Youth seize opportunity of a lifetime

The Pangaea Project connects low-income youth with changemakers around the world

By Rebecca Robinson
The Portland Upside
July 2009

The Pangaea Project’s participants are riding high after learning about grassroots change in Chang Mai, Thailand. (Photo provided by The Pangaea Project)

Think globally, act locally.

For many, this oft-used phrase is easier said than done. But for Deb Delman and Stephanie Tolk, founders of the Portland-based nonprofit The Pangaea Project, it is the basis of their day-to-day work and the realization of Pangaea’s motto: “bringing the world back together.”

The duo met in the fall of 2002 at the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO), where Deb worked. Stephanie interned with IRCO while working toward her masters in social work at Portland State University. It wasn’t until April of the next year, however, that the two went from being casual acquaintances to collaborators.

“We were at the same nonprofit event,” Deb recalls, “and we got to talking … and realized we had a very similar vision.”

Their vision, a unique international project that engages low-income youth in leadership development and service, centers around social justice issues. During an eight-month program the young people forge bonds across countries and cultures while becoming powerful agents of change in their own communities.

They chose the name Pangaea—the supercontinent theorized to have existed billions of years ago before our continents separated—to inspire an image of a reunited world.

Thrilled to have discovered their shared purpose, Deb and Stephanie quickly began researching other programs with similar goals and approaches. As it turned out, their vision was unique.

“We realized, we’re not reinventing the wheel … we’re creating a new model,” said Deb.

Months of intensive networking ensued, leading to a meeting in Spring 2003 of nearly 40 interested people, including some future Pangaea board members. “It was the first time we got out of our heads and had to explain [our idea] to people,” says Stephanie. “It was legitimizing. We’ve told all these people about it; now we have to do it.”

The immense outpouring of support and guidance led Deb and Stephanie to see that, in Deb’s words, “we weren’t alone in this vision.”

They fully committed themselves to their shared goal and worked for the next year without funding to make The Pangaea Project a reality. They launched the organization in
October 2003 and obtained 501(c)(3) status in April 2004.

The greatest challenged faced by the two friends in the beginning, according to Deb, was “the fact that we had to take leaps of faith. We had to believe something into reality.”

Fortunately, the duo found fellow believers who helped provide a foundation for Pangaea’s success. From generous financial supporters to school teachers and administrators nominating their most promising students, there was enough participation to launch the organization’s pilot program in 2006.

What started out as a six-student, two-staff journey has today grown to an endeavor involving 50 students over four years.

The curriculum has three phases and involves local as well as overseas programs.

The first phase, World CLASS (Connect, Learn, Act, Serve, Solve) is an introduction to the program’s thematic focus, the destination country’s language and culture, and team-building activities.

Emphasis is placed on introducing students to “changemakers,” inspiring individuals who are making a difference on the grassroots level by working for positive social change in their communities and in the broader world.

World CLASS also gets students out of the classroom and onto the streets of Portland to gain a first-hand understanding of how the issues they’re studying apply to communities in the city they call home.

For this year’s focus on the global cost of production and consumption, students visited two local nonprofits, Tryon Life Community Farm and Foodworks. There they learned how sustainable solutions to feeding communities are being implemented right here in the Rose City.

Three months and numerous eye-opening lessons later, the students embark on phase two, International Inspiration. In this phase they travel with their trip leaders to either Ecuador or Thailand to become fully immersed in the country’s culture. They live with host families and participate in activities and service projects relating to the program theme.

These “learning journeys,” as the Pangaea staff calls them, take students far off the beaten path and introduce them to grassroots leaders solving problems outside the traditional spheres of power and influence.

This summer, the Thailand group will travel to Chang Mai, a traditional indigenous farming community which made the switch from conventional to organic agriculture after the pesticides they were using made some community members ill.

Those on the Ecuador trip will visit Yungilla, a 200-family cooperative led by a 21-year-old. The cooperative not only champions sustainable land use but is also recognized as a model for self-sufficiency.

For Deb, it’s most powerful to witness the students, many from difficult backgrounds, working alongside grassroots leaders they can relate to.

“These aren’t rock stars they’re meeting,” says Deb. “They’re people who are overcoming obstacles.”

And overcoming obstacles is something many of this year’s students know well. Some have recently exited gang life or the juvenile justice system; others grew up with drug-addicted parents or in poverty.

What they all have in common, Deb says, “is an incredible resilience, genuine curiosity, and a sense of drive to help people.”

Indeed, the students’ biographical statements reflect these qualities.

Saharla, a straight-A student at Rosemary Anderson High School, joined Pangaea to further explore herself while exploring the world around her. She hopes to pursue journalism in order to write about social justice issues and those around the world working for social change.

Tony is a recent graduate of the alternative school, Portland Youth Builders. His Cambodian mother survived the Khmer Rouge genocide in which her entire family perished. He made a fresh start for himself after a difficult childhood during which he stole to help feed his family and did time in the juvenile justice system as a result. Tony is now enrolled at Portland Community College, and is “glad to leave the lifestyle I was living.” He is discovering through Pangaea that his voice counts and that he can make it be heard.

“I have something to say,” says Tony with surprise. “People listen to me.”

The students complete the program with the third phase, Local Leadership, in which they work with their trip leaders to create a presentation aimed at educating the Portland community and inspiring people to take action. For many of the students, it is the first time they have ever spoken in front of a large audience. Whether presenting to 20 or 200 people, it represents an empowering opportunity to take the lead and make a difference. The experience gained and lessons learned from Pangaea’s intensive program stay with graduates long after they move on to other endeavors. Some graduates have gone on to serve on the Multnomah Youth Commission. Others have earned scholarships to continue their international travel and broaden their global awareness.

Chris Craig, a 2007 Pangaea graduate and junior at Portland State University, says of the program, “I have yet to encounter another program that instills so much in the minds and hearts of Portland’s youth. It is an opportunity of a lifetime, and one I am thankful for every day.”
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For more information about The Pangaea Project, or to get involved as a donor or volunteer, call 503-517-8999, email info@thepangaeaproject.org, or visit www.thepangaeaproject.org

Rebecca Robinson is an award-winning freelance writer and editor who lives, works and story-hunts in Portland. Have a story that needs telling? Contact her at rebecca.michelle.robinson@gmail.com
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Portland’s cultural diversity finds home at 90.7 FM

By Paula Small
The Portland Upside
July 2009

Jamilah Bourdon uses her KBOO radio show “Guess Who’s Coming to Radio?” to touch Portland’s Black community with music and public affairs. (Photo provided by Jamilah Bourdon)

Nestled in the intersection at SE 8th and Burnside, KBOO, Portland’s only community radio station, is one of the oldest in the nation.

In 1949, community radio began in Berkeley, California, on the dual platform of non-commercialism and listener-support. It took another fifteen years for a group in Portland to plant the seeds that in 1968 would officially become KBOO.

KBOO provides a home to those in the community who want programming outside the mainstream. A walk through KBOO’s front door leads to a diverse staff and volunteer base, people who belong to the misrepresented and underserved populations of our community. Some of KBOO’s listeners are also members, people who support the station by donating as well as listening.

KBOO’s strength is in the number of its volunteers. All of KBOO’s on-air hosts and most of the behind-the-scenes production team members are volunteers. The volunteers range from the out-of-work to the retired and everyone in between. The one goal everyone shares is a commitment to quality programming for the community.

KBOO’s diverse programming blurs traditional lines. “The Other Team” is a queer-youth produced show helping “the community learn about issues that queer youth face.” “The Underground” is another youth production offering views from the community’s youth on a variety of topics.

There are musical shows such as “Africa O-Ye!” and “Jamaica Nice” providing music from the African continent & the Caribbean. “Jazz in the Afternoon” and “Music from the True Vine” showcase all slices of Americana including jazz, country and folk music. “Mujeres Bravas,” “Islamic Point of View” and “Portland Yiddish Hour” offer music and information from Portland’s Latino, Islamic and Jewish communities. Other musical programs that challenge the mainstream include “Drinking from Puddles,” “CrossFade” and “The Melting Pot,” present world music from electronica to rock-and-roll and everything in between.

In addition to musical programming, there are daily news and public affairs shows dealing with local as well as international issues. Shows such as “Democracy Now!” and the “Evening News” offer timely news coverage, often addressing controversial situations.

One program, “Guess Who’s Coming to Radio?” hosted by Jamilah Bourdon, combines relevant public affairs programming with music, all relevant to the Black community. Recently, she spotlighted various Black-owned barbershops in Portland. To complement the interviews, she offered a mix of soulful music.

I had an opportunity to catch up with Jamilah about her show.

Q: What brought you to KBOO and how long have you been here?

A: I moved from NY and wanted to still listen to community radio. I listed to college radio in Bellingham, but that still wasn’t full-service community radio. I used to listen to KBOO while working a graveyard shift. I called into the “Abe and Joe” show but didn’t get through. Went to the station and they put me on the air [to make my comment]. I began volunteering and joined as a member during the membership drive in 2005.

Q: Why did you create your show “Guess Who’s Coming to Radio?”

A: Everyone told me I should be on the radio. When the Wednesday, 7 to 9 [pm] slot opened up, I started thinking about it. I noticed there wasn’t a show for people in their 30s, or anything to represent the “Hip-Hop Generation”. There wasn’t a show to bridge the generational gap between perspectives and programming, because until then, those perspectives were mostly by older people.

I wanted to create a show to talk about issues. The show that was on Wednesdays from 7 to 9 was all music. I brought in public affairs and [introduced] Tony Muhammad, [a frequent contributor to the show], who is in Florida and an educator of youth. Tony brings perspectives of music and society [from that point-of-view].

Q: What is the format of your show?

A: It’s public affairs with music. I wanted to introduce a show “for us, by us”; unapologetic Black radio that was inspired by George Page’s show that used to be a Saturday show with two hours of jazz music and an hour of public affairs. I always start my show with music from Stevie Wonder and then bring a variety of music, familiar and non-familiar, that is positive regardless of genre. It is important for people to have space for their voices. [My show’s] not monolithic; it’s about balance, about celebrating history, but [also] acknowledging our present.

From its youth, cultural and gender-related programming and public affairs to its broad base of volunteer opportunities and community events, KBOO is an Ellis Island for the diverse, voiceless and sometimes segregated communities here in Portland.
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You can find KBOO online at www.kboo.fm, or on the radio at 90.7 FM in Portland, 91.9 FM in Hood River and 100.7 FM in Corvallis.

Paula Small is a proud member/listener/volunteer of KBOO. She’s also a lifelong learner with a passion for fiction and poetry.

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Musical medicine for kids with cancer

By Bre Gregg
The Portland Upside
July 2009

Children’s Cancer Association’s interactive music cart brings entertainment to Darian and other kids with serious illnesses. (Photo provided by CCA)

It’s got four wheels, 100 musical instruments, song-writing software, a custom-built iPod docking station, a video screen and the power to help seriously ill children by bringing music directly to their hospital bedsides. The Children’s Cancer Association’s magical mobile music cart brings joy through a one-of-a-kind interactive music experience. With live hallway music, highly trained music therapists and a corps of volunteers, the CCA’s Music Rx® program makes the rounds at six Portland area hospitals and care facilities, and is now expanding nationally.

After 14 years of experience, research, development, evaluation, awards and accolades, CCA is excited to expand the Music Rx program beyond Portland, Oregon, for the first time. Now, thousands more children will be comforted by the healing power of music at Mattel Children’s Hospital UCLA in Los Angeles, California, and Miller Children’s Hospital in Long Beach, California.

Music Rx is a three-pronged program, including volunteer musicians playing instruments in hospital corridors, the interactive music cart and on-call specialists who bring comforting music to terminally ill children and their families. This summer, CCA has launched a new songwriting project, pairing seriously ill kids and teens with Portland-based songwriters to co-write, record, mix and produce their own songs.

Providing inspiration to help formulate the child’s raw ideas, the songwriter fosters the child’s creative talents. The lyrics and melody are written by the kids, giving voice to some of the experiences they have had throughout their treatments and their life.

Thirteen year old Lauren likes to write, act and sing. She especially loves musical theater and bubbles with excitement when she talks about the time she and her family went to see the musical Wicked. She is well-spoken, vivacious and full of life. She also happens to have leukemia.
Lauren wanted to be involved with the songwriting project because she feels she has an “ear for music,” but most of all, she loves to sing. Paired with Lisa Forkish, recent winner of the Portland Songwriter’s Association’s Songwriter of the Year, they get to work.

Sitting across from Lisa, Lauren remembers a quote from the movie Kung Fu Panda—words that have had meaning for her throughout her battle with leukemia.

“The past is history, the future is a mystery, but now is a gift. That’s why it’s called the present.”

From this idea, Lauren creates her lyrics and melody, which she sings as Lisa sits at the piano. Listening attentively, Lisa plays what she hears, adding some beautiful embellishments of her own. When they are done, they are both proud of the piece of music they have created together.

When asked about her Music Rx experience, Lauren says, “It was the best! I knew I could sing, but had no idea I could write a whole song!” She goes on to say that “even though there are many bad experiences that go with cancer, there are quite a few good ones, too.”

For thousands of seriously ill children and their families the peels of playground laughter have been replaced by the beeps of hospital monitors. Music Rx combats pain, fear and loneliness with the healing power of music, transforming the hospital environment with every note.

When seriously ill kids and their families need more than medicine, CCA is there with compassion and innovation, creating moments of respite and hope, both in the hospital and at home. Managed by a professional staff and powered by volunteers, CCA brings soothing music in a time of crisis, friendship in a time of loneliness, resources in a time of turmoil and vital support in the midst of life-threatening illness.

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If you know a child who would be helped by the Music Rx® program, or want to learn more about Joy Rx, a unique combination of resources and programs offered by the Children’s Cancer Association, please visit www.JoyRx.org or call 503-244-3141.

Bre Gregg is a writer for several nonprofit organizations in the Portland area. She is privileged to live in a city she loves, working with organizations and people that inspire her daily.

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Mentorship program gives migrant students brighter future

By Meryl Lipman
The Portland Upside
July 2009

Director Teresa Alonso (left) explains new Nike mentorship opportunities with two students in the CAMP program at Portland Community College. (Photo by James Hill)

Teresa Alonso, director of the College Assistance for Migrants Program (CAMP) at Portland Community College, believes anything is possible.

She also believes in hard work and follow-through.

So when she met Cynthia Escamilla, chair of Nike’s Latino and Friends Network (LAFN) at El Poder de la Mujer (The Power of the Woman) conference in February 2008, Teresa wasted no time following up.

That spring, Teresa and her students, all from migrant worker backgrounds, took a tour of the Nike campus, courtesy of Nike recruiter and LAFN member Jenny Salgado. At the end of their meeting Teresa pitched the idea of a mentorship program. Jenny asked her to submit a formal proposal and again, Teresa followed up. She later received a call from Alma Garza in the company’s retail marketing department. Alma liked the idea of the mentoring program and she sat down with Teresa and Jenny to develop a pilot project for the summer of 2009.

Teresa, no stranger to recognizing opportunity, began her life on an earthen floor in a house with no plumbing. She spent her first four years in San Jeronimo, a tiny Michoacán village in Mexico, before moving with her family to the U.S. In Oregon she and her parents shared a mobile home with another family and worked in the berry fields. By the age of 10, Teresa was juggling school, sports, field work, and the care of her younger siblings. As her parents’ financial situation remained dependent on the capricious conditions of agriculture, Teresa says she “saw education as the antidote to poverty.”

“Mentorship was key for me,” says Teresa, who was offered a mentor through a program at Oregon State University. Indeed, her mentor helped her mother understand the benefit of Teresa finishing high school.

“My mother was always very supportive,” she says, but she admits that her father was somewhat bewildered by his daughter’s ambitions. After completing the University of Oregon’s High School Equivalency Program (HEP), “I basically told them I was going to college,” Teresa chuckles. She transferred to Lane Community College and then Western Oregon University.

Teresa began working for PCC in January 2007 and in the space of two years she and her team created one of the most innovative and successful of the 35 CAMP programs in the nation. CAMP—a federal grant program located at the Rock Creek Campus in West Portland—sets up mentorship, academic support and community for the children of migrant workers during their first year in college. The program has enjoyed full attendance and Teresa beams when she mentions that most of her original group is still in college. They are beginning to transfer to four year universities, mentor new participants and nurture increased parental involvement.

“Many of our students are the first in their families to finish high school, let alone go to college” Teresa explains. “Parent say is so strong in the Latin community. If we can get parents on board with regard to education and help them understand the [long term] economic investment, it will be so much easier for young people,” she says.

Seven students were chosen to be mentored in the Nike summer program—Roy Gomez (Hermiston), Isidro Interian (Aloha), Sandra Soto (Cornelius), Maria Araceli Rebolledo Salgado (Cornelius), Jose Lopez (Forest Grove), Juan Ramirez Alonso (Hillsboro), and Izequiel Lopez Jr. (Cornelius).

Alma and Teresa paired them with Nike mentors based on their goals, and their mentors’ professional backgrounds, which included finance, retail, marketing and childcare.
CAMP student Isidro Interian comes from Yucatan, Mexico and arrived in Oregon at age four. His parents were originally agricultural workers, though his mother now works in production and his father works as a janitor. Isidro made both Dean’s List and Honor Roll. He wants to major in education and teach kindergarten someday.

“I’m interested in physical activity as part of education, particularly for young children,” he says. “And Nike’s creativity can help me later on in working with kids.”

As a next step, he would like to volunteer for Nike’s soccer camp. “This is networking for the future,” he says. Through the Nike program, Isidro hopes to learn time management, communication and leadership skills.

The mentors met their students at a kick-off ceremony on June 18 at the Nike campus in Beaverton. The pairs will attend monthly group meetings all summer to complete three professional development projects. The program finale will be a Latino Heritage Celebration with LAFN in September.

Teresa, recently selected as one of Portland Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 business leaders, is thrilled that the relationship between CAMP and Nike has come to fruition.

“I am beside myself with gratitude,” she says.

Teresa hopes the program will expand next year and eventually involve student internships at Nike. Networking with companies like Nike plays a critical role in her investment strategy for her students and proves that with a little hard work and some mentoring, indeed, anything is possible for migrant students in Oregon.

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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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From the editors

By Rob & Sara Bednark

The Portland Upside
July 2009

Rob and Sara Bednark, editors of ThePortland Upside with 10,000 copies of their first issue.

Years ago, we stopped following the news in all its forms—TV, radio, newspaper, internet—finding that it left us feeling discouraged, scared, and hopeless. Yet, among the onslaught of negative stories, there were always a few positive stories that lifted our spirits and gave us hope.

“Why can’t there be a newspaper that prints only positive stories?” we’d think.

Through the years, we have dreamt of working together. We didn’t know what shape or form it would take, but we knew we wanted to create a community that would bring people together and showcase their creative talents.

After a layoff, we took the opportunity to create The Portland Upside. We started eight months ago with small steps, motivated by our passion to create a publication that we had always wanted to see.

With no journalism or publishing experience of our own, we knew we needed help. We put the word out, and in the span of a few months, we gathered over 30 volunteers who shared our vision of a positive newspaper. These volunteers joined us with their talents of writing, photography, artwork, distribution, ad sales, editing, public relations, and more.

This is the third issue of The Portland Upside, and we hope the articles leave you feeling good about what is happening in Portland. All the feedback we’ve received has encouraged us to keep going, and we know the stories we’ve published so far are only the tip of the iceberg.

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We can use more help with distribution, writing, photography, advertising sales, and story leads, so if you want to help spread the positive stories of Portland, contact us at www.PortlandUpside.com, editors@portlandupside.com, or 503-663-1526.

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A Window to Compassion

How one man’s view of the homeless changed 34 years ago

By Doug Dixon
The Portland Upside
July 2009

In 1975 I was a young salesman working for a factory on the northwest side of Portland, the gritty industrial district next to the rail yard and close to the docks. This was the part of town where the heavy lifting was done, a community made up of old warehouses containing a myriad of manufacturing and distribution companies. Trucks raced up and down the narrow streets, large machines banged away, and sparks flew in open buildings where burly men carved up steel. Each morning I got out of my car and walked to the entrance of our plant listening to a symphony of industrial racket that I always found exhilarating. It made me feel alive and part of something big.

My office faced north with an unglamorous view of the empty lot next door.

Most days I would sit behind my desk pitching agriculture bags over the phone to packing houses and feed mills around the country. I clinched many a deal with the muffled noise of a large printing press thumping away on the other side of the wall. And for lack of anything better to look at while I did my job, I stared out my window at the vacant lot.

Typically not much happened around the little piece of unattended ground. Periodically a cat or rodent would briefly make an appearance then quickly disappear into the blackberry patch. On windy days trash would blow into the prickly island with little hopes of getting picked up. There were also many freight trains that chugged by each day stopping often to load and unload cargo.

My office may not have been uptown with a view but at least it was a start.

Then one dark winter morning it all changed. As I sat at my desk I noticed something sizable moving in the vines. At first it startled me because I couldn’t fathom what weighty animal could be moving about in that dense briar patch. But as it grew lighter it became clear that the beast was actually a man. He appeared to be somewhat stocky and sporting a scraggly beard. I assumed he had attached himself to one of the freight trains that had arrived in the night.
Each day I sat captivated, watching the new tenant toil away at his subtle construction project With his long dark coat and floppy hat, he blended in so well with his surroundings. In time it became apparent he was using his knife to cut away the vines to make a sort of hidden nest to stay in. He eventually pieced together enough discarded plywood and scrap plastic to call it an actual shelter. It was obvious by his lack of wasted movements that he was a seasoned nomad, quite adept at setting up temporary housing.

Upon rising each morning he would slip out of his lair and cautiously urinate near the back of the property. Then with his possessions in hand he would head for downtown. I assumed his daily trek was to fill his belly with free food at the Rescue Mission, that he naturally lived off the scraps of others, the charity of many a “do-gooder”, as my father would have called them.
Who knows where he may have come from. Perhaps it was Seattle or maybe back east. But no matter where his origin, he still resembled most of the numerous unkempt derelicts hanging out on Burnside Avenue. At the time, Portland was a well-known haven for transients and this unseemly fellow looked like he fit right in.

Up to that time, I had never really paid much attention to the sketchy-looking figures shuffling around the Mission waiting for the soup to be served. If I did have to walk through the Burnside area I did so briskly without making eye contact with the lost souls slumped in the doorways. Truthfully I didn’t really give them much thought. They just seemed like the normal décor of the bad side of a big city.

But due to my sudden voyeurism, I found myself pondering some deeper questions about my new associate with the rumpled appearance. For starters, how did this guy ever begin living as he did? Had his love affair with the bottle finally taken its toll? Or perhaps an affair of the heart had knocked this troubadour down. Then again, the reason for his decline may not have been all that juicy of a story. It could simply be that Old Man Grief put his hooks into him and refused to let go. Whatever the case, I assumed it had to be something traumatic that caused his downfall.
In contrast, like most young men I was consumed with thoughts about myself. How was I going to become successful? When would I meet the girl of my dreams? Or if nothing else, which disco could my buddies and I go to on Saturday to strut our stuff? The days were mostly dedicated to the pursuit of advancing my career. I nourished my brain on a stew of business books, biographies and motivational materials. It’s safe to say there was a fire growing in my belly and I was determined to fan it into a blaze. And under the direction of author Norman Vincent Peale, I wrote down my goals and always carried them with me. To me there was nothing finer than visualizing how great life was going to be when I had my own little empire some day.

One morning I pulled the goal sheet out of my briefcase and took measurement of my progress. As my gaze drifted out the office window I found myself being pulled back to earth after seeing Mr. Floppy Hat getting rained on. He was curled up under his plastic covered shanty trying his best to stay dry. I began wondering what his goals were. Did he have any? I’m sure there must have been some time in his life when he dreamed of accomplishing great things. After all, most young men do. When he was 25 did he, too, believe a man could accomplish almost anything if he put his mind to it? Or instead, did his stubborn nature and habit of not cooperating prove right the Japanese adage: the nail that sticks up gets hammered. Perhaps life had hammered this rebel into the ground.

If I had been a less self-absorbed person at the time, I would have taken my new imagined friend some food and found out for myself what his story was. After all it wouldn’t have taken much effort to extend him a kindness. If I had, it probably would have done us both some good. But instead I did what most of us do when coming across the homeless. I kept my distance, content with my own assumptions about what had caused his dilemma.

The next day I followed my normal routine. I poured myself a cup of brew, and before starting work I glanced out the window and gave my usual mental good morning to Mr. Hat. But as I sipped my coffee and scanned the shanty I saw no inhabitants. The meticulously built nest looked somehow different, like it had been abandoned. I could only surmise that in the night he had hopped a train out of town.

Although I never actually met him, Mr. Floppy Hat’s brief stay in the City of Roses had a profound effect on me. His presence opened my mind to be more compassionate towards the homeless and also to take stock of my own life. After all, who was I to look down from my lofty position making judgments about someone who was struggling?

His situation also prompted me to question my own ability to handle real adversity. Up to that point in my life I had never experienced sorrow, nor had my metal been tested by overcoming major challenges. If I lost a child someday, faced financial ruin or took a man’s life as a soldier, would I be able to snap out of it? I, too, might find myself living a life unthinkable in my optimistic youth, huddling in some unsavory abode, viewing the world through the amber glass of a liquor bottle and just trying to hold on to my sanity.

I prayed that I would never have to find out.
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In 1980 Doug Dixon left what later would be referred to as the Pearl District and migrated to Boise, Idaho. In 1984, he and his wife Michelle started a container plant and ran it successfully until selling it in 2007. During their stewardship of Dixon Container they created a jobs program that gave graduates from the Boise Rescue Mission Rehabilitation Program and recent parolees a second chance. Doug remembers that experience as “one of the most gratifying things I’ve ever been involved in.”

Doug Dixon retired after 33 years in the packaging business. He has since turned his hand to writing short stories and is ready to publish his first book, “Tip’s From an Entrepreneur”.

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Community gardens thriving throughout Portland

By Erika Weisensee
The Portland Upside
July 2009

Photo by Rob Bednark

In the heart of Southwest Portland is an urban oasis known as Gabriel Park. Sprawling for more than 90 acres, seeing it all requires a lot of time and a good pair of shoes. From walking trails to a skate park, from tennis courts to baseball and soccer fields, Gabriel Park has something for almost everyone.

Arguably the prettiest spot in the park is the Gabriel Park Community Garden, which stretches like a green patchwork quilt across a sunny slope at the park’s south end.

Gabriel Park’s garden is one of 32 organized by the City of Portland’s Community Garden Program. Because Gabriel Park’s garden was started in 1975, some of its gardeners have had their plots for 10, 15 and even 20 years. Interest in the program is at an all-time high, according to program manager Leslie Pohl-Kosbau. Twelve hundred people are currently on the waiting list for gardens located throughout the city. Because the community garden program is affordable ($75 per year for a 20’ x 20’ plot and $38 for a 10’ x 20’ plot), the program is ideal for people of numerous income levels, for families living in apartments, and for seniors who have downsized to apartments or retirement homes. And when you visit Gabriel Park’s garden, you realize it is truly a community of many types of people.

When I visited the garden in late May, I was greeted by two retired women sitting near a plot cultivated mostly with cutting flowers. I noticed a mother working in her plot with a small boy. And I saw many people gardening alone. Of course, they weren’t really alone. Constant company is one of the many benefits of community gardening.

While looking over the garden’s fence, I met Dave Lee. He invited me in for a personal tour. Lee shares a 20’ x 20’ plot with his wife, Linda, and another couple. Dave, a high-tech writer, and Linda, a massage therapist, live in a condo and don’t have enough space or sunlight for a garden at home, he explained.

In their third year at the garden, the Lees have a neatly designed plot producing a healthy assortment of vegetables, herbs, and some fruit. Their plot is so bountiful that they end up giving what they can’t use to friends, family members and local food banks. Others do the same, Lee says.

As for the “community” part of the garden, Lee says it’s real. The garden has social events and harvest parties. People become friends.

“We give each other pointers all of the time,” he says.

Before I left the garden, Lee graciously answered a couple of my questions about growing tomatoes and strawberries. As I walked away, I knew I had visited a special place—a place that grows food, and a whole lot more.

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For more information on The City of Portland’s Community Gardens program visit www.tinyurl.com/pdx-com-gardens

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

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Watching a garden grow

By Mike Aspros
The Portland Upside
July 2009

Many arrived here as Mom did,
she from Fresno,
hands squeezing Oregon
rolled up in a magazine.

We relished firs and rivers,
watching moods of weather flexing colors.
Gaping at buildings spouting like dandelions,
pink and white basalt pillars,
edges of silvery gilt,
a few hovering domed cathedrals.

If I could,
would I flip a switch preventing newcomers?
I’d be the greeting party,
leading a ticker-tape parade raining rose pedals.
The city’s chosen you like a perfect strawberry.
Newcomers are needed to
cultivate the diversity of roses,
making room for new,
majestic things to grow
replenishing smiles.

Mike Aspros is a native of Portland. He enjoys co-facilitating events within Linnton’s environmental group, preserving Forest Park while building a community of forest stewardship, in addition to writing poetry.

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Lucky to be Lucky

Life as the Portland Beavers’ mascot

By Faye Powell
The Portland Upside
July 2009

Portland Beavers’ mascot Lucky wows the crowds at PGE Park

What’s the most fun at the ballpark? Eating stale popcorn and artery-busting hotdogs? Scrambling for a foul ball in the stands? Following the slo-mo action on the field?

No. It’s watching the wildly entertaining antics of the mascot and, if you’re a kid or a kid-at-heart grown-up like me, there’s nothing like scoring a hug from the goofy creature with the big head and serious overbite.

For the Portland Beavers baseball team, this would be Lucky, a.k.a. Trampus Adams, 36. The Beavers, a Triple-A team now affiliated with the San Diego Padres, dates back to 1903 when they were known as the Portland Browns. For a period in the 1940s, as a result of a winning streak, they were dubbed the “Lucky Beavers,” hence the mascot’s name, Lucky.

Sitting for a chat with Trampus at the Starbucks near PGE Park, I asked him what makes a good mascot.

“You have to love what you’re doing,” he said, “and you have to think of yourself as an athlete. You must have a passion for it. Just like playing any sport, if you don’t love it, you can’t do it. If you’d do it whether you got paid for it or not, then you know it’s good for you.”

This is Trampus’s first year with the Beavers. Previously he was the mascot for the Portland Lumberjacks lacrosse team. He obviously relishes it.

With a huge smile breaking across his face, he said, “I love my job. This is the most fun I’ve ever had. When you’re this cuddly Beaver, you’re like a rock star in the stadium. On school days, I can’t even go into the stands without getting mauled. I actually have to have three body guards around me,”

“When you’re a kid, you want to be famous, and even though as a mascot, you’re not really famous—unless you’re the San Diego Chicken—you feel famous here. People will stop whatever they’re doing to watch you. If Lucky’s sitting next to you, that’s much more exciting than what’s going on on the field.”

It isn’t as easy as it looks. For one thing, it is very demanding on one’s body. You can’t just jump in the suit and dance around. You must develop good routines and it takes a lot of stamina to handle the heat. Trampus makes sure to hydrate thoroughly before he puts on the costume and to re-hydrate often during the game. There are also breathing tricks he’s learned to prevent passing out, such as taking short breaths and removing the head whenever possible.

Being a mascot is theatre. Since he can’t talk with the costume on, Trampus has developed a repertoire of gestures, much like those of a mime, to communicate with his audience. His job involves getting the crowd riled up, tossing tee shirts and goodies into the stands, and sometimes making fun of the other team, all in the name of good sportsmanship, of course. He circulates throughout the stadium, signs autographs, poses for photographs and keeps spirits lively and joyous.

“It took a lot of practice to be able to sign autographs,” he said. “The fingers of the costume are stuck together like this,” he demonstrated by holding his index and middle fingers together and his fourth and fifth fingers together. After he got the job, Trampus learned to write his signature “T” by taping his fingers together.

In addition to enlivening the crowd at games, Trampus visits kids in schools, hospitals and at other public events. For a recent t-ball appearance, he rode from Portland to Beaverton on the back of a Harley.

“It kind of freaked people out, seeing a Beaver riding through the streets on a motorcycle, but hey, ‘Keep Portland Weird,’ as they say. It was a lot of fun. And I got a lot of air.”

Trampus will also participate in an upcoming event involving a whole field full of mascots. Once a year, the Beavers host a Mascot Mania Day where mascots from regional teams, such as the Portland Lumberjacks, Portland Winterhawks, Washington State Cougars and Portland State Vikings, perform at PGE Park. This year’s Mascot Mania will be on Saturday, August 15, Lucky’s birthday.

Trampus is married and the father of a sixteen-year-old daughter. A native Washingtonian, he graduated from Federal Way High School, where he played football, soccer and hockey. After high school he played semi-professional hockey in the Portland area and dreamed of turning pro, but unfortunately that dream did not materialize. Interestingly, his high school counselor predicted he would either be a sports star or an entertainer.

As a mascot Trampus has found a career that combines both his talents and interests.
Besides being in good physical condition and loving the work, he has the outgoing personality for it.

“Believe it or not,” he said, “I’m like that inside or outside the suit. Of course, I get away with messing with people a lot more in the suit; otherwise, I’d probably get arrested.”
_____

So, you think being a sports mascot may be your calling? Wanna-be mascots should check out MascotNet at www.mascot.net to find everything you need to know about health and fitness, tryouts, costumes, and much more. There is also a Mascot Hall of Fame for die-hard mascot fans. Check it out at www.mascothalloffame.com

Faye Powell has master’s degrees in library science and anthropology and writes both fiction and nonfiction. She may be reached via phaysee1@gmail.com

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Local, seasonal delicious

Story and photo by Dani Dennenberg
The Portland Upside
July 2009

The author picking blueberries at one of the many U-pick farms near Portland.

One of the upsides of the recession is that people are finding a way back to their roots, slowing down, reexamining who and what matters to them, and immersing themselves in the things that bring them joy. In just the last few days, two examples surfaced for me: a newsletter about the burgeoning interest in libraries, and an NPR report about the upsurge in canning and consequent bridging of younger and older generations. Both remind me to keep it simple.

Another conversation—the one about getting back to the simplicity of buying food locally, seasonally, and organically—while it’s been around for some time, is now getting the center stage it deserves. Not just a passing trend, sustainable eating is a tremendous opportunity to make a political statement, practice active citizenry and support and strengthen one’s local economy. And there’s no better time to do it than the summer.

Here in Portland, cooperatives, farmer’s markets, and community-supported agriculture (CSA) are teeming with nectarines, blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries.

I spent last summer, my first in Oregon, plucking blackberries from the vine that borders Forest Park behind my house. I also made a memorable trip to Hubbard to pick organic blueberries against the backdrop of Mt. Hood at Schmid Family Farm. I froze the berries and used them in smoothies for weeks.

This year, my vision is to bike to Sweet Home Blues in Sherwood for more luscious berries.
I’m also fortunate to live in Northwest Portland near Food Front, one of the best cooperatives in town. The co-op makes a point of seeking out high quality foods and merchandise from local, organic, and sustainable producers.

No matter where you live in the Portland metro area, the Pacific Northwest’s abundant fertile soil brings life to countless sustainable food choices. The agricultural richness of the Willamette Valley, a result of the infamous Missoula Floods at the end of the last ice age, makes Portland a sustainable eater’s mecca.

To find the locations of farmer’s markets, CSA’s, farm stands and U-pick farms in the Portland metro area visit www.tinyurl.com/pdx-local-food.

If you’re searching for a list of seasonal produce, visit www.tinyurl.com/nwproduce.

And if you’d like a suggestion for using some of the lush local bounty try the following recipe:

Summer Smoothie
Blend the following ingredients and serve:

2 Tbsp of ground flax seed
1 scoop of vanilla soy ice cream
2 Tbsp peanut or almond butter
½ frozen banana
handful of fresh or frozen berries
a squeeze of agave nectar

_____

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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Excellent food and a good cause a perfect combination

Story and photo by Edie Sidle
The Portland Upside
July 2009

Sungari Pearl gives back by supporting local businesses and charities.

What does a restaurant featuring modern Chinese cuisine have in common with a nonprofit organization? People with good intentions and caring hearts. That is exactly why Sungari Pearl partnered with Breast Friends for the month of May.

Sungari Pearl, a sustainable Chinese restaurant in the Pearl District, has a commitment to being a positive business in the community. While in today’s business world it’s easier just to focus on the bottom line, the people at Sungari Pearl also believe in creating a “harmonious environment for all” and their business practices definitely reflect this commitment.

First of all, Sungari Pearl uses locally-sourced, organic ingredients whenever possible in their food preparation. They feature fresh ingredients such as home-made sauces, wild-caught seafood, cage-free poultry, organic beef and even home-made oils. The idea is to help customers make healthy and natural food choices.

They also live the commitment to promoting a sustainable lifestyle by recycling all of their oil for bio-diesel, using reusable materials whenever possible, giving out green bags to take-out customers and encouraging customers to use their own bags in exchange for a free soup or appetizer. Even the furniture in Sungari Pearl is made right here in Oregon. Such eco-friendly practices make this caring business green, indeed. Sungari Pearl even goes a step further by caring for their community as well as the environment. The restaurant partners with nonprofit agencies and generously supports local charities even during these economically-challenging times. Specifically, they feature a “Spotlight Charity of the Month” and prepare fresh meals every Monday morning for Loaves and Fishes.

For the month of May, Sungari supported the nonprofit organization, Breast Friends, through their Thursday Jazz Nights. A modest cover charge from restaurant patrons and a cash donation from Sungari Pearl’s staff went to Breast Friends to help fund their valuable programs and services. In addition to the customary pleasant surroundings and wonderful food, customers were entertained with music from two popular groups, Acoustic Minds and The Andre St. James Trio.

Based on the premise that no woman should go through breast cancer alone, Breast Friends was created to provide emotional, spiritual and physical support to breast cancer patients, their families and friends. The nonprofit organization has recently extended these vital services to support women with cervical, uterine, endometrial, and ovarian cancer as well.

Speaking in praise of Sungari Pearl’s support, Becky Olson, president and co-founder of Breast Friends, says, “It is not every day, and especially in this economic climate, that businesses are so willing to share their wealth. It does not go unnoticed in the community.”

During the month of May Sungari Pearl’s customers enjoyed tasty food (the duck salad rolls and tang tang noodles are de-lish!) and good music in a lovely atmosphere while they donated to a worthy cause at the same time. Everyone—the restaurant, the charity, and the customer—ends up winning. What better way to spend an evening?
_____

Visit Sungari Pearl at 1105 NW Lovejoy Street, Portland, or online at ­www.sungaripearl.com
Find out more about Breast Friends at www.breastfriends.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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New country, strange culture, helping hands

Organization becomes extended family for immigrants

By Nicole Morales
The Portland Upside
July 2009

We are a world of an estimated 6.8 billion people. 16 million of us have fled our homelands because of civil and ethnic strife. As refugees, we seek to legally resettle our lives in a country that grants us permission. Since 1975, approximately 2.6 million of us have resettled in the United States. And about 1,000 of us arrive annually in Oregon. Fortunately there are organizations that assist in what is often a challenging life transition.

One such organization in Portland, the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO), lends its many hands to help refugees and legal immigrants begin a safe new life in the city. The organization officially formed in the mid 1980s when two local agencies, committed to the betterment of Asian refugees, decided to extend their services to refugees coming from the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and Africa. However, its roots go back to 1976. As a nonprofit organization, IRCO has continued to empower their clients to become self-sufficient individuals who contribute to the community through social and professional interactions.

On June 19, IRCO invited the community to learn more about its refugee population in recognition of World Refugee Day 2009, which formally takes place on June 20 every year worldwide. At the event, IRCO shed some positive light on the world refugee dilemma and issues closer to home. Those in attendance learned how IRCO helps its clients transition into city life. Four speakers shared their personal histories and how they are learning to live life in the Portland metropolitan area.

One speaker, Djimet Dogo, is a longtime member of the IRCO community. Because of growing governmental repression in the central African country of Chad, Djimet left his home country and resettled in Portland in 1999. He recounted a humorous but sobering story.

“When I first got here, I tossed out every dime onto the street and kept the pennies whenever I had loose change,” he said. “Back home the small [copper] coins are worth more than the silver ones.” It was only when Djimet attended classes at IRCO that he learned that the opposite is true. Djimet is able to smile about his experience, “but so many of us have to start everything from zero.”

Today, Djimet works for IRCO’s Africa House. He is often one of the first people that recent African refugees meet at the Portland International Airport.

“Large families arrive at the airport with nothing but a plastic bag hanging from their wrists,” he remarked. “Stapled to the bag is a photo of their family [to identify them].”

IRCO understands their clients’ delicate situations and basic needs. Rowanne Haley, IRCO Manager of Community and Donor Relations, shared that 175 staff members provide services to their clients in their first language—60 languages in all.

“IRCO partners with over 200 organizations to deliver its services, and has worked with over 4,000 employers in the metro area to provide employment to its clients,” according to Rowanne.

Through its directory of nine major service areas, IRCO offers a multitude of programs to fit every client. There are services for all ages in areas such as health education, work preparation and training, youth mentoring, and English language learning. In addition, IRCO’s Asian Family Center and Africa House host specific programs catering to the organization’s Asian and African populations.

Africa House, in outer southeast Portland, opened in early 2007. Djimet, the program coordinator, explained that Africa House “is the linkage between the new arriving families and the [existing community], so we link them with people from their culture, from their country, that speak the same language with them.” The center’s staff and volunteers help new families transition from living life in a refugee camp to living life in an urban environment.

“We help them [into] their new country, culture, and way of life, so that families will stay together.”

Africa House teaches their clients cultural and financial literacy skills, many of which native citizens take for granted. Practical how-to’s—paying one’s monthly utility bills or riding the bus—combine with cultural etiquette lessons—how and when to say “excuse me.” All need to be taught to African refugees who settle here. These skills are essential if they are to become self-sufficient and contributing members of their community.

Some families need continued support, however. A family may go without electricity for three days because they are unaccustomed to monthly billing cycles or are unfamiliar with the different ways they can pay their bills. But when they seek assistance from Africa House, a call is made to PGE, misunderstandings are clarified, and the bill is paid.

The most rewarding job aspect for Djimet is “when we help a family that is falling apart and we help reconcile husband and wife.”

He described the importance of elders during family hardships.

“In Africa we have the whole village intervening to keep the family together—here it’s just wife and husband and they don’t know where to go for help. We play this role that elders play back home to keep harmony and peace in the household and the community,” he emphasized.
The families are grateful and show their appreciation in a number of ways.

“At 8:30 in the morning [I’ll] see flowers and cards left by clients at the door saying ‘Thank you for helping our family.’” Djimet concluded, “It’s a really tough job, but somebody has to do it and I’m so glad to do it to keep people together.”

Reward and work satisfaction are also apparent within the organization.

“The thing I enjoy most about working here is the internationalism of the environment—I learn something new almost every day,” said Rowanne. “For someone who loves to travel and learn about other cultures, that’s a huge bonus for me.”

There are a number of ways people can get involved with IRCO, including volunteering, serving on an advisory committee, making monetary and household good donations, and requesting interpretation or translation services for private or commercial purposes.

IRCO does good things for people coming from difficult life circumstances. Every client becomes a self-sufficient contributing member of the community and in return enriches the livelihood of our dynamic city.
_____

To find out more about IRCO, visit www.irco.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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Students respond to call to service

By CJ Mead
The Portland Upside
July 2009

School’s out but the echoes of service day still ring in the halls of Rowe Middle School in Milwaukie. (Photo by Rob Bednark)

Can middle school students really make a difference in their community?

Rowe Middle School’s response to this question is most certainly, “Yes we did!“

Seventh and eighth graders from the North Clackamas School District middle school recently heard President Obama’s call to service and took it personally. The entire student body participated in a project to serve the greater community and make a difference in the lives of its constituents.

Students chose how they would be involved by selecting an area of focus, either literacy, social justice, school beautification, or environmental stewardship. They served in these areas in several different ways. Some assisted elementary school students in one-on-one reading. Others spent the day at Portland Rescue Mission helping the homeless. One group of middle schoolers created a large mosaic for their school entrance, and still others pulled invasive ivy at state parks and recreation areas in several locations in the Portland community.

For many students this was a day of education they will never forget, an opportunity to move outside of the classroom and receive a real life, hands on experience. One student commented, “I didn’t know that school could be so fun.”

To many people the life of middle school students is one of drama, self indulged adolescence and insecurity.

However this day was quite the contrary.

One celebrated, “I have seen [one particular student] many times at Rowe and have always known he could be great, but he has never acted great. Today when he was with a little kindergartner, he was great. I knew he had it in him.”

Students rose to the occasion, taking on tasks and leadership roles that required stepping outside of their comfort zone to make a difference in the community. Helping homeless individuals in downtown Portland can be a daunting task for a student who has never experienced inner-city homelessness.

“Service Learning Day really opened my eyes and showed me how other people live” reported a student.

For others, working hard towards improving the natural and aesthetic environment around them builds a sense of community that will last a lifetime and create active citizens for years to come.

In this current time of budget crisis, this day proved a reminder of the great achievements that are possible from our schools. Such a creative use of the students’ time and school resources proved to be a true act of educational ingenuity, one that educators hope to repeat for years to come at Rowe Middle School.
_____

CJ Mead believes that when surrounded by positive people amazing things will happen, seeing this firsthand in his youth-development work for local nonprofits in Portland area schools.

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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.

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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.”

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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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