P R IN T : News____________
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Wednesday, March 12,2014
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Photos by Patty Salazar The Clackamas Print
Donny Beach
News Editor
A
group o f Clackamas
Community College students from
a communications class began a
humanitarian project, The Good
Samaritan Project, as part o f a
class assignment. The assignment?
Devise a way to give back to the
community and talk to people.
Lauren Cole, elected leader o f
the project, met with fellow class
mates in front o f Roger Rook Hall
at 9 a.m. Saturday to pile five team
members, five volunteers and the
971 articles of clothing and blankets
collected into three cars.
During the setup and car assign
ing, Rachel Söderberg team mem
ber, called “shotgun” in true road
trip fashion. Group members Ashley
Anderson, Kelsea Heaton, Juana
Morales and Chelsea Vincenzi
joined their teammates and volun
teers — Becky Copeland, Austin
Dahlström and Kody Dahlström —
in laughter. Missing group member
Sean Blice would be meeting up
with the group later before they
headed into downtown Portland.
The Clackamas Print met with
the group to find out what The Good
Samaritan Project was all about.
The Print: The W ho came up
with the project name?
Cole: We talked it out and The
Good Samaritan Project came out
of those talks. It is the perfect name.
TP: W ho came up with the
idea of collecting clothes for the
homeless?
Söderberg: Once again, it was
a group effort. We all had similar
ideas about what we wanted to col
lect.
Cole: It’s cold here in the winter.
No one wants to have wet feet, so
socks were a high concern for us
too.
TP: T here were donation
boxes outside the ASG office.
How m any boxes of donated
goods did you get from the people
at th e college?
Cole: Four large bags and a huge
quilt.
TP: Were you surprised by the
am ount of donations?
Vincenzi: I was hoping for
more, but the biggest surprise
was the amount of donations we
received from the box at McNaulty
& Barry’s bar on Main Street [in
Oregon City]. We collected over
500 articles from that box alone.
Copeland: We even got mon
etary donations from people at
Lauren’s mom’s work.
Cole: Nearly $300 in cash dona
tions.
Vincenzi: Which we used to buy
blankets from Fred Meyer and wash
all the donations at the laundry mat.
TP: You mentioned having a
box at the bar in town. Did you
have other donation boxes setup?
Söderberg: We each had a box
setup in a different area, close to
where we live.
Morales: We also used social
media to promote the project —
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and
hung up fliers around campus.
Vincenzi: We received lots of
interested people asking if we could
pick up donations. Some delivered
their donations here to the school
as well.
TP: Do you feel this was a
worthwhile assignment/project?
Morales: It is important and has
a great impact on our community. I
hope we were successful in raising
Top: Ashley Anderson helps Luis go through a bag o f m en’s pants.
Above: The Good Samaritan Project group goes through a bag o f scarves and hats. Throughout their route the group
was asked fo r blankets, gloves and socks the most.
Bottom left: After a thorough search through bags fo r the perfect jacket.
Bottom right: The group leaves a blanket with socks on a mans lap his friend finds a scarf to keep her warm during
a rainy Saturday in Portland.
awareness for the homeless prob
lems.
Vincenzi: It was the successful
project in class.
Cole: What we aren’t able to
deliver by hand will be donated
to the Portland Rescue Mission
because they have a DHS closet for
interviews. DHS sends people who
need nice clothes for a job interview
T’P: Would you have done this
if it weren’t a class assignment?
Cole: I volunteer with OHSU .
community service already and
soup kitchens just don’t leave as
long o f an impact as new clothes -
one hot meal versus many days of
being warmly clothed.
Morales: I did a similar project
in high school. I organized a food
drive and collected food for my
senior project
The Print followed the Good
Samaritan Project from 9 a.m.
until 4:30 p.m. Initially the group
met with disappointment; the first
two stops on frie trip proved to be
unsuccessful because the spots were
either deserted or the people were
not interested in clothing assistance.
The Portland trek o f compassion
and goodwill was met with both
“no”s and “thank you”s. Only once
was the group responded to with
hostility when one gentleman in
a wheelchair was offended by the
offer to help.
“No, he’s not homeless. He’s a
wonderful man. Thank you,” said
the gentleman’s companion.
But others were more than
happy to accept the group’s gener
osity. One gentleman came back to
express his gratitude.
“God bless you guys. It’s a good
thing you are doing. I really needed
a hew jacket.”
One individual was found walk
ing along the Park Blocks without
any shoes on. The group sent a
runner back to the car to grab the
bags that had shoes for him. Shortly
afterward, they were approached by
another o f Portland’s homeless.
“I doubt you have shoes in my
size, but do you have gloves?” he
asked. Gloves, jackets, socks and
shoes were the most asked after
articles of clothing along the Park
Blocks.
But if you missed a chance
to donate don’t fret, the Good
Samaritan Project turned in its con
stitution to ASG last week and will
become an official CCC activities
club in the coming Spring term.