Committed to Cultural Diversity
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M etro
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Olympic Team Setback
Doping violation makes star sprinter
ineligible fo r Athens Games
See Sports, page B2
SECTION
o ni ill u n i t y
C a l e n
bom
tl a r
Alberta Farm Market
Providing healthy, affordable,
high quality food, the Alberta
Cooperative Grocery offers sea­
sonal produce from local grow ­
ers, ready-to-eat food and weekly
entertainment. Open from 10a.m.
to 2 p.m. daily, located on 1500
N.E. Alberta Street. For more
information, call 503-287-4333.
to
B
breastfeed
The Sabbath
Spend your weekend well at the
Israelite Church o f God and
Jesus Christ, 309 N. E. Wygant
St., for the Sabbath. Friday ser­
vice begins at 7 p.m. and Satur­
day service is at 8:30 a.m.
Fair Housing
Join the Fair Housing Council
on Aug. 12 foradiscussion titled
Interpretation o f Fair Housing
Laws at the W oodstock Library,
6(X)8 S.E. 49th Ave, from 6:30 to
8 p.m. Aug. 12. Register by call­
ing 503-772-8825
Humane and Bazaar
The Oregon Humane Society
hosts a summ er craft bazaar and
pet fairon Saturday, Aug. 14 and
Sunday, Aug. 15 at 1067 N. E.
Columbia Blvd.
Jovan Young nurses
her seven-month-old
daughter, Denali.
She recently spoke
at a Nursing
Mothers Counsel
event, saying, “Why
wouldn't!
breastfeed?“
Ready for School
Back to the Future School Sup­
plies Give-A-W ay is from 1 to 5
p.m. on Aug. 29 at the Chevron
Gas Station parking lot at 3435
Martin Luther King Blvd. at Fre­
mont. Get supplies while they
last. Call 503-890-0070.
photo by
M ark
W ashington /
T he P orti an d
O bserver
World of Voices
Group spearheads
campaign to
increase nursing
among minorities
Sun Hak International Children’s
C h o ir perform s songs from
around the world from 3 to 5 p.m.
Aug. 8 at Mount Sinai Freedom
Assembly at 936 N. E. Beech St.
Free. For information, call 503-
490-8535.
With childhood obesity frequenting the
headlines, one organization believes m oth­
ers can nip it and a variety o f respiratory
Attention Bookworms!
Contact the nearest public library
near you and take advantage of
fun summer reading programs
open to all ages or take free com-
puterclasses. Learn aboute-mail,
w eb searching, spreadsheets,
word processing and more. To
leant more, visit online at http://
www.multcolib.org.
Writing Seminar
Free your writing spirit with a
free writing workshop by Write
Around Portland through Aug.
12 at locations in and around
north Portland. To register or
contribute, call 503-796-9224.
Interest in Adoption?
problems in the bud through breastfeeding.
People o f color are less likely to take
advantage o f this healthy and economical
way of bonding with their babies, according
to research from the U.S. Office o f W om en’s
Health.
Studies indicate that racial and ethnic
disparities in breastfeeding rates are large,
revealing particularly low rates among Afri­
can Americans.
The Nursing M others Counsel o f Oregon
aims to increase the number o f Oregon chil­
dren who are breastfed, reducing their risk of
recurrent ear infections, severe diarrhea and
hospitalization for respiratory diseases such
as pneum onia and childhood obesity.
The group spoke at a breastfeeding aware­
ness conference at Healthy Birth Initiative in
northeast Portland last week to spread the
message.
continued
New Director for Latino Network
Latino Network
Executive Director
María Lisa Johnson
(left) strategizes with
Maria Avila, a commu­
nity health worker
about issues affecting
Latinos.
National Minority Donation Awareness
Month is an ideal time for people of all racial
and ethnic groups to consider organ and
tissue donation.
Few people in the Portland area know
about the critical need for organ and tissue
donors. More than 85.CXX) men, women and
chi Idren i n the Uni ted States are wai ti ng for
an organ transplant. Almost 2,000 o f those
people reside in the Pacific Northwest.
Tragically, 17 people die each day due to a
Stay Healthy
Work For Change
Community Advocates invites
those interested in protecting
children from abuse to become
an event volunteer, event out­
re a c h , te c h n o lo g y e x p e rt,
graphic artists or office support
team member. For more informa­
tion, call 503-280-1388.
NAACP Meetings
The Portland Branch o f the
NAACP holds two monthly ex­
ecutive committee meetings, on
the second T hursday o f the
month and the Thursday before
the fourth Saturday of the month.
General membership meetings
are held on the fourth Saturday
of each month. For more infor­
mation, call 503-284-7722.
photo by
M ark
W ashington /
T he P ortland
O bserver
Maria Lisa
Johnson brings
vision and
experience
,n a unanimous decision, the Latino Net­
work Board of Directors appointed Marfa
Lisa Johnson as their new executive direc­
tor.
The Latino Network has been active in
Multnomah County for the past ten years,
bringing together individuals and com mu­
nity organizations to advocate for the Latino
community, educate and inform public policy
and serve as a force for social change.
For the last two years, Johnson has
served as a com munity planner, organizer
and program manager for the Latino Net­
work. Her appointment signals a new direc­
More Minority
Organ Donations
Giving the gift o f life
to people o f color
A free information meeting for
prospective adoptive parents is
held the third W ednesday o f
every month from 7 to 8:30p.m .
at Belmont Public Library. 1038
S.E. 39,h Ave. For more informa­
tion, call 503-226-4870 or visit
www.openadopt.com.
Sankofaa Health Institute offers
a free diabetes support group
from 6 to 7:30 p.m. every third
Thursday at Alberta Simmons
Plaza, 6707 N.E. Martin Luther
King Jr. Blvd. For more informa­
tion, call 503-285-2484.
on page B3
tion for the organization.
“One of the principle goals is to work
toward unity in our community. I hope to
work more closely with service providers
and strategize with my board to be more
effective advocates to issues important to
She will not only be a
great asset fo r the Latino
Network, but fo r all who are
attempting to develop better
working relations and build
a bridge o f understanding
with the Latino community.
- Martin Gonzalez, Latino Network president
Latinos,” said Johnson.
Some o f the issues on the forefront, from
Johnson's perspective, include access to
healthcare, youth violence, education, em-
ployment, immigration and civil right.
Martín González, president of the board,
stated that the Latino Network is embarking
on a major effort to establish stronger part­
nerships with Latino service providers, ex­
pand its alliances with communities of color,
and promote initiatives with public officials
and administrators to respond more effec­
tively to Latino com munity needs.
“ Marfa Lisa’s appointment will lead us in
that new direction. She is highly respected
for her work, brings a vision of inclusivity,
and can effectively convene a broad range
o f individuals to work together toward a
common good," said González. “She will
not only be a great asset for the L atino
N etw ork, but for all w ho are attem pting to
develop better w orking relations and build
a bridge o f understanding with the L atino
com m unity."
Johnson holds a m aster's degrees in pub-
continued y ^ on page B3
Luther Locket
was given
years o f life
because o f
an organ
donation he
received.
lack o f an organ donor.
For the African-American com m unity,
the situation is more dramatic because
over the past decade there has been a 166
percent increase in the num ber o f African
Americans waiting for organ transplants.
And while black people com prise 26 per­
cent o f individuals on the national trans­
plant waiting list, they only represent 13
percent of organ donors.
In August, the nation celebrates Na­
tional Minority Donor Awareness Month,
but it’s individuals such as north Portland
resident Luther Lockett, who knows just
how real the gift o f an organ transplant is.
“It’s been 17 years since my heart trans­
plant, and I’m still going strong," said
Lockett. “These extra years have given me
continued y ^ on page B3