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January 15, 1997
Committed to cultural diversity.
Volume X X V II, Number 3
B
ZiTotnm it ttitg
v i a I c it ò a r
Hospice needs volunteers
Hospice of Sacred Heart is seeking
v o lu n te e rs to b eco m e p a rt o f a
multidisciplin-ary team supporting termi­
nally ill patients and their caregivers in a
home setting. Other areas of need include
bereavement volunteers to support family
members after the death of a patient and
office help. An informational meeting will
be held on Thursday, January 23, from 1
to 3 p.m. at the Home Health Services
office at 1121 Fairfield Ave. in Eugene.
This will be followed by six training ses­
sions on consecutive Thursdays from 1 to
4 p.m. beginning February 13 A tax-
deductible fee of $25 is charged to help
cover training expenses. To register for
the meeting or for more information, call
Helen Barden at Sacred H eart’s Hospice
office at 461-7555.
Women’s International
League for Peace and
Freedom
Meeting: Monday, January 13, 1997,
7:(X)p.m. at the Northwest Service Center
Boardroom, 1819 NW Everett, 224-5190.
Mickey Goes to Haiti: Video on the
manufacture of Disney Products by ex­
ploited laborers. Action: assist National
Labor Committee to improve conditions
in Haitian factories Public Welcome.
M artin Luther King, Jr.
W eek Activities
(All activities will be held in the Stu­
dent Center, Gaiser Hall, except as noted.)
Thursday, January 16
Noon--“Resume & Interview Tips &
Techniques”
Central C onf—Maxine Mitchell, Stu­
dent Em ploym ent Program M anager,
Clark College Rm., Gaiser Hall
Friday, January 17, 6:00-9:00 p.m.
Celebration of Harmony & Diversity,
6:30 p.m.
Trade show
Oregon Festival and Events Associa­
tion 3rd Annual State Conference and
Trade show “Thinking Outside the Box:
Creative Approaches to Event Success”
When: January 23-25, 1997
Where: Red Lion Columbia River,
Portland, Oregon
Registration information: David
Cohen, Salem Art Association, (5 0 3 )5 8 1 -
2228, Carol Brewster. Eugene Celebra­
tion, (541)687-5215
Trade Show information: Norb Mur­
ray, Noah Enterprises, (503) 691-2534
SIM 1 9 9 7 Regional
Learning Forum Date
Western States Region
February 6-7, 1997
If you would like more information on
the Western States RLF or its February
meeting, contact SIM Headquarters at
312.644.6610.
Straw Bale
The Institute for Sustainable
CultureBuilding Forum
Three leading techniques for the ISC's,
February 1st (Institute for Sustainable
Culture) Office, 2-6 p.m. & Community
Straw Bale Structure will instruct this class
in the history, present developments, tech­
niques and design issues of Straw Bale
Construction. $40, SE Uplilt Building,
3534 SE Main.
Form more information: 503-736-1143
W inter In The Woods
Learn how different animals adapt to
survive the winter, and what creatures
leave the park for warmer climates. Ex­
plore the magic of winter through crafts,
story telling and science activities. Come
help us celebrate Groundhog Day with
these special activities
W hen: February 2, 1997. 2-4 p.m
W here:T ryon Creek State Park, 11321
SW Terwilliger BI vd., Portland, OR 97219
SUBMISSIONS: Community
Calendar information will be given
priority if dated two weeks
before the event date.
Portland sighs relief as high water levels drop, but its not over yet. Forecasters predict cold weather, with possible freezing ram this weekend.
Photo by M. Washington
Budget cuts close Metro Crises Line
fter 18 years, volunteer-based
Metro Crisis Line will close due
to cuts in Multnomah County
FUNDING.
Concerns over Social Service Crisis Call
Assistance persist, and the Crisis line has
requested a formal assessment of potential
gaps in the next six months.
The elimination of more than $300,000 in
annual support by M ultnomahCounty’sCom-
munity and Family Services Division will cut
63% of the Portland's area's Metro Crisis
Line operational budget, ending operations
for the nationally recognized, volunteer-based
community organization at midnight on Mon­
day, January 13. The funding is being di­
verted by the county to the Multnomah County
Crisis Triage Center to handle only acute
mental health crisis situations. "Acute" men­
tal health cases, such as suicidal and homi­
cidal behavior, represent only 20% of the
calls Metro Crisis currently receives annu­
ally. leaving a majority of future crisis calls
unanswered.
“The most effective and cost-efficient
manner to handle health issues is not to send
everyone to the emergency room when they
have a cold But this is exactly the mental
health strategy that the Multnomah County
program is im plem enting,” stated Laura
Jeibmann. Executive Director of the Metro
Crisis Line "The new' triage center will be
effective in handling acute ‘emergency room'
mental health cases, but, by itself, the pro­
gram will leave the community without a
safety net lor crises such as relationship is­
sues. parent-child conflicts, stress and anxi­
ety. The Portland area will need a commu­
nity-based crisis line to work alongside the
Crisis Triage Center for a complete con­
tinuum of care.”
The county and Providence Health Sys­
tem. which was awarded the contract to man­
age the Crisis Triage Center, have declined to
transferlhe MetroCrisis phone num berlothe
new system This Crisis Line phone number
is posted on Portland area bridges as a sui­
cide help line and in the front pages of Port­
land phone books. Triage Center staffing
plans, according to Providence Health Sys­
tem, will accommodate about 100 calls per
day, while M elroCrisisiscurrently respond­
ing to an average of 2 17 calls per day.
"M etro Crisis has been on the front lines
for 18 years assisting oui community when in
crisis-w hether it be a troubled teen contem ­
plating suicide or an entire community rocked
by Hooding," stated Larry Norvell, Presi­
dent. United Way Columbia/W illamette. “ In
an era where mental health funds have con­
sistently been decreasing, the loss of a cost-
effective, successful organization such as
Metro Crisis will represent a significant set­
back to our community.”
Metro Crisis is requesting that the county
conduct a normal Needs Assessment of Men­
tal Health and Social Service Crisis Response
within the initial six months of operation to
determine if the needs of the community are
being met. There is significant concern that
many people in need will have nowhere to
call.
While the crisis line will no longer be
staffed on January 13. the M etroCrisis Line's
infrastructure anil existing computer systems
containing Portland-areacommunity resource
information will remain intact for an addi­
tional six months The Metro Crisis Line
Board of Directors has implemented this
strategy to be responsive to the potential need
from the community to resurrect the volun­
teer-based crisis line, provided that funding
sources can be identified.
Since its founding in 1978, the Metro
Crisis Line has responded to Portland-area
crisis cal Is 24 hours a day. seven days a week,
using more than 190 trained volunteers and a
management staff of mental health profes­
sional. With its volunteer base. M etroCrisis
is extremely cost-effective, providing M ult­
nomah County taxpayers a bargain during a
time w hen mental health funds continue to be
cut. The crisis line, which is certified by the
American Association of Suicidology, re­
sponds to situations ranging from suicide and
drug abuse to domestic violence and em er­
gency shelter. Metro Crisis works coopera­
tively with emergency services such as “9 11 ”
and assists callers through crises, often iden­
tifying local community resources to aid in
longer-term crisis resolution Other fully
funded programs, such as The Oregon G am ­
bling Hotline, the Clark County Crisis Line
and United Way Information and Referral
will continue to operate.
A powerful! spokesman for the arts
e have the power to make our
community what we want it to
be. It's important that you give
OF YOl IRSEI FANDBFl (IMF A POSITIVE PART
OF WHERE YOl) LIVE.”
So says George Bell, a leader in Portland’s
arts and culture community. He challenges
others to follow suit by making at least a
small investment of time in a positive com ­
munity cause.
Bell spends long days as a vice president
at the Bonneville Power Administration,
where he manages more than 1,900 employ
ees in the t-ansmission services department.
But when he leaves the office, this man of
power transforms his energy into sculpting
Portland as even a hetlei place.
Bell's palate of culture-enhancing volun­
teer activities includes serving as Chairman
George Bell
of the Portland Center for the Performing
Arts advisory committee, portland Center
mg Portland's Business Community for the
Stage Theatre Company board of directors,
Arts. “He secs the big picture and is great at
the Lakewood Center for the Arts board of
bringing together people and solving prob­
directors , and the Regional Arts & Culture
lems.”
Council board of directors.
Bell began to get more involved -starting
Bell also founded Friends of the Perform­
with the Performing Arts Center- about ten
ing Arts Center, a group that communicates
years ago.
the benefits of the center to the public, pro­
"I was thinking a lot about the people who
motes general arts awareness, and creates a
get involved in art and culture in our commu­
strong force of support for the center.
nity, and those that don’t. That issue really
“In short, Georgg really cares about the
motivated me to begin doing more" Bell said
arts,” said Kathleen Johnson Kune, represent- * “I was, and still am. particularly interested in
the folks who don’t use these facilities.
W hether they know it or not, they're missing
out on a lot.”
Bell also said that keeping tickets at rea­
sonable prices is an issue of continued con­
cern. because low-income people should have
access to cultural activities.
"If we are going to call these ‘community
activities', then we have to make sure the
majority of people in the community can
afford to attend them." Bell said.
In addition Io his volunteer work for arts
and cultural activities, Bell is an apointee for
the Health Educational and Cultural Facili­
ties Authority and the Metropolitan Exposi­
tion and Recreation Commission, or MERC,
and he also serves on the Oregon Public
Broadcasting's (OPB) board.
A dditionally, he volunteers for the Po­
lice A ctivities League, an organization that
w orks proactively to help prevent juvenile
crim e. Bell said the League reaches at-risk
kids and brings positive influences into
their lives.
"I like to see the enthusiasm in these kids
when they learn that someone cares about
them and where they arc going”, Bell said.
"The league is a great alternative to the
negative influence that often surround them.”
Bell also is a strong advocate for OPB,
because he says it conveys a similar message
to its audience.
'OPB is a forum that encourages people to
educate themselves, to turn away from the
negative programming on television,” Bell
said. "We c a n ’t stop the negative program­
ming of others, but we can give people a
good, positive alternative.”
Above all, Bell says that what he does is
not unusual. In fact, h e ’d like to see more
people ju m p in g on the volunteer band­
wagon.
He says one can find a balance among the
callings of a demanding job, volunteer duties
and a family He says the volunteer aspect,
just requires an initiative to get started and
the drive to keep going.
And. Bell adds with a smile, it helps to
have a spouse who is into volunteering as
well.
“My wife, Val, and I are both involved
with some different volunteer activities in the
community From this, we have a good forum
for sharing thoughts or bouncing ideas off
each other, " Bell said. “We enjoy knowing
that we are making a positive difference."
Which gets to Bell’s challenge to others.
“The bottom line is that there are too few
adults out-there who arc giving of their time
and of them selves,” Bell said “W hether it’s
getting involved with youth camps or helping
out with tutoring, it’s great if you can find
something you believe in and then step in and
give it your full support."