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Sharing Ideas March 2011

Grassroots Projects Started by Neighbors

Sharing Ideas is a panel presentation and discussion that showcases the grassroots efforts of neighbors throughout the Portland metro-area.  All of the projects are volunteer or non-profit driven, have a community benefit, and could be replicated in other neighborhoods.  Our hope is that these events inspire people to initiate similar projects in their own neighborhood.  Panelists share the spark that ignited their idea, the tools and strategies they used to turn it into action and their hopes and dreams for their project into the future.

March, 2011 Panelists

People Celebrating People: Sheila Warren, Founder and Facilitator

Sheila Warren initiated the gatherings for People Celebrating People after her experiences as a community advocate working with the schools.  During that time, she identified a need for people to build relationships and come together.  After being edified by women she didn’t even know, she was inspired to “teach people how to give [and accept] a genuine, heartfelt compliment.”  At each gathering people from diverse backgrounds come together to meet each other, share a meal and dance in a soul train fashion.  With community and relationship-building at its core everyone comes into the circle as an equal and gets “loved up…by the time we are done, everyone knows each other and we are connected in ways that they don’t believe…” Sheila characterizes the group, which consists of different people at each gathering, as more than just “a circle of compliments…it’s a family”.  The group encourages people to intentionally give out 5 compliments a week as “one simple thing everyone can do everyday.”  For anyone interested replicating the idea, Sheila recommends to…“have love in your heart and patience for people and be intentional about loving people up.”

People Celebrating People meets the 4th Saturday of every month from 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM. To learn more, please click here.

Between Women: Pat Ross, Esme Culver, & Rania Ayoub

Pat, Esme and Rania are part of a group of twelve women that have been getting together for nearly three years to share a meal, stories and traditions of their different faiths.  Originally brought together by Jan Elfers of Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, the women meets once a month to explore their Christian, Jewish and Muslim traditions.  Esme, an Episcopal priest, says that initially the group “had lots of food and conversation was kind of general, and somewhat academic around our traditions.  As time went on, our conversation relaxed and we began to get into who we are as people.” As the group evolved, the women have continued to learn about each other’s traditions, share what is meaningful in their lives and developed a strong bond.  Pat, a retired minister with the United Church of Christ observed that “people are only scary and strange when you don’t know them.  When you get to know people, you can love them and share with them.”  Rania, Director of Public Relations for the Muslim Educational Trust says, “we started understanding how people can be so different and yet so similar in so many ways.  We concentrated on our similarities rather than our differences and that is really what has brought us together…”  In the beginning, each member gave a presentation about their faith and later the group started getting into holidays.  Pat shares, “we have been outside in a Sukkah booth.  We have talked about Ramadan in detail….and many things that I have heard about or read about but I didn’t feel I understood until we were able to share it together.” Rania says, “It becomes personal when you are with someone who was actually doing those rituals on a daily basis.  And we [also] talk about our cultural differences within the same faith tradition.”  The original twelve have made a decision to keep their group intimate and are continuing to learn and evolve but encourage others to start their own groups based on what brings them together. 

Boise Business Youth Unity Project: Leigh Rappaport

Leigh Rappaport coordinates the Boise Business Youth Unity Project (BBYUP), a summer work internship project for youth in the Boise neighborhood.  BBYUP unites businesses on North Mississippi Avenue with local youth, providing an opportunity for employment and training in a 12-week long paid summer internship.  The idea was introduced to the Historic Mississippi Avenue Business Association by Shane Endicott, Executive Director of Our United Villages and then the project was initially launched in partnership between the Portland Opportunities Industrialization Center (POIC) and the City of Portland.  POIC facilitates management of the program under its nonprofit status.  In its 5th year, the project is “really all about creating community…that is the whole essence of how we started”, says Leigh.  Local businesses invest in local youth by pooling their resources to independently and sustainably fund the BBYUP program. There are many different ways businesses can get involved in the program.  Businesses can mentor a youth in an internship or provide financial support for an intern’s wages.  Businesses can also donate a meal or be a speaker for a weekly business luncheon that interns attend.  “Local business leaders talk about their experience running their business” and interns are introduced to new people and new types of food. The greatest challenge to this project is “getting the monetary buy-in….over the last two years finances have been really challenging for businesses and so that has been the hardest piece.”  Leigh notes that “[the project] works when you see the kids walking down the street and recognizing people… and seeing kids have their career paths more solidified because we try to match them with businesses that they are interested in.”  She hopes to see similar programs sprout up in neighborhoods throughout Portland.

 

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