Working Through the Pandemic

Hello Sunnyside Neighbors! My name is Lorraine Henriques, and I am the Secretary to the Board of the Sunnyside Neighborhood Association. I work as a Licensed Hearing Aid Specialist for HearingLife in Southeast Portland. I love my work; helping people hear better and improving communication between my patients and their loved ones is a privilege and an honor. For as long as I have been doing this work I have never been more challenged than I have been through this pandemic – to keep myself, my family and my patients safe is a serious responsibility I do not take lightly. I’d like to share with you some of the silver linings I have experienced in these challenging times.

I found out in late March I was the only Hearing Healthcare Provider who was seeing patients in Portland. I was very busy, but at the end of each day, I felt like I had played a part in relieving some of the stress people experienced.

My patients were grateful I was able to come to their vehicles and do “curbside” service on their hearing aids, dispense supplies or anything they needed. For those who ventured in, they found shields, barriers, spaced seating, and other precautions in place. But the enthusiasm for our services came front and center; people who had been resistant to getting help for their hearing realized how much they had been missing and how vital staying connected was for their happiness. Hearing is what keeps us truly connected to others. When those who have hearing loss cannot hear properly, they are truly isolated and cut off from their loved ones. The joy in a patient’s face when I give them their hearing aids back after service performed is priceless. The thanks I received from patients who heard well for the first time in many years was balm for my soul. People expressed appreciation that I was at work, and could help them.

To all the essential healthcare workers out there who worked through the pandemic, I am sure you feel how much you are needed and appreciated. I never realized quite how much I was needed or how “essential” my services were until this pandemic hit. It has brought a renewed sense of purpose to my profession. When we are all faced with fear and uncertainty, it is so healing to remember we are so important to one another, and we need to stay connected to one another. I’d love to hear your stories if you’d like to share them with me at [email protected]. Stay safe and well!

Sunnyside Dog of the Month: Meet Archer!

Archer comes to us from Fort Worth, Texas by way of the Oregon Dog Rescue in Tualatin (If you ever make it out to there please send my regards to Gretchen the Cat, their Chief Temperament Tester.) He is a Silver Labrador and about six months old in these photos. A resident of Taylor Street, he’s been enjoying walks in Laurelhurst Park, playing at the Mt. Tabor dog park and generally sniffing around the neighborhood. He’s been with us well over a month now, is full of energy and prides himself on his perfect situational awareness.

Prior to meeting Archer I’d never heard of a Silver Lab. The distinctive coat color from which they derive the name is the expression of a recessive trait carried by Chocolate Labs. Referred to as a “dilute” coat, the effect is seen when mutations in the gene encoding melanophilin cause atypical distribution of melanin-containing cells affecting the dog’s skin, hair, eyes, nose and mouth.

Having lived with a lovely Black Lab for many years, we’ve known for some time that we were ready to bring another dog into the family, but finding Archer took time and patience. As with many things it seemed at times that we would never be fast enough or high enough on the list — until suddenly we were.

September 10, 2020 SNA General & Board Meeting Agenda


This meeting is open to the public.
Times are approximate.  Agenda items subject to change.

This meeting will be conducted via Zoom.  All attendees will be muted upon entry into the meeting.  In order to ask a question or make a comment, please use the “Raise Hand” feature.  If accessing the meeting via computer, tablet, or smartphone app, you can do so via the “Raise hand button” in the “Participant” menu. If you are calling in to the meeting via phone, please dial *9.  You can learn more about how to use this feature here: https://www.techjunkie.com/zoom-raise-hand/

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89028907258?pwd=cnRLWDI4bG51SjNvUEFFN0lhaFlQUT09

Meeting ID: 890 2890 7258
Passcode: 631222

One tap mobile
+12532158782,,89028907258#,,,,,,0#,,631222# US

Join By Phone
+1 253 215 8782


August 13, 2020 SNA General & Board Meeting Agenda


This meeting is open to the public.
Times are approximate.  Agenda items subject to change.

This meeting will be conducted via Zoom.  All attendees will be muted upon entry into the meeting.  In order to ask a question or make a comment, please use the “Raise Hand” feature.  If accessing the meeting via computer, tablet, or smartphone app, you can do so via the “Raise hand button” in the “Participant” menu. If you are calling in to the meeting via phone, please dial *9.  You can learn more about how to use this feature here: https://www.techjunkie.com/zoom-raise-hand/

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88296252258?pwd=dU1BVGdEZVFpcE1uQzc2eFp4aVhoZz09

Meeting ID: 882 9625 2258
Passcode: 829031

Join by Phone
+1 253 215 8782

Board Election Results

Thank you to Christina Estimé for administering our election and SEUL for lending us their surprisingly cozy parking lot.  With four candidates running for five seats results were never really in doubt, but it was still very nice to see and speak to everyone in person.

It is very exciting to see two newcomers join the SNA Board in Ash Hester and Jessie Maran.  Incumbents Dave Boush and Russell Rinaldi were also elected to second two-year terms.  K.C. Hoffert, Lorraine Henriques, Colin Wonnacott and Sunia Gibbs, one year into their two year terms, round out the board to an even eight.  The remaining empty seat may be filled by appointment at any time during the next two years.

The next meeting of the SNA will be August 13th at 7pm via Zoom.