Tag: Saints Peter & Paul

Community, New Business

Day Services Open at Former 82nd Ave Church

On March 21st, PDX Saints Love held a ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the beginning of new day services at the former Saints Peter & Paul Episcopal Church property. In a partnership with Shelter Portland, the nonprofit will help unsheltered and housing-insecure community members access food, housing, behavioral health treatment, healthcare, and work opportunities. This organization will use the historic building at 247 SE 82nd Avenue over the next few years until the Episcopal Diocese of Oregon demolishes it to make room for affordable housing. The organization intends to support the housed neighbors along with the unhoused community by providing regular cleanups in Montavilla’s public spaces and instituting a three-block safety zone around the site.

PDX Saints Love’s founder, Kristle Delihanty, expects the site to be active most weekdays, although outward-facing services occur only on certain days and times. The groups will leverage relationships with other nonprofits to provide hygiene, health, housing, and work training. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, Cultivate Initiatives will bring mobile washing stations offering showers and haircuts to those who do not have regular access to those necessities. Several times a week, an onsite Peer Wellness Specialist will provide guidance in navigating housing placement or coordinate long-term shelter referrals. In a partnership with Trillium Community Health and Care Oregon, Community Health Workers will provide connections to primary care, OHP assistance, and coordinated care for all health-related needs. Worksystems will offer workforce development and internship opportunities, including a shelter worker training program where people can automatically build a resume hour-by-hour. “We’ll be partnering with Worksystems, which is using the shelter to pay day laborers to clean up in the neighborhood, [making] sure that our neighbors feel supported,” said Delihanty.

Kristle Delihanty and Keith Wilson cutting ceremonial ribbon

Recognizing that a concentration of service providers already impacts Montavilla, Kristle Delihanty explained that PDX Saints Love’s support of the unsheltered and housing insecure will also include support for the entire neighborhood and does not want to impose on the community further. In late February, the nonprofit hosted a meeting with neighborhood and business leaders, including those living in homes around the former Saints Peter & Paul property. At the meeting, they listened to people’s concerns and used that feedback to adopt policies Delihanty hopes will minimize the impact on surrounding properties. In addition to the regular cleaning and beautification work coordinated from the site, they will implement rules to discourage camping by the SE 82nd Avenue building. “If someone is camped right outside on Pine or Ash [street] and they came in to get services, we would have a conversation with them. We would let them know about the Community agreement with our neighbors and that we need them to abide by it. If they continue after a seven-day period to stay and camp, then we would withhold services,” explained Delihanty. “We want to give them a grace period to figure something out first, but if they refuse to work with us, we would just withhold services. The same thing goes for the purchase or sale of illegal substances within a three-block radius and open use of illegal substances within a three-block radius.” The day service provider will also maintain a monitored email address so people can contact them with concerns or operational feedback so they can address those issues.

Mobile shower truck

Like many people who work in the recovery and homeless services industry, Delihanty started this work after breaking out of her own cycle of drug use. “I come from homelessness and a 20-year heroin addiction in East Portland. My last nine felony arrests were on 82nd and Powell. When I went into recovery, I got a chance from the District Attorney to start over, and one of the ways that I learned to keep focused on my recovery was through service work,” explained Delihanty. Her experience in recovery and knowledge of the homeless community guided her early work. In 2017, the group started with a giant pot of chili to feed people at Lents Park while discussing options and experiences. PDX Saints Love grew into a 20-volunteer operation by 2018 and became a 501c3 organization in 2021. The organization has operated a reoccurring Wellness Fair in the Lents neighborhood that has grown to 160 participants. The fair will continue in Lents on Mondays. The new site on SE 82nd Avenue will work as a staging and meal prep area for those events. The new building will help the organization improve its existing programs, bringing its formerly outside work into a warm building that can serve people year-round. However, a few new offerings are possible thanks to the added space.

Shelter Portland’s Founder & Chair President Keith Wilson giving interview

PDX Saints Love’s partnership with Shelter Portland and the District Attorney’s office will offer day-service guests a Homeless Court program that works to remove barriers to housing and employment caused by criminal backgrounds and active warrants. Similar to the help Delihanty received from the District Attorney while building her current life, the program intends to extend that same chance to others looking to secure a stable life after completing a four-month process. Knowing that there is a future away from drugs and living on the street is an integral part of treating people’s substance use disorder and getting people working on a future.

Portland Rescue Mission van

PDX Saints Love has a 24-month lease for the 247 SE 82nd Avenue facility with an option to extend occupancy until the owners schedule demolition. They will begin operations by offering essential services, including hot meals, showers, wound care, overdose prevention, clothing, and other weather supplies to day-services guests. The established neighborhood group Montavilla Collective will continue to use the building for its events on Wednesdays. Services offered at this location will grow to include more health care services, assistance clearing criminal records, and housing placement. PDX Saints Love staff will meet regularly with neighbors as they grow, gathering input and identifying corrective actions required to remain a positive influence on the community. The people leading this effort are committed to ending homelessness while restoring the communities impacted by the epidemic.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Election Statement: Keith Wilson of Shelter Portland is running for Portland Mayor. Montavilla News does not endorse candidates for office or support ballot measures.

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Entertainment, Event

Farewell Organ Concert at Saints Peter & Paul

On Sunday, November 5th, Saints Peter & Paul Episcopal Church will host an organ and piano concert. The free performance at 247 SE 82nd Avenue is the last concert featuring the congregation’s 1959-era organ. The church closes permanently on December 31st to make way for affordable housing. The 4 p.m. musical event will feature Daniel Resch on the organ and Michael Denison playing piano.

Wicks Organ Company of Highland, IL, built the parish’s air-driven instrument and shipped it to Portland. A year later, in 1960, craftspeople installed the musical equipment within the newly constructed sanctuary. The church will sell the organ after it closes at the end of the year. The acoustics in the church’s sanctuary enhance the natural sounds produced by the instrument, making this one of the last times people can hear it as it initially sounded. Wherever it finds a new home, the sound will differ slightly based on the surrounding room. After the concert, church staff will allow interested people to tour the organ chamber for a behind-the-scenes look at the massive pipes and other equipment.

The Saints Peter & Paul community invites all Montavilla neighbors and anyone who enjoys the works of Grieg, Rachmaninoff, and other classical composers to this afternoon performance. This is one of the final times the community can enjoy the church building and its intentionally designed acoustics. Residents who miss this event can attend the final celebration in the sanctuary at 5 p.m. on December 3rd.

By

Jacob Loeb

Community, Event

Special Election Candidate Forum

On April 23rd, Saints Peter & Paul Episcopal Church will host an event featuring the three candidates running for Multnomah County District 3 Commissioner. Voters will select a permeant replacement to serve the remainder of Jessica Vega Pederson’s term as commissioner during the May 16th election. People interested in asking candidates a question can RSVP and submit questions online. Attendees should arrive at 247 SE 82nd Avenue by 3 p.m., with activities concluding by 4:30 p.m.

Candidates Julia Brim-Edwards, Albert Kaufman, and Ana del Rocio have confirmed their attendance. Multnomah County has played an increasingly visible role in the Montavilla community, with two houseless support sites planned in the neighborhood. Many Portlanders look to the City for most issues affecting their lives. However, the County is responsible for a wide range of services, including support for seniors, people living with disabilities, animals, mental health needs, addiction recovery, and support for people experiencing poverty, including the unsheltered.

Event flyer for April 23rd Candidate forum. Courtesy Saints Peter & Paul Episcopal Church

District members elect four commissioners to the Multnomah County Board, and all County voters elect the Board Chair. Jessica Vega Pederson designated Diane Rosenbaum as the interim Multnomah County District 3 Commissioner when she moved into the Chair position after winning the seat last year. Commissioner Rosenbaum has served on the Board since January 4th and will continue until a replacement is elected. If no candidate receives the majority of votes this May, a runoff will occur on November 7th.

Meet Candidates: April 23rd 3:00 to 4:30 p.m.

Saints Peter & Paul Episcopal Church
247 SE 82nd Avenue, Portland, OR 97216
(503) 254-8168 or info@spp-pdx.org

Special District Election on May 16, 2023

Update April 21st, 2023: Candidate Julia Brim-Edwards will attend the event. However, she may be late due to a scheduling conflict that had previously prevented Brim-Edwards from attending. An earlier version of this article said only two of the three candidates would attend.

By

Jacob Loeb

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Community

Community Meetings on Alternative Shelters

Last week began and ended with community meetings regarding the placement of alternative outdoor shelters in Montavilla. Meeting attendees expressed mixed support for the temporary housing program, and a significant number of residents voiced their disappointment with County communication regarding these shelter projects. Elected officials presented at both gatherings, but many community members’ concerns remain unanswered as the area residents wait for Multnomah County to engage in public conversations.

Organizers scheduled the two meetings soon after The Oregonian/OregonLive revealed that a 5.8-acre Volunteers of America (VOA) Oregon property could become an alternative outdoor shelter for up to 150 people experiencing houselessness. However, those early conversations did not produce a short-term lease for 8815 NE Glisan Street, and City staff will continue searching for locations outside of Montavilla. Some residents were concerned that this section of Portland was taking on an undue burden from government groups looking to address the housing emergency. At the end of December, Montavilla News broke the story that Multnomah County purchased two automotive sales lots along SE 82nd Avenue, with at least one location becoming an outdoor alternative shelter. The Joint Office of Homeless Services (JOHS) recently announced that Straightway Services will operate a Safe Park alternative shelter at 333 SE 82nd Avenue.

The Safe Park model allows Portlanders experiencing vehicular homelessness to park and utilize their vehicles for shelter. The fully managed site will provide safety, sanitation, and case management to invited residents looking to transition off the street. Shelter rules prohibit Recreational Vehicle (RV) parking and unsanctioned camping at this location. The nonprofit provider, Straightway Services, will maintain staff onsite at all hours of the day and be responsible for managing the location’s residents. The site is already fenced and awaiting the demolition of the former sales office. JOHS staff expect residents to move in later this year.

JOHS has not announced plans for the second County-owned site at 1818 SE 82nd Avenue. However, they have indicated it will also address the shelter needs of the unhoused. Montavilla already hosts a County supported alternative outdoor shelter called Beacon Village, north of NE Glisan Street. That location is widely considered a successful implementation, and the County often cites it as an example in its communications. When these two new 82nd Avenue locations open, the County will have three alternative outdoor shelters within close proximity to each other, prompting questions from neighborhood residents about site selection diversity.

Mayor Ted Wheeler speaking at the March 18th, 2023, town hall

Saints Peter & Paul Episcopal Church hosted a Stand for Compassion gathering on Sunday, March 12th. Multnomah County Commissioner Diane Rosenbaum and State Representative Khanh Pham spoke briefly at the event. Over a dozen community members attended the gathering that focused on engaging in supportive conversations around the Safe Park site. Most attendees of this meeting felt hopeful about the program and appreciated that some new models of shelter support were coming to the neighborhood.

The Columbia Christian School hosted a town hall meeting on Saturday afternoon in their Eastside Church of Christ chapel. This event was coordinated by Safe Rest PDX and attended by Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, who spoke for an hour. With the VOA site no longer considered for a City run temporary shelter site, his conversation focused on the program’s ambitions to end unsanctioned camping in Portland and his belief that it was the most humane solution to getting people off the street quickly. Event organizers took written questions from the audience for the Mayor and selected a few to ask. After he concluded his portion of the meeting, the two hundred attendees thinned out considerably, and the TV news crews from Koin, KGW, KATU, and KPTV packed up their equipment. The event continued for almost another hour, with speakers sharing their experience engaging the unhoused and expressing concern over JOHS’s lack of communication. Examples of the County’s short Cummings centered around missing several self-imposed deadlines for mailing information to residents near 333 SE 82nd Avenue and the lack of County attendance at their meeting. Outside of the written questions for the Mayor, organizers asked attendees to refrain from speaking. However, they collected people’s concerns through a survey and plan to share those comments at a future date.

During Mayor Wheeler’s time at the lectern, he informed the crowd that the City was not planning to have any other large 150-person camps sited in Montavilla, limiting the future alternative shelters to the three County locations. JOHS and Straightway Services are committed to holding a public conversation with the community closer to the site’s opening and signing a Good Neighbor Agreement with the local business and neighborhood associations. Until then, there will likely remain a gap in public information beyond what is available on the County’s Frequently Asked Questions webpage for the Montavilla Safe Park.

By

Jacob Loeb

Disclosure: The Author of this article servers on the boards of Montavilla/East Tabor Business Association, 82nd Avenue Business Association, and Montavilla Neighborhood Association. Those groups will work with Multnomah County’s Joint Office of Homeless Services and Straightway Services to draft a Good Neighbor Agreement for the Safe Park Village on SE 82nd Avenue.

Community, Event

Book Launch Event at Zuckercreme Wednesday

Zuckercreme will host the first in a series of book events presenting the works of a local author, Rev. Sara Fischer. At 7 p.m. on October 5th, people can gather at 414 SE 81st Avenue to hear from the creator of Open: Adventures in Radical Hospitality. The author will read from the book, answer questions, and sign copies. Organizers will serve refreshments during the event.

The book focuses on Saints Peter & Paul Episcopal Church during the turmoil of 2020 and explores the path that lead Rev. Sara Fischer to that place and moment. Open’s subject matter makes it a uniquely Montavilla story that looks at the City and society from the center-point of this community. The author recognizes the significance of holding the inaugural reading in the neighborhood. “It is in many ways a ‘Montavilla book,'” wrote Fischer in an event announcement.

Interested readers can purchase the book online at Amazon.com and Bookshop.org or this week’s event. Rev. Sara Fischer is currently Rector for Saints Peter & Paul Episcopal Church at 247 SE 82nd Avenue and is cofounder of Rahab’s Sisters. Fischer will donate all net proceeds from book sales to Rahab’s Sisters and Saints Peter & Paul.

Set in what the author affectionately calls “the spiritual-but-not-religious center of the universe,” Open tells the story of a scrappy little church in southeast Portland, Oregon, and its many encounters with the poor in its neighborhood and beyond. In the city that in 2020 became a focus of national attention because of tireless protests against police brutality, the complexity and vulnerability that characterize racial struggles in America’s whitest city also characterize the struggles of this neighborhood church and its priest’s hunger for justice and hope. The church opens its doors and hearts to people marginalized by sex work, poverty, prejudice, or addiction–people whom others cannot or will not help–while on a national and global scale 2020 shines a light on legacy racial and economic injustices. The book explores intersections between faith, social unrest, and one clergywoman’s search for meaningful work.

Wipf and Stock Publishers

By

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Montavilla News has a Patreon account. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to please consider becoming a paid subscriber or sponsor. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.