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January 2. 2008
61 Have a Dream’ Program Adopts Local Class
Life-altering
opportunity for
Rigler third graders
Third graders at Rigler Elementary
School in northeast Portland are the
newest class of 'Dreamers" with “I
Have a Dream"Foundation-Oregon.
Sixty-four students form the class
1 that represents the organization's 10th
sponsored class in the state. Since the
Oregon chapter was established in 1990.
nearly 9(X) students in 10 classes in
eight different schools have benefited
from the 10-year-long "Dreamer” pro­
gram.
The nationally based "I Have a Dream”
program helps children across the coun­
try develop and fulfill their educational
goals through long-term mentoring, tu­
toring, and enrichment activities, cul­
minating in financial assistance for
higher education.
The program serves some of the
most under-resourced communities in
the state, and this year's school is the
third poorest in the Portland School
District.
,
The 'adoption' of the
newest Dreamers will take
place on Martin Luther
King J r.’s birthday on
Tuesday, Jan. 15, in the
Rigler cafeteria, located at
5401 N.E. Prescott. A din­
ner program begins at 6
p.m. The new class of
Dreamers will share their
dreams for their future and
will be w elcom ed by
Dreamers from programs
based in other schools.
“I Have a Dream" pro­
gram coordinators Julie
to have the chance to be a part of that
grow th and ch a n g e,” said W olf.
Richards added, “ It takes all kinds of
people to shape a child into a kind,
intelligent, productive and happy adult,
and I am thrilled to work alongside
families, teachers, and
other community mem­
bers throughout this pro­
cess.”
Each Dreamer class
receives 10 years of year-
round support, and the
program's services are
made possible by gener­
ous contributions and
dedicated sponsors. Two
Portland individuals -
Sonja Straub and Julie
Diamond - serve as the
R igler Dream er class
-J u lie Richards, ‘I Have a Dream' program coordinator
sponsors, assuming the
principal 10-year finan-
Richards and Becca Wolf, will admin­
ister the year-round program from the
designated Dreamer space at Rigler.
"It is a unique opportunity to watch
as a child grows and changes through
the years, and it is even more wonderful
It takes all kinds o f people to
shape a child into a kind,
intelligent, productive and happy
adult, and I am thrilled to work
alongside families, teachers, and
other community members
throughout this process.
cial commitment.
"Becoming a sponsor in the "I Have
a Dream" program gives me a chance
to do something to mitigate the effects
of racism and poverty. I feel strongly
that everyone should have a chance to
reach their full potential," stated Dia­
mond. Straub added, "I believe in edu­
cation and I believe it is a long-term
investment that can help to fight pov­
erty, give people a fair chance, and
make a difference in the world.”
The Rigler class will also be sup­
ported by contributions from Ball Janik
LLP. Collins Foundation, Stephanie
Fuhrman-Spanish Peaks Real Estate,
Herbert A. Tem pleton Foundation,
Jackson Foundation, Jeld-Wen Tradi­
tion Foundation, MacDonald Family
Foundation, Providence Health Sys­
tem, Jim & Barbara Snow, Spirit Moun­
tain Community Fund, and numerous
other donors.
Sistas’
Soul Food
Advocate for Kids Honored
A local volunteer was recently
honored for her year-round work
to procure items and garner com­
munity support for a charity store
that is open to needy residents
during the holidays.
Diane Sherwin received a
L o w en stein T rust aw ard in
honor of the legacy o f Steve
Lowenstein, a form er lawyer
and humanitarian. The aw ard’s
$1 (),()(>() prize will be used to
stock toys and small household
appliances for many years to
come at Human Solutions' Holi­
day Store.
“I can ’t think o f anyone more
deserving of this award. Diane
is a perfect exam ple o f the im­
pact one person can have on
thousands,” said Human Solu­
tions’ Executive Director Jean
D eM aster.
T e a c h in g
k in d e rg a rd e n
through second grade in the
Rockwood area for more than
32 years, Diane learned that
one o f the most dam aging ele­
m ents o f poverty, especially
intergenerational poverty, is its
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Diane Sherwin (left) receives an award for her contributions to Portland's low-income, homeless
and disadvantaged populations from Michelle Harper on behalf of the Lowenstein Trust.
effect on children.
She frequently encountered
children who came to school
w ithout lunches and proper
clothing or appeared surly and lies and her belief that “there is
withdrawn. Out of her experi­ no greater way to build a better
ence came an incredible com ­ community than by helping fami­
mitment to empowering fami­ lies become stronger.”
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Film Documents
FANON
Anti-Racist
Frani z
J e ffe rs o n H igh S c h o o l's
M ulticultural Film Festival pre­
sents Frantz Fanon: Black Skin,
W hite Mask, a documentary,
about an author whose voice for
the Third World influenced both
leftist and anti-racist political
movements. The film screens
on Monday, Jan. 7 at 6 p.m. in
Room C39 on the Jefferson
campus.
F anon’s tw o m ajor works.
Black Skin. W hite M asks and
The W retched o f the Earth,
were pioneering studies o f the
psychological im pact o f rac­
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He has 30 years o f experi­
ence in com m unity and public
service w ork. As Executive
D irectorof the Portland Schools
Alliance, Gonzalez worked to
implement two dual-language
immersion programs to close
student achievement gaps.
In 2006. TriM et became the
first and only transit district in
the nation to receive a $500.000
grant from the Federal Transit Martin Gonzalez
A dm inistration's Civil Rights fastest growing populations in
Division to create and im ple­ the Portland metropolitan area.
ment a Limited English Profi­ In addition, the num berof people
with limited English proficiency
ciency program.
Latinos represent one o f the continues to increase.
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ism on both colonized and colo­
nizer.
Fanon was born in 1925 and
spent hischildh(M»d in the French
colony of Martinique. Director
Isaac Julien film biography con­
tains personal interview s of
Fanon. quoted texts, and reen­
acted film footage.
The community is invited to
see the film and join in a discus­
sion. led by Yves Labissiere, a
native of Haiti and educator at
Portland State University.
The price o f the ticket is fam­
ily-friendly free.
TriMet Reaches Out
TriM et has hired com m unity
advocate Martin Gonzalez to
develop a program that helps
people with limited English skills
understand transit services.
“ We remain com m itted to
making TriM et accessible to all
and that it serves all com m uni­
ties equally and adequately,"
said TriM et General M anager
Fred Hansen.
Gonzalez has already begun
working on enhancing customer
serv ice info rm ation so that
S panish-speaking riders can
easily access the services pro­
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