Adoptive mother creates global family

Adoptions lead to continued connection with Chinese orphanages

By Nicole Morales
The Portland Upside
June 2009

Kathlene Postma, co-founder of two nonprofits focused on helping Chinese orphanages, gives hugs to one of the babies. (Photo by Amelia Mowery)

For Kathlene Postma, China is a place of beginnings, trust, and love.

In 2001, Kathlene and her husband adopted their first child from the Fuling orphanage, formally the Chongqing Fuling Social Welfare Institute, in southwestern China.

“[Because] we didn’t get to go to the orphanage, I became obsessed. Which is probably the best thing that ever happened,” Kathlene admits. With the help of a Chinese friend, Kathlene was able to establish a connection with the Fuling orphanage director.

“We got the phone number and called. They were delighted to hear from us.” So she asked how she could help support the children who remained at the orphanage. The director was in dire need of incubators. Newborns and preemies were overexposed to cold weather. Hospital visits were becoming too costly. So Kathlene and Julianne Briggs, another mom who adopted a child from Fuling, started a quest to help.

The quest was no easy feat, though. It was hard to get people to donate money because of concern that the funds might not be used for the intended purposes. Communication was difficult. Maintaining a continual dialogue between two people who spoke different languages, lived by different time schedules, and had different expectations of one another challenged Kathlene and Julianne.

“We bumped heads with the orphanage director at first,” explains Kathlene, “but she was patient with us, especially once she realized we were not going to stop trying to help.”

Eventually Kathlene, along with a team of parents with children adopted from Fuling, established trust with the orphanage.

“Every time we would do one project [the director] would say, ‘You know, I kinda need this other thing,’” such as bedding and medical supplies.

“I remember getting no sleep because we would be up on the phone for hours.”

Kathlene and the parent team called people for donations, called to reassure donors that their donations were being used as promised, and listened to stories about the orphanage and its progress.

Her persistence led to the development of Fuling Kids International (FKI), a parent-run nonprofit association where parents ensure children still at the orphanage receive proper health care and have their social needs met through a handful of programs.

One such program is called First Hugs. Trained caregivers, “aunties,” hold, guide and nurture infants and toddlers as they learn to explore their surroundings.

“Babies need movement, light and touch,” says Kathlene, and this program allows every single child, from birth to age 2, to receive basic but essential mental and physical stimulation.

Kathlene’s commitment to the welfare of the children and the orphanage is about responsibility.

“These are the people who took care of my children and these are the children who [are still waiting to be adopted].” She pauses, “You walk out with your child and think any one of those children could have been matched to me – I owe it to any one of those children.”

Three years later in 2004, Kathlene’s family of three became four when they adopted their second daughter, this time, from the Zhanjiang Social Welfare Institute, in the GuangDong Province in southern China. Kathlene says that although the Zhanjiang orphanage was more established than Fuling, there were still children’s needs that were not being met.

“There were a lot of families with children adopted from Zhanjiang who wanted to give in a meaningful way.” Yet at that time, there was no way for families to help the orphanage and to remain connected with the children there.

So it took double the persistence, continual support from a handful of Chinese agencies and a bit of luck for the Zhanjiang orphanage to finally agree to accept help from Kathlene and the other parents.

“Once you get in and you build that trust, it can really move,” Kathlene says. And in 2006, Zhanjiang Kids Organization (ZKO) was created.

“Our organizations focus on two things simultaneously: helping the children at the orphanage and helping the kids adopted from that orphanage feel a connection and be a part of giving back,” explains Kathlene.

ZKO supports and fosters a connection between these children through its Caring Kids program. Children from Zhanjiang can choose to sponsor a child still in care at the orphanage. Youth sponsors help a child attend and excel in school in Zhanjiang for as little as $60.00 a semester or $100.00 for a year. In return, the youth sponsors receive updates such as drawings and letters from their “sisters” and “brothers” at the orphanage.

Kathlene’s involvement with the Fuling and Zhanjiang orphanages includes regular visits to China. She will soon return to the Fuling orphanage for the fourth time in two years. Kathlene has brought together a team of occupational and physical therapists from Pacific University Oregon.

During a week-long stay at the Fuling orphanage, the team will share the latest methods for helping children with special needs, as well as create individualized care plans for about fifteen children. The therapists hope their visit will be the first of many.

“I think they’re going to get really hooked,” Kathlene says optimistically.

Here at home, Kathlene is Associate Professor of English at Pacific University Oregon. Outside of her teaching and family responsibilities, she is Chair of FKI, and the webmaster and Caring Kids contact for ZKO. Although membership is only permitted to families who have adopted from Fuling or Zhanjiang, visitors to either website can sign up to receive a newsletter with updates and project successes.

Kathlene smiles, “I would like people to know that I am just so elated to be able to do [this] and I am one very lucky person to have gotten the access I did to those kids.” Her unsurpassed involvement and commitment to her daughters’ orphanages expresses her optimism about humanity.

“You see such hopeful, amazing things that affirm your belief that people are basically good. I like to think that people can imagine something really great that is of the heart and figure out how to make it happen for other people.”

Kathlene made it happen for her family through adoption and she helps make it happen for children who have yet to be adopted in China.

_____

For further information or to lend your support to Fuling Kids International and Zhanjiang Kids Organization, visit www.fulingkids.org and www.zhanjiangkids.org. Specific donations and aid inquiries may be addressed to Kathlene at kathlene@fulingkids.org

Nicole Morales strives to connect people via multicultural education and writing. She teaches ESL at a private university outside of Portland and welcomes your inquiries at nmorales.writes@gmail.com

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Two problems, one solution

Wildly successful program helps both incarcerated youth and dogs on death row

By Nancy Hill
The Portland Upside
June 2009

Through dog training, Project POOCH visionary Joan Dalton (right) teaches youth at MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility skills for a successful future. (Photo by Nancy Hill)

Fifteen years ago visionary Joan Dalton had an idea. As vice principal of MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility, Joan was painfully aware that without a good education, MacLaren’s incarcerated youth could not avoid the revolving door of corrections. She also knew that traditional teaching methods were unlikely to benefit the students, many of whom tested significantly beneath their grade level.

During her free time, Joan helped foster animals and began to research the human-animal bond. She began pondering whether there was a way this bond could benefit both the youth at MacLaren and neglected, discarded animals.

“There are definite similarities between these two groups,” Joan says. “Our society loves children in theory, but when one has problems, many people think locking them up is the solution. People abandon or euthanize difficult animals. With both groups, a lot of people seem to prefer abandoning someone exhibiting behavioral problems instead of figuring out how to change the root causes of the behavior.”

In 1993, Joan took her first step to linking these two similar populations by approaching Mac­Laren Superintendent Robert Jester to ask if he’d try a program in which incarcerated youth could adopt dogs scheduled to be euthanized. The youth would train the dogs, groom them, and find them new homes. She would run the program as a real kennel would be run, which would give the youth a chance to learn valuable job skills as well as math, writing, and other traditional subjects in a non-traditional setting. Additionally, the youth would have a chance to do something good.

“They’d also experience unconditional love,” Joan says. “Many of the youth come from dysfunctional families and, like the dogs the young men would train, they themselves had suffered neglect and abuse. Many of the youth didn’t want to get close to anyone, but bonding with a dog would be safe. Through that bond, they could learn to trust again, how to build a relationship.”

The superintendent agreed to let Joan try her idea, which she named Project POOCH. She selected one youth and one dog to begin the program. Anthony was solely responsible for feeding, walking, grooming and training Grover.

But when voters passed Measure 11, Grover’s solo kennel near the high school had to be moved to make room for tents to house additional juveniles being incarcerated. The superintendent then offered an unused storage space at the far end of MacLaren’s campus. With more space in the new location, Joan began adding more youth to work in the program.

“The youth had to apply just like they would for a job,” Joan says. She also did background checks to make sure the youth had never harmed an animal and were not likely to do so.
Sixteen years later, POOCH has been wildly successful. A study conducted several years ago found that not one youth in a randomly selected group of 100 POOCH participants has returned to corrections after serving out his sentence.

POOCH is strictly non-profit. While it is located at MacLaren, it receives no state funding and depends on grants and donations to keep going and growing. Fortunately, some major contributors have helped the program thrive. Joan insists that POOCH would not have succeeded without amazing support from the community.

“We have volunteers from all walks of life eager to come and work with both the youth and the dogs,” she says. “It’s incredible to see how many people want to help. I wish everyone could see how much difference it makes to the youth when they meet people who treat them with respect, who want to help them succeed. I see young men grow and change every single day. It’s an incredible example of how helping and caring for a dog can change lives.”

One philanthropist donated $10,000 to build a small kennel. Another donated enough to add an education center to the kennel. The center boasts six computers, desks, and a place for speakers and vets to come and teach specific aspects of dog training and care, such as massage and health issues affecting different breeds. The education center also gives the youth a chance to learn writing, graphics, layout, basic math and computer skills, and communication and business skills used to promote POOCH.

Others have donated the time and money to allow the youth to learn building skills by building a four-dog kennel under the guidance of professional contractors. Still others have shown their support by helping with fundraisers like the recent auction at MacTarnahan’s Brewing Company that raised over $45,000.

In addition, numerous vets give discounts and in-kind services to keep POOCH alive. Skilled volunteers help the youth train dogs to pass Canine Good Citizen tests; to learn t-touch, a technique to activate the function of the cells; to work with dogs on agility training; and to develop social skills. Even people without dog-related skills love to help; volunteers pick up and deliver dogs, take them on home visits to potential adopters, and tutor students in specific areas, like writing, math, job interviewing, and personal finance.

The program has been so successful that film crews from Japan have documented the program seven times. One Japanese author wrote a book about POOCH that was required reading for all middle school students. Joan has also traveled to Japan, Korea, Scotland, and throughout the United States to help others set up similar or modified programs. POOCH has been featured on Animal Planet, and last year Joan was a finalist for Animal Planet’s hero of the year award.
The youth who have participated in POOCH have their own success stories. Some have gone to trade school or college. Many are holding down living-wage jobs. Some now work with dogs. Joan points out that the participants gain skills far beyond how to work with dogs.

“They learn specific skills for getting and keeping jobs. By interacting with so many people from the community they learn communication skills. They learn how to organize and plan, how to anticipate and problem solve. One of the most important things they learn, I think, is parenting skills. There are many parallels between caring for children and dogs, like patience and unconditional love and consistency. Some of these youth are already fathers, and I know what they learn in POOCH will help them with their children when they’re released.”

While Joan is quick to praise others for their contributions to POOCH’s success, she is perhaps too modest about her own efforts. In the early days, Joan went without a salary and sold her house to keep the program going. She routinely works six days a week and is available to help the participants once they leave MacLaren.

One of her dreams is to build a kennel outside of MacLaren where participants can continue to learn skills as they adjust to life outside of a correctional facility.

“If a youth spends years locked up, they have lost touch with life on the outside. It’s not as easy to adapt as people think, and so I’d love to build a program to help with the transition and for mentors to meet with the youth to help them over the rough spots.”
Knowing Joan, she’ll find a way to make that happen.

Thanks to Project POOCH, these two groups are helping each other overcome the past as they all get a second chance in life. Here’s a sampling from the hundreds of participants over the last 16 years:

The dogs:

Ginger knew nothing but abuse. Beaten and neglected, she cowered any time anyone came near her, for contact with humans meant nothing but pain.

Lougar was found abandoned in the woods, harnessed to a tree with a tow strap. One of his front legs was so severely broken when he came to POOCH he had to have it amputated.

Bailey spent most of his young life tied to a tree. As he grew, his collar became too small and grew into his neck. When he was rescued, the collar had to be surgically removed.

The youth:

Chris lived with an abusive stepfather. At age 9, Chris’s mother took Chris and fled, but the damage had already been done. Angry and resentful, Chris acted out, and started getting in trouble with the law by the time he was 13.

Andrew (name withheld on request) was born into a family of drug dealers. He was taught the trade from a very young age and expected to participate in the family “business.” He was arrested and sentenced as a young teen.

Mike (name withheld upon request) was deserted by his father the day he was born. After a childhood and adolescence of neglect, he acted out and ended up incarcerated.

_____

Nancy Hill is a writer and photographer who believes that when people work together anything is possible.

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Tony Fuentes puts heart into business and community

By Nick O’Connor
The Portland Upside
June 2009

Tony Fuentes and son Gael, one of his main inspirations for community activism. (Photo provided by Tony Fuentes)

In 2004 while scouring the city for ways to eke further value from our daughter’s used clothes, my wife, Shannon, walked into Milagros, “a boutique for little miracles and their mamas.” Besides new stuff, Milagros sells clothes on consignment. Shannon became a regular consignor.

The storefront is located on NE 30th Avenue just south of Killingsworth, a business corner known as Fox Chase. Though modest in size, Milagros feels spacious thanks to a high ceiling, good light and a peaceful, welcoming vibe. When I first met owner Tony Fuentes there, I must have been fooled by his flowing hippie locks and self-effacing demeanor. I assumed the store—which he operates with his wife, Jennifer—defines his life.

Soon, though, I was seeing Fuentes’ name and face all over town—creator of the Portland International Short Short Film Festival (now the 10 or Less Festival); Concordia Neighborhood Association board member; contributor to the blog BikePortland.org; leader of the Keep Colwood Green! Coalition—just for starters.

Fuentes, much like Milagros, radiates a friendly, warm presence. So I was happy when he agreed to an interview. Waiting for me at the Cup and Saucer Cafe across the street from his shop, he sat ignoring a cup of herbal tea.

I asked how Milagros evolved.

“I was working freelance, doing both filmmaking and management consulting. Jennifer was being a parent. We had talked about establishing a family-friendly bookstore or coffee shop, but when we became parents our world changed. Our daughter Mila, and now our boy, Gael—they are our living, breathing investment in the future. Thanks to them, the desire to make things better has become genuine to us. Environmentalism, supporting community and building community: those three things define what we do at Milagros.”

He connects the dots, pointing out that the shop is small but from the beginning has had a play area and a room adjacent to the sales area set aside for community events and classes where parents and neighbors can connect.

Supporting local artists and selling handmade crafts have been essential aspects of the business because, Fuentes says, “helping people help themselves by creating and selling things locally mattered to us.”

In selecting products, Fuentes holds Milagros to high standards.

“Everything is sweatshop-free, environmentally and socially friendly. So people know the products they walk out with are beneficial not only to themselves but to the larger community.

“One of the hardest things on the business side has been keeping faith that our values and decision-making are important to others. This commitment has meant finding and supporting local suppliers and foregoing hot products when the country of origin or overall environment did not feel comfortable.”

Fuentes believes that people want to make right choices and do the right thing, but often are missing necessary information.

“When I explain, ‘Here’s why we’re not carrying X,’ I see the light bulb go on.”

Fuentes explains how the store has been a springboard for his and Jennifer’s political activism. He mentions their projects helping small businesses and families, protecting open space in the Cully neighborhood, and enhancing livability in Concordia.

“It’s been exciting and sometimes daunting. People look to us as community leaders, the city asks us to join various initiatives. It’s interesting because we didn’t walk into this with the goal of being leaders or activists.”

In passing, Fuentes references past occupations. He’s made films, run a record label and distribution company, worked as a rock climber with Outward Bound as well as been a self-employed guide.

As he sits back sipping tea I wonder how such an apparently laid back person has done so many things and how, given the workload of a job, a business, and a family, he manages to flourish.
As if reading my mind, he says, “On some level, doing all these things has allowed me to build a sense of optimism and resiliency.”

When I ask Fuentes for a take on the economic future, he immediately advocates for the virtues of entrepreneurship and small business.

“In the recent past . . . most jobs created to pull out of downturns were created by firms with five or fewer employees. In Portland, 75 percent of the jobs are in small businesses. Investing in that diversity, rather than investing in a few big winners, promotes resilience. I want to see political leaders focused on the real value in growing entrepreneurship.”

“When you work in a small business you know everyone you work with and what they do, have a broad view of business, and usually have more opportunity to expand your skills and for mentorship. Others have more opportunity to know what you can do. Anyone who works at our shop could start their own shop, after working there for a year.”

Fuentes is also concerned about education, Portland’s high dropout rate and the poverty that adds to it. Not surprisingly he’d like to see a youth entrepreneurship training program that works with local businesses like Milagros, where youth could learn management training and what it takes to run a business.

Business as an arena that brings students into the real world is clearly one of Fuentes’ passions, and he has more to say about it. But an hour has passed and he has to leave for his part-time job as a technical writer/consultant at Tri-Met—yet another item on the slate of things he does “on the side.”

_____

Nick O’Connor contributes to Free Fun Guides [www.freefunguides.com]. He has rejected the motto “Keeping Weird and Just Doing It In the Rose City That Works.”

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Stories transform lives at Write Around Portland

“Everyone has a story to tell. What’s yours?”

By Faye Powell
The Portland Upside
June 2009

Left to Right: Diane Tamassia, Sofi LaReva and Matt Flores are part of the collage of voices at Write Around Portland. (Photo by Faye Powell)

Diane Tamassia, Matt Flores and Sofi LaReva sit across the conference table from me in the busy downtown office of Write Around Portland. The three are among hundreds of participants who have taken writing workshops with the nonprofit organization.

Diane is a slender woman with long straight brown hair and hands that fly excitedly in all directions as she speaks. In spite of her proclaimed shyness, words tumble rapidly from her when I ask about her experience in the workshops.

“They bring out the best in you,” she says. Homeless when she was younger, Diana found her voice through the writing workshop and now writes for the Sisters of the Road Café newsletter. She also reads her poems occasionally on KBOO Community Radio.

Like Diane, Write Around Portland is committed to the belief that everyone has a story to tell and that individuals and the community alike are enriched when people have the opportunity to write and share their stories.

Since 1999 the organization has facilitated writing workshops at no cost for those affected by HIV/AIDS, survivors of domestic violence, seniors in foster care, people in recovery from addictions and physical or mental disabilities, prisoners, homeless teens, veterans living with PTSD, and many others who might be unable to participate due to lack of income, social isolation or other barriers.

The Write Around Portland model is based on the philosophy that everyone is a writer and that writing skills can grow exponentially when strengths are encouraged with positive feedback rather than criticism and competition. Participants meet for ten weekly two-hour sessions to “free write” in a safe, supportive environment. Various prompts are suggested to get the words flowing, such as a picture, a line of a poem or a sentence fragment.

The results are as varied and unique as the participants. Matt, known as Haz Matt when he deejayed on the Spud Brothers radio show in Idaho, used a seashell as a metaphor for his journey of life that has involved “hitting the very bottom and, I imagine, some pretty high highs.”

Matt is serious and reserved until he begins to talk about his writing. At age thirty, he had a heart attack that left him with a chronic heart condition and the possibility of Sudden Death Syndrome. For Matt, writing has been an important means of processing the fear and anxiety that he lives with daily.

“The workshops are also really good for socialization and increasing self-esteem,” Matt says. “When people don’t have a lot of resources, they tend to become isolated. Through the workshops you meet a lot of people.” Like Diane and Sofi, he lives in subsidized housing where getting to know people isn’t always easy.

Write Around Portland is the brainchild of two individuals, Ben Moorad and Liza Halley, who once worked with Outside In, a social service agency for homeless youth. Liza and Ben, a current Write Around Portland board member, believe in the power of writing to transform lives. They conceived of workshops that would reach those in the community who otherwise would not have access. The first volunteer facilitator training sessions were held in Ben’s living room ten years ago. From that modest beginning, Write Around Portland now holds 50 workshops a year.

In addition to the ten-week workshops, mini-workshops are held on the third Thursday and one Sunday a month at Hot Lips Pizza in southeast Portland. The workshops are open to anyone who wants to experience writing in community. A $20 tax-deductible donation is suggested. While reservations are encouraged, drop-ins are also welcome.

Workshop writers engage in the community in two major ways. First, every participant can have his or her work published in an anthology. Over the last ten years, 29 anthologies have been published.

The impact of seeing one’s work in print is huge, says Sofi, a workshop participant.

“I always wanted to be published, but I never thought it would actually happen. It was such a feeling of achievement, a real high. I can’t say enough about the experience.”

Sofi moved to Portland from Spokane, Washington, a little over a year ago to seek the culture and diversity of a large urban environment. She, too, claims to be shy and says through Write Around Portland she discovered a safe, non-judgmental community in which to write, to experience the creativity of others as well as to discover her own. Having her work published was an exciting validation of her creativity.

Public readings provide a second form of community involvement. Write Around Portland invites writers published in the anthology to read their work at events drawing diverse audiences of up to 300 people. Though it can be scary at first, participants find that reading their work publicly gives them an opportunity to feel seen and known in ways they may not have experienced before.

Executive Director Robyn Steely was a workshop facilitator before accepting her current position. She says the organization is inclusive and helps people deal with many issues, such as trauma, poverty and poor health. The workshops, published anthologies and public readings are all part of simultaneously promoting creative expression and social interaction.

Write Around Portland Development Director Beth White describes the experience of writing in community as life-changing. Various programs support “the potential in every person, and this is true not only for workshop participants. For the community at large, there are tremendous advantages to hearing the stories of those not always heard from. Their stories engender respect and dispel fear of others.”

Beth is concerned, however, about the organization’s health in an economy where foundations are cutting back subsidies by 20 to 30 percent. She explains that at the moment the program’s resources are adequate to maintain its current level of service, but they may have to scale back the number of workshops. Already more people apply than Write Around Portland can accommodate.

Three levels of workshops are offered: entry-level traditional workshops facilitated by trained volunteers; “Write On” workshops in which veteran workshop participants begin to self-facilitate; and “Seasoned Writers” groups that meet regularly without an outside facilitator to write in a safe space provided by Write Around Portland. Several “Prompt” workshops are also available on a fee basis for those who can afford to pay, including one this summer at Powell’s Books.

Write Around Portland partners with a long list of social service agencies such as Cascade AIDS Project, Veterans Living with PTSD, Central City Concern, and the Youth Employment Institute. Much of Beth’s work involves telling potential donors the amazing stories of participants.

“We never talk about our work as therapy, but it is hugely therapeutic,” she says. “When you put people together in a room with paper and pen in front of them, magic happens.”

___

For a schedule of upcoming workshops and events, see www.writearound.org/events, call 503-796-9224, or visit the office at 917 SW Oak Street, #406.

Faye Powell is a retired librarian who has a lifelong engagement with reading and writing.


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A partnership for dignity

ReFIT, PCC, and the Rebuilding Center help ALS man maintain independence

By Meryl Lipman
The Portland Upside
June 2009

Left to right: PCC student Kyle Knees, Rebuilding Center representative Gina Rodondi, and PCC student Raymond Chan assist with remodeling project. (Photo by Meryl Lipman)

ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s Disease, is a cruel robber. Attacking the nerve cells in its victim’s brain stem and spinal cord, it takes one motor function at a time, sometimes over several years, until the person, though fully cognizant, cannot move, eat, speak or even breathe on his own.

As Milwaukie resident Wayne Lauman found out, however, ALS does not have to steal a person’s independence of spirit.

As Wayne’s illness progressed after his initial 2007 diagnosis, family and friends got together to build a disabled ramp to the entrance of his home. Later as he transitioned from a manual to a motorized wheelchair, he and his wife Kathy realized their home needed further accommodation. But an age-old question stumped them: where to find the money?

The same friends and family who had gathered to build the ramp discovered a Portland non-profit called ReFIT or Remodeling for Independence Together, a 12-year-old organization comprised of construction industry professionals and community members who have made it their mission to help lower-to-middle-income, aging, ill and disabled homeowners remake their homes to fit their changing needs.

A homeowner must apply to become a ReFIT client, a rigorous process that includes presenting income and financial statements. The home must be in Clackamas, Multnomah or Washington County, the homeowner or family member must have limited mobility, and the homeowner must have below 80 percent of the median income. Potential clients cannot be eligible for any other home repair programs, and the modification must produce an important outcome: the person can stay in his or her home.

ReFIT board member Bill Markt of Markt & Company Construction says the program is meant to target those who do not qualify for other social services. “Because they have a home, their net worth is too high, but in reality they would have to sell the home to raise money for the remodel.”

Once an application meets ReFIT criteria, a site visit is scheduled, after which the appraiser makes a recommendation to the Board of Directors. When the Board of Directors approves a project, a second site visit is made to develop a construction plan. Finally, a team of project managers and volunteer labor is formed to proceed with the work.

This year ReFIT corralled a whole new cadre of volunteers. Portland Community College, Rock Creek, boasts one of the states most advanced building construction technology (BCT) programs. In March, PCC’s BCT department chair Spencer Hinkle arranged for six students to help ReFIT build a disabled ramp for a family in Beaverton. And for the Laumans’ new bathroom, 14 students signed up, including three project managers and a floor installation specialist.

On the sunny morning of Friday, May 8, five students arrive at 8 a.m., having studied the plans for the two-week project to build the Laumans’ new bathroom. They expertly drape off the area and go to work taking out the existing bathroom under the watchful eye of the Rebuilding Center’s Gina Rodondi. The Rebuilding Center, located in North Portland, houses the region’s largest volume of used building and remodeling materials and its environmentally-conscious staff specializes in deconstruction services.

After explaining the difference between demolition and deconstruction to the PCC group (demolition destroys all the old building materials, where deconstruction aims to preserve as much as possible), Gina lists the recyclables on the project: fixtures, sinks, tubs, hardware, vanities, any piece of wood over four feet in length. As she works alongside the students she expresses her hope, “...that they go with the mentality that every little piece counts, that things can be saved.”

Indeed this philosophy dovetails nicely with a college construction program that teaches insulated foam core construction, eco-roofing, and construction techniques using structural insulated panels (SIPs) and straw-bales. Second year PCC student Raymond Chan, who pauses while ripping out the bathroom sink, says he appreciates the chance to learn deconstruction, “...procedure-wise and seeing what you can salvage.” For Raymond, the Lauman home is not only valuable career practice, he also hopes to be selected as one of 10 students who will travel with PCC to New Orleans this summer and rebuild a condemned Hurricane Katrina home.

Bill Markt notes that the work experience the students are getting makes this a win-win situation. “It’s a great networking environment,” he says of the remodel, in which students are supervised by industry professionals. “After the project is done, a dozen people will give these students a reference.”

Trudy Jacobs and Angela Christenson, two of the PCC student project managers, scurry around with notebooks, talking with vendors on cell phones, overseeing delivery of a roll-in shower. But they stop when Lauman’s friend and neighbor, another man with ALS, stops by on a walk with his dog. The man has a jaunty gait and speaks with some difficulty, but he praises the work being done and his friend, who is too sick to be interviewed.

“Wayne is such a positive presence,” says Lauman’s neighbor, who chose to remain anonymous. “But his disease is far along.” The neighbor is in his 40s, married with children. He describes his own experience with ALS. “I had always lived such an active life. First it was a foot, then a hand. And exercise doesn’t help because the muscles aren’t getting nourished.” He has read about the final stages of the disease, which he describes as “locking in,” and, while it terrifies him, he says that in these past couple years, “different things have become important.

“The key is to be independent for as long as possible and maintain your dignity,” he says, “which is why this project is so important.” As he walks away, slow but resolute, the PCC project managers watch him go. Then someone’s phone rings and they’re back to work building a bathroom that will help another man maintain his dignity for as long as humanly possible.

_____

For more information visit the following web sites: www.refitportland.org, www.rebuilding
center.org and www.pcc.edu

Meryl Lipman has a masters in writing from PSU and has worked for Portland Community College since 2003. In her spare time she loves to travel and jump out of airplanes.

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A smaller dimension of Portland

By Meenakshi Rao
The Portland Upside
June 2009

American Kestrel (Photo by Seth Reams)

I am perched 30 stories above the Portland Chinese Garden looking down at the Willamette as it makes its way towards the Columbia River. The beautiful arch of the Fremont Bridge and the rusty-orange of the Broadway Bridge spread out before me.

A buzz of conversation fills the air at the Portland City Grill, where a group of us celebrates a friend’s birthday. Suddenly a hush descends. All eyes focus outside on a bird, wings outspread, effortless and graceful, soaring, dipping, and riding the thermals high above the river and the city.

Questions arise that cannot be answered by the group. What kind of bird is it? Is it common or is it rare? Is it a year-round inhabitant of Portland or just visiting? Where does it nest? What does it eat?

We learn from a waiter that the bird is a red-tailed hawk that nests nearby. And yes, red-tailed hawks are very common in Portland.

As we leave, I think to myself, “Wouldn’t it be nice to able to identify the birds of Portland just as I can readily identify its important landmarks?”

So when I get home I consult Metro’s “Portland Metropolitan Area Bird Checklist,” and make myself the following short list of about 25 common year-round birds from the full list of about 200 birds.

And now I’m on my way to appreciating another – smaller – dimension of Portland.

American Crow
American Kestrel
American Robin
Black-capped Chickadee
Brewer’s Blackbird
Bushtit
Canada Goose
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Downy Wookpecker
European Starling (introduced)
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Great Blue Heron
House Finch
House Sparrow (introduced)
Killdeer
Mallard
Northern Flicker
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-winged Blackbird
Rock pigeon (introduced)
Song Sparrow
Spotted Towhee
Steller’s Jay
Western Scrub Jay
White-crowned Sparrow



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A sense of place: falling in love with our local bioregion

By Dani Dennenberg
The Portland Upside
June 2009

Oregon’s year-round green, with its abundant coniferous trees, stole my heart a year ago when I contemplated a necessary uprooting from my comfortable life in Southern California. How could it be that the sense of place I discovered in the Pacific Northwest was so immediate? I felt so at home and so at ease.

Having spent 27 years in Palm Springs and San Diego, surrounded by palm trees, creosote, sage, and scrub, I had become accustomed to bone-dry weather and brown landscape, much of it hacked up by highways. I yearned for green. There was a longing; it felt like my very physiology needed the vibrancy that so much green offers. And that’s probably why the rain makes me smile. It’s a reminder to me of our temperate rainforest region.

In the nine summers that followed my college graduation, I found myself on the coast of Maine. It was there that the seeds for my craving were planted.

My friend Zoe took me out late one night. With flashlights, we knelt down by her family’s spring-fed pond and searched for thumb-nail sized chorus frogs, known as Spring Peepers. The Spring Peeper is a strong indicator of warmer days to come and we could hear their distinct peeps from the back porch.

Many nights I walked out my bedroom door to the wide expansiveness of her backyard and stood in awe of the pitch blackness of the night sky, the chilled air against my cheeks, the star patterns sprinkled across the open. My breaths were deep and full. I promised myself that I’d find that vivaciousness soon. Little did I know that I would find it on the opposite coast on nearly the same latitude. The same smell of the crisp night air in Maine would hit me at the base of Forest Park’s Lower Macleay Trail, my “backyard.”

It was as though I was being reintroduced to myself as a child. My childhood was peppered with hikes and camping outings with my dad. That sense of wonder I had as a kid had become buried and it wasn’t until I spent all of those years in Maine that I realized how much of a city girl I had become.

During my studies in Maine, I remember agonizing over a bioregional quiz. I was embarrassed by how little I knew about the history of my region, the water, the soil, the flora and fauna. As a staunch activist at the time, I dismissed the idea that knowing one’s bioregion is a passive form of conservationism. I wondered how knowing all of this information would benefit an ailing planet. Over time, I would come to realize just how precious that wisdom is and how much it would feed my spirit in coming years.

When we acknowledge the mystery of this complex planet we inhabit, that reverence opens the door to respecting our sense of place and taking responsibility for actions that collectively affect our environment.

As environmental pioneer Rachel Carson stated, “One way to open your eyes is to ask yourself, ‘What if I had never seen this before? What if I knew I would never see it again?’”

If we could ask ourselves those questions every day, how would the quality of our lives and the well-being of our planet transform?

Here are a few notable organizations in the Portland area working tirelessly to protect our precious bioregion:

The Northwest Earth Institute (NWEI) has reached more than 100,000 participants with its unique discussion courses on simple living, food, sustainability, and climate change for small groups. Courses take place in homes, workplaces, centers of faith, universities or any place where people naturally gather. The courses provide an enjoyable, supportive setting in which to examine personal values and habits, engage in stimulating conversation, create meaningful community, and consider ways to take action towards creating a more sustainable future. Anyone can organize a group in their community, with the role of facilitator rotating among group members with each meeting.

One of their seven-session courses, Discovering a Sense of Place, focuses on the Pacific Northwest, and is dedicated to knowing and protecting our bioregion. Topics include sense of place, responsibility to place, knowing your bioregion (watershed, soils, climate, plants, animals and history), living in place, mapping your place, and building local community and empowerment (individual and group). Visit the web site at www.nwei.org or call 503-227-2807 for more information.

The Forest Park Conservancy’s mission is to enhance Forest Park’s value as an irreplaceable asset for wildlife habitat and for the use and enjoyment of the public. Their primary areas of focus include land acquisition, habitat preservation, trail and trailhead projects, and public outreach. Each year, the Forest Park Conservancy hires and trains a full-time seasonal trail crew, the only staffed crew dedicated solely to Forest Park. The crew concentrates on maintaining and rebuilding the 70-plus miles of trails in the park. Contact them through the web site at www.forestparkconservancy.org or by calling 503-223-5449.

The Willamette Riverkeeper is the only organization dedicated solely to the protection and restoration of the Willamette River. The river, one of the major geographic features in Oregon, runs nearly 200 miles along its main stem, from forested foothills to the open bottomlands of the Willamette Valley. Here the river pushes past strongholds of floodplain cottonwood forests, flows through cities large and small, and past grass seed farms that cover the valley floor. The majority of Oregon’s population—more than 70 percent—lives in the Willamette River watershed. Their strategy focuses on four primary areas: habitat restoration, education, water monitoring, and legislative advocacy. Visit www.willamette-riverkeeper.org or call 503-223-6418.

No Oregon Child Left Inside (NOCLI) (HB#2544), a visionary piece of legislation supported by Freshwater Trust’s Healthy Water Institute, addresses the large number of youth disconnected from the natural world. Today, children spend far less time outdoors than their parents did. The legislation will help youth develop the knowledge and skills they need to devise creative solutions to complex natural resource challenges. NOCLI aims to build a framework to support youth reconnecting with local forests, backyard streams, local landowners and nearby rivers, as well as a state environmental literacy plan that will ensure that every student will graduate as an environmentally literate citizen.

With a growing list of more than 80 organizations representing over 90,000 Oregonians, the NOCLI Coalition is comprised of a wide variety of groups—from those concerned about education and the environment to organizations with health and business interests. For more information go to www.nocli.org or call 503-234-3326.

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Dani Dennenberg is director of Organizational and Higher Education Partnerships for NWEI; founder of Seeds for Change, a global ethical issues program for youth; and the first student in the U.S. to graduate with an M.Ed. in Humane Education

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Student artists’ dreams become reality

By Ellen Wyoming
The Portland Upside
June 2009

Josh Gonzalez and Josue Ramirez (Photos by Stephanie Sasse)

Josh Gonzalez and Josue Ramirez amble their way through the crowds at the Breeze Block Gallery on 19th and East Burnside like they’ve thrown fundraisers and talked with strangers about their art all their lives.

Josh and Josue are students at Alpha High School in Gresham, Oregon. Josh is mellow and even-keeled. At first glance you’d take him to be serious, almost shy, his voice always acceptable for the hushed tones of an office or a studious classroom.

Josue, on the other hand, is more animated, with an intense gaze, hands gesticulating to emphasize his speech, and words that carry you away on a wave of energy. The two became fast friends when they met. Their bond is art.

Personality contrasts aside, Josh and Josue have more in common than not. Both boys grew up in rougher neighborhoods but had the strong backbone of dedicated families who knew and understood that their sons had talent. Harnessing that talent and taking it to the next level, however, has been a process rife with growing pains.

Josh remembers his first art as scribbling in the church hymnal when he was 3. Small acts of vandalism followed as did writing on things that were not his. Josue found a thrill in manifesting his art on the blank canvas of concrete walls, which also landed him into trouble. Eventually, along separate paths, they both found mentorship from older artists who recognized their talent and encouraged them to take it off the streets and onto canvas, wood and paper.

Earlier this spring, Josh and Josue heard about a pre-college summer studio art program at the Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland. Both applied, knowing there was a possibility for scholarships. The program gives high school juniors the opportunity to create compelling portfolios for college applications and scholarships during their senior year as they prepare for post-secondary education.

Josh and Josue submitted portfolios of work they had done outside of school without aid of an art teacher, and both were accepted. They each ranked in the top 25 percent of all national applicants and each received a $1000 scholarship. However the rest of the program costs were out of their reach.

Due to the economic downturn, additional formal funding sources were unavailable, so the staff at Alpha and PNCA sat down and brainstormed. Geof Garner, who works in the Alternative Pathways program for the Multnomah Education Service District, and is a frequent presence at Alpha High School, suggested they hold a benefit concert. Josh and Josue were eager to pitch in to do their part and immediately spread the word that they were looking for musicians and a venue.

Paige Prendergast is the owner of the Breeze Block Gallery. She has known Josh and Josue for a while. They enjoy hanging out in her gallery to “talk shop.” Paige, a strong advocate for their continuing education in art and beyond, immediately agreed to open up her space to the boys when they presented their conundrum.

They came back the next day with a venue, not quite for a concert, but perfect for an art auction and fundraiser.

From there the giving and the momentum behind the cause spread like wildfire. Geof Garner sits on the board of directors for a 501(c)(3) called the Artist Mentorship Program (AMP) with Will Kendall, who started the program. AMP normally works with musicians and provides at-risk and homeless youth the opportunity to build musical skills to express themselves and gain their goals in the arts. When Geof talked with Will about Josh and Josue’s situation, AMP immediately jumped in to help.

Staff at Alpha High School, AMP, and volunteers worked within a tight five-week deadline as they solicited and gathered artwork and donations from around the city. Artists with Portland connections caught wind of the cause and sent in work or donations from Austin, Texas; Jackson, Wyoming; and Washington, D.C. Food and drink donations were solicited from local businesses and given warmly.

At 6 p.m. on Friday, May 22, the doors opened for the art auction and fundraiser. Josh and Josue looked calm and collected. Volunteers were stationed at the entry and at the transaction table. Donated art filled the room and space was at a premium. The collection of work from those who care about the cause showed both the diversity of talent in Portland as well as the strength of giving.

Over 150 people came and went from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Josh and Josue mingled with many new people as well as family members and friends who came to support them. Josue’s parents proudly showed photos of a mural that he was recently commissioned to do for a local barber shop. Josh’s mother beamed with pride and said that she always knew her son was talented and would shine.

At the end of the night a strong crowd still lingered, waiting for results of the silent auction to see if their bids would take home a prize. The energy was high and laughter bubbled as a line of smiling faces queued to pay for their items. The entire community had given and gained.

The extended community raised $5,145. In a final meeting with PNCA on June 2, the momentum carried through and a way was found to alleviate the remaining cost of the program. Josh and Josue succeeded and they carry with them the well-wishes and support of the greater Portland community and givers nation-wide.
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To learn more about AMP and PNCA visit www.amprocks.org and www.pnca.edu

Ellen Wyoming is a jane-of-all-trades and a master of none. She believes in teaching, learning, paying attention, and doing. She loves Portland and gets involved in any way she can.

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Scrap

Filling minds, not landfills

By Erika Weisensee
The Portland Upside
June 2009

What do old bottle caps, used tissue paper and out-of-date calendars have in common? They all find new life at SCRAP (School & Community Reuse Action Project). SCRAP was started about a decade ago when two teachers began passing on unused materials to other teachers at A Teacher Space, a resource center for educators in the Portland area.

The idea caught on in a big way, and today SCRAP, located at 2915 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., is an innovative non-profit store offering workshops, summer camps and a brand-new art gallery.

Simply put, SCRAP inspires people to think of new ways to use old things.

The organization is also dedicated to educating people about “reduce, reuse and recycle,” what Executive Director Kelley Carmichael Casey calls the “triumvirate” of sustainability.

“Reuse hasn’t gotten enough attention,” says Kelley. At SCRAP reuse is front and center.

SCRAP staff and volunteers teach people how to make useful things, even beautiful things, out of items that might otherwise go to landfills. At a values level, SCRAP challenges people to think differently about waste and consumption. The goal is for people to ask themselves, “What do I already have at home that can serve another purpose?”

Stocked with arts and crafts supplies and thousands of reusable items, the store is an ideal, budget-friendly resource for artists, teachers, and families looking for craft projects.
“SCRAP is for everyone,” Kelley says enthusiastically.

The store has traditional arts and crafts supplies like paper, paintbrushes, matting, frames, yarn and buttons. Yet it also sells unconventional items such as poker chips, old game pieces, metal doodads, computer parts, and old wire. When put to use creatively, these things find new life in fun projects and one-of-a-kind works of art. For example, SCRAP shoppers have transformed bottle caps into jewelry, robot eyes, and adornments for a menorah.

This sort of creativity combined with donations from community members helped divert 65,000 pounds of materials from local landfills last year.

“We get new donations all the time,” says Kelley. “So the store is new and fresh and interesting.”
Here’s a list of customer favorites sold at SCRAP: memory foam from the aviation industry, old logo travel coffee mugs, upholstery samples, duct tape, handmade Nepalese paper, cardboard tubes, X-rays, multi-colored drill-bit spacers, buttons, feathers, lenses of any kind, vintage ephemera, National Geographic magazines and slides. By making a tax-deductible, in-kind donation to SCRAP, people receive the satisfaction of keeping usable items out of landfills while providing creative materials to the community.

Right next to the store, a workspace encourages people to do projects on-site.

“You can pick out your materials, do your project, and then only pay for what you’ve used,” explains Kelley. With scissors, adhesives and glue guns, glitter, plenty of room, and a sink for cleaning up, it may even be more convenient than doing the project at home.

SCRAP’s new RE:Vision Gallery, located in space just off the store, is another source of inspiration for casual crafters, artists and art lovers, and anyone concerned about the environment. All art displayed at Re:Vision must include at least 75% reused materials.

“SCRAP both provides the materials and shows the art,” explains Volunteer Resources Manager and Arts Program Coordinator Bethany Moore. “The idea behind the gallery is to show people that SCRAP materials can be used for fine art.”

The gallery opened May 9th with “New Beginnings,” a collection of reuse art featuring creations by 11 local artists. The diverse show included a paper bird sculpture made out of old maps, reused photography framed in an antique window, and various pieces composed of things like broken doll parts, rulers, old books, reclaimed wood, metal and wire. Beginning June 5th, the United Plastic Quilt Project exhibition by the Leave No Plastic Behind organization will fill the space.

SCRAP is open Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. SCRAP is closed on Monday and Tuesday. This summer the organization is offering four separate weeks of summer day camps for children ages 6 to 12.
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For more information, visit www.scrapaction.org

Erika Weisensee is a writing mom. She lives in Milwaukie and teaches writing at the University of Portland.

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“Reuse” is in style

Local store helps environment and thrives economically

By Amanda Grier
The Portland Upside
June 2009

Chris Gauger, owner of Here We Go Again women’s consignment shop, dresses her store and her community. (Photo by Amanda Grier)

Nothing says Portland better than “reduce, reuse and recycle.” And nobody knows better than Chris Gauger, owner of “Here We Go Again,” a women’s consignment store she started 17 years ago. During a lunch meeting, Chris has much to share about the role of running a local business, the importance of good customer service and the fun of letting go of of the day-to-day stuff in order to create new cross-promotional ideas.

Chris hails from Lincoln, Nebraska where her mother and sister run a consignment store called “One More Time.” She came to Portland with her husband after earning a master’s degree in dance. In 1992 she opened her first consignment store on Barbur Blvd. in Southwest Portland. Chris has since changed her southwest location to the popular and walkable John’s Landing and she has opened a second store in the hip neighborhood of Northeast Broadway.

Chris can claim success at a time in which, as she puts it, “economizing is cool again.” Other than being cool, it is also practical. She asserts that women go through their clothing more rapidly than men because we are expected to be fashionable and to wear new things more frequently. But men need not worry, they can shop in a neighboring men’s consignment store across the street from her Broadway location. Her concept is great because it focuses solely on women and is tailored to fit their busy lifestyles. While shopping, the busy mom can recycle her old batteries during the Earth Day battery drive. The working woman can stop by for after-work shopping hours, usually offering further discounts and complimentary snacks. And the anytime shopper, hoping to find the perfect outfit, can get great fashion advice and kind customer service that will leave her exuding confidence.

Chris, raised to value volunteering, emphasizes friendly customer service. She believes in exceeding customers’ expectations at her stores. At special events she is often likely to combine both this quality of charity and business. This winter she held the SOUP-ER Bowl, to support the Oregon Food Bank by collecting soup cans during the Super Bowl. Next she is looking to start a neighborhood drive for those hard-to-get-rid-of and where-do-you-take-them-anyway styrofoam blocks from appliance packaging. And finally, her standard practice with clothing that does not make it to resale is to take it to the emergency food/clothing pantry on Hawthorne called Fish Emergency Service.

During our brief lunch date Chris continues to cycle through many more fresh ideas she has for making her business more green and more local. She wants to get locally recycled paper bags with handles not only to encourage reusing but in order to “complete the circle.” We agree that this is the fun part; by letting her staff take more ownership of the day-to-day operations of the stores she frees up some time for creative thinking.

Last month I joined in as Chris supported the locally owned Northwest Women’s Fitness Club by offering free weight training in her store on a Saturday morning. It was an hour long “Soup Can Arm Sculpting” class that ended with a glass of water on a silver platter and some freebies to the gym. Her ability to connect and bring people together does not stop there. Chris is reaching out and networking with other local businesses in order to meet new customers and to create new opportunities.

Chris regards networking in the community as important and doesn’t think that women do this enough. She enjoys mentoring women, including her staff, who typically work for her for three to seven years. She also enjoys supporting locally owned establishments, and is active in her local business associations. Clearly she is tapping into the heart of what it means to be a Portlander.
As our conversation comes to an end, Chris lets me know of a few hundred new consignments she needs to get ready for the weekend. So if you want to pick up a green habit or two, stop into “Here We Go Again Consignment and Resale” to experience just what Chris has to offer. And if you want to simplify your life, bring in a bag of clothes in good condition for resale.

You never know what you might find.

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You can stop by the Here We Go Again Consignment and Resale stores at either 0511 SW Carolina Street Portland, OR 97239 or 2438 NE Broadway Avenue, Portland, OR 97232. Or visit the web site at www.hwga.com

Amanda Grier is a Footwear Distributor/Kid’s Footwear Buyer for Adidas, and loves to write, read and learn about the community and Portland.

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Free: bike repair classes

By Edie Sidle
The Portland Upside
June 2009

Photo by Jason Bietz

Jason Bietz of River City Bicycles firmly believes that if you have a basic understanding of your bike and how to fix and maintain it, chances are you will venture out to more remote, beautiful surroundings. Not only will you feel more confident with your bike, you will enjoy your biking experience more. And that is exactly why he offers training on how to work on your bike.

Jason offers you freedom, independence and more options—things every one of us values immensely. After all, what are you going to do when you are out enjoying a beautiful sunny day on your bike (ah, the glorious Portland summers…) and you suddenly get a flat? Or you’ve talked yourself into doing a bike race and unexpectedly, miles into the race, something goes wrong with your bike—groan!

Once a week Jason teaches bicyclists the basics – how to repair flats, clean and lubricate a bike, do basic adjustments, and how to work on the brakes and derailleur. He even offers some riding tips and shifting techniques. The classes last from 45 minutes to an hour and the groups range in size from a few to 15 or so. The participants are a mix of people—young, old, male, female—but they all come with one goal: to become more comfortable and competent with their bikes. The best part is that River City Bicycles offers it free of charge, a wonderful service to the community.

Few class participants know that Jason not only knows his stuff, he is a an expert on the subject. While he was working for Cyclesport in Ashland, Oregon, Jason had the opportunity to go to United Bicycle Institute (UBI). UBI is one of only two technical schools that offers professional-level training on bicycles. The institute offers information in lecture format, as well as hands-on experience. Advanced subjects, such as frame building, are also available for those who are seeking special skills and knowledge.

After training at UBI, Jason joined River City Bicycles. He took over and expanded the popular training classes.

River City Bicycles is well known for supporting the cycling community. In addition to the maintenance classes, they routinely offer free technical support at cycling events as a way of supporting customers and cyclists in general. This is a valuable service to the cyclists, particularly since cycling is rarely 100 percent problem-free. So if you ever talk yourself into that bike race only to find things going amuck, it might be the River City Bicycles folks who put you back on track, allowing you to finish the race.

Sponsoring many teams over the years, River City Bicycles and Jason Bietz have bought into the heart-and-soul of Portland’s competitive cycling community in a big way! Their enthusiasm and generosity contribute to Portland’s reputation as one of the most bicycle-friendly places in the United State. As they say on their website: “Cycle Nirvana Awaits.”
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To find out more about the free bicycle classes at River City Bicycles, visit them online at
www.rivercitybicycles.com

After living in Utah, Alaska, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Colorado, Edie has finally settled down in Portland. As a newcomer to Portland, she is thoroughly enjoying discovering this vibrant city!

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