Tag: Newsletter Jul. 2022

Last Month’s News. This Month’s Plans.

The Sunnyside Neighborhood Association held its annual Board Elections at the June meeting and voted in three new members – Emily McCadden, Chris Waldmann, and Cole White. Congratulations to the newest members to represent and serve the Sunnyside community. 

There will not be a SNA General and Board meeting for the month of July due to organizing officer roles and preparing for the August meeting. 

I close with my complete gratitude for having had the opportunity to serve Sunnyside. My term is now complete and I will be stepping down from my role as the SNA President. There is much that I have learned through the process. I made many connections and got to see the organization develop a strong foundation. I’m excited to see the SNA continue this momentum and be the example within the city of Portland that local government does have a high impact. 

Be well and stay involved. 

Sunnyside Neighborhood Community Cares (SNACC) Committee Updates

The SNACC committee will hold its monthly meeting on July 21st from 6:30-8 p.m. Weather permitting, we hope to meet outside at Laurelhurst Park. Last month we discussed strategic planning for the Sunnyside Shower Project. We will be continuing this conversation and picking up any new topics relevant to the community that emerge over the next few weeks. Check back on the Sunnyside Neighborhood Association website for details about the agenda and location of the meeting or email [email protected] for my information.

What if We Got it Right?

I was listening to a recent podcast from On Being with Krista Tippett. She was interviewing a marine biologist who asked a BIG QUESTION….  “What if we got it right?” She is referring to the fact that, we, as humans, know all the reasons that there is a climate crisis, and that, in fact, we already know many right actions that, taken soon and collaboratively, might put us on a better path.

Jumping to my favorite topic – emergency preparation. What if the BIG QUESTIONS questions shifted to something like this…What have I already done to be prepared for any type of emergency? What else needs to be done? Who can I engage to help me be more prepared?

When it finally stops raining, I plan to write a chalk greeting on the public sidewalk in front of my home, something like… “Are you my neighbor?” I plan to invite friends on my block to write a similar greeting. It’s a conversation starter and a way to build community. And then I can ask my neighbors the BIG QUESTIONS mentioned above. One conversation at a time. 

What might you plan to do to build/expand your community and build resilience and safety?

Cheers for summer, and continue to reach out ([email protected]) if you need support with your questions about emergency preparedness.

Sunnyside Neighborhood: Getting to Know Your Neighbors

Q&A with Cole White

Cole White has been a steady presence at the Sunnyside Shower Project for over a year—first as a guest and then as both a guest and a volunteer. Always ready with an open mind and some witty banter, he is fun to do a shift with because you can swap book recommendations (most recently he had Italo Calvino’s short stories in his back pocket) and discuss everything from punk rock to religion. In March, the SNACC committee applied for and won a grant to pay him a stipend, so now he’s the only paid member of our team, stocking toiletries and other supplies at the Sunnyside Methodist Church and generally ensuring that things run smoothly. A graduate of UC Santa Cruz, where he studied math and literature, White writes creative nonfiction including a newspaper called The Portland Interrupter. He recently landed his own apartment and he’s also the most recently elected member of the Sunnyside Neighborhood Association. Please join us in welcoming him to this new role. 

Continue reading our full Q&A with Cole White