Author: Hallie Campbell

Outreach & Certification Coordinator at Boys & Girls Aid

You Can Help Oregon’s Foster Care Crisis

On any given day, there are about 6,000 children in Oregon’s foster care system. Many of these children come from situations of abuse and neglect only to find themselves facing uncertainty and instability once they enter foster care.  

Boys & Girls Aid, a nonprofit founded in Portland in 1885, wants to change that. We are looking for compassionate people to help improve the lives of children in foster care.  

A good foster home is often the first place a child in foster care has felt safe in a long time. Foster parents help children build trust in adults and provide a supportive environment where they can thrive.  

Boys & Girls Aid supports foster parents with responsive program staff available 24/7, ongoing free professional training, and generous monthly, tax-free stipends ranging from $1,200 to $3,500 per month. There are options to fit every family, from full-time placement to relief care a few days a month. 

Fostering children might bring life changes and challenges, but it’s a great opportunity to make a  difference in a child’s life — and in your own life, too. 

“It’s worth it to get to know these kids,” said experienced foster parents Jen and Chad. “It has enriched our lives a lot.” 

To learn more, visit our website: boysandgirlsaid.org/fostercare or contact Hallie Campbell at 503-544-7003 or [email protected].

Wanted: Newsletter Coordinator

The SNA is looking for an organized person to be the Sunnyside Newsletter Coordinator. The volunteer role only entails a few hours per month, including sending out an email reminder to the newsletter team, rounding up article submissions, and reviewing the final PDF layout of the newsletter. This is done with Google Shared Drive and Google Docs. 

This is a great opportunity for someone looking to get involved at the local
level, especially an aspiring journalist or communications professional.  It’s also perfect for anyone who wants to get involved and connected with awesome folks in the community. All ages are encouraged (15 years+). If interested, please contact Hannah at [email protected].

Critic’s Corner: Pizza Picks

My favorite pizza place is Straight from New York on Hawthorne. I like it because they make very thin slices and they make them very big. Pepperoni is my favorite. My second favorite is Ranch Pizza. They have all the favorite toppings that I normally like, like pepperoni. I like the square shape and the crust is sooo good. My third favorite is the pizza from my school – Glencoe. On Thursdays, the lunch menu is pizza and I like it because it is greasy and has pepperoni.

Straight from New York, 3701 SE Hawthorne and 3330 SE Belmont.
Happy Hour slice is $3.25

Ranch Pizza, 2239 SE 11th Ave.
They also have fancier pies like the #4: aged mozzarella, red sauce, sausage, ricotta, with calabrian chilies, pecorino, and basil. 

Please submit ideas for Critics Corner to Hannah at [email protected]  

Critic’s Corner: Tabor Bread

Review by Katherine Crosato, age 10, SES student 

Tabor Bread is a great local bakery that recently moved to Belmont and 44th from its original location on Hawthorne. Everything is carefully made and always fresh. Everybody there is welcoming and kind. They recently downsized so there is less seating, but this new location is more convenient for my family and still cozy. We always get bread there and we love it. Last Sunday I ordered a croissant sandwich with ham, cheese, aioli and sprouts and to top it off a very good quality mustard. It was great and I would recommend it to anyone. It was crispy and the inside was soft. I loved it! We had only planned to get a few things but ended up getting so many items. All of it smelled and looked amazing. The interior was very nice and comfortable to eat in. The customer service was great and they got things done fast. 

I do wish they had more food options. They used to have a huge variety to choose from and I feel like I didn’t have much to pick from but I’m sure that will come later. I’m excited for the future outdoor seating which will be a great thing to add considering I couldn’t bring my dog inside. I will definitely go back and this is a great local bakery if you’re looking for something fresh to eat. That’s why I recommend Tabor Bread as your local bakery. 

Tabor Bread, 4438 SE Belmont St.; see www.taborbread.com for their weekly bread schedule.  Open every day from 8 a.m.-2 p.m.

Please submit ideas for Critics Corner to Hannah at [email protected]  

News from the President

Hi Sunnyside neighbors! Welcome to February, where hopefully the worst of winter is nearing an end and the sun is starting to shine a little brighter in our neighborhood.

January was a busy month at our general meeting. Despite some technical difficulties, we had an excellent turnout. I love seeing new faces and hearing new voices at these meetings. Thanks to the great attendance, we were able to officially endorse the mission of Quiet Clean PDX. As noted in the January edition of the newsletter, Quiet Clean PDX is working to eliminate the use of gas-powered leaf blowers in Portland and the entirety of Oregon. I am very proud that the SNA has joined their list of endorsing groups. To learn more about Quiet Clean PDX’s mission and see how you can help, please visit www.quietcleanpdx.org.

We also heard from a Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) representative about a proposal to expand the greenway system through the Sunnyside neighborhood. PBOT is developing a plan to turn 34th Avenue alongside Sunnyside Environmental School into a bicycle-priority greenway from at least Belmont through Division. As part of this plan, they are examining the possibility of making car entry onto 34th from Hawthorne available only to cars turning right. However, much study needs to be done and the Hawthorne Business Association expressed concerns over the turn limitation onto 34th. This project is not currently funded, but if you care about our bicycle network, be sure to keep your ears open for more news and make your voice heard with the Bicycle Advisory Committee (www.portland.gov/transportation/bicycle-committee).

Lastly, we had a frank and open discussion with members about the need for the SNA to ensure we are viewing everything we do, everyday, through an equity lens. Our current presiding officer, Emily, is working with the entire board to develop policies and procedures to make sure that we see past any latent biases, approach all with respect, and work for the best interests of all of our neighbors.

Our monthly board meeting will be held on February 9th at 7 p.m. We will be back with our next general meeting in March. See you around Sunnyside!