Prosperity Summit

Rockwood Community Development Corporation, Communication Across Barriers, Community Action Partnership of Oregon and Multnomah County

Present a Groundbreaking

PROSPERITY SUMMIT

Monday, March 11, 8:00 am – 12:00 noon

Rockwood Adventist Church
1910 SE 182nd Avenue
Portland OR 97233

What would our communities look like if everyone prospered and developed to their fullest potential? Please join Dr. Donna M. Beegle for an engaging, informative session on how we can reduce poverty and build prosperity for all in our communities.

Donna has a reputation for excellence:

“My rational side was awed by your command of economic facts and social science dynamics; my political and emotional side was moved by your compelling personal narrative and human examples. I have never seen done what you did; never seen anyone be so persuasive, genuine, credible and effective on the subject of poverty. Your message needs to be heard across this nation in forums of activists, business chiefs, non–profits, journalists, public officials and community leaders.”

~ Henry Cisneros, former Secretary of U.S. Department of Housing

We hope you will join us to improve prosperity in our community.

Rockwood Community Development Corporation is a non-profit that helps Rockwood residents rise into prosperity. We are hosting Dr. Beegle and her innovative Communication Across Barriers program so that the leaders of East Multnomah County’’s businesses, churches, medical facilities, governmental bodies, neighborhood associations, and social service agencies can launch effective one-on-one mentoring relationships between those among us who are rising, and those among us who are thriving.

Community Action Partnership of Oregon (CAPO) supports a network of organizations across the state that fight for struggling Oregonians and the conditions they face every day. These organizations are called Community Action Agencies (CAA). In our region, the Multnomah County Department of Human Services - Community Services Division is the CAA. CAPO and MultCo are providing financial and logistical support for the Opportunity Community project in Rockwood.

To Register: http://combarriers.givezooks.com/events/multnomah-prosperity-summit

For more information, contact:

• Travis Mielonen (Rockwood CDC) at 503-847-9163 ext 702 or tmielonen@rockwoodcdc.org; or,
• Janet Hawkins (Multnomah County) at 503.988.3707 or janet.c.hawkins@multco.us

Assessment of Rockwood Food Issues

Interfaith Food and Farms Partnership is initiating and funding an assessment of the food needs of the Rockwood neighborhood.

"On a rainy night in late October, Jose Luis Hernandez Avalos and his wife, Marisela Hernandez, surveyed several residents at an apartment complex on Southeast Division Street and 177th Avenue. Several residents said they have to leave Rockwood for groceries, trekking to WinCo at Northeast 128th or the Food4Less on Powell and 82nd, sometimes via bus. Many said they would like to see a community garden or farmers market open in the neighborhood.
The neighborhood assessment team has completed 220 surveys and plans to get more community input via focus groups."
-The Oregonian http://www.oregonlive.com/foodday/index.ssf/2012/11/groups_sustain_food_justice_pa.html

If you or your congregation would like to participate in this assessment, please contact IFFP at 503-221-1054 at ext. 210 or ext. 214.

"IFFP launches grassroots projects across the state, including buying clubs, cooking classes, community gardens, farm stands, wellness assessments, community food assessments, policies and advocacy in collaboration with diverse faith and community groups. We equip and mobilize faith and community action for food justice and promote dialogue on food issues."

Rockwood Community Food Justice

UPDATED 6/13/14

Are you in Rockwood and struggle with being able to feed your family? Do you want to bring food justice to Gresham? This group talks about practical solutions for neighbors in Rockwood who are struggling with obtaining food at a fair cost.

If you are interested in finding out more, contact Margarita Plascencia at 503-810-1496 or Mary Priem at mkpriem@yahoo.com.

Moving the Poor into Rockwood

Guest blogger Dina Dinucci writes this post about poverty entering Rockwood.  She is the owner of Park Place Cafe, and has been a Rockwood activist for many years.  Please go to her blog: View from a Rockwood Cafe and see the insightful series of blogs on the recent history of Rockwood and how the neighborhood is in the place it is in.

What happens to a neighborhood when people aren't paying attention?  Who imagined that all of the talk of the "New Columbia Villa" would create another substantial impact on Rockwood? 

In 2003, Columbia Villa in North Portland was fraught with issues, and it was announced that a new Columbia Villa would be created.  This required relocation of the tenants to other housing options elsewhere.   But people in Rockwood weren't paying a lot of attention - then.

In 2003 a new population entered Rockwood that seemed out of the ordinary.  On 182nd and SE Stark black prostitutes appeared.  It wasn't long until the police started dealing with new gang issues they didn't see coming as black gangs started interacting with the other gangs that were already here.  It was also not uncommon to see the positive sides of the new ethnicities entering Rockwood with many black families and children in our neighborhood.  What did NOT follow this new population into Rockwood was the support services for these new families nor the resources needed when a whole new population is added ALL AT ONCE.

Please don't take this as a racist observation, as it is NOT at all.  But it is once again about another population that was taken for granted as it entered Rockwood.  In 2003, when I was volunteering at the Back To School fair, where we provide free school supplies to the local children  I was approached by the middle school vice principal of Reynolds Middle School.  He was puzzled by a huge new population in the school that was never expected....mainly black children...who arrived on the first day of school unprepared with little to no supplies.  Mr. Biggs explained that this event was helpful but couldn't meet the need.

I had researched the relocation plan from the Housing Authority of Portland and it had detailed that schools would be informed of the relocation and resources would be put in place to support the children at their new schools.  Upon further discussion, I learned the school was not even informed.

The document here is not the document I read in 2003, but as close as I could find....HAP Policy 

page 25 ... "HAP is working with the local schools, as well as with Multnomah County’s school-based support service program to provide the specific services and counseling that may be necessary to ease the move for children, regardless of whether or not they change schools. "

This new population entered Rockwood without considering the needs of the population nor its effect on Rockwood.  Rockwood is a neighborhood rich in cultures, but cultures who grow here naturally develop the services over time as the population grows.

The black population that was relocated in Rockwood did not have access to the services they had in North Portland.  Their places of worship were not available in East County.  Those things that mean community to them did not exist in East County.  The services available to low income residents who left a low income apartment community did not come with them.  Now, in 2012, we do have an African American church meeting at Harold Oliver School.  It's finally a start!

Without the appropriate services for this new population both the new residents and the community were left struggling to adapt.

Rockwood Community Food Assessment

You've heard us say it before: Rockwood in Gresham is one of the poorest neighborhoods in the greater Portland area.  And with that poverty comes hunger.  Food issues in Rockwood are a major growing concern.

Are you concerned about the availability and distribution of food in Gresham?  Do you belong to a congregation and you see the need but aren't sure what to do about it?  Then please join us at the Rockwood Community Food Assessment.

It will be held Friday November 16 from 3 to 4:30at the Rockwood First United Methodist Church, 17805 SE Stark St., Gresham.  We will discuss what different congregations understand to be food issues, the results of a 230 person survey of the neighborhood, and discussions of what can be done to help. 

If you are interested in coming, please RSVP by calling 503-221-1054 ext. 210.

Free Community Meal in Rockwood

Rockwood United Methodist Church is hosting free community meals the second and forth Saturdays of every month.  The meal is from 11-1.

17805 SE Stark St. 

Portland, Or 97233

Multnomah County Health Clinics

East County now has three Multnomah County Clinics for health and dental needs. Anyone on the Oregon Health Plan or those who are eligible to sign up for the Oregon Health Plan can visit them. The Rockwood Clinic is brand new and available for the population in the north Gresham area.

Most of the clinics are open for appointments. Please call ahead of time to see if you should visit one of these services or another health center.

If you have not signed up for the Oregon Health Plan, you can visit a clinic and find someone who will assist you.

East County Health Center
600 NE 8th Street, 3rd Floor
Gresham, OR 97030-7318
Phone: (503) 988-5558
Fax: (503) 988-6960
Buses: #1, #4, #9, #25, #26, #80, Max Blue Line to the Gresham Central Transit Center

Rockwood Community Health Center
2020 SE 182nd Ave, Gresham, OR 97233
Phone: 503-988-5400
Fax: 503-988-5668
Hours: Monday – Friday, 8am to 5pm
Bus: #4

Mid-County Health Center
12710 SE Division Street
Portland, OR 97236-3134
Phone: (503) 988-5558
Fax: (503) 988-6960
Buses: #4, #71

To get more information about Multnomah County Clinics, please visit http://www.coalitionclinics.org/mchd1.html

To read an article about the need for the Rockwood Clinic, please visit http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2010/03/rockwood_health_center.html

Why is Rockwood the Poorest Community In the County?

Below is a portion of an article from the Oregonian that discusses how Rockwood became the poorest community in the Multnomah County:

Jean DeMaster has run Human Solutions, a nonprofit social services agency, since 1988 in east county. She said the population shift occurred in four surges. The first began with the renovation of the public housing project Columbia Villa, which forced many residents to find cheap housing out east. More came as Alberta and other inner Northeast neighborhoods such as Boise, Eliot and King gentrified, and another rush came with the Interstate MAX. Rental homes were sold, rents driven up, and many low-income renters couldn’t find anything affordable within the inner city. The recession drove the fourth wave.

“We’re seeing a much higher demand for services than we’ve seen before,” DeMaster said. “But there aren’t enough services for low-income people, and we are getting pushback from people in the community who say we’ve been here a long time and we need help and it’s not fair that the new people are moving in.”

Last month, 900 people came to Human Solutions seeking emergency money to avoid eviction. The agency had 40 vouchers to divvy up.

Every type of service is stretched, DeMaster said: homeless services, rental assistance, youth gang prevention, alcohol and drug treatment.
 
But the greatest need, she says, is for health care. Many people she sees have lost jobs because they got sick and were unable to get care. That wreaks havoc on every part of their lives: their health, their ability to keep a roof over their family and their ability to support themselves.

To read the whole article, click this link:  http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2010/03/rockwood_health_center.html 

Hope in East County

East Multnomah County is becoming poorer every year. I’m not trying to depress you, but it is a fact we have to deal with.

The greatest poverty and violence has moved from North Portland to Rockwood, a community in North Gresham. http://djcoregon.com/news/2010/09/07/help-planned-for-aching-rockwood-neighborhood/

Willamette Week recently recognized the issues when they published their lead article about poverty in Portland, focusing on the poverty on 162nd Avenue, the dividing line between Portland and Gresham. http://wweek.com/portland/article-18071-the_other_portland.html

Gresham has been declared the most violent city in Oregon, based on reported violent crimes. This places Gresham at number 72 in the nation for violent crime, just below Los Angeles. http://www.kgw.com/home/Gresham-Tops-State-Crime-List-72188477.html

Part of the reason for this increase in poverty and violence is because of the high apartment prices in all places except for East County. Even the organizations that gain apartments for the homeless in downtown and SE Portland are moving these poorest residents to East County. All the poor who can afford housing move to the cheapest housing, which, currently, is East of 82nd Ave. And yet this is the area of Portland that have the fewest social services for those who are poor. If a family is in need of clothes in East County, they are sent to downtown Portland. If a family is in need of food, they are sent first to Clackamas County.

However, these facts are not the whole of reality in East County. There are more social services than ever before in East County and the community as a whole is stepping up to meet the increasing need. It isn’t just the large organizations that are helping, like Multnomah County or the City of Gresham or Human Solutions. Smaller churches are combining efforts to work to assisting the poor in East County.

But those of us who are helping need the help of the whole community. We cannot end poverty, but we can change the face of poverty, if we all work together. This blog is about providing opportunities for local individuals and groups to help those in need in East Multnomah County. We can help the families, individuals and couples in need. But we have to do it together.