OREGON S GAY/LESBIAN/BI/TRANS NEWSMAGAZINE
COMMUNITY
I
Th® Hous® That Prid® Built
A New Habitat for Humanity Effort Forges Foundations - and Community Bridges
By ADINA LEPP
The Jimenez family will have a new home
by summer’s end, thanks to a team of sexual
minorities and allies working together during
Habitat for Humanity’s Pride Build.
“We’re on the frontlines of Pride Build.
We hope it becomes an. annual event,” said
Jennifer Twyman-Perkins, volunteer program
manager. The Portland project is the second
Pride Build nationwide. The first took place in
Austin, Texas in 2007.
Fernando Jimenez and Teresa Portillo live
with their three children - Carlos, 19; Na-
thaly, 7; and Arnoldo, 2 - in a two-bedroom
apartment. Fernando works as a set-up- tech
with a wire components company. Teresa stays
home with Arnoldo, who is recovering from
a serious operation on his spine. Carlos at­
tends Portland Community College full-time,
a student in computer information systems.
Fernando and Teresa hope the Habitat home
will bring them stability so their children can
do well, in both life and school.
The Jiminez family will purchase the house,
located at the corner of SE 97th and Wood-
stock in the Lents neighborhood, at cost with
a zero percent mortgage. All families selected
for Habitat’s program earn an income of ap­
proximately $20,000-140,000 a year, and put
in 500 hours of sweat equity between their hind it and the organization that is there. We’re
home and other Habitat projects.
just trying to keep up with them. They’ve been
Jamie Schuvin, chair of Portland Pride tremendous in how well organized and suc­
Build, views the project as an opportunity to cessful they’ve already been,” said Messinetti.
break down barriers between sexual minority
The cost of the house, $70,000, will be
and non-sexual minority populations. Due to
raised through corporate sponsorship and
the rising land and materials costs, Habitat for individual support. Pride Build has already
Humanity is now building multiple properties raised $45,000, mostly through corporate
on a single plot. The Pride Build house is a
sponsors Nike and Affiliated Computer Ser­
an approximately 1,100 square-foot, three- vices. They plan to raise the remainder, via in-
bedroom duplex that shares walls with the
kind material donations, in time for the June
Presbyterian Build. A total of nine proper­ 27 wall-raising event.
ties will be constructed on the same lot. The
Pride Build is a specialty project of Habi­
Pride Build home is the first to go up; the tat of Humanity. The organization’s Portland
Presbyterian house will also be constructed branch also runs Women Build, Youth United
this summer.
Build and Faith Build.
“It’s a great way to build bridges in the
“I think our community is going to re­
community,” said Schuvin. The alliances ally jump at the chance to be involved,” said
that could come of the effort also extend to Twyman-Perkins. “This event is bringing
the Jimenez family, who will work alongside’ a whole new group of constituents to us.
Habitat volunteers.
People come to Habitat through our differ­
“Habitat is about breaking the chasms ent projects and find their niche right away.”
that exist between communities,” said Steve Twyman-Perkins is the head staff support
Messinetti, executive director of Portland on the project and is recruiting volunteers to
Habitat for Humanity. “It’s run by a group work on the build.
of volunteers from Habitat who are vested,
To complete the house, the organiza­
and they’ve organized around this concept tion seeks 400 volunteers. All volunteers are
of bringing together community, giving back supervised and trained onsite by experienced
and raising their own funds.
construction site managers, so no prior knowl­
edge is necessary.
“This project is different in the energy be­
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Fernando Jimenez and Teresa Portillo
with their three children • Carlos 19
Nathal/ 7 and Arnoldo 2 will be
the owners of Portland Habitat for
Humanity $ Pride Build home
“Everyone on the team comes with a dif­
ferent background. We have people involved
right now who are lawyers, in retail and
healthcare. Everyone brings something to the
table. We all figure it out together and make it
work,” said Schuvin.
Habitat for Humanity will be represented
at Pride with a Pride Build float shaped like a
house, crafted by 100 volunteers.
To help with the build, email info@port-
landpridebuild.org.
Pride Build Wall Raising Ceremony, Sat.,
June 27,11 a.m., SE 97th and Woodstock. 503-
287-9529, habitatportlandmetro, org/current/
pride build. php.