Concordia Neighborhood Association | Portland, Oregon

Category Archives: Volunteer Opportunities

From the Board – Former CNA chair reelected

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Volunteer Opportunities

By Astrid Furstner, CNA Board Chair

Greetings Concordia! I would like to begin by reintroducing myself to you. My name is Astrid Furstner and I served as Board Chair in 2019 after Chris and before Peter and Kieran. I would like to thank those who came before me, the board members, all of you, and especially Brittany van der Salm for holding things together while a new chair was elected.

I am a Hispanic woman. I was born in El Salvador and immigrated to the United States when I was a little girl. I live in Concordia with my husband, Brent, and our daughter. We are a family of woodworkers and artists. My husband makes guitars, I make wood carvings, puzzles and portraits; and our daughter helps with everything! We sell our work and you may see us around town at local BIPOC markets such as the Portland Indigenous Marketplace, the Come Thru Market, or My People’s Market. If you see us, say hi!

I believe in finding common ground and having open conversations about the Concordia community and it is my hope that as chair, I can make a little bit of a difference in our neighborhood.

Currently, the CNA does a variety of things. Thanks to Javier and other team members this year, we have been successful with neighborhood cleanups, the Easter egg hunt, and various neighborhood meetups. These social events are a wonderful opportunity to bring our neighbors together.

We also contend with more serious matters, such as traffic, land use, in-fill, city projects and other issues that are important to us and our neighbors.

Like many of you, CNA has faced its challenges this year. We are, after all, a non-profit organization run by volunteers. We are looking for new volunteers who can help with social events such as yard sales, clean-up events, summer concerts at the park, and, as we head into the holidays, various holiday activities.

You don’t have to be a chair or take on a huge amount of responsibility, but if writing letters is your thing, help us out. If attending meetings and reporting back is something you can do, help us out. If writing an article on a favorite topic is your thing, help us out. Do you have time to deliver newspapers to a few local businesses in Concordia? Do you have ideas on how to improve our community or an idea for a group or event? Let us know.

I hope that each of you will reach out and help in any way you can to continue to makeing Concordia a welcoming and diverse neighborhood. I look forward to working with each of you once again and hope to hear from you. Juntos, (together) we make Concordia our home.

Astrid Furstner is a mother, a wife, an immigrant, a local artist and a woodworker. She lives with her luthier husband, Brent, and her artist-in-themaking daughter, Luciana. Together, they call Concordia their home.

Social column – Summer fun, fall events in Concordia

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Events, Volunteer Opportunities

Hey there, Concordia! It’s already June, and I’d like to take a moment to thank everyone who came out to celebrate Cinco de Mayo with us at Chilango PDX. Thank you, Wilder, for the gift certificates. We had a blast, and it was great to see so many familiar faces and meet some new ones too!

Social committee meetings
Speaking of community events, I want to give a big shoutout to everyone who attended our first in-person Social Committee meeting of the year. Your presence and input were greatly appreciated. Social Committee meetings are generally scheduled for the first Friday of each month, sometimes online and sometimes in person. Business owners, please reach out to Social@ConcordiaPDX.org if you are interested in hosting a Social Committee meeting.

Upcoming events
We’ve got some exciting events lined up for the rest of the year, and I wanted to share them with you all. First up, on Saturday, June 3, we’re having a neighborhood litter pickup event at Alberta Park, 1905 N.E. Killingsworth St. Volunteers will be meeting bright and early at 9 a.m., so bring your best trash-picking-up skills. It’s a great opportunity to get some exercise, meet your neighbors, and make our community a better place.

In June, we’ve got two big events happening. Concordia’s very first gay pride event will be held at the wine bar, Bonne Chance, 2209 N.E. Alberta St., on Thursday, June 15! The event starts at 3 p.m., so come out and show your support for our LGBTQ+ community members.

Then, at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, June 29, we’re having a concert in Alberta Park. We’re asking neighbors to gather at 5:30 p.m. This year, there will be a salsa band playing and we’re moving the stage to the front of the park to create more shaded areas for our neighbors. It’s going to be a blast, so mark your calendars!

In August, Concordia will celebrate National Night Out, an event to raise police awareness, and details are being finalized, so stay tuned for more information on that one. I

n late summer, the Social Committee is hosting another neighborhood cleanup at Alberta Park on Saturday, Sept. 2, and then a yard sale over Labor Day weekend.

Volunteering
In October, the committee is planning a Halloween party, but it needs your help to make it happen. If you’re interested in volunteering, planning, or coordinating, please let us know; we’d love to have you on board. Finally, in December, we’re looking at having our holiday party at Teote Mezcaleria, 2700 N.E. Alberta St. More information will be coming soon.

Last but not least, the social committee needs your help with its Labor Day Yard Sale. It was a huge success last year, and we’re hoping to make it even bigger and better this year. If you’re interested in participating or volunteering, contact Social@ConcordiaPDX.org. We want to hear your ideas and suggestions to make this year’s event even fun and inclusive.

That’s all for now, folks. Keep an eye out for more updates and events coming your way, and stay safe and healthy.

Javier Puga-Phillips has served on the Southwest 1 position on the Concordia Neighborhood Association (CNA) Board of Directors, managed rentals of the McMenamins Kennedy School Community Room and has chaired the CNA Social Committee. He is a real estate professional locally, and he is a published author and motivational speaker in Latin America and Spain.

Social Column – Volunteers needed for April 8 Egg Hunt

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Events, Volunteer Opportunities

Greetings to all Concordia residents! We want to start by expressing our gratitude for the amazing feedback we have received. It is always our pleasure to hear from you and learn how we can make our community better. We value your input and look forward to continuing to serve you.

As we move forward, we have some exciting events planned for the coming weeks.

Eggzitement!

We are thrilled to announce that the Spring Egg Hunt is finally here! On Saturday, April 1, at 10 a.m., we will meet in the community room at Kennedy School for the “fill the eggs” event. We are looking for volunteers to help us with this fun-filled event. It’s going to be a blast, so bring your friends and family along! Then on Saturday, April 8, we will host the neighborhood clean-up in partnership with SOLVE and the actual egg hunt.

The clean-up will run from 9 a.m. to noon at Fernhill Park, and we will be setting up in the area by the track. Please make sure to register for this event at SolveOregon.org.

We are looking for volunteers, preferably with a truck, to help take the supplies from the community room to Fernhill Park by 9:30 a.m. We also need help setting up the eggs, starting around 10 a.m., and assisting with picking up after the event.

After the clean-up, we’ll be kicking off the Easter weekend with an exciting egg hunt at noon. Don’t forget to bring your baskets!

Our proposed schedule for the egg hunt on April 8 is as follows: We will meet between 9:30 to 10 a.m., set up the eggs from 10 a.m. to noon, and the egg hunt will begin at noon. It’s going to be a fantastic day, and we can’t wait to see you all there!

Walking club

Speaking of community involvement, we want to give a special shoutout to Megan Gobble, our SW1 representative and the head of our official walking club. Megan is a passionate walker and a member of the Columbia River Volkssports Club (CRVC). We’re thrilled to have the CRVC as one of our community partners, and we encourage everyone to check them out at Walking4Fun.org.

Cinco de Mayo

Finally, mark your calendars for our upcoming Cinco de Mayo party at Chilango’s, 2217 N.E. Alberta St. Our newest vegan restaurant, which is Latino-owned, will be hosting this year’s celebration from 2–7 p.m. Friday, May 5. Come join us for delicious $3 tacos and entertainment as we celebrate our community’s diversity.

Thank you for being part of our community and supporting our events. We look forward to seeing you soon! Please stay in touch, follow us in Instagram & Facebook @CNAPDX.

Concordia Tree Team – Group seeks volunteers for spring pruning

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Trees, Volunteer Opportunities

By Mallory Pratt | Concordia Tree Team

A Zelkova tree before the Concordia Tree Team pruned it. Photo by Mallory Pratt

I’m sure you’ve noticed that it’s been a tough winter for our trees with heavy winds and an ice storm. Did you know that good structural pruning can help protect them from catastrophic damage from wind and ice and lengthen their healthy lifespan? Your Concordia Tree Team was on the job this past fall doing that very thing for 56 street trees. And we’ll be doing it again this spring, including a special Earth Day event along 42nd Avenue.

What does good pruning look like? The improvement in health can be significant even if the change in appearance is subtle. The photos accompanying this article show a “before” and “after” for a Zelkova where branches that were likely to break or were rubbing against each other were removed to open the canopy for movement and new growth.

To see more examples of what pruning can do, check out the What’s New page on the Ainsworth Linear Arboretum website at AinsworthLinearArboretum.org/new-roots.

Spring pruning

Our team is preparing for Spring Street Tree Pruning right now. We’ll be knocking on doors in late March and pruning during the month of April. If you live west of 33rd Avenue and north of Alberta Street, you are in our target area for this spring.

If you or your neighbors are interested in this free service and/or joining the team, go to the Ainsworth Linear Arboretum website and click the “Get Involved” button to contact us.

The same Zelkova tree after the Concordia Tree Team pruned it. Photo by Mallory Pratt

We are also looking for tree enthusiasts to help with our Earth Day 2023 pruning and community event on Saturday, April 22. We are pleased to announce a joint venture with the Cully Tree Team and 42nd Avenue businesses to prune the street trees along the length of 42nd Avenue, which is our border with the Cully neighborhood.

We’d love help with getting sponsors, contacting businesses and planning the community activities. Please contact the team through the Ainsworth Linear Arboretum website using the Get Involved button and let us know you’d like to help.

If pruning is not your passion, we also work to protect older trees, plant big trees for the future and create equity of access to trees throughout the neighborhood. Come join us at our monthly meeting, the first Tuesday of the month from 6:30 to 7:30. Check the ALA website for location since it changes each month.

Mallory Pratt is the convener/facilitator for the Concordia Tree Team.

Social Column – Restaurants honored; Egg Hunt needs volunteers

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Local Businesses, Volunteer Opportunities

Hello Concordia! This is our first publication of 2023, and I’d like to wish a happy new year to all of our neighbors.

First, a little recap of our holiday party. We celebrated at Teote Mezcaleria, 2700 NE Alberta St. Thank you Teote for the hospitality, food, and great service. We are lucky to have you in Concordia and for your kindness toward our community.

Musicians and neighbors Robin Jackson, Lewis Child and James Villa were phenomenal entertainers for the night. We sang and danced to their rhythm, and we are looking forward to having them back at future events. If music is of interest to you, connect with Robin, who hosts songwriter soirées, creative and joyful events for inspiration. You can reach Robin on Instagram @RobinJackson.

During the party, we had a silent auction, and I would like to thank the donors: Teote, Peter Keller, Atrum Arte (Brent, Astrid, and Luciana Fustner), Mandy Allen, and Alberta Street Art Gallery.

Congratulations to the winners: Scott V., Hannah W., Barbara R., Margaret R Brittany V., Shannah P., and Trey L. We raised $264, which will be helpful in supporting our community.

Best restaurants

Next, I’d like to congratulate the four restaurants in Concordia (and adjacent neighborhoods) that made the list of the best new restaurants according to Dining Out. The local winners are:

  • Bar Cala, 2703 NE Alberta St. This Latin-inspired, pink building hosted our Halloween party.
  • Cafe Olli, 3925 NE Martin Luther King Jr. This is a great place to grab breakfast and/or pizza, open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
  • Gabbiano’s, 5411 NE 30th Ave. Delicious comfort food in the heart of Concordia.
  • Mis Tacones, 1670 NE Killingsworth St. This vegan/Mexican food fusion is reinventing Mexican cuisine and adapting it to vegan taste.

Year ahead

Moving on to 2023, we are almost done planning our calendar for the year, and we’d like to hear what you’d like to see from Concordia Neighborhood Association this year. We may not be able to accommodate all requests, but all feedback is welcome as we continue to grow together.

I’m currently looking for volunteers to help with the April 8 Egg Hunt. Please email me at Social@ConcordiaPDX.org if you are available to help. We need all hands on deck to stuff the eggs, set up, hide the eggs, and pick up after this event.

In addition to my role as the chair of the CNA Social Committee, I’m also the manager of the community room at the Kennedy School, so I’m excited to share that we’ve rolled out our new community partnership program. This will allow certain groups who use our community room to be reimbursed, making the room free of use.

To do this, groups can apply to use the room for free by filing an application for CNA board approval. Groups can then go online, book a time slot and pay in advance. If the board approves free use of the room, the fee will be refunded. The guidelines are posted on the CNA website.

Follow us on Instagram @CNAPDX, and use #SocialConcordiaPDX for shoutouts. We also have a Facebook group page, @ConcordiaPDX, for updates.

Javier Puga-Phillips holds the Southwest 1 position on the Concordia Neighborhood Association (CNA) Board of Directors, manages rentals of the McMenamins Kennedy School Community Room and chairs the CNA Social Committee. He is a real estate professional locally, and he is a published author and motivational speaker in Latin America and Spain.

Social Column – Last Thursday ends; new restaurant opens

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Local Businesses, Volunteer Opportunities

Hello Concordia! We’d like to start our social column thanking all the businesses, neighbors and participants in “Last Thursday” on Alberta this year. We had a lot of fun helping bring this event back, and we would love to hear your feedback.

Also, we’d like to welcome Abyssinian Kitchen to Concordia. Located on the corner of Northeast Alberta Street and Northeast 30th Ave., this new Ethiopian and Eritrean restaurant has opened its doors, adding more flavors to our neighborhood. Kuflom Abbay, the owner of the restaurant, is usually there to greet customers and answer any questions regarding the menu.

Litter Pickup set Dec. 3

Volunteers with SOLVE, an Oregon community group, participate in the Oct. 1 Concordia
litter pickup. Photo by Gina Levine.

Another successful neighborhood litter pickup took place on Oct. 1. Thank you to all the volunteers who participated. Special thanks to our neighbor Sigrid Casey, who drove her own truck and helped pick up large items left on the streets. At this point, we have picked up around 15 tons of trash from Concordia’s streets.

On a side note, since the weather has changed, we’d like to kindly ask neighbors to refrain from leaving “Free” piles of items on the streets. Many of these items get wet and damaged, potentially becoming debris. We suggest taking those items in good condition to your favorite charity or offering them to neighbors on such social media sites as OfferUp, Nextdoor, or Facebook Marketplace instead.

Our final litter pickup of 2022 is at 9 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, at Alberta Park.  Let’s close this year with a cleaner neighborhood.

Hearty Halloween

We’d like to thank Bar Cala, 2703 NE Alberta St., for hosting this year’s Halloween Party! We had a lot of fun, and it was a success all around. We gave candy to the kids and some prizes for the best costumes. Thank you for everyone who participated and helped, and special thank you to those in Concordia who supported this event. You’ll find pictures on our website or social channels.

Scavenger hunt

This month, Clary Sage Herbarium, in cooperation with other businesses on Alberta, and CNA will be hosting the annual Scavenger Hunt Nov. 25–27. This is a great way to get social and visit different businesses in our neighborhood. It is easy to participate. Just stop by Clary Sage, 2901 NE Alberta St., to pick up your “passport” with the different businesses on Alberta Street, and begin the scavenger hunt by collecting stamps from the participating businesses. Once you have collected all the stamps, bring the completed passport to Clary Sage, and we’ll enter you in a raffle to win prizes.

Room ready

We’d also like to remind everyone that CNA is mainly funded by the rentals of the Community Room at Kennedy School. The room is available to be rented by the hour with special rates for nonprofit organizations. On this note, please be advised that we are changing the rental rates to $40 per hour and $25 for nonprofits.

We currently need volunteers. Please reach out to me at 503.343.5561 or Social@ConcordiaPDX.org for volunteer opportunities.

Follow us in Instagram at @CNAPDX and use #SocialConcordiaPDX for shoutouts. We also have a Facebook group page, @ConcordiaPDX, for updates.

Javier Puga-Phillips holds the At Large 4 position on the Concordia Neighborhood Association (CNA) Board of Directors, manages rentals of the McMenamins Kennedy School Community Room and chairs the CNA Social Committee. He is a real estate professional locally, and he is a published author and motivational speaker in Latin America and Spain.

Social Column – Yard sales a success, Halloween bash set

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Events, Volunteer Opportunities
Concordia residents shopped at several homes Sept. 2 to 4 during the neighborhood’s annual yard sales event. Photos by Javier Puga-Phillips

Thank you very much for all your support and help bringing events back to Concordia. I am happy to report that the annual yard sales event, Sept. 2 to 4, was a success. We had 34 official addresses on the roster this year, plus a few neighbors who decided to jump in and hold their yard sales lastminute.

During the yard sales, I had the opportunity to meet many neighbors who happily shared different businesses in Concordia and adjacent neighborhoods in Northeast Portland that they feel are worth giving a shout out here.

Mis Tacones, 1670 NE Killingsworth St., was brought up several times as a great option for vegan food. Green Bean Books, 1600 NE Alberta St., was also mentioned a few times as a great option for our younger readers. Thank you to those businesses for being an important part of our neighborhood, and thank you to the residents who took time to talk to me and share their experiences and feedback.

I’d also like to thank Jessica Chace and Michelle Fitzgerald who helped me put this event together. Thank you to Andrea Boyd, a graphic designer who came up with the map and made it easier for us to locate the participants’ homes and, of course, thank you to all the participants and/or residents and shoppers who were key to the success of this event.

A special thank you to Madeleine Chace, who shared her art work with our neighbors and elevated our yard sales to a walk of art.

Up Next

Moving on with our agenda, our next neighborhood Litter Pickup is scheduled for 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 1. We are meeting at Alberta Park, at the corner of Northeast Ainsworth and Northeast 22nd Avenue.

These events are in coordination with SOLVE as well as our neighbors. At this point, we have picked up over 12 tons of trash from the streets of Concordia. Thank you to Gina Levine, our neighbor who has helped with this project for a year.

Halloween Treats

Our next party event is our Halloween Party, Monday, Oct. 31. We’d like to extend a special thank you to Bar Cala, 2703 NE Alberta St., which is hosting our festivities.

This year’s theme is “Masquerade,” and we will be at Bar Cala passing candy out to the neighborhood kids and will have prizes for the children. The party will be held from 5–8 p.m. Stop by to celebrate with us and wear your best costume. We will be having a costume contest.

Room for Rent

We also like to remind everyone that Concordia Neighborhood Association is funded mainly by the rentals of the community room at McMenamins Kennedy School, 5736 NE 33rd Ave.

The room is available to be rented by the hour with special rates for nonprofit organizations. All proceeds from the room are used to keep funding more events, Concordia News and other important projects for Concordia.

We currently need volunteers. Please reach out to me at 503.343.5561 or Social@ConcordiaPDX.org for volunteer opportunities.

Follow us in Instagram @CNAPDX and use #SocialConcordiaPDX for shoutouts. We also have a Facebook page @ConcordiaPDX for updates.

Javier Puga-Phillips holds the At Large 4 position on the Concordia Neighborhood Association (CNA) Board of Directors, manages rentals of the McMenamins Kennedy School Community Room and chairs the CNA Social Committee. He is a real estate professional locally, and he is a published author and motivational speaker in Latin America and Spain.

NE Village PDX – Volunteer enjoys bonding through walking

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Volunteer Opportunities

By Jon Dickman | CNA Media Team

Tricia Jett, left, and her dog, Stella, enjoy sharing walks with Jean Robinson, a retired high school teacher. Photo by Jon Dickman

After Tricia Jett moved to Northeast Portland in 2017, she started taking a seniors’ exercise class at Portland Community College, where some of her classmates frequently talked about the volunteering they did for Northeast Village.

Seeing an announcement about an upcoming event that gave an introduction to Northeast Village PDX, she went to the meeting, was impressed by what she heard and signed up.

The first time Jett volunteered for the group, she did some shopping at a grocery store for a man who was confined to his home. Tentative about volunteering at first, she was relieved by how well it all went and how good she felt afterward. “I’ve had a very fortunate life,” she said, “and now that I’m at a point where I have time, I like the feeling of giving back.”

Her most regular experience as a volunteer these past four years has been as a walking buddy with Village member Jean Robinson, a retired high school business teacher living in the Alameda neighborhood. Jett describes her as someone who cares greatly about all her neighbors, often chatting with them along their walks. Apparently, Robinson cares about Jett as well. “Tricia is delightful company,” Robinson said. “We share an interest in reading, politics and her darling golden retriever Stella.”

When naming her dog, Jett tried to think of what might be fun when calling her. Then, what she describes as the “iconic name for yelling” came to her as she thought of Marlon Brando shouting “STELLA!” in the movie A Street Car Named Desire.

One thing both women share is gratitude. “I am so grateful for the volunteers who have walked with me for years,” Robinson said. “They have kept my spirits up, especially during the pandemic.”

As for Jett, she likes to hear the stories of all the people she has met through volunteering. “It’s amazing to me the diversity of people with such interesting histories, and how much they have each accomplished in their lives,” she said. “It’s reaffirming.”

Northeast Village PDX is a member-led, volunteer-based and self-governing nonprofit that supports older people to stay in their homes while maintaining active, purposeful lives in Concordia and other neighborhoods in the central northeast Portland area. Call 503.895.2750 for more information or check out their video on their Northeast Village PDX YouTube channel or at NEVillagePDX.org.

Jon Dickman, lover of classical jazz vocals and longtime Concordia resident, is an enthusiastic volunteer for Northeast Village PDX.

Last Thursdays on Alberta return this month

Posted on by Posted in CNA, Events, Local Businesses, Volunteer Opportunities
Kara Maymi takes care of business at Clary Sage Herbarium, 2901 Alberta St. Photo by Christopher Baker.

Thank you again to all the volunteers and for all of the support from our community during the Spring Egg Hunt. The winners of the egg hunt raffle were Donna Amrein, Katie Schaumleffle, Brian Jensen, Michael French, and Catherine Swanson.

Last Thursdays
June is a great month for social events, including the return of last Thursdays on Alberta Street. The plan is to celebrate on Alberta Street between NE 15th Ave. and NE 30th Ave. from 6-9 p.m. every last Thursday of the month. Make sure to mark your calendars and show up to support our local businesses and vendors.

Black United Fund will open up their lot (corner of Alberta St. & NE 29th Ave.) to host several tents supporting our BIPOC community. Alberta Art Works (NE 19th St & Alberta St) will also be hosting live performances, art and many more surprises.

Additionally, Blind Insect (corner of NE 29th Ave. & Alberta St., across the street from Black United Fund) will host “Barrio Parties” on Last Thursdays from June to September, with a different theme each month:

  • June: African Party
  • July: Argentinian Party
  • August: Brazilian Party
  • September: Cabaret theme

Several other businesses on Alberta are getting ready to celebrate Last Thursdays, among them:
Bonne Chance (corner of Alberta Street and NE 22nd Ave.) will be celebrating with an eclectic selection of music and adult beverages.
DB Desserts (Alberta St. between NE 26th & NE 27th Avenues) is offering specials on some of their sweet treats to celebrate.
Holy Beanz Coffee (next door to DB Desserts) will host their “After Sundown Spoken Word & Poetry” from 7-9 p.m.
JRJ Skillets (on Alberta St. between NE 25th & NE 26th Avenues) will offer “Aguas Frescas, Tamales, Elotes, Tacos & Nachos” for the whole family on its brand-new patio.

Free concerts
Also coming this summer, the Concordia Neighborhood Association will collaborate with the City of Portland to bring back “Summer at the Park” concerts. The first band, Son de Cuba, a Latin jazz/merengue/salsa group, performs from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Friday, July 15, at Alberta Park. Please stay tuned to next month’s column for more details.

Litter pick-up events
Moving on with neighborhood updates, the neighborhood litter pick-ups have been incredibly successful. Thanks to our many volunteers we have picked up more than 9,000 pounds of trash from Concordia’s streets. We still have work to do though, so please sign up for our next litter pick-up event from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, June 4, at Alberta Park. See Page 2 for more details. If you cannot make it to this one, we have future litter pick-ups scheduled on Aug. 6, Oct. 1 and Dec. 1.

Yard sales
A quick survey for residents: We have received several requests for different events. One of them is a coordinated “Neighborhood Yard Sale” where neighbors can set up their own yard sales. If you are interested in this event please email with the subject “Yard Sale.” Depending on the response we will plan to help coordinate.

Clary Sage
The Concordia Neighborhood Association would like to highlight Clary Sage Herbarium, 2901 Alberta St., which opened in 2011 and changed ownership in 2021. Kara Maymi is the entrepreneur currently behind the shop.

Maymi started her herbarium education as an intern at Clary Sage. Later, when an opportunity to join the management for Clary Sage materialized, the pandemic hit. Instead of letting the business close, Maymi decided to purchase the shop and continued following her passion for medicinal plants.

According to Maymi, her calling is the plant world. The shop has a large variety of medicinal plants, some sourced locally. Sharing knowledge of plants f rom scient if ic, spiritual and practical points of view with customers is a priority.

“We love to see how people express themselves through plants,” Maymi said. In addition to plants, Clary Sage offers house-made essential oils , candles, crystals, incense, body care and many other natural products. They are also proud of the quality of their teas and herbal extracts.

Originally from Puerto Rico, Maymi now considers herself a Portlander at heart, and said she finds Concordia to be her community. Community is one of the pillars of the Clary Sage approach. Plants, like people, live in diverse communities, she said. “When we engage with plants, we can learn how important community is and their relationships among themselves and even with humans.”

Volunteers needed
The social committee needs volunteers for all events. Please email social@ConcordiaPDX.org, or call/text Javier Puga-Phillips, chair of the social committee, at 323.573.1516. Finally, make sure to follow us on instagram @CNAPDX and use #SocialConcordiaPDX to get a shoutout.

Javier Puga-Phillips holds the At Large 4 position on the Concordia Neighborhood Association (CNA) Board of Directors, manages rentals of the McMenamins Kennedy School Community Room and chairs the CNA Social Committee. He is a real estate professional locally, and he is a published author and motivational speaker in Latin America and Spain.

NE Village PDX volunteer enjoys connections

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Volunteer Opportunities

By Jon Dickman | CNA Media Team

Retiree Abe Cohen (left) volunteers to drive members of Northeast Village PDX to appointments. On this rainy day, John Bear was a passenger headed to an appointment at OHSU. Photo by Jon Dickman

An appreciation of authentic human connection and a love of helping others inspired retired chiropractor and Cully resident Abe Cohen five years ago to volunteer with Northeast Village PDX, 5830 NE Alameda St., serving Concordia and other neighborhoods in central northeast Portland.

For the past five years, the group– volunteer-based, member-led and self-governing–has enabled older people to remain in their homes and enjoy a meaningful quality of life. Services may include transportation, light home maintenance, tech support, social visits, phone check-ins, tax help, yardwork and neighborhood walks. Membership fees help pay for village operating costs.

A driver for the village, Cohen cherishes the one-on-one time he spends when taking a member to a doctor, dentist, or physical therapy appointment or to go shopping, on a park walk or to a hair salon.

“It’s like when I was a chiropractor,” he said. “It’s a meeting of different people from different backgrounds, different personalities, different walks of life. It’s very stimulating.”

John Bear – a writer, former Jeopardy contestant and one of Cohen’s regular passengers – said Cohen was always cheerful. “Abe is one of those people who would rather be 15 minutes early than one minute late. So, I can always count on him for pickups and rides.”

Although the pandemic has limited socializing, some village members use videoconferences for book and movie discussions and arts and crafts. Cooking groups also conduct their meetings via videoconference, as well as speakers who share information of interest to older adults. More in-person cultural, recreational, and social activities are slated to start up again soon.

In February, Northeast Village PDX joined more than 280 similar villages across the country to celebrate the movement’s 20th anniversary. The U.S. House of Representatives marked Feb. 15 as National Village Day.

The milestone was also commemorated by Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden, who issued a statement into the Congressional Record of the United States Senate to recognize the accomplishments and contributions of the national movement.

“I see a lot of gratitude,” Cohen said. “It’s nice to do something for people who appreciate what you’re doing – not for ego gratification – but because you’re giving them something.”

Northeast Village PDX holds videoconference information sessions for prospective members and volunteers at 2 p.m. on the second Tuesday of every month. Register on the calendar at NEVillagePDX.org, or call 503.895.2750 for more information. Also, you can check out their introductory video on their Northeast Village PDX YouTube channel.

Jon Dickman, enthusiastic volunteer with Portland FolkMusic Society and lover of classical jazz vocals, leads a memoir/ show-and-tell group for NE Village PDX called “It’s All About Us.”