June 23, 2021
CAREERS Special Edition
Page 5
Nonprofit
helps
homeless,
youth
C ontinued FroM F ront
of color, like institutional racism, unfair
policing, and equity in economic empow-
erment, education and other topics.
“We will have speakers and have a pe-
tition to clean the city up so we can get
back to normal,” Minnieweather said.
The event will also include vendors
and live music, joining other participants
including Care Oregon and the Native
American Youth and Family Center.
Vendors are welcome for a small fee,
Minnieweather said, and can call 503-
960-9431 or send an email to straight-
wayservices@live.com.
“We will also set up a vaccine site, and
also do (Covid) testing,” he said.
Minnieweather has no lack of ideas
for making the community better.
A few months back, for example, he
was able to secure the purchase of a used
Tri-Met bus for community use, convert-
ing the vehicle into a mobile kitchen to
photo by M ark W ashington /t he p ortland o bserver
Pastor Dwight Mnniewather and his wife Cassandra, join other volunteers from their Straightway Services nonprofit, to
distribute free food and supplies for people who are hungry or homeless.
feed the hungry and provide a new source
for job training, some of the things he
was able to accomplished when he man-
aged the restaurant at the Miracles Club,
a non-alcoholic and drug-free community
center on Northeast Martin Luther King
Jr. Boulevard.
After taking out all the seats and put-
ting in a hardwood floor, Minnieweather
said the “kitchen” is taking shape.
“We made it like mama’s kitchen, like
a big food cart,” he said. “The windows
are really big, and you can see every-
thing.”
Minnieweather is also trying to get pro-
grams suspended by prior COVID restric-
tions started up again. For example, the
Summer Works program, where the Port-
land Water Bureau hired about 10 African
American kids each summer, was put on
hiatus last year, but he hopes it will start
back soon.
He would also like to see midnight
basketball started up again, but said a
major obstacle has been the loss of fund-
ing from the North Police Precinct, after
several years of supporting the program.
On other community initiatives, Min-
C ontinued on p age 10