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About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 20, 2013)
3 street roots D ec. 20, 2013 treet Roots recently asked civic leaders around Portland, “How does supporting people in poverty help our community?” The project was inspired by the #MyHomePDX campaign on Twitter, recently launched by Street Roots and allies to talk about homelessness and poverty in the community in a more thoughtful and engaging way. Tune into those conversations on the Street Roots Twitter and Facebook pages and follow the #MyHomePDX hashtag. to improve the downtown neighborhood and attract economic activity. The district partners with Central City Concern to provide a unique win-win program. The “Clean” of Clean & Safe is the Homeless-to-Work Program run by Central City Concern that offers training and mentorship opportunities to workers that are formerly homeless or have other barriers to employment. For more than 20 years, Clean & Safe has offered this opportunity for formerly homeless individuals to re-enter the workforce. Street Roots newspaper vendor program is another example of a business model that provides individuals a path from poverty and an opportunity to provide a community benefit at the same time. These are just two of the many examples that exist that support the economic benefit to the community of helping people to escape poverty. - Suzanne Hayden, Executive Director, Citizens Crime Commission S he whole concept of community assumes that the fate of one influences the whole. When you think about how you personally respond to things when you are either hungry, cold or scared, you would probably agree that you are not at your best. Not only are you unhappy, but you lose your capacity to be productive and often don’t feel at all invested in the good of the whole. Just imagine feeling one or all three of those feelings most or all of the time. This is what poverty feels like. It isn’t just an economic or political concept. It is the growl in your stomach, the wind whipping through your dwelling and your personal safety being at risk. When you live in a community, you are interacting with everyone in some way or another — sharing buses, parks, shops, streets and work places. Your enjoyment of those spaces and your feeling of security and peace of mind is directly affected by whether others have access to basic needs. Of course you could buy a home in a gated community, never leave home and hope that no one you are close with will ever need a hand. But that is no way to live. To think that we have our health, wealth and family support because we have been excellent people is just plain ignorant. Some of us were given a head start, with good nutrition, health care, nurturing and education. No one becomes successful independent of others. Those folks who say they pulled themselves up by their own bootstraps always forget that they were given bootstraps. We are all at risk of becoming sick, broke or isolated at some time in our lives. If you have been lucky enough so far to receive the long end of the stick, find a way to give something back. You will definitely improve the community to which you belong, and may just end up needing a hand yourself some day. - Chris Bonner, Principal Broker, Hasson Company Realtors T ur community includes everyone, regardless of how much money you have. People in poverty are our community: we’re all in this together. It doesn’t take much for someone who thought they were on solid financial footing to lose it all. As firefighters, we see people struggling, and suffering, in every type of situation imaginable. We see people not only experience tragic aving experienced the ails of poverty as a child, I have events, but the struggle and despair of people - good people personal knowledge of how community support today - from all walks of life, with no other resources. Resources can lead to a successful and stronger community tomorrow. don’t just amount to money, but just as importantly, can No one is living in poverty by choice, and most people will mean family or friends to turn to. When you see people take advantage of the opportunity to utilize resources to struggling and the enormous well they must climb out of, become self-sufficient, contributing members of society. you get just a small taste of how overwhelming and There can be no conversation about the sustainability and devastating it must feel. longevity of a community without taking into account the This is one of the reasons why Portland Fire & Rescue im m e d ia te n e e d o f th e le a s t a m o n g u s . On Twitter at #MyHomePDX O H By supporting people in poverty, we provide substantial investments in creating a stronger future for the whole of society, where all can share in the continued cultural and economic development of our community. Only when we can ensure that everyone has equal access to the tools needed to overcome the many economic barriers in existence, can we truly call ourselves progressive. We cannot be compassionate in times of convenience, while turning our backs on our most vulnerable population when times really get tough. There is no community in that; there is no humanity in that.” —Jerome Brooks, Urban League of Portland p u t s s u c h a n e m p h a s is o n p r e v e n t io n a n d e d u c a t io n : w e don’t want people to be in a situation that leaves them at risk. I’m sure that economists can show all the bottom line reasons how supporting people in poverty is important for the economy, and health statisticians can show how it benefits all of our wellness and decreases risk of disease. And as a fire chief, I can tell you for certain that poverty correlates with an increase in all types of emergency incidents, every day, and the ripple of that might directly, or indirectly, affect you as well. But we don’t need proof that helping people is good for us: helping people in need is what we’re about, and lending support to people suffering poverty helps our community because it’s the right thing to do, and just maybe it’s a beginning to ending the cycle. — Chief Erin Janssens, Portland Fire & Rescue overty threatens the health and safety of our entire community, not just the people directly experiencing it. When community members do not have jobs they are at risk e are all members of the same community - and we all e are all in this together. Poverty and discrimination of slipping into and becoming trapped in a cycle of poverty add to the rich diversity of our community. At this time keep too many people, including families and children, that can last generations. When a community has members of the year, we think about giving to others more than in from reaching their full potential. By extending a hand up, living in poverty, this negatively impacts the health and other times throughout the year. Many of us have traditions and creating meaningful opportunity for all, we create a safety of the entire community. Lack of jobs or enough jobs and cultures which promote giving to others more at this more just and prosperous community — a community we can with pay sufficient to support families, combined with the time of the year. Some of our gifts are to friends and family all be proud of. lack of educational opportunities to provide the needed - other gifts are to people less fortunate than we are. — Commissioner Nick Fish work force, all contribute to a cycle of decline. Tax revenues Supporting people in poverty in our community is one type decrease with the loss of jobs, the public safety net funded of giving that feels good. by those revenues retracts and thins to the breaking point, For one thing, it helps us appreciate the gifts we are hile supporting people in poverty is certainly which further perpetuates the cycle of poverty. receiving, or have received, throughout the year. Beyond the beneficial, I don’t know that it actually helps our From an economic and business perspective, the entire gift itself, we feel good when others give a gift to us - and community. M y belief is that to truly help our community, community benefits from the pursuit of civic and economic we feel good when we give a gift to others because of the we must go much further and actually eradicate poverty. vitality focused on jobs for people. Jobs are the foundation connections and relationships the gift represents. When we “Impossible!” Some may say! But I turn to the eradication for a safe, healthy and prosperous community. give to people in poverty in our community, sometimes we of polio as an example of how the seemingly impossible When a community has a shared vision of prosperity that are helping them escape from the poverty that is trapping became possible when a group of people subscribed to the increases the opportunities for all, economic activities are them. Sometimes we give to people in poverty because we collective belief of service to others beyond self. Whether encouraged, business is attracted, jobs flourish, job want them to have all of the basic necessities of life - food, you’re Muslim, Catholic, Buddhist, Christian or Jewish, we opportunities are created, income levels increase, increased housing, medical care, clothing, etc. These gifts help us can all turn to our respective faiths for guidance on how to levels of philanthropy are enabled and tax revenues increase move toward a community where no one goes hungry, no accomplish this. Working together to eradicate poverty will with every worker. The increased revenue funds increases one is homelessness, no one is unable to obtain medical only foster a stronger community in which everyone thrives. in educational opportunities and grows our community care, no one goes without appropriate clothing for the cold, —Jam aal Folsom reputation as a safe and healthy destination which attracts wet Oregon weather. Moving toward that goal for our visitors and investments and the safety net for our most community feels good — and it certainly helps those in need. vulnerable community members becomes stronger. The Our community is stronger and more self reliant when each upporting people in poverty to provide them pathways to cycle is perpetuated. of its members can be strong and self reliant. actively engage and contribute helps us as humans and it Investing in our shared vision of prosperity means It’s not just that it hurts us to see people in need - it’s helps us build a stronger community. Working together to be investing in people and jobs. That means providing the that we know that they are hurting and we feel driven to do sure that poverty is a temporary condition will capture the vision and support necessary for members of our something about it. We know that no one likes living in ingenuity, innovation, hard work and creativity that our community to escape the cycle of poverty and be part of the poverty, so gifts to help people escape from poverty will neighbors have to offer. Poverty is a waste for all of us, of cycle of prosperity. help them do better and feel better. Then, the community human potential and of opportunity. We can and must do Many examples of this vision and support exist right here will be a better place for them — and for us — to live in. better, for our children, for our families, for ourselves. in Portland. One example is the Clean & Safe District, a - Jean DeMaster, Executive Director, -Ja n e t Byrd, Executive Director nationally recognized business improvement district where Human Solutions Neighborhood Partnerships businesses elect to pay fees that supplement public funding W W S P W
