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Page 4
(Dhserurr
July 6. 2011
A Home for Miracles
“Anyone can come here
to the mission of Miracles them $500,000 worth of support
and get anything they need
being a place that reflects from the City Commission and
throughout north and northeast to be successful in their
life, not just surviving,” commissioner Dan Saltzman.
Portland since the club’s creation recovery,” she said.
explained Bryant.
"The search was daunting,” he
in 1993, the persistence and dedi
The new club’s recov
It was in this moment, said. “ W hich is when Dan
cation of stakeholders to find their ery center on Northeast
he said, that he became Saltzman stepped in again and
own place to reside has finally Martin Luther King Jr. Bou-
ready to start recovery. referred us to Guardian Manage
been completed.
levard will be located on
EXECUTIVE '
“In the year 2000, ment, which is a developing
The Miracles Club uses a 12 the first floor of the new
directo r
when I became ready, I agency experienced with Recov
step approach helps individuals five-story building, which
was able to see that there ery housing. “
sustain a life free of drug and is a mixed use facility that
was not only something
Soon to follow, they submitted
alcohol addiction. According to sits kitty-comer from their
at Miracle’s for me, but a proposal, and now the upcom
Herman Bryant, the executive of older leased center on MLK
also the opportunity to ing 40-unit affordable housing
Miracles since 2010, the club and Mason,
give back to the Portland complex will be brought to life and
serves at least 300 individuals
A resident coordinator,
community and society I open in less than two weeks.
weekly through m entorships, who is a member of the
had ruthlessly taken
The funding for the affordable
clean and sober activities, and Miracle’scommunity, will
from,” he said.
housing
opportunities have been
family oriented forums, summits be located on site and is
The M iracles Club made possible through various
and presentations.
familiar with the barriers
was originally founded limited partnerships and grants
“Miracles is an ally in the after and challenges com
in 1993 as a for-profit or as an extension of the Miracles
math of treatment, and in some monly faced by those bat
ganization by three men Club, including support from in
cases, those without treatment,” tling addiction.
who wanted a safe and stitutions and organizations such
Bryant said. “Individuals can not
Preston said the loca-
clean sober environment as U.S. Bank and Northwest Real
only receive culturally competent tion of the new facility is
to sustain the African Estate Capital Corporation and
assistance at the club, but they perfect because it is cen- Miracles Club Executive Director Herman Bryant.
American community, more.
also are the recipients of cultural trally located and easily
but in 1994, after con
"I like to call it a community re
sensitivity necessary to sustain accessible,
have been clean and sober for one tinuous business troubles, the investment act,” said Bryant. “It
one’s recovery.”
u S Un^ uei ^e^ause north and year and have six months of gain- original founders sold the club to
is supported totally by unex
Although Miracles Club is northeast Portland is the heart of ful employment. Currently, said another individual.
pected angels in the business
mostly made up of African Ameri where African Americans are lo
Bryant, there are already 15 ten-
In 1996, however, the club be world.”
can individuals, Dionne Preston, cated, and we don’t want it to be
ams ready to move into their new came a non-profit organization,
Bryant explained, six of the units
Miracles Club program director, difficult for people to get here,’ homes, which will are expected to established by the Real Brothers,
are priced at a 30 percent medium
said it welcome everybody to the she said.
be available at the end of July.
who were a group of men in recov- income, and the remaining units
club because recovery sees no
To become a resident in the
Bryant said, “The thing I’m ery looking for a way to sustain
c° l° r-
new building, individuals must most excited about is the reflec- the life and meaning of Miracles, are at a 50 percent income. The
new building is also a green goal
tion of there being life beyond
That same year, the value of facility, equipped with a recycled
surviving in recovery and a facil- this recovery community was seen water system, solar panels and
ity that seems more credible to the by Multnomah County, which fi- built to be extremely energy effi
individual who needs services.” nanced a $30,000 annual grant cient.
Miracles Club isn t a repair, with the condition the club enacts
Although a permanent place for
said Bryant, who has maintained mentorship programs to receive Miracles Club seemed an impos
recovery since 2000. “It’s an out- the funds.
sible vision for years, the commu
come-
But in 1998, the club moved to nity worked hard to keep the spirit of
He said when he first ap- their third location. “The Miracles the community alive. “Miracles is
proached Miracles Club he had needed to have a home less vul- unique compared to other assis
been battling addiction for over nerable to landlords controlling tance in recovery communities be
seven years.
whether we have a place or not,” cause the club is based on showing
He said he remembers before he he said,
and loving until individuals learn to
began his own recovery and walk-
When Miracles was threatened love themselves,” he said.
ing into Miracles one day where in 2005 by conditional use permits
“This facility will continue to
he witnessed a group of individu- and attempts from the land lord to be in the need of new services that
als reflecting on the meaning of sell their current center, a team go with the times, and we must be
survival.
from the club appealed to the com- inviting at all times to people who
“They were spiritually driven munity at large, which earned walk through its doors,” he said.
c o n t i n u e d f r o m front
f
R e a d e rs
of all ages
and all
walks
of life
E n jo y
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