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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (April 23, 1997)
P age A5 T he P ortland O bserver • A pril 23, 1997 Wacky fun Helps Children What do Silly String, Play Doh, balloon hats, water pistols and an eight-foot birthday cake have to do with neglected children? Y o u ’ll find the first five in a benefit for abused and neglected children at M orrison C en ter’s 1997 Evening as a C hild fundraiser and party, on Friday, M ay 16, 1997 at the Portland Marriott. This zany party is de signed to raise m oney for the at-risk chi Idren in M orrison C enter’s treatm ent program s and to celebrate M orrison C e n te r’s 50th A nniversary. But why such a silly party for such a serious cause? A ccording to K aren W inder, D evelopm ent & C om m unity R elations D i rector for M orrison C enter, “T he children in our program s have not experienced jo y in their early years. We strive to help them heal so that they can finally feel safe, happy and loved. The purpose o f E vening as a C hild is to help our guests celebrate the m agic o f childhood w hile raising m oney for children w ho have been deprived o f that m agic due to abuse and neglect.” She adds, “This is the m ost fun you can have w hile helping at-risk ch ild ren .” T he Portland M arriott Ballroom will be transform ed into a giant playground tor adults, featuring the V elcro O bstacle Course, M echanical Calf-R oping, Snow board and Surfboard Sim ulators and m uch more. I he event will also include a silent auction with over 40 exciting packages and a raffle for a trip for tw o to Sedona, A rizona. Tickets are available for $75 each or $750 for a table o f 10 by calling Jeni M artinez at 503-233-4356. D inner and fun are included. C orporate sponsors for this y ea r’s event include Fred M eyer, Jubitz Corp., M ilne C o n stru ctio n , N abisco, P acificC o rp , US Bank, and US West. A11 proceeds from Even i ng as a Ch i Id w i 11 support the children in M orrison C en ter’s program s, including severely abused and neglected preschool children; infants and toddlers prenatally exposed to drugs; and adolescents struggling w ith problem s in volving substance abuse and violence. C urrently operating w ith a staff o f 150 em ployees in eight area treatm ent program s, M orrison C enter provides service to 2,500 at-risk children and their fam ilies each year. Adoption Information Seminar I loll International C hildren's Ser\ iees w i 11 conduct an A dop tion Inform ation Sem inar in Portland on I hursday. April 24. I lie sem inar takes plaee from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm at West I lillsC ovenantC hureh. loeated near Raleigh Hills at 5 8 15 SW (iillerest Court. Portland area social,w orkers will provide i n format ion about Holt International, the p ro gram s it offers, and the basic procedure for adoption. The sem inar is open to any one interested in adoption and is free ofeh arg e. A reservation is not m andatory but would be appreciated. I or more infor m ation or to m ake a reserva tion call Tam i Kraske at (503) 848-3133. Tightening The Bond That Binds: Saving The Young, Our Families, And The World “ It is the fam ily that gives us a deep private sense o f bylonging. H ere we first begin to have our se lf defined for us.” H ow ard T hurm an, “ D isciplines o f the S p irit” The soul o f Am erica is in trouble. The family that weathered the worst, m ost turbu lent storms o f any ethnic group in A m erica’s history is finally displaying om inous signs o f unraveling, o f losing its very soul; a soul that for centuries gave light to the country and to the world. For centuries, A frica’s seed on the North A m erican continent braved calam ities and assaults that by all rules o f m ortal endurance and logic should have destroyed it. A m erica’s dark and beautiful offspring managed, by the grace o f God, to em erge from slavery, lynchings, Jim Crow, duplicitous court rulings, hostile governm ent decisions, whole town burnings, and strikes on individual and group esteem, morally unscathed and intact. O r at least that is what we though 25 or 30 years ago. Today, at the end o f the 20th century, a different portrait o f the A frican-A m erican fam ily is being painted by the purveyors o f truth and the caretakers o f our race. At the heart o f m uch o f the disintegration is the breakdow n o f fam ilial ties and fam ily rituals but, most im portantly, o f the com m u nication o f love and genuine concern am ong the generations. It appears that character - the outw ard manifestation o f human behavior that reflects an inner spirit that has been disciplined and directed by patience, affection and firmness - is a shrinking com m odity in our fast-paced, materialistic and self-absorbed society. We see the young doing the unthinkable, saying the unrepeatable, worshipping the un godly, and exhibiting a tow ering ingratitude for all that they receive by som eone else’s efforts; and all we adults do is throw our hands in the air in a collective gesture o f hopeless ness and frustration. It is tim e to stop the finger-pointing and scapegoating! To reassum e our share o f the responsibility for the charterless course on w hich too m any in the younger generation have em barked. It is tim e to engage in this battle being w aged for control over the m inds o f our young. Like it or not, our children and their values are m irror reflections o f us. How they m anifest their w orship o f things may be different from ours, but its a difference w ith out distinction. T heir incessant pleasure seeking is a carbon copy o f our own. C^^irt/i Announcements^ A girl, Alexis S e n c la ir W h itn ey , was bom April 10, 1997 to A londa Patton and Senclair W hitney o f Portland. A lexis weighed 6 1/2 lbs. and is 18 1/2 in. long. A boy, L a M a rc u s D em ont Ja c k so n . was bom April 9, 1997 to V iola Jackson o f Portland. LaM arcus w eighed 8 lbs. 7 oz and is 21 1/2 in. long. N. By Michael A. Grant, J.D. They worship our gods. Their rebellious ness is our own returned in a new form. Their disrespect for the sanctity o f human life and the sacredness o f human personality was bom when we abdicated our role o f nurturing them and providing wise counsel. Instead, alterna tives such as television have bombarded their vulnerable and impressionable young minds with a ceaseless orgy o f sex, violence, and conspicuous consumption. We verbally nail our offspring to the cross for their slavish w orship o f peer opinion, using acrim ony instead o f honestly taking responsibility for our role in the matter. If w e w ould slow dow n our vitriolic at tacks on our children, we w ould clearly see that their bonds with their cohorts are rela tively superficial. For w hile they are co n nected with those in their age group by m ere style, form or fashion, they are connected far deeper to their parents by blood and em o- SAFEWAY FOOD & DRUG Look For Your Safeway Weekly Shopping Guide tion. In their m om ents o f utter desperation, or w hen their sense o f se lf is shattered, it is their parents’ com forting presence that the young cry out for. O ne only has to visit any o f the countless prisons that houses hun dreds o f thousands o f the co u n try 's most hardened inm ates, to witness the periodic unraveling o f layers that shield an alm ost infant-like longing for the com fort and reas surance o f a parent. We cannot give up on our young. The next generation craves — beyond their rebellious ness — our love, our understanding, and our non-judgm ental support. They need us to believe in them . They need us to help them construct a panoram ic view o f what is pos sible for their lives. O ur young can be saved. It is our moral im perative to m ove post haste to do so. Any talk o f hopelessness m ust be challenged. For, our young people carry the seed o f our prom ise for brighter tom orrow s. W a itin g C h ild r e n C77te & o f yC Blanca and Oyuki Having a mother to love and take care ofyott is a blessing most ot us take tor granted. Except for sweet Riley, age 2, who is battling Klinefelter's Syndrome. Or the adorable and tender sisters Blanca, age 6, and Oyuki, age 4. Even the warm and loving pair o f Esteban, age 6 and Nancy, age 4. I hese dear children are each missing a devoted mother tohugafter school, wavegoodbyeorkissgoodnight. Because they are among the350Oregon children waiting to be adopted by someone special. If you arealovingand stable adult, this M other’s Day please consider adopting Oregon’s waiting children. Both Moms and/or Dads are encouraged to inquire. Oregon adoption agencies waive or reduce fees for persons applying to adopt older children. For more information, write or call The Special Needs Adoption ( oalition at 018 SW Boundary Ct„ Portland, OR 97201 (503) 222-9661. Toll free outside of Portland, I-800-342-6688. Esteban and Nancy Butter Top Bread Fresh Oregon Fryers Economy Pack • First 3 SAVE up to BOfi lb. 'er HALF PRICE • 22.5-oz. • Mrs. Wright's • White or Wheat SAVE up to 79fi HALF PRICE In Your Oregonian FOODday in the Portland Metro Area ...and save more shopping at Safeway! Enjoy Extra Savings With The SAFEWAY EXTRA In-Store Savings Guide Available at your Safeway store. Visit Safeway s Web site at . www.sateway.com * PRICES EFFECTIVE APRIL 1997 Sun 27 Mon 28 Tu« Wed Thuf R, » 23 24 ?s 20 29 Red Ripe Strawberries • Grown in California • 6-pint, half flat • First two • SAVE up to $2.99 HALF PRICE ______ P ric e s E ffe c tra e W e d n e s d a y A p n l 2 3 . 7 » th ru T u es d ay A p ril 2 9 . M id n ig h t i limited and subject to avadabdity Not responsible for typographical < petona) errors We reserve the ngi ©1997 Safeway Stores I N obody does it B etter ’ for L ess .
