Concordia Neighborhood Association | Portland, Oregon

Deli is one of few in the country to go vegan

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Local Businesses
Manny Gallardo tends the counter and offers customers bagels and a wide variety of traditional Jewish deli delicacies at Ben & Esther’s Vegan Jewish Deli. Yes, everything is vegan. Photo by Marsha Sandman

From motorcycles sales to six punk barbershops to operating a bioplastic company to the early years of food carts to bagels, Justin King has the heart of an entrepreneur.

Inspired by his East Coast Jewish Ukrainian-Polish grandparents – Ben and Esther – Justin grew up eating bagels. He went from New York to Miami and finally settled here 23 years ago.

With his first deli in 2019 in the Roseway neighborhood on Sandy Boulevard, his latest business is Ben and Esther’s Vegan Jewish Deli at 1800 N.E. Alberta St in the former Random Order Pie Bar location.

That’s right, it’s vegan, one of a very small handful in the entire country. The Ben & Esther’s team started making lox with salt-roasted carrots, swapped the whitefish for brined-and-smoked hearts of palm and began baking babka and rugelach with vegan butter.

The shift ended up being a hit, especially among Portland’s vegans. He also operates a Ben & Esther’s in San Diego, and he plans to open another one in Seattle.

“I’ve been plant-based for a long time. When I opened Ben & Esther’s, I was very business-minded, and I thought that opening a traditional Jewish deli would be good for business.

“After a year, I couldn’t reconcile that with my principles,” said the vegan.

To stay true to his beliefs, Justin transformed it to vegan, complete with his redefined versions of lox, corned beef, brisket, white fish and knishes, to name a few.

Along with bagels and a variety of schmears, Ben & Esther’s also offers Jewish pastries that include babka, challah and hamentashen.

The two local Ben & Esther’s are open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., seven days a week and can be reached at 503.265.8470.

True to his core philosophies, Justin also operates a storefront on Hawthorne Boulevard that feeds anyone who walks in the door. That location will also soon house a vegan bakery.

A father of three and a Hare Krishna, Justin practices yoga and stays true to his principles.

“You don’t have to sacrifice the integrity of your food,” he said. “You can have traditional anything in a less harmful way. Principle over profit.”

After living east, south, north and west, Marsha Sandman is home at last. And she wants to hear your story. Contact her at MarshaJSandman@gmail.com.

You’re invited to tour local linear arboretum

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Trees
Concordian Jim Gersbach will lead people of all ages on an April 16 walking tour of the Ainsworth Linear Arboretum. Pictured taking their own pre-tour are Naomi Anderson, Audrey Sullivan, Willa McCauley, and Gina and Crosby Levine. Photo by Nancy Varekamp

By Jim Gersbach | Linear Arboretum Founder, Concordia Tree Team Member

You’re invited to join me on a free walk to explore the Concordia Linear Arboretum Saturday, April 16. The 90-minute walk, sponsored by Portland Parks & Recreation Urban Forestry, will start at 9 a.m. at the southeast corner of 30th Avenue and Ainsworth Street.

Concordia is fortunate to have one of a handful of Portland’s tree-lined medians. It’s a stretch of about 1.5 miles from Fernhill Park to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

Since 2005, the median – and the right-of-way planting strips on the north and south sides of the street – have been designated by the city as an investigational arboretum.

Here, city residents can get to know less familiar, approved street trees, including ones in a trial for suitability in this climate.

Originally conceived as a grand entrance to the city from the east, Ainsworth was envisioned as a boulevard with a tree-lined median running from the Columbia Gorge to the Willamette River.

The only part ever developed as such is what exists today. The original Ainsworth planting was a classic monoculture – a single species of tree (Acer platanoides) that conformed to the uniform look so prized by European city planners. That made Ainsworth more vulnerable to any pest or disease that especially afflicted maples.

Portland’s mild climate can support hundreds of different tree species. As the city began to allow and then encourage more choices of species, many people still selected only what was familiar. Exposing people to great new options is what the Ainsworth Linear Arboretum is all about.

When trees die, we replace them with diverse species and new cultivars with better forms or disease resistance. Over 16 years, diversity in the median has grown from six to 47 species, and now there are trees native to Oregon.

Many people and organizations have helped. Trees and mulch have been provided by nurseries, Friends of Trees and Portland Parks & Recreation Urban Forestry. The parks folks have also removed dead trees, ground the stumps to enable new plantings and watered young ones for the trees’ first two summers. Members of the city Youth Conservation Crew have weeded and mulched.

Because Portland has experienced multiple drought years, I have handwatered a lot of the trees beyond two years to help them establish.

Editor’s note: CNews space is limited, and there just wasn’t room for all of the information Jim Gersbach provided. To see his full-length story, visit ConcordiaPDX.org/2022-linear-arboretum-tour.

Concordian Jim Gersbach is public affairs specialist for the Oregon Department of Forestry and former urban forestry specialist for the city of Portland. His volunteer activities include serving on the Concordia Tree Team, founding the Ainsworth Linear Arboretum, acting as an outreach guide for the Hoyt Arboretum, and providing education as well as leading planting and pruning crews for Friends of Trees.

Volunteers rescue and foster lost pet rabbits

Posted on by Posted in CNA, Volunteer Opportunities
Concordian Brian Duval rescued Morgan from his neighbor’s yard. Usually, he just fosters lost,  domesticated rabbits for the Rabbit Advocacy organization – but this one he adopted.

By Mac Larsen | CNA Media Team

Take a walk down the grocery store aisle during this season. You see chocolate, marshmallow and stuffed rabbits, and the list goes on and on.

For many, spring brings bunnies to mind more often than any other time of year, unless you’re a volunteer for Rabbit Advocates. Then bunnies are a year-round concern.

Concordian Brian Duval is a volunteer with Rabbit Advocates and recently rescued a large white rabbit from his neighbor’s yard.

“I was in between fostering rabbits, so I took the offer to take this one in, and foster it for the time being,” Brian said. “He’s just hilarious, following me around everywhere, nipping at the bottom of my pants to pet him.

“You know, it takes a really long time for a rabbit to warm up to you. But this guy was like, ‘I’m ready for a friend.’ And I was like, ‘Me too,’ so we put in the adoption papers.”

Rabbit Advocates is an all-volunteer nonprofit founded in Portland 20 years ago. The mission is to help stray domesticated rabbits find new owners after they’ve been abandoned or otherwise left without permanent homes.

“There are domestic rabbits and wild rabbits, which are different animals. And these animals that we’re fostering and we’re rescuing are domesticated rabbits that are meant to be pets,” Brian said.

The most noticeable difference between pet rabbits and wild rabbits is size and color. A wild rabbit usually is small and solid brown. If a rabbit looks larger, has spots or is white, then the rabbit may be a lost pet.

Rabbit Advocates’ volunteers are trained to care properly for the rescued rabbits until permanent homes are found.

“In 2021, Rabbit Advocates rescued 160 new bunnies from perilous situations and found excellent adoptive homes for 148 bunnies with the help of 85 certified foster families in the Greater Portland Area,” cited the Rabbit Advocates year-end report.

According to Brian, Rabbit Advocates’ work is important because domesticated rabbits can’t defend themselves in the wild. “They don’t have the breeding to understand predators or survive.”

Rabbit Advocates educates the public about the differences between wild and pet rabbits, how to spot the differences and provides rescue and adoption resources for those who’ve found lost rabbits.

If you’re interested in adopting or fostering a bunny through Rabbit Advocates, visit RabbitAdvocates.org.

As for the rabbit Brian rescued from neighbor Peter’s yard, he named it Morgan. “I couldn’t name him Peter. That would be too obvious.”

Mac Larsen is a graduate student at the University of Oregon, pursuing a master’s degree in journalism. He grew up in Concordia neighborhood and can be found frequently on Alberta Street, complaining about all the construction.

Reader’s Opinion – SRV issue was a missed opportunity

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News

By Andy Pfandler | Concordia Neighbor

I followed with interest the discussion around siting the Safe Rest Village (SRV) at the Whitaker site, ultimately I feel saddened and a little ashamed at the way things played out. I understand why Portland Public Schools (PPS) chose not to approve using that location, and I have a problem with the way our community reacted to the proposal. Instead of sending out flyers and letters I wish we had collectively said “Maybe not here, how else can we help?”

The flyer that ended up at my house in November was full of dog whistles and not based in reality. It was also hypocritical. Do those who rent or own undergo mental health screenings when moving here? Are our choices around drug use, pets or anything else scrutinized?

The request for engagement in the letter the Concordia Neighborhood Association (CNA) sent to PPS seems reasonable. But to me, the tone in that letter is “not here.” There is not even a throwaway sentence about wanting to support or provide housing for people who are homeless.

I think we need to do more to support our neighbors. Does the CNA represent all people living in the neighborhood or just those privileged enough to be living in a parcel? Do you want people to leave, or do you want to help, maybe both?

I work at a nonprofit that provides behavioral health support to people living in shelters. My No. 1 recommendation: ask people what they need. Experiencing homelessness is traumatic, and can cause a loss of agency and voice. I’d like to believe that we as a community can find ways to lift up the voices of people who have been marginalized and dehumanized. Individually, you can talk to people, the discomfort fades quickly. Systematically, the CNA could work to include our unhoused neighbors. What great ideas can we collectively brainstorm to lift up people’s voices?

In lieu of asking what people need, here are some suggestions based on my experiences: organize trash pick ups, provide sanitary ways for people to use the bathroom, set up a system for clean water, be friendly, advocate for housing-first policies, help people wash their clothes, give them money and let them choose, support mutual aid groups or nonprofits doing this work.

I think the SRV idea is a good one, the Whitaker site was not the place, and I wish we had been more welcoming. We can do better.

CNA respects the views and beliefs of all Concordians, and their cultures and faiths. The views expressed by this writer do not necessarily reflect the views of CNA. For details about submitting a Reader’s Opinion piece for publication, visit ConcordiaPDX.org/CNewsSubmissions.

UO announces plans for CU site

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, CU Sale
Concordians report they are enthusiastic about the University of Oregon’s plans for the former Concordia University campus and to share the grounds and facilities. Clockwise are Charlie, Kristen and Gus Hagstrom; Sarah Pearson; and Concordia University alumna Joann
Scheck. Photos by Brad Hagstrom and Nancy Varekamp

Concordians greeted with delight – and some relief – the March 1 announcement by the University of Oregon (UO) that it plans to purchase the Concordia University (CU) campus.

It ended the wait of two years and 18 days for neighbors to learn the fate of the 115-year-old, 13-acre campus. Some feared it might be what neighbor Kristen Hagstrom described as, “just parceled out and sold to the highest bidder.

“This seems like best case scenario for the neighborhood,” she added. “It seems like they really want to be here in the neighborhood.”

Sarah Pearson and husband Trae bought KISS Coffee on nearby Ainsworth Street only a few months before the February 2020 announcement that Concordia University would close. The CU campus had its own dining facilities and didn’t bring a lot of business to KISS. But she looks forward, with UO’s presence, to a renewed energy of more people coming and going.

“I think it’s exciting. I think Concordia is such a beautiful campus. To see it empty was really sad.”

For Joann Scheck, who lives a stone’s throw from the campus, UO’s plans to create the Ballmer Institute for Children’s Behavior Health brings the campus full circle. When she entered Concordia College as a freshman in 1956, it was to become a teacher to help fill the enormous need schools were experiencing with the Baby Boom generation.

“It’s going back to its roots, instead of going off in some other direction,” she said of the dormant campus. Just as there was a mid-century need for teachers, according to Joann, now schools have a tremendous need for more behavior health professionals.

“It seemed like Concordia always had a mission, and here we have this mission now that U of O is going to develop something that’s so needed. It just feels it’s the right time. We need to address the mental health needs of our children.”

Kristen worked for Concordia University for two years as an academic counselor in the College of Education, housed in Faubion School. She was one of many Concordians laid off in 2020. When more programming moves from UO’s Old Town facility, she expects new employment opportunities may open.

The mother of two, she’s also glad to hear that neighborhood use of the campus is on the minds of UO leaders. Campus grounds and facilities traditionally hosted many events and opportunities for youth.

“We were always checking out books from the children’s library,” Kristen added. “It was such a fun place to go and read on a rainy day.”

Editor’s note: For a recap of UO’s March 1 announcement about purchasing the campus and its commitment to the neighborhood, visit ConcordiaPDX.org/current-topics/cusale.

Nancy Varekamp is semiretired from her career in journalism, public relations and – her favorite work engagement – writing and editing targeted newsletters.

Strategy shifts position Bolt well in pandemic

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Local Businesses
Bitty Eagan (left) and Anne Lagomarsino were part of the Bolt team that helped weather the storm of Covid-19 business restrictions. They bought the store from founder Gina Cadenasso in December. Photo by Nancy Varekamp

It’s been two years of change for Bolt Fabric Boutique, although you wouldn’t know it to gaze at the bright sewn samples in the window or walk inside.

After 15 years since opening the shop on Alberta Street – and the 2018 move to 4636 N.E. 42nd Ave. – Gina Cadenasso in December sold the natural, sustainable fibers store to employees Bitty Eagan and Anne Lagomarsino.

Both are longtime seamstresses. Anne began early in life, but said her interest became more intense in her 20s. Bitty learned to sew as a child from her grandmother, who worked as a costumer for Warner Brothers before being hired away by Lucille Ball.

Anne has worked at Bolt for 2-plus years and her interest in owning a business piqued when she learned Gina intended to sell. “I couldn’t manage to be a business owner by myself,” she said.

Bitty, an employee for 3-plus years, was all in. In fact, that same grandmother left her an inheritance that provided Bitty’s buy-in. “It seemed the perfect thing to do.”

Bolt had made it through the first 20 months of the pandemic, and the two were confident the business model – including BoltFabricBoutique.com – would continue and thrive.

“Bolt had this teeny, tiny online store at the beginning of the pandemic, and it was essential to shift a lot of our sales initially to online,” Anne recalled. “Bolt had to shift a lot of the ways we did business.

“The most essential was Gina researching and implementing the system necessary to track and sell inventory both online and in person. Now we have customers all across the U.S.”

During the early days of the pandemic, masked Bolt employees carried fabric selections and notions to masked customers on the store’s porch, she added. Many customers were making masks.

“One of the things that’s really important to us is to be available to our customers, even people who were not our customers [previously],” Bitty explained. “A lot of people were home and were desperate for things to do. A lot of people learned how to sew.

“I think it’s really empowering to make the things that you use,” she added “We’ve noticed a lot of different types who come into the shop,” Anne said. “It seems to be appealing to all different kinds of people.” For instance, more men are sewing their apparel.

Bitty reported an increase in transgender customers shop there nowadays. “It’s hard to find clothes if your body’s not the stereotype, all different sizes and shapes.”

Nancy Varekamp is semiretired from her career in journalism, public relations and – her favorite work engagement – writing and editing targeted newsletters.

JRJ features tastes of owners’ Oaxaca roots

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Local Businesses
Look for mimosas and cantaritos on the menu at JRJ Skillets soon. Ramiro Eusebio Sanchez and his business partners expect to serve those in March, while continuing to offer cuisine from their homeland. Photo by Nancy Varekamp

JRJ Skillets brings traditional Mexican flavors to Concordia. The owners are proud of their Mexican roots, and they are incorporating Oaxaca’s flavors into their menu. “I like to recreate the flavors of my childhood and share them with my clients,” Ramiro Eusebio Sanchez said.

JRJ combines the first initials of Ramiro and his fellow entrepreneur,: José Cruz Lopez and José Juan Trejo Resendiz. They opened their doors at 2529 N.E. Alberta St. in October.

Ramiro is the main chef, and he is responsible for the menu and day-to-day operations. Most of JRJ’s salsas & mole are modeled after his mom’s cooking. “My mother is the biggest inspiration, teacher and critic of my food,” he pointed out.

However, the restaurant also offers American items such as biscuits and gravy, and burgers.

A best seller and recommended by the chef are the chilaquiles with green or red sauce and over-easy eggs. Also popular are carnitas and carne asada. “The enchiladas of mole are a must have.“ José Cruz said.

Ramiro immigrated to the U.S. at the age 16. At 35, he has nearly two decades of experience pouring into JRJ.

“I have worked in all aspects of the restaurant business. I’ve been a dishwasher, waiter and manager.” He found Portland to be the right city for him and Concordia the perfect spot for his longtime dream to open a restaurant.

As a business owner, Ramiro understands the importance of quality and feedback, and he believes they set JRJ apart. Owners import from México many of the key ingredients that cannot be found in the U.S., like chilies and spices – while using as many fresh local vegetables as possible.

“The quality can be tasted. We care, from the flavor and presentation of our plates to the presentation of our staff,” Ramiro reported.

“We want to offer excellence in taste, plating and quality,” he pointed out. For instance, the coffee is an original blend available only at JRJ. In addition, he takes to heart every review left on Yelp. com, and he invites all Concordia neighbors to visit, try the food and share their feedback online.

JRJ owners are in the process of acquiring an alcohol license, and they are hoping to have their fresh mimosas and tasty cantaritos on the menu in March. “We use fresh-squeezed juices, not concentrate” Ramiro promised.
The full menu is available on JRJSkillets.com.

Nota del editor: Artículo disponible en Español, visita ConcordiaPDX.org/JRJSkillets.

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.

Nature offers haven in urban, industrial area

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News

By Mac Larsen | CNA Media Team

The hidden nature of Whitaker Ponds is part of its appeal, as is its transformative history. Photo by Gordon Riggs

Whitaker Ponds Natural Area sits just northeast of Concordia. It’s a hidden gem that provides two wetland ponds for birdwatchers, nature enthusiasts and anyone trying to get away from city life.

“Having these little pockets of natural area here is really valuable when you’re surrounded by all of this industry and urban infrastructure,” said Jennifer Starkey. She is the education director for the Columbia Slough Watershed Council.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic shut businesses and schools, a visit to Whitaker Ponds was typical for local elementary students.

Under normal circumstances Jennifer and the council run a program called Slough School, which lets students interact in local ecosystems with the earth sciences curriculum they’re taught in the classrooms.

Educators face a school bus driver shortage and other obstacles amid changing pandemic precautions. Education programs like the ones at Whitaker Ponds moved online and, eventually, back to classrooms.

Despite these challenges, educators like Jennifer see a thriving interest in Portland’s local nature and wildlife.

“I have seen every day that I’m there families with their kids,” she said. “I had an event in October called Boo in the Slough. It was something I had always wanted to do, just have a Halloween party. Families showed up with their kids, and so many of them said ‘I’ve never heard of this place before.'”

The hidden nature of Whitaker Ponds, according to Jennifer, is part of its appeal – as is its transformative history. Before it was a city natural area, the ponds were treated as a dump.

Through plenty of work, investment y and collaboration with the city and partners like the Native American Youth and Family Center, the watershed council has elevated all eight of its sites for conservation and education.

“It feels great to be in a place where you can hear a woodpecker or see a beaver dam or just listen to water moving,” Jennifer pointed out. “I feel really grateful that I get to do that for my job.”

As the pandemic continues to complicate in-person gatherings, the watershed council plans to increase events at all watershed areas this spring and summer.

Details for events at Whitaker Ponds and the Columbia Children’s Arboretum are posted at ColumbiaSlough.org/events.

If you’re curious about Whitaker Ponds, Jennifer offers this advice: “Come on down. Leave your dog at home.”

Mac Larsen is a graduate student at the University of Oregon, pursuing a master’s degree in journalism. He grew up in Concordia neighborhood and can be found frequently on Alberta Street, complaining about all the construction.

No two Heart in Hand preschoolers are alike

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Local Businesses
Yvonne de Maat is celebrating two decades of Heart in Hand, a Waldorf method preschool in Concordia. At 10 years, she hosted a barn dance. A summer celebration is in planning stages for the 20th anniversary. For details, Heart in Hand alumni may contact MsYvonne@HeartInHandPreschool.com. Photo by Nancy Varekamp

Local preschoolers have kept Yvonne de Maat – Ms. Yve to her students – on her toes for 20 years.

Working with 3- to 5-year-olds never gets old. “I’ve never met the same kid. I respect the gifts and the challenges of each, and no one size fits all.” That’s what attracted her to the Waldorf method of teaching 30 years ago.

The Holland native moved to the U.S. in 1990, where she trained and began practice as a Waldorf educator. She set down roots in Portland in 2000 and opened Heart in Hand Preschool in 2002 in her home at 5405 N.E. 30th Ave.

“This neighborhood seemed like such fertile ground for this kind of education. It just speaks to people in this neighborhood.”

According to Yvonne, the Waldorf method launches a holistic approach to life. “Everything is really beautiful, everything is made of natural materials, and it’s a very nurturing environment,” she explained.

She finds the creative approach to play teaches children how to socialize. “The children figure out who they are in relationship to others. They learn to be strong human beings and compassionate human beings.

“If you are happy in your own skin, you can undertake whatever you want,” she explained. “It all starts with confidence.”

Two morning classes comprise Heart in Hand, one taught by Yvonne and the other by Sandra Paz – Signora Sandra. Six children enroll in each.

Yvonne weaves a rhythm into each day. One day a week the children knead and shape sour dough that they bake the next day to make their sandwiches.

During the six-week mandatory COVID-19 shutdown in 2020, children missed the bread making. So Yvonne offered porch pick up of some of her 27-year-old starter. Along with it went video instructions. Even non-students enjoyed the activity – and the results.

It’s old-fashioned play at Heart in Hand. Children build tiny houses and airplanes, participate in puppet plays, engage in crafts and join in on games.

Signora Sandra, who grew up in Mexico, offers Spanish immersion in her classroom. Sara Harkness – Ms Sara – offers craft lessons in both and teaches parent-child classes.. “There’s no screen play here, or radios even,” Yvonne pointed out.

The feedback she receives is positive – from parents and grown students. “I still get invited for graduation parties, and I show up with photo albums and some stories,” she reported. “They all remember baking the bread and the chickens I used to have.”

Has she welcomed any second-generation students? Not yet, she said. “That would be amazing.”

Nancy Varekamp is semiretired from her career in journalism, public relations and – her favorite work engagement – writing and editing targeted newsletters.

The purpose is to nurture change

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News
The former Redeemer Lutheran Church is now the Leaven Community Center. It’s home to the Leaven Community and 12 partners. Together, they strive to deepen relationships, cultivate community agency and capacity, and act together. Ali Ippolito serves as space coordinator, as well as Salt & Light Church musician. Photo by Nancy Varekamp

FreeDictionary.com describes “community center” as “a meeting place used by members of a community for social, cultural or recreational purposes.”

Members of the Leaven Community describe their brick and mortar center as a place to deepen relationships, cultivate community agency and capacity, and act together.

Leaven’s Ali Ippolito pointed to the organization’s mission on its website, Leaven.org: “to provide a space for igniting the power of relationships to create more equitable, diverse, thriving neighborhoods.”

The partnerships there focus on social, racial and environmental justice. “This is a building where that can thrive,” she explained.

The building at 5431 N.E. 20th Ave. was previously home to Redeemer Lutheran Church. Beginning in 2010, leaders sought change to nurture the changing community around the church building. (See ConcordiaPDX. org/2019/12/leaven-embraces-changingthe-community for details about that effort and the results.)

Now the sanctuary offers Salt & Light Church Sunday services. Other days it is the venue for concerts, music recitals, sound healing events, benefit shows/ events, meditation groups, and more.

Only a handful of pews are still bolted to the floor. Stackable, comfortable chairs are set up, most often in circular form. “We wanted to make the use of the space flexible,” Ali said.

A variety of uses fill the building. Most uncommon? “EPA had a meeting in the sanctuary once, and the kitchen in the basement was used for a goat meat processing class.”

Several rooms in the building are available for short-term rental. Visit the website for what’s available and the rental prices.

As the world climbs out of COVID-19 restrictions, Ali expects use of those facilities to again be on the increase. That includes the Buddhist meditation group that met regularly prior to March 2020.

“We kind of softly re-opened to the public in ways that made sense over the summer – a few concerts and meetings,” she said.

Then there are the 12 full-time tenants whose organizations are housed in the building. “These are our community partners, and they consist of social, racial, environmental and food justiceoriented nonprofits.”

Ali continues to value her work in the building, which began 20 years ago as a church musician. She continues to provide the music on Sundays.

“It’s spiritually fulfilling to me to provide music for others’ spiritual grounding.” The rest of each week, she serves as community center space coordinator.

It’s a job Ali said she loves. “This is one way I can be a part of social movements that are happening. My entire adult life, this place has sustained me.”

Nancy Varekamp is semiretired from her career in journalism, public relations and – her favorite work engagement – writing and editing targeted newsletters.