Street Roots • Aug. 10-16, 2018
independent living. Even millennials who are
raised by their biological parents are
struggling to find independence by their late
20s, Suib said, but to their advantage, they
have their parents’ home as a safety n et
“If that’s the reality of what it takes
economically and emotionally for young
people to transition to adulthood, on what
planet do we think young people can do that
on their own at the age of 18, when they’ve
been in systems of care that foster
dependency?” Suib said.
The 10 studio and five one-bedroom
apartments at the Dorothy Lemelson house
are not rent-free. Residents, aged 17 to 25,
will be expected to pay what they can on an
increasing scale, be enrolled in college or
working a job, and participate in an
embedded savings fund for their future,
which will grow larger the longer the youth
stay with the program.
“There isn’t a designated X amount of
time (they can stay,) because different
people take different time to launch,” Suib
said. “On the other side, this isn’t
permanent supported housing.”
Suib said two, part-time “engagement
specialists” will help the new residents
connect with the elders and families at
Bridge Meadows, as well as the larger
community around them.
“The hope is that these young people
build relationships and connections to the
Bridge Meadows community which last for
life,” said Suib.
“There’s always that connection, that they
can come back on Thanksgiving,” Suib said.
“Further, I’d say, th e hope is th a t many of
those young people would wind up living in
the surrounding community permanently.”
Bridge Meadows leaders say that without
the help of projects like this, the statistics
are dismal. According to the National Foster
Youth Institute, 20 percent of youths who
leave foster care at 18 become instantly
homeless, and many more are at risk in the
immediate years after aging out of the
system. Former foster youth are also
statistically more likely to face substance
abuse, unemployment, incarceration and
early parenthood.
Zahra said foster children realize that if
they don’t do well in care, they’re at risk of
an unsure future. “We definitely know, if we
mess up, there’s a chance we can mess up
our entire lives.”
Role of Elders
Directors from both agencies say one of
the key components to making this
community work is the elders’ participation.
Before moving into Bridge Meadows,
seniors commit to 100 hours of
“engagement” (per quarter) with the
younger members of the community.
However, staff there say most elders go well
beyond that time requirement.
“It’s a lot less transactional than it
sounds,” said Alicia Boggio-Hair, a resource
development associate with Bridge
Meadows who toured Street Roots around
the community. “It’s more organic and just
happens.”
The elders choose their interaction levels.
Some help in the laundry room, read to
youngsters in the library, help care for
children in the lounge or assist in the shared
garden.
Others, like Mary Johnsen, take it a step
further. “I never had an inkling I’d be doing
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University psychiatric study in which
researchers found loneliness and social
isolation can be as dangerous as smoking 15
cigarettes a day (Holt-Lunstad.)
The elders seem to get i t Bridge
Meadows has a two-to-three year waiting list
for seniors wanting to move into one of the
elder units. Management is scrambling to
open new communities around the area to
keep up with demand,.but at this point, they
say, they can’t build them fast enough.
P H O T O S B Y L IB B Y D O W S E T T
The Dorothy Lemelson House is the home o f the New Meadows Project, providing apartments
for foster youth aging out o f the system. New Meadows was created in partnership with Bridge
Meadows housing community and New Avenues for Youth. Below, Patty Juravic, a resident at
Bridge Meadows, cleans up children’s toys in the community room.
academics with children, I just thought I
was here to babysit,” Johnson laughed.
Johnson is a retired school teacher who
taught at the same school that once stood at
the sight of Bridge Meadows on North
Wayland Avenue. “I do academics with the
kids during the day, and the night is all me,”
said Johnson.
Johnson tutors her neighbors’ two
grandchildren Reba and Lydia, but her
“engagement” goes well beyond the simple
lessons. She attends their recitals, science
expos, church and even a recent primary
school graduation.
“I just look out for them and make sure
they’re safe around here,” said Johnson, as
she spotted one of the children meandering
out of Happiness Hour.
Johnson decided she wanted to be a
teacher when she was in grade school. She
spent time with a developmentally-disabled
family friend and was surprised when she
noticed him repeatedly, breaking potato
chips with a rocking chair. Up until that
point, she didn’t know anything about
autism, but right then, decided she wanted
to help people.
“God put me here,” said Johnson. “I
wouldn’t be here if he didn’t say this is
where you’re supposed to be.”
Johnson admitted she doesn’t keep track
of the hours she spends with the children,
but she knows she’s blown past the time
requirements. Now, with the New Meadows
program beginning, she sees more
opportunities to interact with young people.
“They probably can show me some stuff,
especially about those computers and stuff,
Johnson joked.
Win-Win Relationships
The architects of this community say the
benefits of intergenerational living go both
ways. As the elders donate their time and
effort, they also reap the rewards of finding
new purpose in life.
“Now I have a reason to get up in the
morning and not wear my pajamas and
watch the Price is Right all day. That is a
quote from an elder,” said Schubert.
She believes many elder residents are
looking for a sense of family. They want to
belong to something bigger than
themselves. Whether that means being a
friendly neighbor or a stand-in grandmother,
Schubert said the elders will gradually make
those connections with the New Meadows
youth.
“It’s not the stage of life where you hang
out with your grandma too much. But over
time, we think relationships will be built,”
said Schubert. “The elders and the parents
here are being very understanding and
respectful, in that it’s going to take time,”
said Schubert.
Zahra is eager to create lasting bonds
with the elders and other families. “My
family is Middle Eastern, and we believe it’s
important to take care of our elders,” Zahra
said. “We should never be too busy for
them.”
“It does make everything a little easier
having a person you can talk to, or keep you
company, or do classes with ...” said Zahra.
Those at Bridge Meadows say there is
another bonus for elders who take the time
to build strong relationships with community
members. Staff members say, by avoiding
isolation and loneliness, the elders may see
better results at the doctor’s office.
“Elders have shared with us their health
has stabilized or improved due to fact they
have something to do every day,“ said
Schubert “Antidotally, they’ve told us their
doctors have said that as well. We just need
to get that on tape.”
She further cites a 2015 Brigham Young
Expanding the Concept
Those behind the concept of Bridge
Meadows and the New Meadows project in
the Portsmouth Neighborhood say this
development is just the beginning. Bridge
Meadows already opened a second
intergenerational community in Beaverton.
And a third location, in the Rosewood
Neighborhood of East Portland, is now in
the works.
Both the Portsmouth and Beaverton
locations are based on the same model.
Elder, family and youth housing units
interspersed around a central courtyard.
Both facilities include a community room
with a kitchen, various gathering areas, a
library and art spaces.
This model is the first of its kind in the
nation, according to Suib. “It’s ideas like
these that are outside the box of what’s
happening now,” he said.
“I think they are the most promising
things we have to help young people have a
different outcome to this unfortunate
experience of being in care,” Suib said. “Ifs*
the coolest project ever, and everyone
should be talking about it.”
As for expanding beyond Oregon, the
Bridge Meadows team has provided
consultation for various outside projects, but
Schubert said they are waiting to see how
the in-state communities fare before
crossing state lines to build new
communities. At this point, she sees initial
success.
“Children are talking about feeling safe,”
said Schubert, “that they have friends and
forever families. We’ve started to watch
their mental health conditions stabilize.”
“We’ve watched parents say, they couldn’t
parent without the help of the community,”
said Schubert, "... and we’ve watched elders
say, ‘Wow, I’m not invisible anymore, and I
get to live with meaning and purpose.’”
As the new residents move into the
Dorothy Lemelson House, staff intends to
take it slowly. They want small groups
moving in at a time to allow tenants to get to
know each other and bond, before the next
group artives. It’s the organizations’ intent
to let residents feel out these relationships
for themselves to come up with their own
design.
“We think it will look like whatever
brings joy to their hearts,” said Schubert
Zahra hopes to live at the Dorothy
Lemelson House for about a year, as they
finish up an Associate’s Degree. NAFY also
helped Zahra get an interview for a part-time
job at the nearby New Seasons Market
Zahra’s long-term goal is to help other foster
youth, quite possibly, by working at the
same location where Zahra is living now.
For more information on the New Meadows
Project, Bridge Meadows and New Avenues
for Youth go to: bridgemeadows.org/our-
work/new-meadows. newavenues.org/