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‘City of Roses’
Established in 1970
Committed to Cultural Diversity
Volume XXXVIII. Number 46
TLWeek ¡n
The Review
Gas Prices Fall near $2
www.portlandobserver.com
Wednesday • November 26. 2008
Economy Jolts Food Programs
The price of gas in Oregon
fell another 19 cents in the
last week to $2.03 a gallon on
Tuesday, the lowest price
since February 2005, accord­
ing to AAA. The national
average for gasoline has
fallen to $1.89 a gallon, as
crude oil prices continue to
sink amid the global economic
slowdown.
Employment Office Rush
Unemployment in Oregon
has gotten so bad that the
state Employment Depart­
ment has put more people on
the job handling claims. The
departm ent has added 43
people to handle the growing
load of jobless claims, and it
plans to add 20 more by the
end of the week.
Jobless Checks Extended
Jarred by new jobless alarms.
Congress raced to approve
legislation Thursday to keep
unemployment checks flow­
ing through the December and
into the New Year for a mil­
lion or more laid-off Ameri­
cans whose benefits are run­
ning out.
U S Moves to Thaw Credit
The government, still strug­
gling to manage a severe fi­
nancial crisis, unveiled two
new programs Tuesday that
will provide $800 billion to try
to help unfreeze the market
for consumer debt from home
mortgages to credit cards.
Home Prices in Free Fall
The home price plunge is on a
record pace, according to a
new national real estate mar­
kets report. The S&P Case-
Shiller Home Price index re­
corded a 16.6% decline in the
third quarter compared with
the same period a year ago.
That eclipsed the previous
record of 15.1% set during
the second quarter.
Governor to Cut Budget
W a s h in g to n
G ov.
C hris
G regoire un­
veiled e m e r­
gency plans
T uesday
to
carve $260 million from this
year’s budget. The state is
facing a deficit of about $5
billion through mid-2011.
Police Fear More Victims
Beaverton Police fear an ac­
cused rapist may have more
potential victims. Officers
said they found assorted pairs
of women’s' underwear in­
side the apartment of 21 -year-
old Sil vestre Cervantes-Avila.
He’s in jail on charges of
raping a woman on Nov. 10
and keeping her underwear.
Pivotal Civil War Match up
Oregon State and Oregon
meet Saturday in Corvallis
for the annual grudge match
Civil War football game,
which this year is for even
higher stakes. If OSU wins,
the Beavers go to the Rose
Bowl.
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community service
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photo by J ake T homas /T he P ortland O bserver
Don Giza, 62, meets with other seniors while waiting for lunch at the Elm
Court Center, a Loaves and Fishes meal site. Giza counts on the lunches to
help him survive on a limited income.
Food banks, meal
sites feel the pinch
by J ake T homas
T he P ortland O bserver
On a brisk morning at the Elm Court
Center, a downtown meal site for the eld­
erly, seniors chat it up over cups of coffee
and newspapers while the clank of uten­
sils from the kitchen echo through the
nxim.
Elm Court is one of over 30 meal sites in
the Portland metro area operated by
Loaves and Fishes, a non-profit which
provides free meals for seniors.
Although the organization still serves
5,000 meals a day, it joins other non­
profits feeling the pinch as the economy
staggers.
People are losing jobs and being
squeezed by rising heating, gas and
healthcare costs and are looking to cut
expenses. One area people are cutting
back is perhaps the most essential: food.
For many, a nutritious meal is becoming a
luxury out of reach, and are looking for
help.
Susan Gilson, the food site manager,
said she has seen a number of new faces
in recent months.
“I’m certainly hearing more people talk
about the cost of food and rent,” she said.
Seniors at Elm Court say that they’ve
been hit by the recent economic down­
turn. Some expect their heating bills to
skyrocket this winter, and have to rely
heavily on the center for meals. Some
come in everyday.
“My income goes lower each month,”
said Arthur Spencer, a 70-year old, who
explained that the services provided by
photo by
M ark W ashington /T he P ortland O bserver
Food baskets for struggling residents are packed by volunteers at the
Carpenters Hall on North Lombard Street. The food bank has been operating
for 25 years, serving 500 families each month. Donations are welcome.
Loaves and Fishes have helped him stay
afloat.
“I’d rob Safeway,” said 62-year-old
Don Giza, with a laugh when asked what
he would do without the service.
Loaves and Fishes faces uncertain
times, according to its spokesperson Julie
PiperFinley.
The organization has seen a 15 percent
increase by local residents seeking its
services and a drop in donations.
"I think a lot of seniors have been
struggling with the economy as a whole,"
said Finley. Seniors are particularly vul-
continued
on page A3
Campus Scholar Turns Life Around
On path to
recovery, she
helps others
Amber Parke has done a lot of work in
the recovery com m unity, which she
knows first-hand. She helps women com­
ing out of the prison system integrate
back into the community.
"I took quite a bit from society," Parke
said. "1 felt it was time to give back.”
Today, the north Portland resident is
an accomplished student at Portland Com­
munity ColIege’sCascade Campus where
she attends full time and volunteers as a
student affairs leader.
A second-year sociology student, she
was just elected as one of 400 recipients
nationwide, and the only student from
Oregon, through theCoca-ColaTwo-Year
Colleges Scholarship Program for indi­
viduals who have demonstrated academic
success and participated in community
service. Asa result, she will receive $ 1,000
toward her college expenses.
“1 didn't realize it was such a big deal
until 1 got a letter from U.S. Sen. Gordon
Smith,” she said.
Only a few years ago, Parke was trying
to turn her life around in Project Indepen­
dence, a special program for single par­
ents, displaced homemakers and women
returning to college.
A single parent with a 16-year-old
daughter and a self-described recovering
addict, she joined the group in winter of
2006 after 13 years of being away from
college, which included a three-year stint
in prison for various property crimes.
Project Independence is a tuition-free
program that provides information and
Amber Parke attends classes at Portland Community College s Cascade
Campus in north Portland. The self-described recovering addict has turned
her life around through the help of PCC and a group called Project Indepen
dence, which supports single parents and displaced homemakers.
access to a variety of educational and
training opportunities for women who are
on the road to becoming economically
self-sufficient.
“I'm open about my background,” Parke
said. "I felt I needed to speak for people
who come after me. I wanted to talk about
my own experiences and hope it might
help somebody who is in a similar situa­
tion. I'd really just like to be achange agent
and educate people about felons; how
people can change."
Parke says the help she received from
instructors at PCC has impacted her life for
the better, giving her the courage to ex­
plore her interests.
“There are a lot of really good mentors
here; they believed in me and showed me
I can do things,” she said.
She credits Kendi Esary, the student
leadership coordinator on the Cascade
Campus, with showing her that she could
be involved on campus and make a differ­
ence at PCC, too.
Esary said it wasn't hard to inspire
Parke, because she was eager to learn.
"I am thrilled that Amber received this
scholarship, but I can’t say that I am sur­
prised," Esary said. "Her performance as a
student and a leader, both on campus and
in the community, are a testament to how
education can change a person’s life."
Parke also credits Debbie Stone of
Project Independence in getting her accli­
mated to school and finding her niche.
"Project Independence really made me
feel part of PCC and gave me the support
to keep me in school," Parke added. "Also,
student government was key as it made
me feel connected. That's the number one
thing; feeling connected."
For more information on Project Inde­
pendence. call the Women's Resource
Center at 503-978-5249.
♦