Portland observer., December 05, 2012, Page 5, Image 5

Decembers, 2012__________________________ ^ ln rtlauì)
(©bseWer
Page 5
A C onduitfor Kids ’ Futures
c o n t i n u e d f r o m front
businesses.
She hopes to continue to seek support
from community partners so as to ensure that
every kid who needs a mentor gets one.
The alternative is unacceptable. “If you
feel like you have no adults in your life and
you don’t feel love and support and consis­
tency in your life, you’re going to go search­
ing for it,” said Vickers.
For girls, the unguided path can lead to sex
trafficking. For boys it may be gangs, drugs,
or jail.
Vickers moved back to Portland, so that
her seven-year-old Laila could have a sup­
portive male in her life, her grandfather. She
wants to make certain that she builds up the
future for her child as well as the children in
the community.
“If their lives are better, they will be able
to support each other as well,” she said.
says there are thousands of kids waiting for
mentors on what has essentially become Big
Brothers Big Sisters “no-list”.
In Portland, many of those kids are boys.
70 percent on the list are young males look­
ing for Big Brothers, while 70 percent of
mentors are female. Waiting to get connected,
Vickers said, boys are at risk of aging out of
the program or worse, taking a wrong path:
dropping out of school, affiliating with gangs,
violence, drugs, etc.
As a leader of African-American diversity
initiatives at Big Brothers Big Sisters, Vickers
was recognized for an approach to connect
more adult black male mentors to boys seek­
ing guidance.
Her skills earned her the nickname “the
super connector” by Portland M onthly
Magazine.
Last year, Vickers partnered her non-profit
organization with several Portland churches
— through the 11:45 movement— to sign-up
200 volunteers, prompting a national buzz.
Never in the history of the agency had so
many mentors been garnered in one night.
“It was an answer to a prayer,” said Vickers,
but really she’s just good at what she does.
Vickers knows how to build relationships
with community and corporate leaders, and
PHOTO
BY CARI HACHM ANN/
T he P ortland O bserver
Big Brothers Big Sisters executive
Chabre Vickers has earned recognition
for her approach to connecting more
adult mentors to children seeking
guidance. Her skills earned her the
nickname “the super connector” by
Portland Monthly Magazine.
NEW S E A S O N S
M A R K E T
Cheesy Italian Tortellini
Ingredients:
O rig in a l recipe m a kes 6 servin g s
• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1/2 pound Italian sausage, casings re­
moved
• 1(16 ounce) jar marinara sauce
• 1 (4.5 ounce) can sliced mushrooms
• 1(14.5 ounce) can Italian-sty le diced toma­
toes, undrained
• 1 (9 ounce) package refrigerated or fresh
cheese tortellini
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Directions:
1. Crumble the ground beef and Italian
sausage into a large skillet.
2. Cook over m edium-high heat until
browned. Drain.
3. Combine the ground meats, marinara
sauce, mushrooms, and tomatoes in a slow
cooker. Cover, and cook on LOW heat for 7
to 8 hours.
4. Stir in the tortellini, and sprinkle the
mozzarella and cheddar cheese over the top.
Cover and cook for 15 more minutes on LOW,
or until the tortellini is tender.
The holidays are
yours for the baking
Find all the ingredients for a festive season at your
New Seasons M arket, or online at newseasonsmarket.com