www.portlandobserver.com
Committed to Cultural Diversity
A p r il 2. 2008
Powerful
Performances
M etro
Matsiko Children \ Choir to visit Portland
See A & E section, inside
ODbseruer
ommunity
a le n d a r
C
Health Inequities
The public is invited to jo in in the dia­
logues w ith com m unity members, orga­
nizations, business leaders and local
elected o fficia ls to discuss the root causes
o f health inequities as w ell as long-term
solutions in a this seven-part series. For
neighborhood locations, dates, and times
visit m chealth.org/healthequity.
Carollynn Smith,
61, takes care of
five grandchildren
in her four-
bedroom house
in the Woodlawn
neighborhood of
northeast
Portland.
No Justice, No Peace
Saturday, A p ril 5, at 2 p.m., the National
A ctio n N e tw o rk’ s open in vita tio n to all
people concerned w ith justice and equal­
ity for all members o f society to attend at
the M idland L ib ra ry, 805 S.E. 122nd; for
more inform ation, call 503-988-5392 or
503-775-36.35.
Rain Garden Workshop
Saturday, A p ril 5 from 9 a.m. to noon, the
Leach Botanical Gardens, 6704 S.E. 122nd
Ave., w ill host a workshop teaching how
to build a beautiful rain garden tocapture
rainwater runoff, fo llo w e d by a com m u­
nity open house o f the Botanical G ar­
dens, from I to 4 p.m. To register, visit
Welcometherain.org orcall 503-652-7477,
Beach School Auction
Saturday, A p ril 12, Beach Elementary in
north Portland w ill host the annual auc­
tion and dinner fundraiser to benefit the
homeless ch ild re n 's after-school pro­
gram; items to be auctioned include:
horseback rid in g lessons, use o f vaca­
tion homes, g ift certificates and more to
be held at Magdalene Parish H all. 3123
N.E. 24th, w ith the doors opening at 5:30
p.m.; $25 ticket includes appetizers, d in ­
ner dessert and beverages, ch ild care is
available.
Where People Matter
M onday, A p ril 7 thru Wednesday, A p ril
9, from 3 to 7:30 p.m., Lew is & C lark
C ollege host the student-run Interna­
tional A ffa irs Sym posium w ith focus on
human tra ffickin g , global health, and
more; the event is free: fo r more inform a­
tion, visit Lclark.edu/org/ias.
Lents Home Buying Fair
Saturday, A p ril 12, from 10a.m. to2p.m ., at
Kelly Elementary School,9O3OS.E.Cooper
St., the public is invited to learn about
opportunities to buy their own home. The
free event features various workshops and
more, highlighted by a drawing fo r a $4000
down-payment assistance grant; for more
information.call 503-788-8052x105.
PHOTO BY
R aymond
R endi . eman /
T he P orti AND
O bserver
Grandparents Raising Kids
Workshop to focus on
the special challenges
by R aymond R endeeman
T he P ortland O bserver
Northeast Portland resident C arollynn Smith has to
ju g g le d a ily sports practices, parent-teacher confer­
ences and meals fo r liv e children whom she also
hassles to keep up on hom ework in the evenings. She
frets about dishes in the sink, basketballs strewn
across the yard and no tim e fo r anything hut what she
sees as necessary.
This seems like the hectic life o f an average parent,
except Smith is 6 1 and herchi Idren have a few different
last names.
Called the "neighborhood granny” by others livin g
near W oodlawn Park, Smith w ould look after more
children in her four-bedroom house i f the state's
human services allowed. She asserts that grow ing up
in rural Oklahom a prepared her for hard w ork over an
entire life.
"A s long as I have them w ith me, I could take care
o f them because I love all my grandbabies," she says,
pointing out the craft table where she w orks w ith her
kids fillin g found-glass bottles w ith liq u id soap to help
Such caregivers provide a safety net inside and
outside o f the foster-care system as biological parents
struggle w ith issues like substance abuse, mental
illness, incarceration, economic hardship, divorce or
domestic violence. Whenever Smith heard about one
o fh e r 20 grandchildren in trouble, she had been in the
habit o f adopting them, but the state decided to lim it
this practice, instead paying fo r foster guardians.
The policies inspired her to start an organization
called Grandparents Raising Grandchildren. She took
her concern that her parental rights had been violated
to the Oregon capitol in Salem last week to fo llo w up
on a series o f weekly vig ils in front o f north Portland's
human-services building.
As long cis I have
them with me, I
could take care of
them because I love
all my grandbabies.
-Carollynn Smith
pay the bills.
Not everyone in Sm ith's caregiver position can be so
active, and experts see special challenges fo r the esti­
mated 2.4 m illio n grandparents nationally taking on
primary responsibility for children's needs. In Oregon,
more than h a lfo f the 37,536children living in grandpar­
ent-headed households have neither parent present.
" It can be an isolating experience, because their
peers have retired in the traditional sense,” says
Loriann M cN e ill, a coordinator w ith M ultnom ah
C ounty A ging and D isa b ility Services.
M c N e ill points out that the summer months present
extra challenges fo r parents' free tim e and pocket­
books.
M ore grandparents also must struggle w ith liv in g
o ff o f Social Security. Out o f the county's 4,069
grandparent caregivers counted by the U.S. Census
Bureau in 2006, 26 percent were liv in g in poverty. In
2004, eight percent the 4,539 grandparent caregivers
were liv in g in poverty.
But there are many agencies that want to help, and
last spring the county started a yearly retreat fo r
relatives who run households w ith kids.
C iting some o f last year's 85 attendees who hadn't
known another grandparentcaring fo r children, M cN eill
argues that caregiver solidarity and access to resources
represent the keys to success. She also acknowledges
continued
on page H4
Math and Science Info Night
Thursday, A p ril 10 at 6 p.m.. The Black
Parent InitiativeandConcordia U niversity
invite parents w ith outstanding students
‘Dreamgirls’ Extended
to attend a free inform ation session prepar­
ing students to achieve more in high-
schtxil math and science: to RSVP.call 503-
284-8000.
For two nights at
Jefferson auditorium
Feminism Discussion at PCC
Thursday, A p ril 10, from 6:30 to8 p.m.. the
public is invited to attend the free panel
d iscu ssio n at P o rtla n d C o m m u n ity
College'sCascadeCampus, M oriarty A u ­
ditorium , 705 N. K illin g sw o rth , featuring
women leaders o f the com m unity; for
Stumptown Stages, after several weekends o f
sold-out performances o f Dream girls at the Inter­
state Firehouse C ultural Center, is pleased to
announce tw o a d d itio n a l perform ances at
Jefferson H igh School.
F o llo w in g the career o f the Dreams Irom
backup singers to headliners in the ‘ 60s,
Dreamgirls stars Jefferson alum and Portland
singing sensation Julianne Johnson as Effie. A
portion o f the ticket sales w ill help benefit
Jefferson High School's Showcase 2008.
The performances nm Friday. A p ril I I and
Saturday, A p ril 12 at 8 p.m. at Jefferson High
School's auditorium , 5210 N. Kerby Ave.
Tickets are $27, $25 fo r student o r sen iors, and
$15 forgroupsof I Oor more. Call 503-381 -8686 or
visit Stumptownstages.com for more in fo rm a ­
tion.
more inform ation.call 503-317 -2 6 11.
Buckman Art Show & Sell
Friday, A p ril I I and Saturday, A p ril 12.
the Buckman Elementary School hosts
its fundraiser featuring arts, crafts, ce­
ramics, je w e lry, gourmet foods, music
and dance. For more inform ation, visit
Buckmanelementary.org/artsale.
The politics behind the immigration debate is explored in the
documentary ‘The Other Europe.'
Immigration Tragedies
Documented in Film
Earth Day Celebration
Saturday, A p ril 19, from noon t o 4 p.m.,
the People’ s Food Co-op, 3029 S.E. 2 1 st
Ave., invites Portlanders to celebrate
Earth Day w ith workshops, live music
and free organic cotton tote bags (w hile
Multicultural showcase continues
supplies last); this is a free, fam ily-friendly
event.
"The Other Europe" is a penetrating study o f the economics
and politics behind the im m igration debate, w ith revealing paral­
lels to our own country. The documentary is coming to the
M ulticultural Film Festival at Jefferson High School.
The film provides a cross-section o f the imm igrant experience,
arguing that the economic system says we have plenty o f jobs and
w ill pay you more than you could ever earn at home. But the
political systems warn: We don', want you.
U nlike most American coverage o f the im m igration issue. The
Other Europe explains why undocumented workers are an
integral part o f Western economies. The film is an unambiguous
call to stop the hypocrisy and political posturing and develop
humane consistent policies for the foreigners who come to do the
Gresham Earth Day Celebration
Saturday. A p ril 19,from 1 0 a .m .to 2 p .m „
al theC ity Hall, 1333 N .W . Eastman Park­
way, the public is invited to attend this
free fam ily event featuring live music, free
workshops, activities and more: for more
inform ation.call 503-618-2526.
Spiffin' Up MLK
Saturday, A p ril 19, S O L V and neighbor­
hood businesses and com m unity mem­
bers w ill w ork together to pick up trash,
clean g ra ffiti and remove street debris
along three miles o f the Boulevard, from
Broadway to Northeast Lombard Street:
visit Handsonportland.org o r call 503-
413-7787 to get involved.
»
p ilo ro by
I’ m
e
S. F ardi «;
Dreamgirls features, from left to right. Lava Alapai as Lorrell, Julianne Johnson as Effie
and Joann Coleman as Deena.
I
jobs we won',.
The 58-minutc film shows free to the public at Jefferson High
School, 5210 N. Kerby Ave., starting 6 p.m. on A p ril 7.