Community notes Gay and lesbian youth program begins at Phoenix Rising. Food Front celebrates grand opening on Hallowe'en. BY__K A M I L A A L - N A J J A R _________ Phoenix Rising inaugurates youth programs t' s scary to come out in high school, and there were days when it was really scary," says Julie Baumler, one of Phoenix Rising's volunteers tor their newly created gay youth program. The gay youth service is encompassed in a Big Brother/Big Sister program, which will be matching kids with adults or other gay and lesbian teenagers for support. "A lot of kids don't need therapy, they just need a support person in their life that they can talk with about being gay and what it means in their life," says Cherry Hartman, who is re­ sponsible for starting the youth services program. The service is free of charge and any young person who needs support can call Phoenix Ris­ ing or someone can call in for them and they will be matched with the appropriate person. Cherry, who is a registered clinical social worker and also the person who began the adult counseling services at Phoenix Rising in 1980, says that they do need more adult volunteers who are interested in becoming a Big Brother or Big Sister. "B asically we are looking for people who feel good about themselves and particularly about themselves as gay people, and who can be good role models for young people who are trying to figure out, ‘Can I be gay and still be the sort of person I want to b e '," says Cherry. " I t's also very important that the older per­ son, man or woman, doesn't have any kind of sexual interest in the young person. We want it to be real safe for the kids to have contact.” says Cherry. Volunteers can be any age, including teenage volunteers who have been through the process of coming out. Volunteers do not need to spend any money, they just need to be able to give one or two hours a week to a youth. The youth program is the first of its kind in the Portland area. "W e have wanted to do a youth program since we started Phoenix Rising, but we were hampered with the fear of being I sued by parents. Now that we have been in existence long enough and have a good reputa­ tion. we are willing to take a risk, but there am no guarantees. . . . " says Cherry. Phoenix Rising is also working on providing free counseling to kids when they do need it. At present they have to pay the sliding scale fee of $15. ‘ ‘ Fifteen dollars is a lot of money to come up w ith when you are in high school with no job and your parents are not giving you any support because you are gay." says Cherry. Currently Phoenix Rising is in the process of negotiating a sponsorship program with Wind- fire. a group o f lesbians, gays and bisexuals under the age of 21. A sa sponsoring agency Phoenix Rising would help Windfire find adult advisors and as.sist in arranging various activi­ ties at request. Anyone interested in Windfire can show up at their meetings held weekly every Thursday evening from 7-9 p.m. at Outside-In and every Saturday from 2:30-4:30 p.m. at Old Wives Tales. Phoenix Rising also does counselng with in­ dividuals. groups, families, couples and any family members of a gay or lesbian person. "People come in with all kinds of issues, some related to being gay. some around homophobia, some relationship issues and all other problems people come to counseling for.'' says Cherry. For those who are not seeking counseling. Phoenix Rising offers a variety o f social ac­ tivities. If you are interested in more informa­ tion call Phoenix Rising at 223-8299, or if you would like to send a tax deductible donation to the Big Brother/Big Sister youth program write. Phoenix Rising. 333 S.W. 5th. Portland. Oregon 97205. . tion on October 3 1. The celebration will be from 2:30-5:(X) p.m. and w ill feature dance music from Group du Jour, children's face painting. Rodney the Frog, refreshments. fixxl samples, and a ribbon cutting ceremony with Mayor Bud Clark and other distinguished guests. The new F ixk I Front w ill be twice the si/e and carry an expanded amount o f produce, a fresh meat counter, a service deli and a sit-dow n area. Along w ith more parking spaces and w ider aisles, there w ill be a multi-purpose room where classes on nutrition, food politics and ecology will be held. The move into a larger space is Food Front's fourth in an interesting history of growth. In June of 1972. with the collective efforts of about 15 volunteers from the Northwest Portland area. Food Front started out in a small storefront on N.W. 23rd avenue near Savier Street. Three years later sales grew to over $290.(XX) per year and the store moved to a bigger space. Bv 1979. with membership exceeding over 200 members. Food Front's sales had jumped to over $435.(XX) and in 1980 they moved again. Goldschmidt to keynote Lucille Hart Dinner overnor Neil Goldschmidt will be the keynote speaker at the sixth annual Lucille Hart Dinner to be held Saturday, November 7, at the Portland Hilton. The Lucille Hart Dinner, sponsored by the Right to Privacy PAC, has made RTP Oregon's eighth largest political action committee. Goldschmidt is the first statewide elected official to deliver a key­ note speech at the annual political affair. Last year, more than 500 PAC supporters attended the dinner, which enabled RTP to con­ tribute $27,000 to political candidates suppor­ tive of the PAC's issues (gay and lesbian civil rights, the right to choice. AIDS funding, and equal rights for women) and in support of ballot measures related to those times. The dinner is named in honor of Alberta Lucille Hart, a pioneer in radiology in the 1930s and 40s. She attended Albany College (now- Lewis and Clark College), Stanford University Grand opening of Food Front’s and graduated from the University of Oregon fourth Medical School in 1917. Because of the oppres­ sion which existed toward lesbians and gay men ood Front Cooperative, located on 2675 during her lifetime. Dr. Hart felt compelled to N.W. Thurman will be moving to a new space on the comer of 24th and Thurman. The assume the public identity of a man and to practice under the name Alan L. Han. Lucille/ new store will be open for business October 7 Alan Hart, incidentally, is the only Oregonian and kick off an exciting grand opening celebra- G F At present F ixk I Front's sales are up to 1.5 million dollars yearly w ith a consistently grow ­ ing membership. The unique quality about Food Front is that they stay committed to the essential principles o f co-ops. Membership is open to all. the store is democratically run. one member-one vote, and the profits received from the grow th in sales are reinvested in the co-op and put back out into the community for good use. Ftxxl Front is dedicated to listening and re­ sponding to custom ers' needs and providing gixxl quality fixxl at affordable prices. At present Fixxl Front is working on an ex­ tension o f benefits to store members. In the months to come this will mean discounts on community services, a check cashing policy, a 24 hour emergency fixxl charge and a shopping service for the elderly. Members get a five percent discount on all items and if members do two hours of volunteer work a week they receive a 15‘T discount on all items. Membership is $150 per household that can be paid over an extended periixJ of time. A membership lasts a lifetime. • listed in Jonathan Katz's Gay American History. Tickets for the Lucille Hart Dinner are $65 per person; call 244-3468. or write Right to Privacy. PO Box 8325. Portland. OR 97207- 8325. Gallon re - elected to national chorus post id Gallon, former general manager of the Portland Gay M en's Chorus, has been elected President of the Board of Directors of the Gav and Lesbian Association o f Choruses (G ALA) at their recent convention in Van­ couver. B.C. GALA is composed of 56 choruses whose memberships total more than 23(X) choristers in the United States and Canada. Galton is an attorney who is active in civic, political and community organizations He is chairperson of the Citizens' Advisory Council o f Central Precinct; he sits on the executive committee of the Metropolitan Human Relations Commission. Galton is also a member of the Cascade AIDS Project Board o f Directors and fundraising chairperson of the Right to Privacy PAC. Galton gives credit to the Portland Ga> Men s Chorus for his election to the GAL.A board " I t's sort of small town makes gtxxl." he says. 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