urban League and learned about their housing services.  Dr T Allen Bethel suggested that we reach out to groups working in the N/NE area, specifically groups focused on the African American community, if we wanted to explore ways to be of support for that community.  We have an ongoing and developing relationship with Living Cully and appreciate their willingness to have us follow their lead and support their work; we seek such a relationship in the N/NE area.

“It seems to us that we, the Interfaith Alliance, would be served well to learn about the Portland African American Leadership Forum.  Many of the congregations in our alliance are located in NE Portland.  All of us know the ’10,000 foot version’ of the Emanuel Hospital/North/NE episodes from the middle of the last century.  We know that PAALF is involved deeply in the efforts to address the consequences of that era.  We are quite sure there is work we’d like to help with”

PRAYER FOR THE NEW YEAR…..

“May God bless us with discomfort at easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships, so that we will live deep in our hearts.

“May God bless us with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people and earth, so that we will work for justice, equity, and peace.

“May God bless us with tears to shed for those who suffer, so we will reach out our hands to comfort them and change their pain to joy.

“And May God bless us with the foolishness to think that we can make a difference in the world, so we will do the things that others say cannot be done.“

 Franciscan Benediction

Alliance Endorses Oregon Ballot Measure 101

Passage of Ballot Measure 101 will protect healthcare coverage for one in four Oregonians including 400,000 kids according to supporters of the measure. Measure 101 creates a fee on insurance companies, hospitals and managed care organizations to make basic healthcare affordable and accessible to every Oregonian. Close to 200 organizations support the measure including major healthcare systems such as Kaiser Permanente, Legacy Health, Providence Health Systems and CareOregon. "Oregonians vote in January and we want to get the word out as soon as possible," said Tom Hering, the Alliance's co-chair for Advocacy. "If this measure fails, funding for Medicaid is predicted to be cut between $210 and $320 million dollars. Vulnerable Oregonians including children, seniors and people with disabilities face losing healthcare benefits or coverage altogether."

For more information on Measure 101, go to http://yesforhealthcare.org/supporters.

Beth Israel Opens Portland Homeless Family Solutions Emergency Winter Shelter

On December 4, 2017, Multnomah County shelters were packed to the brim, leaving  homeless families out in the cold with no place to sleep but the streets of Portland. When the City and County asked Portland Homeless Family Solutions for assistance, they reached out to their long-time partner Congregation Beth Israel in Northwest Portland for help.  Congregation Beth Israel did not hesitate.

  Congregation Beth Israel (Interfaith Alliance member) will be opening their doors to  provide "an emergency winter family shelter"  from December 11, 2017 through April 30, 2018 to accommodate 75 moms, dads, and kids

You can help us make this new shelter a success! 

• Volunteer to help set up the shelter: Join us between December 4-10 to set up the beds, organize shelter supplies, and get ready to welcome families. Email Bethany@pdxhfs.org  to sign up.

• Volunteer to help run the shelter: Bring food for dinner, come play with kids, or help keep the night running smoothly. Please attend a volunteer orientation on Thursday, December 7 or Sunday, December 10. RSVP required: email Bethany@pdxhfs.org to sign up for an orientation.

• Donate these supplies: Hygiene supplies like soap & shampoo, tooth paste & brushes, and deodorant, breakfast and snack foods, blankets and twin sheet sets, pillows and pillow cases, and warm winter coats. We are also collecting holidays toys for kids in shelter. Email Emma@pdxhfs.org  to coordinate donations.
• Give a financial contribution: The County & City are funding the operation of the shelter, but they aren't providing funding to help families from shelter move into housing. Help us end homelessness by donating money that we can use to help families in shelter get back into homes - and stay there. Donate here!

We always say it takes a village to raise a family, and we are going to need you - our village - to help make this shelter successful.

DECEMBER 7TH INTERFAITH ALLIANCE 12:00 MONTHLY MEETING WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Beth Neel, Pastor at Westminster Presbyterian Church  will host the December Interfaith Alliance Meeting, to be held at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1624 NE Hancock, on Thursday, December 7, at 12:00 PM.

Beth Neel was ordained to the ministry in 1993, and was called to Westminster in 2011 to serve as co-pastor with her husband Gregg. We are told that “Beth knows her way around a committee meeting, potluck, and energetic Bible study.  When not at church, she enjoys reading books that might not have anything to do with faith, walking in rain or sun, trying to comb the dog, and having opportunities for hilarity with family.”

Guest speaker will be Mary Li, Director of the Multnomah County Idea Lab whose motto is  BUILD SMALL – LIVE LARGE.  The Multnomah Idea Lab (MIL), housed within the Multnomah County Department of County Human Services (DCHS),   tests new policies and innovations that help people and communities thrive.  Partnering with the national Family Independence Initiative (FII) and the Department of Human Services (DHS), MIL works to establish peer groups for families who have recently left the Temporary Assistance to  Needy Families (TANF) program.  The FII model engages families to share resources, provide support to one another, act as role models, and set their own goals.

Abrahamic Thanksgiving Celebration

An Abrahamic Thanksgiving celebration and meal will be held

at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1624 NE Halsey on Wednesday evening

  6:00 Refreshments,

6:30 Worship Service,

7:30 Buffet.

It is a great way to get to know our Jewish and Muslim brothers and sisters and is a beautiful interfaith celebration. If you plan to attend, please email the number of people in your party to assure enough food   --  abrahamicthanksgiving@gmail.com  .

WORLD DAY OF THE POOR

FIRST WORLD DAY OF THE POOR

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time 19 November 2017

Let us love, not with words but with deeds. Pope Francis

THANKSGIVING REFLECTIONS

“I do not think of all the misery, but of the glory that remains.

Go outside into the fields, nature and the sun, go out and seek happiness in yourself and in God.

Think of the beauty that again and again discharges itself within and without you and be happy.”

― Anne Frank

• As we gather together this Thanksgiving, Anne Frank’s words challenge us to look beyond the darkness of our day, its violence, poverty and sorrow, to see the bright beauty of God’s glory that is within and surrounds us, and in that vision  be truly thankful.  B. Gregg

A Place to Call Home: Exploring Housing in Oregon by Muz Afzal

At the most basic level, a home is a place that gives you shelter, protecting you from the weather and unsafe situations. It’s also where you live your life, eat your meals, and raise your family. If housing is a basic human right, why do so many people struggle to find or keep housing? How do we as individuals and as a society make decisions that undermine the idea that we all have a right to a home?

This is the focus of A Place to Call Home: Exploring Housing in Oregon, a free conversation with Cristina Palacios on Saturday, November 18th at 3 pm at SE Uplift 3534 SE Main St. Portland OR 97214. This program is hosted by SE Uplift Neighborhood Coalition and sponsored by Oregon Humanities.

Through the Conversation Project, Oregon Humanities offers free programs that engage community members in thoughtful, challenging conversations about ideas critical to our daily lives and our state’s future. For more information about this free community discussion, please contact Muz Afzal at muz@seuplift.org or call (503) 232-0010 Ext 319.

Cristina Palacios was born in Tolimán, Jalisco, México, and started organizing at age fourteen. Most recently, Christina worked with Community Alliance of Tenants as a senior organizer. She is driven by a passion for housing and social justice and the belief that everyone—regardless, their income, disability, race or immigration status—deserves a safe and healthy place to call home.

PCC November 7 Bond Measure - EDITORIAL COMMENTARY BY LES WARDENAAR, Interfaith Alliance Advocacy Action Team

Experts agree that EDUCATION is the most effective way to lift people up and out of generational poverty. This is why our Portland Community College system is such a critical resource in the fight against poverty in our Metropolitan area. It provides accessible, affordable and confidence-building education and training to a population that needs it most.  And this is why--even if you are suffering from "voter fatigue" or think that single issue election doesn't matter--you need to cast your ballot. If passed, the PCC Bond Measure would authorize $185 million in bonds over a 16-year period, money that would enable:

• (1)modernization of the college's workforce training center in Northeast Portland;
• (2) construction of a Child Development Center on the Rock Creek Campus;
• (3) renovation of the  Health Technology Center on the Sylvania campus;
• (4) modernization of technology and equipment;
• (5) creation of additional training spaces for health care professions programs.

These effects are in addition to basic maintenance, extended life, and the "greening" of PCC facilities and processes. Because this is a sustaining bond measure rather than an entirely new spending authorization, it is not expected to increase the tax burden on Portland homeowners.

In the current Portland economy, many high-paying, family-sustaining jobs remain unfilled for lack of qualified candidates. PCC is our most obvious resource to strike a blow against poverty by bridging this gap, but it needs more resources, more program capacity, and more efficiency in its training. Meanwhile, a wide variety of non-profits are working hard to provide poverty-entrapped youth and adults with the awareness, self-confidence, and sustaining support to go after these opportunities. But all of these programs depend on a vital and expanding community college system.

PCC tuition costs roughly half that of a state university (one-tenth that of a private college), not to mention convenience and lower cost living expenses. Offering degrees and certificates in more than 100 areas of study, PCC ranks #1 among all Oregon higher education institutions in terms of graduates' earnings compared to tuition costs (2017 Portland Business Journal).

According to PCC sources, every dollar invested in the PCC system returns $12.50 to Oregon's economy in added state revenue and social savings (e.g. medical, elfare, unemployment payments). Our community not only needs this resource, but it turns out to be a great investment of taxpayer dollars.

The simplest yet most important action that Interfaith Alliance members can take against Poverty is to VOTE for measures and candidates that are the most likely to yield positive results. Keep that in mind as November 7 approaches!!!

NOVEMBER 15 SUPPORT NORMANDY APARTMENT RENTERS AT RIGLER SCHOOL- 5:00 PM - By Marilyn Mauch, Interfaith Alliance Advocacy Action Team

Come at 5:00 pm and enjoy music and enchiladas made by Rigler School families. The program begins at 6:00 pm and includes a skit dramatizing the reactions of the 18 families of the Normandy Apartments and their 26 Rigler school children when they were informed by landlords that their rents were being raised by 100%!

To avoid having the school children’s learning and living circumstances disrupted, Living Cully, an anti-poverty advocacy group located in the Cully neighborhood stepped forward to help the families find nearby housing.    Multnomah County has allocated $48,000 to cover the rent increases that have threatened displacement of the schoolchildren and their families.  City officials are also being invited.