Category: Neighborhood Newsletter

Sunnyside Neighborhood Community Cares (SNACC) Committee Updates

We had a strong turnout at our February meeting, where we discussed the Sunnyside Shower Project’s (SSP) protocols on how to deal with guests who exhibit harmful or dangerous behaviors. Special guest Sandra Comstock, from Hygiene4All, shared some ideas on how they deal with harm to their community. The SSP has a “Code of Conduct” that we hang in our space at the Groves but we have not yet written down a policy for “incident protocols.” We hope to do that in the coming weeks. One helpful tidbit
that Comstock shared is to come at the incident with curiosity. If a person who is houseless is acting out, there is usually something going on for them and finding out what that is and (if possible) helping them solve that issue is a good place to start. 

We also discussed the possibility of the SSP becoming its own nonprofit, separate from the SNA. There are pros and cons to this—one pro being that we would be eligible for a wider variety of grants and funding. On the other hand, many of us like the fact that we’re showing that Neighborhood Associations can be a force for good in their communities. We don’t want to lose the grassroots nature of the SSP, which is one of the qualities that makes it so special. Matt Lembo offered to help with this process, if the SSP decides to become its own nonprofit. 

Finally, we are hoping to off-load the furniture that’s in our storage unit on 82nd St. If anyone needs bookshelves, lamps, or other household items, let us know. We are willing to give these items away in exchange for a donation to the SSP! Contact Emily at [email protected] if you’re interested. 

As always, if you’re interested in supporting the SSP, either financially or by joining our growing volunteer pool, please email [email protected] to learn more. 

Sunnyside Neighborhood: Getting to Know Your Neighbors

Q&A with Reverend Leroy Barber

The Rev. Leroy Barber wears many hats. Formerly Director of Innovation at the Oregon-Idaho Conference of the United Methodist Church, Barber is currently the associate pastor at the Groves Church in Sunnyside and the Executive Director of a North Carolina-based nonprofit called Neighborhood Economics, which supports entrepreneurs in disenfranchised neighborhoods. He’s also Black Santa PDX. Finally, as if that weren’t enough to keep him busy, he just opened a coffee shop, Grinds & Vines, in the basement of the Sunnyside Methodist Church. Barber also loves to wear actual hats—including this red fedora. Stop by to have a latte or pour-over, and give him and his daughter Jessica a big welcome!  

How long have you been in Portland? 

Leroy: I’m from Atlanta. I came here about ten years ago for a job with a non-governmental organization called Word Made Flesh, but they’ve since moved. They work in nine different countries. I’ve done a lot of work with missions, and international and community development. 

Do you live in Sunnyside?   

Leroy: No. I live in Southeast Portland but further out, towards Gresham.  

Why did you start your business in Sunnyside? 

Leroy: I worked for the Methodist Conference for about five years and I invited Sunia [Gibbs, pastor at The Groves Church] and the Groves to be part of this building [the old Sunnyside Methodist Church]—to help renovate it and run it as a community center. A few years ago, we found old pictures—like, twenty years old—showing that there used to be a coffee shop in the basement. So that’s what gave me the idea. And I just think Sunnyside is a good neighborhood. It’s a close-knit community.

Continue reading our Q&A with Reverend Leroy Barber

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! 

Preparing for “The Big One”

Through my eprep lens, I know about many of the people in my neighborhood and where they are on the preparedness continuum—and some of them are quite impressive. Here, I profile Bill and Amy in

the hopes that their dogged planning can help inspire you to prepare your family for an earthquake or other emergency. 

Bill and Amy are a married couple with a dog. They moved here about 15 years ago from Colorado—a wildfire-prone area. They experienced a few close calls, but never had to evacuate. Having a “go bag” was just a part of life.

Nonetheless, moving to Portland presented a few new challenges, including needing to prepare for an earthquake. Additional eprep included enough water and food for humans and pets for two weeks and the mundane: pee/poo buckets and first aid supplies. Also, Bill is an amateur radio operator, and recertifies each year as a Wilderness First Aid responder, and, coincidentally, is an active Sunnyside Neighborhood Emergency Team (NET) member.

That’s a great neighbor to have! 

Their preparations also include the expectation that they may have to live without power/heat/electricity, perhaps outside, for at least two or three weeks. That might mean sheltering in place, depending upon the condition of their home after an earthquake.

It took them about six months to get prepared for “The Big One.” Then, they reached out to like-minded neighbors to assess their interest in getting prepared together, with the hope of helping one another. For them, community is important and a plan was developed and implemented for four households with diverse emergency prep needs. Pre-pandemic, this group of four neighbors met quarterly. They hope to meet up again soon. 

Bill and Amy acknowledge that eprep plans evolve as they age and adjustments have to be made. Simple, but not easy.

If you have done significant emergency preparedness and want to share what you’ve done for a future issue of the newsletter, contact Jan at [email protected].