Meet Commissioner Hardesty Tomorrow A4D’s Monthly Meeting Engage with Portland City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty tomorrow, Tuesday,February 22, 5:00 pm, at A4D’s February meeting and hear what she has to say about the future of Portland.
Hardesty joined the Portland City Council in January 2019, the first African American woman to serve on the council. Previously, she was an Oregon state representative from 1995 until 2001. To read her full bio, go here. Register here if you haven’t done so already. You can review the meeting’s agenda here. See you tomorrow!
Wondering if You Are in District 5
Now that redistricting has altered voting districts in the Portland metro area, you may not know whether you reside in District 5 and who your representatives will be. If you live in downtown Portland, for example, and Earl Blumenauer has been your representative, you may find yourself in Susanne Bonamici’s District 1. Likewise, there are neighborhoods in southeast and southwest Portland, such as Lents, Sellwood, Burlingame, and Eastmoreland, which will now be part of new District 5. To find out which district you’ll be voting in for the May primary, go here. Enter your street address and find where you’ve landed.
Afghan Refugee Resettlement Update
Because In Portland We Care, A4D has been involved in the effort to resettle Afghan refugees since their arrival. Recently, Beaverton Public Library decided to offer services to Afghan families through programs such as culturally appropriate story time for children, replete with puppets and scarves. A4D is helping, via Lutheran Community Services Northwest (LCSNW). Afghan families are still in urgent need of the following resources:
Housing. If you are, or know of, a landlord who would be willing to negotiate terms for settling a refugee family for any number of months, please let Balen Younis know at byounis@lcsnw.org. Balen is the Housing Program Director at LCSNW.
Translators. If you, or anyone you know, speaks Dari, Pashto, or Farsi, please complete this form on the LCSNW website.
Transportation. If you have a good driving record and a valid driver’s license, you can help provide transportation for refugees, who often have appointments in the first 30 to 90 days of their arrival. Transportation can be one of the most challenging aspects of living here. Contact the LCSNW Volunteer Coordinator Anna Poole at apoole@lcsnw.org.
Everyday items. You can purchase a variety of much-need essentials via Amazon’s Portland Afghan’s wish list or check a list of needs here and purchase items yourself.
COIN Squads Update
To date, A4D members have written 2,509 postcards, many of them by the Nunnery Group, an active COIN Squad we are very proud of! Connect for Democracy, the A4D steering committee’s COIN Squad, wrote the rest. COIN Squads also include the efforts of individuals making phone calls, writing letters or emails, attending phone banks, canvassing, and being active on social media. Don’t forget to record your weekly activism here You can also follow Connect for Democracy’s progress on A4D’s website.