WELCOME: Food Sharing Workshop coming back this spring!

In the Spring of 2009, we hosted a hands-on workshop about all things related to food: canning and householding; chicken keeping, native bee keeping, and crop rotation; cooking with local ingredients; cooperative gardening; and urban edibles and tincture making. 

You can view a video of the Food Sharing Workshop 2009.  People selected one service or skill-building project that resonated with their interests.  After getting our hands in the mud for the morning, we all came back together for lunch and to share insights and skills gained with each other. 

Back by popular demand, this spring’s Food Sharing Workshop is scheduled for Saturday, May 21st from 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM at the Brentwood-Darlington Community Center (7211 SE 62nd Avenue, 97206).  As the service and skill-building projects are confirmed, we will add the details to our website.  This workshop is free and open to anyone interested; space is limited.  To reserve your spot, click here.

INVITATION: Community History Storytelling: North Portland

Saturday, April 16th
12:00pm-2:30pm
Historic Kenton Firehouse
8105 N. Brandon Street
Portland OR 97217

Connect with the history of North Portland communities told by the people who have lived and worked within them.  In addition to featured storytellers, there will be an open forum for anyone to share their stories related to North Portland history. 

This event is FREE and open to anyone interested.  Light lunch provided.  Please RSVP by April 11th so that we can prepare adequately.  Child care (for children 9 and under), interpretation, and transportation provided upon request.  For more information or to RSVP for this event, click here.

TIPS & TOOLS: Inspirational Storybook

Community Outreach produced the first edition of Sharing Ideas: Grassroots Projects Started by Neighbors.  This book showcases local grassroots initiatives and projects that benefit the community as a whole.  It is a collection of stories and photographs of everyday people doing extraordinary things.  The Inspirational Storybook is available on our website or you can stop by our office to check out a hard copy from the Community Resource Library. 

The grassroots projects featured in this edition include:

• Maya Angelou Summer Art Camp
• Seeds of Harmony Garden
• Northeast Portland Tool Library
• Boise Voices Oral History Project
• The Ainsworth Street Collective
• Swap n Play

Learn the story of how these projects got started and turned their ideas into action.  Replicate a similar project in your neighborhood or learn from their approach to enhance your own community building project!

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS: Sharing Inspirational Stories

Do you know about people working on a project that benefits the community as a whole?  Tell us about them!  Community Outreach invites you to share your story, or connect us with stories about everyday people doing extraordinary things in neighborhoods throughout Portland.  We want to highlight these stories in the hopes that they may inspire others.  Stories may be featured in several ways:

• The Pulse—our quarterly e-newsletter;
• Sharing Ideas—a panel presentation and discussion; or
• Future editions of the Inspirational Storybook.

WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR: Supportive Neighbor Checklist

41. Plant raspberry bushes in the front yard with a “help yourself” sign
42. Have open body language to show you want to speak with your neighbors
43. Watch each other’s children while running errands
44. Offer resources at a reduced rate to your surrounding neighbors
45. Invite other kids to play with your children at the park

This is an ongoing checklist of suggestions from neighbors.  For the whole list, click here. 

Send us any ideas you have to add to this checklist!

SHARING INSPIRATIONAL STORIES: Somali Youth of Oregon

Somali Youth of Oregon (SYO) gathered to unite and create a positive image of the Somali community and offer support to fellow youth.  They see themselves as agents of change and want to see Portland “retain its core values as it evolves into a more diverse and colorful place.”  SYO’s services include hosting events, cultural competence training for law enforcement, after-school mentoring, and Somali language classes.  For more information about Somali Youth of Oregon, check out www.somaliyouths.org or call (503) 287-4117.

IN THEIR OWN WORDS: Feedback from a guest at Community History Storytelling: Northeast Portland

“I wanted to share with you all how very moved I was by the words of our community elders who came to speak.  To me it was more than just getting to know each other…It was so enriching—to think of all the people and stories that were resurrected and honored. I took away a lot of lessons and inspiration.”  –Ted Lee