Sunnyside Neighborhood Community Cares (SNACC) Committee Updates

The Sunnyside Shower Project and SNACC are hosting their 3rd Annual winter gear and clothing drive. We will be collecting donations at Southeast Uplift (3534 SE Main Street) from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. on Saturday December 10th. We primarily serve adults. We are in need of a range of winter weather items in all sizes, such as:

  • New socks and underwear
  • Winter hats
  • Gloves 
  • Sweaters and sweatshirts 
  • Long and short sleeve t-shirts
  • Sweatpants and long underwear
  • Jeans and pants
  • Boots
  • Rain resistant outerwear
  • Blankets
  • Sleeping bags
  • Tents
  • Hothands

If you are unable to drop off donations on December 10th, donation drop offs can be arranged by emailing Hannah Wallace at [email protected]. We are also in need of volunteers and financial donations to support both the event and the long term operations of the Sunnyside Shower Project. Details about volunteering and how to contribute a tax-deductible donation to the Sunnyside Neighborhood Association Community Cares Committee to support the Shower Project can be found at https://sunnysideportland.org/donate-snacc.

Getting to Know Your Neighbors

Q&A with Marshall Livingston

You may have seen him sweeping the sidewalk across from the library or helping to collect trash at the Belmont Street Fair. Marshall Livingston, a Sunnyside resident for the past four years, has a wild mane and a helpful, can-do attitude. A regular guest at the Sunnyside Shower Project, he also helped us raise money to fix the broken windows at the Sunnyside Methodist Church by donating half of the proceeds from his colorful tie-dyed T-shirts, which he hand dyes himself. We spoke to Marshall about Sunnyside, what can be done to improve the houselessness crisis, and his idea for a CSA/community garden. 

What do you like about Sunnyside? 

I got involved with Sunnyside because of Pat (Schwiebert). I had someone tell me about her weekly suppers [Schwiebert ran the Hard Times Supper at the Sunnyside United Methodist Church for over 35 years]. I went there and I liked it. It was a much better environment for my wife. Less chaotic; fewer crackheads floating around; less agitated. 

Continue reading our Q&A with Marshall Livingston

Evicted for a Substation

The following article was published in The Oregonian on December 2, 1977. The Howlands, who had lived in their house on Belmont and 32nd since 1960, were relocated by PGE in 1977. A previous article in the Oregonian said that PGE promised to finance their move if they were able to find a suitable house for an equivalent rent. 

Couple granted delay on moving deadline

Mr. and Mrs. John S. Howland, a sickly couple living in a home that is expected to be razed to make room for expansion of a Portland General Electric Co. substation, were not forced to move Thursday.

Deadline for moving from their rented residence at 3236 S.E. Belmont St. had been set for Dec. 1.

PGE, the Sunnyside Neighborhood Association, and Mrs. Howland’s Attorney are all working to help the Howland’s find a low-cost house to rent. The couple has 12 children, one of them at home, a 14-year-old daughter, Lisa.

They have said they desire a three-bedroom home so their visiting children can have a place to stay.

Mrs. Howland is suffering from diabetes and high blood pressure and Howland has a heart problem and emphysema.

PGE purchased the Howlan’s rented house 18 months ago, along with several others in the block, to make space available for expansion of the substation next door to the Howlands.

The Sunnyside Neighborhood Association has taken the case to City Hall because the association wants as many homes as possible left in the neighborhood.

A PGE spokesman said employees had volunteered to help move the Howlands as soon as another house can be found. The couple is paying $90 for rent and must find another low-cost house.

Mrs. Howland will be 61 Jan. 10. Howland will be 69 in February. The family exists on welfare and Social Security.

News from the President

Hi neighbors! Just a short update from me on what we’re talking about at the Sunnyside Neighborhood Association.

We had our monthly board meeting on Thursday, October 13th. This time we were much more successful hosting a hybrid in-person/virtual meeting, so we will continue to offer both options for our general and board meetings, allowing for as many neighbors to participate as possible. Much of the focus for the board was on this little newsletter that we always love to see on our front doorsteps every month! We heard, in detail, from our newsletter team about their process and how they put it together every month, from article submissions to getting it into your hands. We are looking for ways to improve and streamline the process to ensure its continued success.

Additionally, we had a presentation from our Land Use & Transportation Committee chair, Jamie Smith, about efforts by neighbors at 45th and Madison surrounding the tent camp behind the commercial building at 4511 SE Hawthorne. This camp has existed throughout the past several years, but tensions have increased recently. You may have seen the news reports (www.kptv.com/2022/09/15/multiple-cars-hit-by-man-throwing-rocks-his-bike-se-portland) regarding a possible resident of this camp throwing rocks at cars. Jamie reported that the building is currently being vacated and that the development company, Killian-Pacific, will be fencing off the property to the edge of the sidewalk on Madison to deter future encampments until they proceed with a project on the site. The camp was slated to be swept by Friday, October 14th.

Finally, I wanted to pass along notices about some grant opportunities. First, SE Uplift has opened applications for two grant programs: Community Small Grants and Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility Communication Grants. Applications are due by midnight November 22nd. Full details are available at www.seuplift.org/grants. Second, if you own a small business that has had broken windows or doors, graffiti, or other damage, you can apply for up to $10,000 in assistance from the city’s Local Small Business Repair Grants program. Details and the application can be found at www.prosperportland.us/portfolio-items/local-small-business-repair-reopening-grant.

We will be returning on November 10th at 7 PM for our next general meeting. We are still working on the agenda, but of interest is a new plan from PBOT to expand the greenway network in Sunnyside with additional North/South streets and traffic calming measures. If you have other topics you would like to discuss at this or other meetings, please reach out to us at [email protected].

Portland Mennonite Church Celebrates 100th Anniversary

Portland Mennonite Church at 35th and Main (1312 SE 35th Ave.) will hold a community Open House on Saturday, November 12, 2022 from 10:00am until noon as part of its 100th anniversary celebration. Mennonites are an historic Peace Church and PMC is committed to seeking the peace of the city.

More than two dozen quilts will be displayed that were handmade by volunteers from the congregation. Historical photographs from the early years—when the congregation was located on NW Savier Street in Northwest Portland—will also be on display. A centennial collage by local artist and church member Tim TK Klassen will also be displayed.

At 11 a.m. local stained glass artist David Schlicker will give a historical overview of the many stained-glass windows in the building, including some by the renowned Povey Brothers. The building was constructed in 1918 by the First Friends Church of Portland and includes one wing that was their original building that was moved directly across Main Street where it had previously been their main meeting house. In 1969, the building was sold to Portland Mennonite Church; First Friends built a new building near Reed College and became Reedwood Friends Church.

At 7 p.m. on the same evening there will be a centennial hymn sing featuring music from four different time periods. Please join us to learn more about the history of Sunnyside’s only Mennonite Church. For more info, go to www.portlandmennonite.org.