Concordia Neighborhood Association | Portland, Oregon

University of Oregon – Readers chime in on possible campus uses

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Land Use & Transportation, Schools

I n the November issue of CNews, we invited our readers to chime in on possible community uses for the new University of Oregon campus, located on the former Concordia University campus. Here’s what they had to say.

Mike Henjum

“Thanks for organizing everyone’s ideas! Here’s a few quick ones that I’d like to see: Lectures or public discussions available to the general community, community access to the athletic facilities, including the indoor gym and outdoor track and field. Restoration of the old tennis courts for community use. Timing restrictions and fees would be reasonable. Community access to the library space could be nice, if there’s excess space above and beyond what is needed for the students and staff. Establishing a community membership rate and timing restrictions may be reasonable.”

Tom Huminski

“What about the sports field? It’s such an amazing facility, and I hope it will be made available—regularly—to the community. I remember when Concordia moved homes to build their field, and they promised to open it to the neighborhood. I don’t remember any times the field was open to the neighborhood. Thanks for passing this on.”

Soham Darwish

“I would like to see the library continue to host art exhibits and summer music on the lawn. Also, have the library be open to the neighborhood and reinstate the community room in the library for events such as tax preparation assistance and other meetings. Allowing the stadium to be used for local sports events would be great too.”

Ben McLeod

“A simple, indoor community play space for babies and toddlers would be such a nice addition to this neighborhood. When the rain sets in, it’s tough to find walkable or bikeable places for young children and their parents to socialize, learn and grow together. Can we build that together?”

CNews invitation

Our invitation came in response to UO Portland Provost Jane Gordon’s remarks at a public forum in October, during which she said neighbors will be welcome to use the campus in a variety of ways.

“We want to be a community-centered campus,” Gordon said. “We will do events that people will be invited to, whether they’re a lecture, conference, music or things the community puts on. We’re open to various ideas.”

To share your ideas, contact UO by emailing pdxinfo@uoregon.edu.

For more information, visit pdx.UOregon.edu/northeast-pdx-campus.

Story compiled by Leigh Shelton, CNews Advertising Representative, and Rob Cullivan, CNews Editor.

Future of TriMet Bus Line 17 is uncertain

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Land Use & Transportation
Photo by Jon Dickman

TriMet may drop service for Bus Line 17 at the north end of its current route at Northeast Broadway Street due to low ridership.

Currently, Line 17 runs 136th Avenue and Holgate Street to 24th Avenue and Dekum Street. The potential route change would affect Concordia residents, eliminating the Concordia portion of the route entirely, and is part of the Draft Service Concept of TriMet’s “Forward Together” initiative, which aims to adapt to changes in ridership brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic by making a series of updates to TriMet bus routes in the near future.

TriMet gathered input from the Portland community in the spring of 2022 around the Draft Service Concept, as well as recently via a now-closed online survey.

Ostensibly, any changes made to TriMet bus service would have the aim of “focusing on ridership and improving connections to destinations for people with low and limited incomes.” Among the questions CNews wanted to ask TriMet is how this change will affect low-income riders who commute to higher-income neighborhoods for work. However, TriMet did not respond to repeated requests for interviews prior to the CNews deadline.

Additionally, the 17 line is currently the only direct route from the Concordia Neighborhood, which will soon be home to a University of Oregon campus, to Downtown Portland. Residents and students who rely on this line would need to use an alternate, indirect, and more time-consuming route. TriMet’s website advises that riders would be able to take alternative routes via Line 8 on Northeast 15th Avenue, Line 70 on Northeast 33rd Avenue, and Line 77 on Northeast Broadway Street.

Despite concerns, TriMet says the possible changes would “bring bus service to 50,000 more people, weekend service to 100,000 more, and significant increases to frequent buses service to connect people and jobs” in the Portland Metro area.

The possible changes would have some upside for riders, including frequency of bus service along the portion of the route that runs along Holgate Street. Service, which recently increased to every 30 minutes in September, would further increase in frequency to every 20 minutes under the current iteration of the Draft Service Concept.

No decisions have been yet made regarding the Draft Service Concept. The Draft Service Concept committee will present the findings of its survey and community input, as well as potential updates to the Draft Service Concept, to the TriMet Board of Directors at a meeting on Dec. 14. Any approved changes would go into effect no sooner than September of 2023.

TriMet also says that “the full adoption of Forward Together is dependent on our recovery from our ongoing operator shortage.”

While the community feedback survey specific to the Draft Service Concept, and thus the Line 17 change, is currently closed, comments, questions, and suggestions about TriMet operations can be submitted at support.trimet.org.

Shawn Mihalik is a novelist, photographer, martial artist, and the Concordia Neighborhood Association’s media team lead.

CNA Board welcomes members

Posted on by Posted in Uncategorized

By Rob Cullivan | CNews Editor

The Concordia Neighborhood Association elected six people to even-numbered positions on its board on Nov. 2, and also chose Kieran Lee as its new chair. Each board member will serve a twoyear term, and Lee will serve one year as chair.

CNews asked each elected official to tell our readers about themselves. Here’s what they had to say.

Kieran Lee

Kieran Lee lives off Alberta Street and has resided in Concordia for almost two years . Lee works as an automotive engineer at Daimler Trucks, on Swan Island, and has volunteered in youth development with Big City Mountaineers as well as various STEM programs.

A graduate of Virginia Tech, with a bachelor’s degree of science in mechanical engineering, Lee spent the past year serving in the board’s At-Large 4 position. “I am excited about the passion seen at the board level and of our community; that energy motivated me to continue to be an active member of Concordia as chair,” he said.

Lee noted he wants CNA to continue to coordinate community events as well as promote CNews. “As we come out of the pandemic, we also hope to encourage an equitable Concordia that listens and brings all community members together.”

He added that he particularly enjoys living in Concordia for a variety of reasons, including its diversity, accessibility and local business community. “The Guinness at TC O’Leary’s isn’t too bad, either,” he said.

Lee said he will do his best to keep his ears open to Concordia’s concerns. “Please don’t hesitate to reach out or stop and say ‘Hey!’ if you see me walking down the street!”

Patricia McMahan

Patricia M. McMahan was elected to the At Large 2 position and has lived on Northeast 23rd Avenue just off Alberta Street for two years, moving there from Southwest Portland. “I like walking the neighborhoods where the only hill to climb and descend is the Alameda Ridge,” she said. “Most people are friendly, and I like talking to anyone who smiles back. My neighbors on both sides have become my very good friends.”

McMahan taught primary school in California for several years and moved to Oregon in 2004 after her son moved here in 2002. She has served as a docent at the Portland Art Museum and is a member of the European & American Art Council. In 2014, she earned a degree in art practices from Portland State University and has an art studio in her kitchen.

McMahan noted she was inspired to run for the board after attending CNA meetings and getting to know folks. “I really didn’t intend to get so involved, but here I am, and I hope to make a positive contribution.”

Rich Burton

Rich Burton was elected to the At Large 4 position and resides with his partner north of Fernhill Park. He has three children as well as five grandchildren and has lived in Concordia for 13 years.

A software/ hardware engineering consultant, Burton attended Purdue University and noted he enjoys skateboarding, photography, playing music and walking around the neighborhood.

“Concordia is a wonderful neighborhood,” Burton said. “People are friendly and have a strong sense of community. Local businesses, like Extracto Coffee Roasters and Wilder Bar, are great for neighborhood interactions. You can find me at Extracto almost every day of the year.”

Burton said he’s particularly interested in how houselessness and land use issues affect Concordia. In addition to serving on the CNA board, Burton is active with Skaters for Portland Parks and is also an artist and speaker for the Portland Winter Light festival, as well as a board member at Portland Community College’s IACUC Committee.

Brittany van der Salm

Brittany van der Salm serves as vice chair of the board and was elected to the At Large 6 position. She lives near 23rd Avenue a nd Jarrett Street with her husband, Paul, as well as two dogs and four cats. She’s resided in Concordia since November 2019 and works as a health and human policy consultant for Mercer Government and Human Services. She has a bachelor’s degree in English from Reed College and a master’s in social work from Columbia University.

In her second term as a board member, she said she joined the board to become more involved in the community. “Now I’m in it because I’ve seen what a great link CNA can be between local government and our neighborhood, and that we can really add value and fun to our neighborhood,” she said. “I love Concordia!”

She added that the CNA board hosted candidate and city charter reform forums during her term and that she hopes the board will “continue to bring city government to our neighborhood level so that we can have a really democratic process to things.”

The board member said she’s also excited about the University of Oregon locating its new campus in Concordia and hopes this will lead to a mutually beneficial relationship between the school and the neighborhood.

It’s clear from her words that she’s a Concordia booster. “I almost feel guilty with how little I leave the neighborhood, but with spots like Gabbiano’s, our food cart pod, Flour Market, and more, it’s tough,” she said. “We’re also right between Alberta and Fernhill parks, which I think are two of Portland’s best. And of course, there are so many interesting, kind and fun people! I love seeing neighbors and catching up.”

Megan Gobble

Megan Gobble was elected to represent Southwest 2. Residing on 29th Ave nue a nd Sumner Street, G o b ble a nd her husband, Patrick, have a grown daughter as well as three grandchildren living nearby. Gobble has lived in Portland for 27 years, seven of those in Concordia.

A recently retired nurse and engineer, Gobble serves as secretary of the Columbia River Volkssport Club, a walking group, and is also a landlord. She has worked as a nurse for the VA and has been active in Girl Scouts, Sierra Club, PTA and square dancing. She holds bachelor’s degrees in physical sciences as well as nursing. Her goals as a board member include keeping Concordia diverse, promoting usable alleys and working with local businesses, families, and the University of Oregon.

Gobble said Concordia is noted for its accessibility: “Shopping, dining, entertainment, all can be done without using a car. And the eclectic nature of our streets and houses, 110-plus-year-old bungalows next to modern townhomes, makes it fun to walk and enjoy the view.”

Matt Roberts

Matt Roberts was elected to the Northwest 2 position. Married with two adult children, Roberts does not live in Concordia but noted that he serves as the University of Oregon’s assistant vice president for community relations, and will gladly answer questions from folks about the new UO campus, located on the grounds of the former Concordia University.

“Essentially, I am the UO’s statewide liaison to local governments, neighborhoods, public agencies and many business and economic development organizations,” he said. “My office also oversees a good portion of the university’s support of external non-profit organizations.”

Roberts said he wanted to serve on the board because, “the University of Oregon would like to be fully engaged in the neighborhood and one of the best ways to learn how we can be helpful and good neighbors is through membership in the Community Association. Being new to the neighborhood, I’m here to learn and offer the university’s expertise in problem solving and convening.”

Astrid Furstner

Astrid Furstner was elected to the East 2 position. She and her husband, Brent, have one daughter and three dogs and live near 36th Avenue and Liberty Street. A resident of Concordia for six years, she is a woodworker, and her husband makes guitars. She said they can often be found at markets around town.

“I am a proud member of the Portland Indigenous Marketplace group of vendors and often participate in many BIPOC events.” A Latina immigrant as well as an indigenous Salvadoran, Furstner said she values diversity in Concordia and hopes to be “a voice for our pocket of the neighborhood in Northeast Concordia.”

When asked what she likes about Concordia, Furstner said her neighbors are “extraordinary,” and “we tend to keep a lookout for each other and have a genuine sense of friendship.”

CNews Editor Rob Cullivan is a veteran journalist, publicist and grant writer who has written about everything from rock ‘n’ roll to religion. He possesses a deep affection for writers and photographers who hit deadline.

Social Column – CNA invites neighbors to party

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Events

The holidays are here, and we’d like to invite all of our neighbors to Concordia’s holiday party! This year we are having our holiday party from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 14, at Teote Alberta, 2700 NE Alberta St. CNA will provide a buffet-style dinner, and the bar will be open for adult beverages.

In addition, we are lucky to have Robin Jackson and Lewis Childs performing holiday music for us from 5 p.m. onward. We will have some candy and prizes for children attending.

We plan to have a silent auction to raise funds for CNA, including art and gift certificates donated by our local businesses. Thank you, Astrid Furstner, for all your help and collaboration getting this silent auction ready and organized.

Vaccination cards are not required this year, but vaccines are heavily encouraged. Please RSVP at Social@ConcordiaPDX.org for a head count, as we would like to make sure we have enough food for everyone.

Alberta Gnome

CNA would like to thank Maquette Reeverts, local artist and CNews contributing writer, as well as her team, for putting together this year’s Alberta “Gnome for the Holidays.” This is a fun free event for an opportunity to win prizes.

Grab a “Gnome Card” at Frock Boutique, 1439 NE Alberta St., Mimosa Pottery Studios, 1718 NE Alberta St. or Alberta Street Gallery, 1829 NE Alberta St. and hunt for gnomes. From Dec. 2–26, walk Northeast Alberta from NE 13th to NE 30th avenues and look for hidden gnomes at participant businesses listed on the Gnome Cards. Each gnome has a letter next to it, so write down the letter on the corresponding business square and reveal a hidden message.

Return your completed gnome card to any of the drop-off locations, including any of the locations mentioned above, and enter for an opportunity to win. You do not need to find them all to participate in the raffle, which takes place Dec. 27.

Last Thursday on Alberta

It was brought to my attention that Last Thursdays on Alberta are year-round affairs among our artists and galleries and do not take place only during the summer months.

Share the Road

On a more serious note, we’d like to remind our drivers to please follow the speed limits on our streets. Remember that Alberta Street and 42nd Street are our commercial areas, and we have a lot of pedestrians walking those streets. We have seen some drivers in a rush and/ or at high speed at Prescott and Killingsworth unnecessarily putting in danger the lives of our neighbors. Slow down, and let’s share our streets with bikers and pedestrians alike.

As we wrap up this year, we’d like to thank all the people who made this year a success for our neighborhood. CNA hosted Bi-Monthly neighborhood pickups, and we picked up over 15 tons of trash from our street. We brought back our Annual Easter Egg Hunt, Concerts in the park, National Night Out, Annual Yard Sales and other fun events.

Thank you to our Social Committee volunteers and businesses who have made 2022 a success, and Happy New Year!

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.

Concordia poet inspired by area sights

Posted on by Posted in Arts & Culture, Concordia News
Carey Lee Taylor

Our neighborhood is home to Carey Lee Taylor, an accomplished poet and photographer whose inspirational sources include what she sees in Concordia. Take her poem “A Woman on 22nd and Killingsworth.” Taylor explains how she came to write it after a walk in Concordia.

“‘A Woman on 22nd and Killingsworth’ was inspired when walking home from Alberta Park one winter morning at the beginning of the pandemic,” she says. “The image of this couple stayed with me all day, and the poem, I hope, gave them a chance to be seen with the dignity they deserved.”

Taylor is the author of The Lure of Impermanence (Cirque Press 2018). She is a Pushcart Prize nominee and winner of the 2022 Neahkahnie Mountain Poetry Prize. Her work has been published in Ireland and the United States, and she holds a master of arts degree in school counseling. She has lived in the Concordia neighborhood for four years. You can learn more about her at careyleetaylor.com.

A Woman on 22nd and Killingsworth

sits in a wheelchair
outside Cornerstone
Community Church —

foam curlers in her
hair, she pulls a tube
of lipstick from her purse.

At the curb
an orange extension cord
snakes from the open door

of a duct-taped camper
to an electrical outlet
beside her.

An unshaven man steps
from the camper, moves
towards her, bends

down, and kisses
all that pink—bedded in her hair
like Magnolia blossoms,

clasped
to her head
like a crown.

 

Concordia Neighborhood #3

It makes no difference to the sky
what happened here,

or the east wind taking its
much-needed break.

Even St. Michael
was taking vacation

from shattered glass
and squeal of tire

seated at the bar of some
scuzzy seaside honky-tonk,

on the ebb tide
of his third beer.

Concordia Art Works – ‘Allery’ to feature paintings

Posted on by Posted in Arts & Culture, Concordia News
Jennifer Jones stands in front of the “Allery,” which she hopes will become a Concordia attraction. Photo by Maquette Reeverts

Halfway down an unassuming alleyway between 27th and 28th avenues heading north from Killingsworth and on the backside of a bike shed, you will find two large framed paintings. Dubbed the Allery, a play on the words “gallery” and “alley,” the work is the brainchild of Jennifer Jones, one of the owners of the residence.

Jones is a collage artist, and during Covid times she spent a lot of her time walking through the neighborhoods. Combining her love of public art and engaging her neighbors and friends with events like “Movies on the Bike Shed” nights, she decided to start this unique gallery in her alley.

Kristen Diederich is the first artist to exhibit on the framed 2′ x 8′ panels. The artist lives in the neighborhood and painted her flower-inspired work directly on the installed wood panels.

Openings for the Allery will be complete with wine and cheese and fall on the traditional gallery opening dates of Last Thursdays.

Kristen Diederich is the first artist whose work is being featured in the Allery. Photo by Maquette Reeverts

Jones is looking for other interested artists with the goal of changing out the artwork each month or so. The plywood surface is supplied by the Allery and can be taken to a studio and painted before being installed. All work is for sale, but be aware that the finished work will be open to the elements. Jones plans to start a Facebook page to keep everyone updated on this unique community gallery space.’

Michel Reeverts, aka Maquette, holds a master of arts degree in art education and serves Alberta Art Works as director and Alberta Street Gallery as a board member. She is also a practicing artist. Contact her at Maquette@AlbertaArtWorks.org.

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.

UO officials invite input from neighbors

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News
University of Oregon Interim President Patrick Phillips addresses Concordia neighbors Oct. 12. Photo by Brittany van der Salm

With fall sun streaming through floor-to-ceiling windows, about 60 neighbors nibbled on duck-shaped sugar cookies, as they learned Oct. 12 about what’s next for the 19-acre campus at the north end of Concordia neighborhood.

In June, the University of Oregon acquired the former Concordia University campus, which had been shuttered since 2020. The recent public meeting took place in the library of the new UO campus. At the gathering, community members mingled with a dozen UO staff and listened to remarks from Interim President Patrick Phillips about the University’s intentions.

The Ballmer Institute for Children’s Behavioral Health is seeking to train more professionals in emotional wellness and will occupy the top floor of the library building, he said.

The institute will offer a new degree for undergraduates and aims to ready 200 graduates per year for jobs in schools and healthcare settings. Students participating in that program will occupy two of the campus’ residence halls starting in Fall 2023.

Some UO officials have already started moving into Concordia campus offices and Phillips said that they are keen to get the library building’s first-floor coffee shop up and running.

In order to create a “campus feel,” Phillips said UO has decided to move all of its Portland programs, currently housed in Old Town’s White Stag building, to the new campus. Those programs include graduate level offerings in business administration, architecture, historical preservation, journalism and law.

The “Innovation Space,” a research and maker lab used by several UO Portland graduate programs, is slated to take over what was Luther Hall, the large brick building and adjoining chapel on Holman Street and NE 28th Avenue.

UO Portland Provost Jane Gordon said the university wants to turn the former Concordia University chapel into a commons, an open space for exhibits and gatherings. The building will require significant renovations, and the university is in the process of selecting an architect to assist in the design phase, she said.

Gordon said she is most excited about the on-campus housing UO will now be able to offer UO Portland students, something it can’t in its Old Town site. She said UO intends to use 400 of the 500 current on-campus beds for students.

Gordon said neighbors will be welcome to use the campus in a variety of ways. “We want to be a community-centered campus,” Gordon said. “We will do events that people will be invited to, whether they’re a lecture, conference, music or things the community puts on. We’re open to various ideas.”

Ideas being considered include a weekly farmer’s market, concerts on the lawn and a food cart pod. Gordon says she wants to collaborate with Concordia residents on how to use the campus.

To share your ideas, contact UO by emailing pdxinfo@uoregon.edu.

For more information, visit pdx.uoregon.edu/northeast-pdx-campus

Readers Write! Tell us how you think the Concordia community should interact with, as well as utilize, the University of Oregon’s new campus. We’ll publish your thoughts in an upcoming issue. Email CNews Editor Rob Cullivan at CNewsEditor@ConcordiaPDX.org.

Food Providers – Groups open hearts to hungry

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News

By Rob Cullivan | CNews Editor

Catherine Perkins oversees the food pantry operated by the Society of St. Vincent de Paul at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church. Photo by Rob Cullivan

When asked whether her clients at the St. Vincent de Paul food pantry hope to get free turkeys for Thanksgiving this year, Catherine Perkins noted that’s not the case. “Most of the people in the population we serve don’t have a large enough oven to cook a turkey or can’t afford to cook a turkey that long.”

Perkins is president of the St. Vincent de Paul Conference at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, 5310 NE 42nd Ave. The conference is part of an international Catholic group devoted to serving the poor and pays a nominal rent of $1 yearly to St. Charles for pantry space.

Perkins said as many as 27 to 30 individuals or families currently visit the pantry weekly. The pantry, located in the same building that houses the church, is open Saturdays 10 a.m. to noon and Mondays 4–6 p.m.

Clients can fill a box monthly with 60 pounds worth of food items from the pantry, and some visit weekly to get snacks, nutritious food bars or soup pouches, including homeless folks who can’t provide an address that shows they live in the pantry’s service area, from Northeast 28th to 82nd avenues.

“You don’t have to be Catholic,” Perkins said, adding that many clients are seniors on fixed incomes with children and grandchildren living with them. “You just have to be a person who needs a little help. We don’t say ‘No’ when people show up.”

Inflation blues

Perkins and others who serve the hungry in Concordia and its neighboring communities said the rising costs of rent, utilities and groceries are some of the reasons folks are seeking food assistance.

The Rev. Lynne Smouse Lopez, pastor of Ainsworth United Church of Christ, 2941 NE Ainsworth St., said her church members are feeling the pinch of inflation. “A lot of people aren’t used to asking for help, but I know that with inflation it’s been harder on people,” she said.

The church is home to the HIV Day Services Center, operated by Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, an interdenominational organization. Among its services, the center provides breakfasts and lunches to its clientele, says Chautauqua Cabine, program coordinator.

Like Pastor Smouse Lopez and Perkins, Cabine said the spike in food prices has affected the people the center serves. “We have a lot of clients running out of their Food Stamps a lot quicker,” she said. “A lot of our clients can’t afford meat products.”

Both she and Perkins noted their food programs now don’t get as much donated meat products as they once did. Where once her food pantry could provide beef, pork, sausage and fish to clients, now it’s mostly only chicken she can give, Perkins said.

Food bank insights

Jason Stephany serves as director of strategic communications for Oregon Food Bank, which supplies food to such area programs as the pantry at St. Charles, as well as One H.O.P.E. Fellowship, 5425 NE 27th Ave. and Sharon Seventh Day Adventist Church, 5209 NE 22nd Ave. Stephany said economic disruption, starting with the Covid lockdowns coupled with shocks to global supply chains by such events as the Ukraine War, have made the world inside and outside Concordia hungrier.

“Nearly one in four Oregonians experienced income- and job loss over the past two-plus years,” he said. “We saw an unprecedented need for emergency food assistance in rural, urban and suburban communities alike in 2020 and 2021.”

Stephany said these disruptions have made struggling folks suffer even more than usual. “The cost of groceries in our communities is up at least 10% overall, even higher when we look at the cost of meat, fish and dairy,” he said. “And this is happening at a time when lower-income households already spend more than a third of their budgets on food.”

Fortunately, one bright spot amidst the current turmoil is that benefits from SNAP, the federal food assistance program, increased 12% last month. For example, the maximum food benefit for a household of four has increased from $835 to $939. “This will at least ensure most families won’t face a loss of cash to spend on groceries at the same time prices are increasing,” Stephany said.

Giving, receiving

Joann Whitten has seen both sides of the hunger equation, getting help from the Vincentian pantry at St. Charles as well as volunteering there to help others.

A divorced mother who lives with four family members, Whitten wanted folks to know she has always been employed and that she and other food pantry clients are not just “takers.” Currently she works as a kitchen aide at an area school.

“I’ve always had low-paying jobs where the money I made was barely enough to pay the bills,” she said, adding there’s no feeling quite like that of getting a food box when you’ve run out of money to buy groceries. “It feels so good if you get home with food and you haven’t had any.”

Most of the people she serves at the pantry are like her, folks with children and grandchildren who just need help. “Everyone needs help sometimes,” she said, adding her spirit is buoyed by those who give to the pantry. “There’s a lot of good people in this world.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: To find a food program in your area, visit OregonFoodFinder.org.

CNews Editor Rob Cullivan is a veteran journalist, publicist and grant writer who has written about everything from rock ‘n’ roll to religion. He possesses a deep affection for writers and photographers who hit deadline.

St. Charles Church – Catholic parish welcomes pastoral administrator

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News
Father Tony Galati. Contributed photo

St. Charles Catholic Church, 5310 NE 42nd Ave., welcomed a new Pastoral Administrator, Father Tony Galati, this summer.

Galati officially took his position in July and is no stranger to the Concordia neighborhood. He grew up in the Piedmont neighborhood and attended Holy Redeemer Grade School, Central Catholic High School and the University of Portland.

When he was a child, his family would occasionally attend Mass at St. Charles, something he remembers fondly as well as the friendships he made with St. Charles parishioners through the years.

Following graduation from college, he began a 28-year career in international shipping and then served as executive director of Portland’s Catholic Radio station, KBVM, now Mater Dei Radio. Galati noted he became interested in the radio station during his commutes. “I would time my drive so I could pick up certain programs during my workday,” he said.

He eventually joined the station’s board in 2002 and was hired as director in 2005, a position he held till 2014. During his tenure at KBVM, he helped to solidify its financial support and expanded its reach in Oregon, extending the station’s broadcast reach by purchasing two transmitters in the Eugene area.

Previously married, Father Galati has two grown sons and three grandchildren. His marriage was annulled, a Catholic process by which a marriage is considered invalid because it lacks at least one essential element to make it a binding union. Because of this, Galati was able to become an ordained minister in the church.

About a decade ago, he said he felt God’s call to the priesthood and was encouraged by others, including a priest friend, to consider joining the clergy.

“It took me a while to discern, and I did, and I haven’t looked back since,” he said. Galati decided to enter Mount Angel Seminary in St. Benedict and was accepted in 2016 and ordained in 2021.

Now at age 65, he is new to the priesthood but grateful for his life experiences, which he feels will help him to better do the things a priest is consecrated to do. He noted his age and life story enabled him to give spiritual counsel grounded in the practical challenges all people face.

“Had I not been married and had kids, I could not do this job,” he said. “I come with an instinctive desire to be a spiritual father to people.”

His priorities will be administering the sacraments, serving as celebrant for weekend and daily Masses, visiting the sick and homebound and presiding at funerals and weddings.

“I love it all,” he said when asked what he enjoys about being a priest. “Whether it’s celebrating Mass or anointing the sick or hearing confession or baptisms, for me it’s been wonderful. I feel duty-bound in being generous in offering the sacraments.”

In his first Sunday homily, he told the congregation: “It’s a privilege and blessing for me to be here with you. May God bless you and let’s pray for each other that we may be Christ to one another.”

This story contains additional reporting by Rob Cullivan.