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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (June 19, 2024)
Page 4 June 19, 2024 Plans for a Black-Owned Business Explore Local Entrepreneurship at the Hub Have Fallen Through By Beverly Corbell Dreams die hard. For Karan- ja Crews, the realization that his long-time goal of opening One Stop Plaza as a Black— owned business hub with food carts and a community gather- ing space is no longer possible, was a bitter defeat. The basis of One Stop Plaza is a brightly mural-covered building at Northeast 15th and Killingsworth that would have been retrofitted to accommodate all its aspects. Green Hammer Design Build, who designed the refurbished structure, stated on its website that One Stop Plaza was to be “a Black-owned business and cultur- al hub poised to become a beacon of community empowerment.” One Stop Plaza would have featured 10 permanent food carts, and outdoor dining area and a covered stage. “One Stop Plaza will be equipped with a 1,200-gal- lon rainwater storage tank and a 36-kilowatt solar array, enabling it to double as an emergency shel- Karanja Crews ter during severe weather events and power outages. For the past two years, Crews has been trying to get grants to fund the project, appealed for help from Prosper Portland and other agencies, and finally resort- ed to a GoFundMe appeal earlier this month, but it fell short. The building, which Crews had been leasing, will now go MESO Makers Market back to the owner, he said, and he has lost $15,000 in the pro- cess of trying to develop it. A photo on Crews’ Insta- gram sitereflects his frustration with his plans’ demise, which is spelled out on his LinkedIn site: “I made a bad call on this po- tential investment. Lost money. Thought Prosper Portland had my back on this project, but I was wrong. Trusting people too much is my bad. Lesson learned! Rolling the dice on this one was eye-opening. Each setback is a chance to grow. Big shoutout and thanks to everyone who had my back on this move!” A long-time activist in the Black community, Crews is owner of Green Muse canna- bis dispensary, and a former teacher and founder of Teaching With Purpose, for which he re- ceived the Martin Luther King Lifetime Achievement Award and the OnPoint Prize for Ex- cellence in Education Circle of Excellence Award. Continued from Front 11a.m. to 5p.m. The mar- ket also has several special events and new opportunities planned for 2024. This past February for example, the market honored Black His- tory Month with a lineup of Black-owned small business- es. Women’s History Month in March featured a roster of women and non binary ven- dors and their arts-and-crafts- focused small businesses. “As a community credit union, it’s our responsibility to support local small busi- nesses and the people behind them,” said Rob Stuart, Pres- ident/CEO, OnPoint Com- munity Credit Union. “We’re proud to work alongside MESO in cultivating a com- munity hub for creativity and entrepreneurship in Portland.” Community partners like OnPoint have been key to the success of the market since it opened, according to Lewis. In addition to OnPoint’s gen- erous support, MESO part- ner Prosper Portland made it possible for the market to make a retail space at the Alberta Commons its perma- nent home. “ Wi t h On P o i n t C o m - m u n i t y C r e d i t Un i o n b y o u r s i d e , we ’ r e g e a r i n g up to bring the Portland metro area an even more e n r i c h e d m a r k e t e x p e r i- e n c e , ” L e wi s s a i d . I f y o u are a maker in the Portland m e t r o a r e a a n d a r e i n t e r- e s t e d i n s h o wc a s i n g y o u r products and art at the M E S O M a k e r s M a r k e t E m- p o we r e d b y On P o i n t , v i s i t h t t p s : / / w w w. m e s o p d x . o rg / meso-makers-market. Follow Us on Social Media Let's Get Connected for Our Latest News & Updates on Twitter @pdxobserver on Facebook @ThePortlandObserver Photo courtesy of Walk for Recovery on Instagram @portlandobserver Promote Pride in Recovery! Registration now open, 6 walks in 6 cities! The Walk for Recovery is Or- egon Recovers largest annual fundraiser. Each of the six Walks are designed to raise money, build community power, and promote pride in recovery. Our goal is to raise $100,000 to continue the fight to end Or- egon’s addiction crisis! This year, a Walk for Recovery will be organized in Bend, Port- land, Rogue Valley, Klam- ath Falls, Lane County and Eastern Oregon! Each walk follows a two mile route past treatment providers, recovery houses, detox centers and MAT clinics. This is also a family friendly event; bring your children and pets. Please have leashes for the furry friends and please pick up after them. Your participation not only helps to raise crucial funds for addiction treatment, recovery support, and policy change but also sends a powerful message of hope and resil- ience to those affected by the addiction. Connect with oth- ers who share a commitment to supporting recovery and building a healthier, stron- ger community. The walk for Portland is Saturday, Septem- ber 28th.
