FEBRUARY 2023 - EDITOR’S NOTE

 FEBRUARY 2023 - EDITOR’S NOTE 

by Bonnie Gregg, Poverty Awareness & Communication Team and member of Madeleine Catholic Parish

At last month’s zoom First Thursday meeting, we learned from Jillene Joseph, executive director of the Native Wellness Institute and leader of Future Generations Collaborative (for indigenous people). Jillene Joseph showed us how healing of Native American wounds requires an understanding of the historical, inter-generational trauma the people have endured.  She explained that oppression leads to an internalization of the oppressors’ negative views, particularly after knowledge of their own culture has been suppressed by those who seek to establish superiority.         

This repeated trauma is also the experience of the African American Community, whose Black history we celebrate this month.  A couple of years ago, I asked Pastor Don Frazier how he thought the Interfaith Alliance might improve its relations with the Black community. In October 2020,  he presented his “Reflection on the Way Forward” at a meeting of the Alliance. He commented, “When people are degraded and devalued, and made to feel inferior, it is hard to trust.” (Find excerpts from his “Reflection” in this newsletter.)

Beginning in 1915, half a century after the Civil War and passage of the Thirteenth Amendment to abolish slavery, Carter D. Woodson, a young Black graduate from Harvard University, founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life & History, believing that young African Americans not only in the Jim Crow south but across America were not being taught enough of their own heritage, and achievements.  Carter’s efforts eventually led to the establishment of Black History Month. (Read about these efforts in “The Black History Month Story” together with the  CNN Report on “Today’s Leaders Making Tomorrow’s History” in this newsletter)

CNN notes that today efforts are being made in several states to ban   Black History under the guise of protecting White children from discomfort. Opinion: Black History Month exposes the fallacy of White 'discomfort' | CNN

What is our comfort level about our past?    We are now a nation of displaced landowners and those forced by circumstances or by others to immigrate. My mother’s family was Irish-Catholic. When a white-robed Klansman made the mistake of trying to drop off his pamphlets in her neighborhood, my grandmother “Maggie Coyle” chased him down the street with her broom. The Irish endured their share of persecution upon arriving in this country, as did most immigrant groups. My father’s family descended from Virginia slaveholders, and my grandfather, reputed to be an otherwise decent man, proudly donned his Klansman’s robe.  

 So, it is complicated.  Our roots go deep. So do our fears, particularly of the other, anyone unlike us, who has a different skin color, language or heritage. It is easy to justify ourselves, as righteous, and blame the other for whatever is wrong. What would happen if, instead, we looked beyond our differences to our common humanity and achieving our common good?  If every child was nurtured in a loving, safe community, we might tap the genius of the human spirit capable of solving all our problems.

The first step to healing may require an honest accounting of our past.  Painful as that may be, it may help us to keep from repeating our mistakes. If we learn from our past hopefully, we will find the will to change our future, making it possible to establish the justice and peace for which we hunger.      Bonnie Gregg

FEBRUARY 2023 -- MESSAGE FROM THE INTERFAITH ALLIANCE CHAIR

FEBRUARY 2023 -- MESSAGE FROM THE INTERFAITH ALLIANCE CHAIR,

Les Wardenaar, Member of Fremont United Methodist Church

The term “aha moment” is greatly overused, but the experience—a sudden realization, inspiration, or insight brought on by the unexpected —is dramatic. And my engagement in the Alliance and in Shelter Now has produced some of my most special moments.

The most impactful have resulted from immediate contact with those damaged by poverty and seeking to overcome it. I remember the moving life story of Lori, selling Street Roots at Westminster Presbyterian, who spoke at a First Thursday meeting. Her very professional and satisfying life had unraveled due to addiction and she was now working to rebuild it. There was something about her story that struck me immediately and hard – the vulnerability we all share as human beings. I empathized with her instantly. Lori brought a sudden aha moment for me.

More recently, we heard the testimony of Runa, who stated very directly that her discovery of We Shine’s new village at Parkrose UCC had literally saved her life from almost certain suicide. Of course, I conceptually support the work of We Shine. But for me, Runa’s story was beyond concept. Runa brought me a new reality. I felt my heart beat with sudden awareness. 

At our January 2023 Interfaith Alliance Meeting, we saw a video featuring Native American children, and learned about the ways in which their lives have been traumatized and forever altered by the many controls our white culture has employed to treat America’s first inhabitants. The emotional impact of the video was visceral.

Some people experience their strongest aha moments in nature, but while I have experienced those sensations, the most compelling inspiration for me comes from language. When Pastor Chris Dela Cruz, speaking at last year’s Roseanne Haggerty event, emphatically called Portland houselessness challenge a matter of “soul,” my body resonated with a rush of adrenaline. 

When Pastor Erin Martin recently opened a First Thursday meeting with  powerful passages from Isaiah, I again felt such a rush of insight, inspiration and the power of God. I had heard these verses before, but in that moment they completely captured me.

Language, especially metaphoric language, moves me in startling ways. That is the basic reason why I frequently end our meetings with poems. I have discovered that certain poems rock my sensibility. It’s little bit selfish, I guess, but hopefully it has created an occasional aha moment for some of you, as well.

I see these kinds of moments within the context of the Interfaith Alliance as flashes of inspiration and recognition sent directly from God with the intention of shaking us from our dulled-by-the-usual senses. The message typically isn’t entirely new, but our experience of it in that moment is astonishingly clear. It’s one of the many ways that God communicates to us – with messages that urge us onward in our fight for social justice.

Aha moments are direct experiences of God’s voice in our lives. I am grateful to the Interfaith Alliance for enabling me to hear that voice and to feel God’s presence in such powerful ways. Les Wardenaar

January 2023 Meeting Notes

 SUMMARY – JANUARY 5, 2023 

FIRST THURSDAY MEETING 

By David Groff, Interfaith Alliance Secretary Treasurer and member of Westminster Presbyterian Church - 

 Les Wardenaar, Alliance Chair, welcomed attendees and called on Rev. Lynne Smouse Lopez, Pastor of the Ainsworth UCC congregation to offer an opening prayer.

Rev. Chris Dela Cruz of Westminster Presbyterian Church introduced guest speaker, Jillene Joseph, the Executive Director of the Native Wellness Institute and leader of Future Generations Collaborative (FGC), which works to support health programs in the indigenous community. Westminster has partnered with FGC to support the creation of Barbie’s Village.

Barbie’s Village: Its Vision, Its History, Its Meaning

Jillene Joseph opened her remarks by advising that she is one of the founders of the Native Wellness Institute, a national organization that serves indigenous people in Oregon and beyond.  She commented that Native communities have suffered lasting generational trauma but also exhibited generational wisdom. Where there has been trauma there must be healing. FGC is just now becoming its own nonprofit or as Jillene likes to say, a “social profit organization.” The Wellness Institute has taken the lead in the Barbie’s Village.

Historical trauma was explained in a short video.  The coming of the Europeans brought disease, conquest, displacement, and forced assimilation. These experiences created trauma that affected subsequent generations, leaving deep wounds.  Perseverance and connecting with traditions offer hope for transformation.  The video was filmed on Coeur d’Alene reservation in Idaho.  The story of the trauma has not been taught in most American schools. So, few Americans know the full history.  To understand poverty in the indigenous community, we must start with the historical trauma.

She went on to review the history of Federal policies that informed this trauma.  “Merciless savages” was the label applied to natives in the Declaration of Independence and elsewhere. Extermination was initial policy but gave way to the Civilization Act which involved internment in reservations and the creation of boarding schools that sought to forcibly assimilate native children. In the mid to late 1970s Federal policies began to change in large part as a result of native activism. The Indian Child Welfare Act was passed to end the practice of easy adoption of native children by non-natives.

Oppression leads to an internalization of the oppressors’ views.  Native people have thus developed negative views of themselves and these have often led to lateral oppression within the community.

One of the policies was 1950s “relocation.”  It took Indian people who had been forcibly moved onto reservations and moved them into cities.  The idea was to assimilate and integrate the native population.  But little support was offered.  Portland was a relocation spot.  Promises of job training and housing were not always kept.

The religious, education, social service systems all involve white supremacy.  Working in systems not created for you is very hard.  FGC seeks to understand history and promote traditional indigenous values to create healing.  

The native community needs people to lift them up.  That’s what FGC seeks to do. Elders and natural helpers were recruited to do the work.  Barbie was one of these natural helpers.  She passed away five years ago from a brain aneurysm.  She was a member of the Warm Springs group. She worked in medical records, and was mother of four.  Her husband, Ken, and daughters are still involved in FGC and helped develop the idea of Barbie’s Village.

Barbie and her family had experienced homelessness and were committed to helping the homeless. Rev, Alan Buck of Great Spirit Church introduced Jillene to Melissa Reed from the Leaven Land and Housing Coalition.  For the past two years work has going on to create the village. The site of the Presbyterian Church of Laurelhurst was selected. A lease has been formulated, giving the land to the project from the Presbytery of the Cascades.  The site will house six tiny homes for parents with children.  The church building has become an indigenous social service center.  Outreach work continues to the surrounding neighborhoods.Jillene said that one of the neighbors recently donated $1000. 

QUESTION & ANSWER SESSION

How can the Alliance best be an ally to support the work?  

• There are different levels of allyship. 

• Learning about the community is one way.  

• Another is to help with the fundraising effort.  

• FGC is very grassroots and wants to show that we can do this.  

• Another way is to educate others about land back, healing, and other aspects.

• Chris said that house meetings will be held in the spring.   He asked whether attendees from the neighborhoods be hosts?

• Jillene added that two presentations have been made to the Laurelhurst Neighborhood Association and community events took place in October and December.

Talk a bit more about how to connect the dots between trauma and healing.  What has worked best?  

• Jane Middleton Moz’s approach (Adult Children of Alcoholics) to treating alcoholism has been useful.  

• People who experience trauma exhibit 21 behavioral characteristics.  

• Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) play a large part in creating addiction. 

• Where there is trauma, healing is the answer but healing works in different ways for different people.  

• We can inspire and provide guidance.

How has FGC collaborated with groups elsewhere?  

• The Native Wellness Institute is national in scope and provides training in various aspects of wellness.  It trains trainers. It has reached out to other peoples who have experienced colonization such as the people of Guam.

How did relocation work in Portland?  What took place here?

• The relocation policy was a failure, but it has left a residue. Providing opportunities for healing of the trauma caused by this policy is essential.  Allies can help by understanding white supremacy and engaging in antiracism work.  Addressing poverty is a way to do this work.

• Rae said that her sister did anthropological research on a reservation.  She recognized that the people were making the change away from colonial structures. Jillene said that people struggled to preserve and revitalize native languages and resurrect traditions.  Native cultures are now influencing practices in the wider non-native community.

Is the link to the video available to be distributed to attendees?  

Yes, it can be made available.

What have you learned from the experiences of people who were placed in boarding schools as children?  Will that have any impact on the current Supreme Court case?

• The boarding school era was a huge hit against the native people.  Jillene’s mother and her mother’s siblings went to these schools.  Jillene considers herself a survivor of cultural genocide. People live with these memories, and it is a blessing that others are learning about the effects of the schools.  Learning about the schools and the graves of children who died in them provides an opportunity for understanding and healing.  Barbi’s Village reflects the coming together of the church and native people.  It shows that the church can move away from past bad practices. The land back by the Presbytery will be inspiring, but it’s a slow process.

SPOTLIGHT ON AINSWORTH UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST

Erik Anderson said that Ainsworth UCC at NE 30th & Ainsworth is an inclusive faith community.  It emerged from a merger between two UCC congregations, one Black and one White. 

• It is multiracial, welcoming, and immigrant justice oriented congregation of just over 200 members. 

• It is a group of doers involved in a wide variety of social justice programs.  It has housed EMO’s HIV day center for twenty-five years.  Various community groups use the building.  

• It operates an overnight warming shelter for HIV affected people. The church invites volunteers and will provide training. 

• It is one of the founding members of the Interfaith Alliance.  

• It supports IMIRJ, Lift Every Voice, Jobs with Justice, Leaven, and many other groups.  Later this month an architect will provide a report on the potential for affordable housing on church property. Services are at 10:00 on Sundays.

Rev. Lynne Smouse Lopez – pastor@ainsworthucc.org; 503-284-8767

Lisa Benson – Director/PIC for shelter – rubberlisab@gmail.com ; 503-916-9309

Les Wardenaar thanked everyone for their participation and urged members to take advantage of  opportunities to support Barbi’s Village and extend the impact of the session.   He closed by reading a poem by John Yellow Lark, a member of the Ute tribe, “Earth, Teach Me to Remember,” which expresses our commonalities and the critical importance of the natural world.  

SPOTLIGHT on First Unitarian Social Justice Programs

SPOTLIGHT on First Unitarian Social Justice Programs

Dana Buhl – Photo First Unitarian

 At the December 1, 2022 meeting of the Interfaith Alliance, Sarabelle Hitchner, Vice Chair of the Interfaith Alliance, will share an interview with Dana Buhl, Director of Social Justice Action Groups at Portland First Unitarian Church.

Dana joined staff as the Social Justice Director in the Summer of 2017.  She’s attended First Unitarian Church since 2003 and was drawn to their faith community because of its commitment to social and racial justice.

Over the last couple of years, Dana has led workshops on understanding white racial identity and challenging patterns of privilege. She’s also co-facilitated discussions of race with Parents Talk Racial Equity at her daughter’s school. In her new role, Dana draws on her experience as Program Coordinator and Director of the Legal Resources Project of the International Human Rights Internship Program. In that position, she co-authored a book on economic, social and cultural rights as human rights that synthesized the essential learning of front-line activists from countries of the South.

  Social Justice Action Groups - First Unitarian Portland

Below is an overview of Social Justice Programs from their web site: 

Advancing Racial Justice Action Group (ARJAG)

Our mission is to play a leadership role in the work of resisting and dismantling racism and the policies and ...
Read More

Animal Ministry (UUAM)

Our Mission is to promote understanding and awareness of Animals as fellow Sentient Beings in line with the 7th UU ...
Read More

Committee On Hunger and Homelessness (COHHO)

OUR VISION No one hungry · No one homeless · Children and families thriving! OUR MISSION COHHO strives to end ...
Read More

Community for Earth (CFE)

We are accepting the Climate Crisis as our Forever Emergency.  Our mission is to take urgent action to mitigate or ...
Read More

Economic Justice Action Group (EJAG)

The Economic Justice Action Group promotes fair and just economic policies and practices for all citizens. Current issues include economic ...
Read More

Immigrant Justice Action Group (IJAG)

Contact: ijag@firstunitarianportland.org In keeping with our eight principles and as social justice allies, our mission is to support and enhance ...
Read More

Peace Action Group

The Peace Action Group has been operating for over 30 years and is devoted to doing all we can to ...
Read More

January Reports on Housing Achievements and Plans

One of the Low Income Housing Options provided by City Housing Bureau

SHELTER TO CONTINUUM (S2HC) PROJECT UPDATE

by Sarah Carolus and Erik Anderson

The Shelter to Housing Continuum project is a package of proposed changes to the Portland City Code meant to expand shelter and housing options. At the last meeting, the commissioners asked the bureau staff to set up two panels to hear from people with lived experience and from shelter operators. The commission’s January 12 meeting hosted those panels.

LIVED EXPERIENCE PANEL: Angie Eagan, a case manager from Portland Homeless Family solutions who had earlier lived on the street, Jonathan Hill, a resident coordinator living in the Old Town C3PO compound, and Lisa Larson, a resident and volunteer of Dignity Village.  Comments from the lived experience panel included: Congregant shelters have drawbacks for some folks vis a vis camps or villages and that self-governed models can work very well in either category

SHELTER OPERATOR PANEL:  Chris Aiosa, Executive Director of Do Good Multnomah; Brandi Tuck, Executive Director of Portland Homeless Family Solutions; and Tony Bernal from Transitions Projects.  The operator panel comments included: It is important to site shelters near transportation, food, and services and the occupancy limit of a shelter is not as key as are adequate resources and staff ratios. They also felt that sanctioned camping can work with sufficient staffing and hygiene.

N/NE NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING STRATEGY OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE NOTES 01/14/21

 Background - The N/NE Neighborhood Housing Strategy is an initiative by the Portland Housing Bureau (PHB) to address the legacy of displacement in North and Northeast Portland through investments in new affordable rental housing, opportunities for first-time homebuyers, and home retention programs for longtime residents. It began in 2014 as a community-led effort, which resulted in a $20 million housing plan. The City's funding commitment to the N/NE Neighborhood Housing Strategy has since grown to approximately $70 million. A central feature of the strategy is the N/NE Preference Policy, which addresses harmful impacts of previous urban renewal projects and gives priority to those displaced, at risk of displacement and descendants of households displaced in the N/NE Portland community through the City's affordable housing investments in the Interstate Corridor Urban Renewal Area. Note: PSH refers to Permanent Supportive Housing, POC refers to people of color, AMI refers to area median income, TIF refers to tax increment financing 

The Committee was welcomed by Dr. Steven Holt, the committee chair. Dr. T. Allen Bethel, a member of this committee who recently died, was celebrated and appreciated for his service, commitment and leadership. A plaque commemorating him will be sent to his widow from Portland Housing Bureau. 

Portland Housing Bureau Update 

• Dan Ryan is the new City Commissioner in charge of the Housing Bureau and one of his staff was introduced.

• $298,000 will be included in the annual City Budget for the N/NE Preference Policy program coordinator and staff members.

• 2 positions are vacant on this oversight committee. They are from Dr. Bethel and Karin Edwards (who resigned because of new job commitments) and will be filled through the Office of Civic Life. Applications are being accepted.

Updates by Developers Using the Preference Policy to Obtain Tenants

• Bridge Housing developed Songbird, a 61 rental unit building - 20 for preference policy tenants and 10 for PSH. They are in the leasing process, which is 60% done. Because of past problems with disparity issues for people of color, they have hired 5 leasing staff members, 3 who are POC. All staff have received equity training. COVID has created multiple barriers to the leasing process and Bridge Housing has developed new ways to help the process.

• REACH developed Renaissance Commons, a 189 rental unit building with all tenants selected through the Preference Policy. 75 units are filled and 21 tenants are currently being screened. Because this developer also had disparity issues, they have hired a POC to be the resident services coordinator. There also have been leasing challenges due to COVID, with incomes changing, jobs lost and households being consolidated. Many potential renters also are reluctant to move in these uncertain times. A community space is available in this building; pre-COVID partners are being contacted to see if they are still interested in the space.

• PCRI developed King + Parks, a 70 rental unit building – 49 units selected through the Preference Policy. Because of tax credit financial pressures, there was a need to quickly lease all units and the staff worked hard to accomplish that.

Neighborhood Housing Preservation Housing Bureau Program Update

• The Homeownership Asset Preservation Pilot Program is available for residents of color living in the Interstate Urban Renewal Corridor or the N/NE study area who have an income of 80% or less AMI. It is funded through a Community Development Block Grant (federal money) of $200,000. The goals of the program are to stem displacement and loss of housing and to create generational wealth in the N/NE community. The African American Alliance for Homeownership is one nonprofit that is involved; they offer home repair loans and CARES (federal COVID money) mortgage financial assistance. The 2nd nonprofit is Common Law Center; they help develop estate plans to protect homeownership and transfer wealth. The pilot program was to end June 2021, but an extension until the end of December 2021 is recommended.

• The Neighborhood Housing Preservation Program has goal of creating 110 new homeowners selected by the Preference Policy by 2022. The program offers both down payment assistance loans to new homeowners and new construction loans. Currently 75 households have been helped and 91% of those are of Black ethnicity. Funding has come through Prosper Portland funds, citywide construction taxes, Habitat for Humanity’s Olin Townhouses and N/NE urban renewal TIF. 10 families needed no subsidy, but were part of the N/NE Preference Policy.

Update on 5020 N. Interstate Property

• The City owns land that was being developed by Proud Ground for condo homeownership, but financing fell apart for them. Predevelopment loans from the City were written off. The Proud Ground design plans, permits and drawings will be transferred to the Housing Bureau and the project will be converted to rental housing with N/NE Preference Policy used to select tenants. Funds to develop this project will come from the Metro Housing Bond in early 2021.

• The Interstate Urban Renewal area funding originally set aside for the Proud Ground development will be repurposed for down payment assistance on homes in that area. $5 million will be used to help at least 40 households with $100,000 down payment assistance. There was a vote which passed unanimously to immediately release $1.5 million in the TIF funding over the next 2 years to support mortgage ready families qualifying under the Preference Policy. Currently there are 13 households ready.

Williams and Russell Project Update The land is currently being re-zoned and a new non-profit is being created. Affordable housing, both rental and homeownership, will be emphasized. RFP’s will be accepted in a few months. PCRI reminded the representative that they had contacted the leadership of this project last June 2020 and never heard back from them. PCRI is hoping to be involved; they have historic ties to the neighborhood and have been in business for 20 years. 

I-5 Rose Quarter Project The group is meeting more frequently and the community has become more supportive. A recent survey of 600, 8% of whom are black, were more in favor of the project. There will be street development and business opportunities will be unlocked. It was noted that the Portland school, Harriet Tubman, would be affected. 

An annual report of the Committee is due in March and several members will help with it. The next meeting will be held in March 2021. 

Submitted by Sarah Carolus

A CURE FOR THE COVID 19 HOLIDAY BLUES

By Bonnie Gregg

editor of the Interfaith Alliance on Poverty Newsletter

Covid-19 has provided lessons in poverty this year.  

Many of us now know what it is like to lose your job or have hours cut, with rent due and bills to pay, and in some cases family members ill. Many who still have jobs work from home, shut in like urban cave dwellers.    Those working in the care or service industries are exhausted.  None of us feels safe.  We wake up every morning knowing Covid-19 is out there threatening to make us sick or take our lives.  We take precautions, arming ourselves with masks and keeping 6 ft apart.   As the days go by, we feel more anxious, fatigued, and separated.

Those who have no shelter suffer much more, especially as winter approaches and the holidays near.  In the past, when the holidays came around, those with houses have considered the plight of the poor, from the distance of their living rooms where logs burned on the fire, and family and friends gathered to celebrate a round of cheer.  This year will be different. There may be a log on the fire, but most gatherings will be small, confined to the household.  There will be more “zooming’ and talking to grandma on the phone.  Online vendors will get our business.  Our churches have stepped up with livestream services, but it isn’t the same. It turns out we really do need each other!  We need our hugs and laughter.     We are weary of Covid confinement.   We need to give and receive love.

So, what are we to do? How can we replace this void of love in our lives?  There actually are ways open to us.   Warming shelters could use home cooked meals.  Charities need blankets, sleeping bags/pads, warm clothes, particularly coats, sweaters, gloves and scarves, underwear and socks (always socks) -as well as personal hygiene items.  Food banks and organizations feeding the hungry need canned goods, packaged pasta, cooking oil, peanut butter, beans and rice.  Toy drives need gifts to delight and excite children’s imagination.  Angel trees need gifts to make their wishes come true.   And nothing fills us with more joy than seeing a child’s smiling face! The following organizations are among the partners in need of support as they work with the Interfaith Alliance in the effort to Alleviate Poverty:

 Portland Homeless Family Solutions at http://www.pdxhfs.org/,

Mother and Child Education Center at http://momchildpdx.org/,

Start Making a Reader Today at https://smartreading.org/what-we-do/

Street Roots at https://www.streetroots.org/

Operation Nightwatch at https://www.operationnightwatch.org/

Bybee Lakes Hope Center at https://www.bybeelakeshopecenter.com/about-us/

Join, Connecting the Street to a Home at https://joinpdx.org/

Human Solutions  https://humansolutions.org/about-us/

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REFLECTIONS ON THE INTERFAITH ALLIANCE ON POVERTY- Pastor Don Frazier

REFLECTIONS ON THE INTERFAITH ALLIANCE ON POVERTY

PRESENTED AT FIRST THURSDAY MEETING, JUNE 4, 2020

PASTOR DON FRAZIER 

GENESIS COMMUNITY FELLOWSHIP 

The Way Forward

I have been feeling a little distant because of dealing with recent issues and  deciding that in our community I needed to look for new leadership that could bring fresh eyes and a fresh vision to our work of reconciliation in a community that is going through gentrification. 

Thank God that he sent us Ricardo Barber who has attended Moody and is working on his degree in ministry while teaching 4th grade at Faubion School. He is energetic and can relate to all kinds of people. 

So, I will be mentoring Ricardo for a time. He will he taking over at Genesis in 2021. I will then just walk around and look important. We all know how that goes. 

I have been coming when I could and you’re not getting rid of me that easily. I intend to stay connected to this group.

I have long said that when White America gets a cold, African America gets the flu and that truth has become self-evident in these weeks of covid and these deaths.

If we are going to understand each other, we have to be intentional about reaching out because people who have lived through the hard things are going to be distrustful of surface connections. 

During this recent time, I have become hopeful. I see that people are beginning to understand what our community has lived through. I see a turn out of all races and of people understanding what racism has done to others. 

In 1968, I was a sophomore at Lincoln High. I was an angry young man, but I have mellowed. Now, I look for solutions. But I have buried many young men involved in gang activity. I have brought ministers together to work on that issue. 

When people are degraded and devalued, and made to feel inferior, it is hard to trust. 

I believe in working for solutions in our community and have felt that sometimes I am juggling two glass globes. I have a commitment to my community, having worked in many capacities and with Promise Keepers for two years until that stopped. Sometimes, when you work with two communities, you wonder where you fit. 

But I have come to these meetings whenever I could, and some of the things I have learned about poverty have been a revelation to me. These are things that need to be shared in my community as well, but the distrust will make that have to be an intentional sharing, back and forth. 

I thank you for your advocacy and commitment. Thank God for all of you. I will continue to be around. Now I’m off to a Zoom meeting with Senator Merkely and other African-American ministers. I will bring what I learn there back to you. 

REFLECTIONS ON THE INTERFAITH ALLIANCE ON POVERTY- Pastor Linda Quanstrom

REFLECTIONS ON THE INTERFAITH ALLIANCE ON POVERTY

PRESENTED AT FIRST THURSDAY MEETING, JUNE 4, 2020

PASTOR LINDA QUANSTROM 

FREMONT UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

As I reflect on the nature and work of the Interfaith Alliance on Poverty since its inception I think first of the original invitation that was extended to Fremont United Methodist Church and the conversation I had with Carol Turner and David Goff. 

I was so impressed with them and with Westminster for wanting to organize a coalition of churches interested in addressing poverty. Fremont was thrilled to be invited and eager to be part of such an effort. I have been impressed since with Carol and David’s leadership and with the ready response of other congregations, synagogues and faith leaders.

The Donna Beagle Forum certainly educated a lot of us to the realities of generational poverty and the world view, suspicions and cautions that such poverty has instilled in those with little hope of anything better. 

The Alliance quickly entered into the fray with respect to the Oak Leaf Mobile Home Park to advocate for the residents of that Court in an effort to fend off the purchase and development of that Court. It organized trips to Salem to engage with legislators advocating for policies friendly to people on the margins. Representatives from agencies on the front line of direct service were invited to speak and educate us to their work and the needs they sought to remediate. 

The commitment demonstrated by aligned churches and synagogues has been nothing short of amazing. Sometimes loose alliance such as this lose steam, not so with the Interfaith Alliance. The circle of active participants has widened well beyond our specific congregations to include interested individuals and members of other organizations. 

It has been an impressive effort.

And not to minimize this incredible work, the Alliance was slow to connect racial disparity with poverty. Fortunately, that link is now firmly integrated in our effort. Another challenge has been to expand to our respective congregants and members, what we, who attend the meetings, have learned from our speakers. 

A challenge the Alliance faces going forward is building a more unified front by enlisting the energy and resources of our respective congregations and participating organizations without encroaching on or diluting their own ministry priorities. We have to figure out how to build on the collaborative ethos we’ve developed even as we preserve specific congregational interests.

Respectfully submitted

Linda Quanstrom

Retiring Pastor of Fremont United Methodist Church 

June, 2020 

REFLECTIONS ON THE INTERFAITH ALLIANCE ON POVERTY- David Groff

REFLECTIONS ON THE INTERFAITH ALLIANCE ON POVERTY

PRESENTED AT FIRST THURSDAY MEETING, JUNE 4, 2020

DAVID GROFF 

CO-CHAIR OF INTERFAITH ALLIANCE ON POVERTY 

Since its start, the Alliance has attracted mostly older, often retired persons like me. Of course, not all of us qualify for Medicare, but most of us do.  That, of course, is not coincidental.  Younger people are weighed down with demanding jobs and children and often don’t have the time or energy for the kind of work this organization undertakes.  Again, not all of us are old.  We do have a sprinkling or younger folks and thank God for them.  But I have only to consider the busy lives of my own two thirty-something daughters and their husbands to realize why there aren’t more of them.

In Eastern and Southern Africa, many traditional societies are organized on the basis of what anthropologists call “age grade systems.”  Cohorts of men and women move through their lives in formal stages, each of which involves a different set of responsibilities.  When they reach a certain age, they become elders and they are expected to provide wise leadership to their societies.  I like to think most of us are like those elders.  We have amassed a great deal of experience and hopefully gained wisdom and we have time to draw on our experience and wisdom to address the problems facing our community.

What I have found most exciting about the Alliance is that all of us, elders and non-elders alike, seek to apply our experience and wisdom through the prism of faith.   Our faith communities differ in many ways but all share in common a deep and abiding commitment to community service.  We have an expanded view of who our neighbors are and how we should to relate to them.  Our faith traditions in one way or another encourage us to exercise servant leadership.  I have enjoyed the opportunities to get to know so many of you representing so many different churches and synagogues.  Our fellowship is grounded in our desire to serve and make our community better for everyone, especially those most marginalized.  In this time of local, national, and world-wide crisis our commitment and whatever wisdom we can muster are needed more than ever.

It has been my privilege to serve as a co-chair of this organization.  I want to thank all of you for putting up with me but most of all I want to thank you for your steadfast commitment to addressing the complicated and heart-wrenching issues of poverty in our community.  I also want to take this opportunity to thank Carol Turner for her vision and leadership without which the Interfaith Faith Alliance on Poverty would not exist.

REFLECTIONS ON THE INTERFAITH ALLIANCE ON POVERTY- Carol Turner

REFLECTIONS ON THE INTERFAITH ALLIANCE ON POVERTY

PRESENTED AT FIRST THURSDAY MEETING, JUNE 4, 2020

CAROL TURNER 

CO-CHAIR OF INTERFAITH ALLIANCE

Who are we as the Interfaith Alliance and where are we going?  We are a people with big hearts and that’s why we are in pain now. We are action-oriented people.  We are a group with circles of levels of involvement.  We are people from many diverse faith communities but also some individuals who have no formal faith affiliation.

In January 2015 I was inspired by a sermon preached by Rev. Greg Neel at Westminster in which he challenged congregants to think outside our usual patterns and step into the unknow in our faith journeys.  That’s what we have tried to do in the Alliance.  Thank you to all who have participated and especially to those who have assumed leadership positions during this stage.

I find myself asking: What can we as the Alliance do more effectively?   What we are engaged in is a marathon, not a sprint.  We must take time to learn- to reflect- in order to be able to act more effectively and sustainably.  I remember how in a course on strategic planning that I once took at PSU, the faculty member took a glass to illustrate many service- oriented organizations/groups. He then began to pour water into the glass. We watched as the water reached the top of the glass and watched with our mouths open as he continued to pout- with the water overflowing onto the floor below. It was a clear illustration that in most organizations and non-profits- more is asked of them than can be done- you cannot do it all.  There are a multitude of human needs.  

What we have to do is focus on our core mission and decide what actions best advance that mission. What can we do that is unique- that we can do “better”, more effectively than other groups?  The first third of what one pours into the glass should be the core function; the second third is what directly advances that mission; and the third portion consists of other things that might be done but which have less priority in terms of the mission.  We in the Interfaith Alliance need to take time to understand what we’re doing and deal with the differences that inevitably arise among us.  We also need to learn to be an effective ally of groups directly impacted by poverty and oppression.

“Interfaith” is the commonality that brings us together.  In the book of Hebrews. “faith” is said to be our confidence in what we hope for coupled with conviction of things not seen.  Or as Martin Luther King Jr. said, “faith is taking the first step when we don’t see the full staircase.”

Thanks to all of you for your willingness to take this step.  God bless you.

Racial Inequity Statement

June 1, 2020 

Dear Members and Friends of the Interfaith Alliance on Poverty,

Our hearts break because of the recent deaths of black men and women. These deaths confirm to us once again the underlying racism that pervades our country.  We stand next to our African-American neighbors and friends during this time of grief.  

As the Interfaith Alliance on Poverty has focused on the underlying systemic causes of poverty, we have learned about the long term structural discrimination against communities of color. This extended history of intentional lack of access to equal treatment has led us to where we are today – where these deaths can still occur at the hands of police who should care for and protect people. 

We join with the African American leaders in Portland who yesterday “encouraged Oregonians to stay focused on stubborn racial disparities in education, housing and employment and not be distracted by the ripple of civil unrest. “ This is where our mission is – to push for equal access of all who have not had that access and indeed end up perennially stuck- generation after generation-  in the “have not” position. This has become even more apparent as our most vulnerable have been more susceptible to COVID-19. 

We strengthen our pledge to work with others to make sustainable change in the lives of those in communities of color who are part of our city and yet continue to not have access to the privileges enjoyed by some.  We work toward change in being treated with respect, change in being treated fairly and with justice, change in being able to make a living- as promised by the American dream, and change to live in a healthy community with a place to sleep safely at night. In order to achieve this change, and in the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we call for constructive dialogue, a listening heart, tangible action and a commitment to non-violence.

In Active Solidarity,

Interfaith Alliance on Poverty Coordinating Committee

Dave Albertine

Sarah Carolus

David Groff 

Tom Hering

Sarabelle Hitchner

Rae Richen 

Holly Schmidt

Carol Turner

Les Wardenaar

Notes - Mayor's Staff on Housing and Homelessness Meeting 6-11-19

NOTES

INTERFAITH ALLIANCE ON POVERTY

MEETING WITH MAYOR’S STAFF

WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH: FIRESIDE ROOM

JUNE 11, 2019    7:00-8:30 PM

Carol Turner (Co-Chair of the Interfaith Alliance) welcomed everyone and Rev. Beth Neel offered an opening prayer.

Carol then reviewed the desired outcomes for the evening: 

·         Increase knowledge and understanding of the City’s approach to implementing specific strategic responses to homelessness and housing

·         Share the concerns of Interfaith Alliance members about these issues.

She then explained the process.  Four broad topics would be covered using questions generated at the Mayor’s talk.  Then attendees introduced themselves and Carol introduced the speakers: Cupid Alexander, Senior Advisor to Mayor Wheeler on housing, economic development and community involvement; Seraphie Allen, Policy Advisor to Mayor Wheeler on homelessness, livability, housing, Portland Children’s Levy and education policy issues; and Marc Jolin, Director of the Joint Office of Homeless Services.

Les Wardenaar (Treasurer of the Alliance and co-facilitator for the session with Carol T.) shared that the purpose of this evening’s session is to let representatives of city government speak to questions and concerns.

(Please note: the questions underlined at the beginning of each section below were provided in writing to the speakers and the attendees.  However, with the informality of the session and the focus of having some questions from the attendees as well as time for limited discussion, there was not time to discuss/respond to each written question. Questions raised informally are also underlined. )  

The Housing Emergency

•How long does “the City” believe it will be until the Mayor’s declaration of a “housing crisis/emergency” can be removed?  What progress have we made toward ending the crisis or does it continue to worsen?*

•Which of the City’s affordable housing initiatives are working most effectively? Why? How much and how fast can the successful strategies be expanded?

Les posed these questions as a means of asking how things are going.  Seraphie said that the declaration of the housing state of emergency has been renewed. Its purpose is to provide a means of leapfrogging some of the normal bureaucratic regulations to fast track housing initiatives.  It makes housing the top priority.  It takes time to change some of the more bureaucratic obstacles.  The emergency will likely continue.

Marc Jolin added that shelter siting and other measures can proceed faster.  This is not a short-term crisis.  Regulatory changes are needed but take time.  We have dramatically increased the scale of governmental interventions.  It feels like we are not making progress but there has been a dramatic change.  35,000 people have been helped since 2015, moving into housing, prevented from losing housing, provided with emergency shelter.

Cupid Alexander said that the emergency is scheduled to end in 2021.

Les asked how are we doing in building affordable housing?  Cupid said that the city is trying to incentivize the construction of more affordable housing.  Portland and the state as a whole have been underbuilt for years.  One challenge is how to increase density without drastically changing neighborhood character.  Gentrification and displacement also loom as challenges.  The decline of public housing because of Federal disinvestment is another huge problem.  This is the first of many conversations about these problems.

Marc said that permanent supportive housing is needed for the chronically homeless.  Our biggest deficit is in housing for people who make 30% of MFI (Median Family Income) or less.  The city and region are committed to building 2,000 units for this group.  SROs (Single Room Occupancy) are being modernized and brought back. There is a lot of momentum.

Les asked about displacement, particularly of people of color.  What are the anti-displacement efforts alluded to by the mayor in his talk? 

Cupid said that the mayor has acknowledged the unhappy history of displacement in Portland.  People of color are wary because of this history.  The Hill block project involves community discussions.  The city now provides forgivable loans to homeowners to keep them in their homes in affected neighborhoods.  The light rail project to the southwest has involved conversations about how to stabilize homeowners.  Finally, the return project is seeking to welcome back people driven out of northeast Portland.  Much emphasis has been on creating family housing, two and three bedroom units.

Longer-term Zoning and Policy Strategies

•The City’s “infill zoning change” is expected to be voted on by the Council in late summer or early fall. What is the objective? What will be the impact on our housing emergency be if it passes?  What if it doesn’t pass?

• How is the new “inclusionary zoning” policy working in Portland? Are developers finding loopholes? Has their building slowed down? How can we assure that affordable housing under this provision remains affordable over time?

Carol asked about the status of the residential infill program (RIP).

Cupid said there has been push back because of fears of displacement.  RIP allows different types of housing in our neighborhoods and this would help meet the need for affordable housing in the “missing middle.” Neighborhoods push back because of concerns about neighborhood character.   How do we preserve neighborhood integrity while providing more housing?  This is not an affordable housing measure per se but it can contribute.

The inclusionary requirement has prompted some developers to accelerate their housing permit requests.

Rev. Lynne Smouse-López asked whether there was an earlier program of inclusionary housing.  Cupid said there was but it was an “opt in” program and didn’t work well.

Carol asked why Portland can’t move faster on housing?  Cupid said that the city has improved its process but it’s still not enough.  Roads, trees, parks, sidewalks are all part of the process.  Lynne then asked if the city will help church sponsored projects like that of Portsmouth Methodist be fast-tracked.  Cupid said he would discuss this with the mayor.  Many faith communities are interested in helping.  We need to come up with a process that works well.

John Elizalde said Portsmouth is a case study and needs to be helped.  It’s real live stuff. Les said that costs imposed and obstacles erected have been enormous.  Cupid responded that the commission form of government makes it more difficult to respond to situations involving more than one department. 

 Homelessness

•Are there any alternatives to the indignities of “sweeps”? Can the Mayor’s office and the City Council find and promote more property for camping communities—properties that won’t require “sweeps?”

•What is holding “the City” back from opening up more public spaces—either potential “camp-sites” or vacant public buildings—as temporary shelters for the homeless while efforts to increase the affordable housing supply are still lagging far behind the need? Is this a matter of money? Politics? How can we break through these obstacles?

Les said that homelessness is a critical issue for people of faith.  It feels like the sweeps are especially cruel.  What is the philosophy behind the sweeps?  Can’t we find places for the people affected to go?

Seraphie said that we must consider the whole spectrum of homelessness. It is basically an economic structural issue.  We try to insure that we are both preventing people from falling into homeless and addressing the current suffering while providing long term housing solutions.  Our policies have changed over the past four years.  We are seeking a balance between humane treatment and wider community livability issues. 

Marc added that he has been working on homelessness for a long time.  For years the practice was not transparent.  One thing that has changed is that the city is transparent about complaints and responses.  Teams go out and assess the situation.  Garbage bags are being handed out. If there is a sweep it is recorded online.  If you think the threshold for sweeps is too low you can investigate it by going to the website.  There must be a cleanup mechanism because of the threat to public health and safety.  Not doing anything is not an option.  Also, there is a widespread belief that there is a simple, easy solution, but that’s not so.  We have reduced obstacles to shelters.  Shelter beds cost real money, up to $12,000.  You need professional staff because many who come to the shelters have suffered trauma.  The villages, too, are not cheap.  The space is less a problem than the resources needed to maintain them.  There are challenging tradeoffs, given limited resources.  We are constantly seeking a balance among the various factors.  Much has been done but we nevertheless still have more than 2,000 people outside every night.

Tom Hering asked about successful efforts elsewhere.  Are there any on the west coast that we have learned from?  Marc said that we know what we need to do to end homelessness:  we need to house the houseless.  We don’t have the capacity to do all that is needed.  In Salt Lake City made a one- time big push and greatly reduced homelessness.  So have we.  But the situation is dynamic and Salt Lake City’s numbers have gone up again.  San Antonio’s Haven of Hope is interesting but it places fewer people into permanent housing than we do.  The navigator center reflects things done in San Francisco.

Possibilities of “Help” from other resources 

•Is there anything happening at the State and/or Federal level that will significantly help Portland solve this crisis? Will lack of Federal support get even worse? What about Multnomah County? Is “the County” doing all it could to help?

•We hear about “tiny homes” as a successful strategy in some cities (e.g. Eugene, Cottage Grove), yet the Mayor seemed to insist that this strategy on an expanded scale is not economically viable in Portland? Why not? Can you give us some dollar figures to back up the Mayor’s claim?

John said we pay for the homeless one way or another.  Shouldn’t we be pushing for more money? Seraphie asked how do we create a system that catches people and gets them out of homelessness as fast as possible.  John asked what we must do if we want to house people in winter?  Can we create villages?  We can advocate.

Cupid responded that there is a lot of community push back.  Some oppose villages because they don’t think people should be housed in tents, others for NIMBY reasons.  The mayor of Los Angeles, Eric Garcetti, is being hammered by many who don’t think he’s doing anything, despite enormous efforts.  How do we maximize our outcomes?   Some believe we are already doing too much.  We must be intellectually honest. Many people do not want to take the time to learn about how the City operates or the balancing that needs to occur in responding to needs and the range of opinions.  We have to have a honest conversation about reducing the mortgage deduction to fund housing.  Marc said that short term sheltering is needed but this is not a solution.  Where are people in tent cities going to go?  Tradeoffs are inevitable.

Carol said that we have a responsibility for advocating but also for educating people.

Janet Yaden asked about the assessments.  Marc said that some zones have a long history of camping and many complaints.   Seraphie said that drug paraphernalia, trash, human waste are assessed.  Is it close to a school?  Points are assigned.  Clean serve, which is a job program through Central City Concern, goes out and seeks to clean up.  Outreach workers work with the homeless to seek solutions.

Mary Vogel said that a new system of land tenure is needed, like Proud Ground, a land trust that seeks to create affordable housing.  It has a project for a multi-unit complex in the Overlook Neighborhood.  The City staff created obstacles and the Overlook Neighborhood has challenged them as well.  She urged attendees to write the Design Commission to support this kind of development.

Beth Neel said that the family WPC has housed in its parking has multiple issues.  What is the City doing to respond?  Cupid said that expunging old criminal records, creating living wage jobs are part of the answer.  Creating affordable home ownership options is necessary.  How can we be strategic and how can we provide clear evidence of success?  Kaiser has a housing program, which the City is partnering with.  In a commission form of government three votes are always necessary, sometimes more.

Marc said that the agencies the Joint Office funds have services to address the challenges people have.  Housing case managers work with families and individuals.  Partnerships and programs are there but they only serve a small fraction of the houseless population.  The line is long. 

Les announced that the Advocacy Team is meeting at 3:00 on Thursday with Chris Smith from the Planning and Sustainability Commission to discuss RIP.

Les thanked the speakers and Rev. Lynne Smouse-López closed in prayer.

SPARC lights the fire!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Interfaith Communities Unite Against Gun Violence

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

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

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

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

PORTLAND “MARCH FOR OUR LIVES”

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