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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 21, 1984)
Portland Observer, November 21, 1984, Page 3 WATCH A VIDEO MOVIE 3< METROPOLITAN Restaurant benefit fights African famine > by Robert Lothian y ; Nearly 200 people attended a ■ benefit dinner for starving Ethi- -iopians at Jarra's Ethiopian Restau rant Sunday. For a SIO donation they were served an Ethiopian meal of mild or hot chicken, “ Dora W at,” or beef, "Zigone," split lentils, mixed vege tables, tomato salad and "In je ra ," Ethiopian bread. Jarra's owners, Petros Jarra and his wife Aina Sultessa, said the mo ney raised will be channeled through the Red Cross and a church for dis tribution to Ethiopian communities. "What we saw on TV was shock ing and depressing," said Sultessa, 29, who came to the U.S. in 1978 to study nursing. “ We are much better o ff here,” said Petros Jarra, 39, a former busi ness student at Walla Walla College who came to the U.S. ten years ago. " W e thought we could do more than just send a few checks," he said. The couple said they wanted to organize an event than would in volve the community and also pull together significant help for Ethi opia. All food and beverages for the dinner were donated, said Jarra, and restaurant employees, custom ers and members of Portland’s Ethiopian community volun teered as waiters and waitresses. Jarra*« restaurant owner« Patroa Jarra and Aina Sultessa. take time out during their Ethiopian benefit dinner Sunday in South east Portland. (Photo: Kris Altucher) Waiter Bruce Borquist, a former peace corps volunteer in Ghana, said he was “ just a faithful custom er" who wanted to help. " It just seemed like a good thing to d o ," said Sherrill Bower, who came from Eugene with her friends Becky Wilson and Emmanuel Men- aekis. "There is something ironic about sitting in front of beautiful plates of food............ and thinking that we're doing something," said Mcneakis. "There needs to be more thought about the way food and power are distributed in the world,” he said. People who want to help but who were unable to attend ihe dinner can send checks to the downtown branch of the U.S. bank payable to “ Jarra’s benefit dinner for starving Ethiopians," said Jarra. The couple comes from ihe town of Kuyera Shashamanne, about 100 miles south o f Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa. "The area we know, especially near where I was born." said Jarra, "is something like Ore gon," with mountains, lakes and evergreen trees. Most of thecoun- YWCA holds holiday bazaar Herb Cawthorne addresses fasters at the Food Bank's celebrity no-food lunch. (Photo: Richard J. Brown) Fasters raise funds by Robert Lothian Some o f Portland's important people sat at tables set with silver ware and linen Thursday, but rather than eat, those present filled their plates with thoughts o f starving people. The Celebrity Fast no-food lunch at the Portland Building attracted attention to the Interagency Food Bank's seventh annual Fast for the Hungry. The Food Bank is asking People to fast for a day during the holiday season and then donate the money saved to the agency. Africa is the focus of this year's campaign. Ten percent o f donations toward the Food Bank's goal of $30,000 will go to Oxfam America for famine relief in Ethiopia and other African coun tries. Oxfam is the national sponsor of the Fast for the Hungry. The remainder of the donations will go to help hungry people local ly. The Food Bank donated over 3,600,000 lbs of food to 144 Port land agencies in 1983-84. Present Thursday were Sigrid C lark, wife of the mayor-elect, Doug Rogers of the Interagency Food Bank, Herb Cawthoine, Mike Lindberg, Gladys McCoy, State Senator Margie Hendriksen. Jona than Nicholas and a special appear ance by folksingers Peter, Paul and Mary. Waiters and waitresses took sym bolic orders from celebrity fasters reading from Portland restaurant menus. Then the fasters forked over the amount they would have paid for the lunch. Over $1,000 was raised. Valera Washburn, executive d i rector of the Leukemia Association of Oregon, ordered Moussaka and a Pepsi from the Vat and Tonsur menu, worth about S3. " I came thinking 1 was going to cheat with a cup of soup on the way to the o f fice,” she said, but after listening to the speeches she changed her mind. The fast "th a t tweeks our tum mies” should be a reminder of the real fast going on in the world to day, notably in Africa, said Sigrid Clark. "H o w many deaths will it take before we know too many people have died?” asked Peter Yarrow, invoking the song, "Blowing in the W ind," which he and Paul Stoo- key and Mary Travers made fa mous. Mary Travers said she witnessed hunger during a trip to El Salvador, "W hen politics gets in the way of humanity, there is something wrong with politics, and with us,” she said. City council candidate Herb Cawthorne called for a "peace corps of the heart." The people ga thered and thoughts of the famine made him think of a phrase, "There, but for the grace o f God, go I," said Cawthorne. Lew Church, fast coordinator for the Interagency Food Bank, said do nations can be sent care of “ Fast for the Hungry,” 3939 S.E. 26th, Port land, 97202. Phone 239-5437 for more information. »s '■ ' ’’ v ’ Holiday gifts, arts and crafts, decorations and lunch will be avail able at the Sugar Plum Faire, Dec. 2, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Downtown YW C A . 1111 S.W 10th Ave. This Holiday Bazaar is held in conjunction with the Park Block Revels and marks the kickoff of the Annual Westwind Christmas Tree Sale. The Tree Sale, running through Dec. 24, will offer fresh Scotch pine. Grand, Noble, and Douglas Fir trees, wreaths and holly. The sale, held on the Downtown YWCA Patio, will be open from 9 a.m to 7 p .m ., weekend and 11 a .m .- 1:30 p.m. and 4-6:30 p.m. week days. Both the tree sale and the Bazaar proceeds help send chil dren to Westwind, the YW C A camp on the Pacific. Last summer, over 150 people were able to attend camp who otherwise would not have been able. Call the Downtown YW C A for more information, 223-6281. Engineering school tour try is a highland plateau with a con- stand year-round climate, "some thing like Southern California in the wintertim e,” he said. " I l ’s beautiful.” But for several seasons the nor mal monsoon rains haven't come. "W hen there is no rain there is no crop and when there is no crop you are going to get hungry," said Jarra. Something similar happened in 1973, said Jarra, when he and his wife were students in Ethiopia. "W e fasted for a week and we collected some breakfast money, some clothes, blankets and we chose a representative to go up there and give it to (the victim s)." But this famine, said Jarra, is the worst yet. " I t is really encircling the coun try," he said. The famine is complicated by Ethiopia's political situation, they said. Military-socialist government came to power in the mid-70's, and a war for independence has con tinued in the northern province of Eritrea for 25 years. They would like to go back and visit friends and relatives, they say, but fear that once in the country they will not be allowed to return makes them stay. "Our plan was to go back, and because of the change of government there was no im provement toward free movement. We decided to wait and see," said Sultessa. In the meantime we starr ed this business.” Jarra's has been at Southeast 6th and Morrison for I '/ j years. "Po rtlan d accepted us well and we are very happy now,” said Jarra. "W h at I want to say," he said, "is to thank the people of Portland greatly for their kind help and re sponse. .. you never know who your friends arc until you get into a sit uation where you need them.” Announcing wide area paging coverage without the wide area price. The paging people who haw always brought you selection and service now bring you one of the widest coverage areas In Portland. Plus one big advantage Our com|x*tltors charge you for "extended coverage." RAM Includes It as standard b ill o f fare. Premium coverage w ithout a premium price. Because at RAM. we believe your pager Is only as good as the area It reaches 226-1507 RAM Broadcasting of Oregon, Inc , 713 S W 12th Avenue ATABLE INAPHONE BOOTH. The University o f Portland School of Engineering will open its doors to visitors Saturday, Dec. I, to give the public a view of the school and its offerings. The visitation day, primarily aimed at new or transfer students and their parents, will begin at 12:30 p.m. A tour of the campus and en gineering facilities will be included. For registration or additional in formation call the University of Portland School o f Engineering at (503)283-7314. Used toys for needy The Portland Fire Bureau Toy and Joy makers will be operating from a new location this year locat ed at 1122 N. Williams Ave., corner of N. Williams and Hassalo. This site has been donated by Hanna Industries. Christmas is nearly here again and we need new or very repairable toys and/or cash donations (and it's all tax deductible). People wishing to donate can drop o ff their toys at any Portland Fire station and mail all cash dona tions to the Toy and Joy Makers, c /o the Portland Fire Bureau, S3 S. W. Ash, Portland 97204. f •T.",’ •' • I Cidi your favorite restaurant from a convenient public phone. ( Q ) Pacific Northwest Bell CIMM Ih xifk North west Hr 11
