The members of the SNA Community Safety & Livability (CS&L) committee would like to extend our gratitude for the large turnout at the December 15th meeting. It’s very important to hear the concerns and needs of our community so that the committee can address and establish solutions to make the Sunnyside neighborhood safe and welcoming for all. A big thank you to Raven Drake, Street Roots Ambassador Program Manager, who shared valuable insights with us on how to do outreach and communicate with our growing population of houseless neighbors. In addition to meeting Raven at the December meeting, committee members attended an outreach training on December 26th guided by Raven and her team. We also want to thank both State Representative Rob Nosse for attending our meeting and Street Roots for the outreach training that helped us to learn more about how to navigate this growing concern.
In order to manage a safe environment for all housed and unhoused residents of Sunnyside it is our belief that having a strong line of communication is essential. The CS&L committee aims to be the supportive bridge that aligns common values for an inclusive and equitable neighborhood.
We, as a community, have learned time-and-time again that the sweep process does not provide a lasting solution to either our housed or houseless community. The CS&L committee is looking to find available land to facilitate campers in a designated area to help avoid future sweeps. In the meantime, we are taking immediate action to coordinate with Metro for regular trash pick-ups and with HUCIRP for sanitation stations. We will continue to host a gear drive through the winter months to help those in need of warmth, shelter, and basic survival needs.
As an alternative to calling 911 or the police, there is a great web resource that lists immediate assistance for emergency and crisis services that are. The organizations listed at https://dontcallthepolice.com/portland/ work in housing, mental health, domestic violence & sexual assault, youth, elders, LGBT+, substance abuse, and crime.
Volunteer & Donate
Many opportunities for one-time and on-going volunteering are available. We are also collecting donations—updates for how and what to donate are listed on the Sunnyside website. Please check https://sunnysideportland.org/ or email csl at sunnysideportland.org for more information and to get involved.