Collective impact.

09 Saturday Mar 2013

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CWA2013

Last Saturday night, 920 people gathered at the Oregon Convention Center for the Classic Wines Auction.  Folks from Oregon, Washington, California and beyond.  From the outside, it may have looked like a well-dressed crowd out to enjoy an evening of great wine and food, and friendship.  But inside the room.  Inside the hearts of the guests.  Something far more significant was on the agenda.  This crowd … comprised of friends, colleagues, wine enthusiasts, community leaders and philanthropists … was on a mission.  If we all stepped up.  If we challenged each other.  If we combined our resources.  How many lives could we touch.  How great could our collective impact be.  It was an unspoken moment.  An agreement that everyone in this audience made with each other to not let this moment slip by.

What transpired over the course of the evening can best be described as extraordinary generosity.  When the auctioneer shouted “SOLD” for the last auction item, $2.9 million had been raised.

$2.9 million!

There were great auction packages.  Amazing wine.  Fabulous trips and dinner parties.  But greater than the auction packages was the strong thread that wove its way from table to table.  It connected us all through a shared belief in the missions and good work of the CWA partner charities.

Five charities that reach over 82,000 children and families in our community:  breaking down cultural and economic barriers, helping youth exit street life and find a more productive path, connecting at-risk children with a long-term mentor, helping victims of domestic abuse and sexual assault, and addressing the health needs of the youngest members of our community.  Metropolitan Family Service, New Avenues for Youth, Friends of the Children – Portland, the YWCA Clark County, and Randall Children’s Hospital at Legacy Emanuel all provide unique services to children and families.  But they believe in collective impact.  They look our their windows and know that when we strengthen our greater community, we are better served.

Last Saturday night, 920 people looked beyond their windows and yards.  They recognized the needs in our community.  They walked into that ballroom with their eyes, ears and hearts fully open.  And they gave.  And gave.  Without hesitation.

The auction is over.  The ballroom has been cleared and reused over and over since March 2nd.  But the collective impact of the Classic Wines Auction will ripple through our community as thousands of children and families experience what hope looks like.

It looks like family.  A family 920 strong.

http://www.classicwinesauction.com

www.metfamily.org

http://www.newavenues.org

www.friendspdx.org

http://www.ywcaclarkcounty.org

www.legacyhealth.org/kidsonly

Photo Credit:  www.johnvalls.com

Steps.

06 Friday Jul 2012

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Steps.

Forward. Back. Sideways. Over. Around. Up. Down.

The youth served by New Avenues for Youth know all too well about taking steps.  It’s safe to say that prior to getting connected to NAFY, the step they were most familiar with was … back.  Not necessarily by choice.  When you’re homeless it’s tough to know what choices you have … aside from the choice to survive.  These youth have lived on the streets.  They’ve lived under bridges.  They’ve lived in the woods.  They’ve learned the majority of their lessons the hard way.  For every step forward, there were twice as many steps back.  Sideways.  Down.  And around.

But survival is a powerful choice.  And somehow, because of that one choice they knew they had.  That one choice they knew they wanted.  They found their way to New Avenues for Youth.  A giant step forward.  A step that helped them realize that they, in fact, have a lot of choices in their lives.  They also have a lot of support.

A conscious pattern of steps forward ensued … that led to a special graduation ceremony last week.

I’ve attended a lot of graduation ceremonies.  Heard celebrities and politicians speak.  Seen massive crowds gather.  When I arrived at the New Avenues for Youth graduation ceremony it was clear that this would be the smallest one I had attended.  The youths were there to receive their GEDs.  A step many of them never thought about taking.  Or achieving.  But they did.  And on this day, a small group of formerly homeless youth outshone the crowds and famous speakers at other ceremonies.  In ten years, I won’t remember most of the speeches I’ve heard at graduation ceremonies.  But I’ll remember these youth.  I’ll remember their words.  Words delivered with a level of pride and confidence that can only come when you’ve taken all the wrong steps … to finally take the right ones.  They waved their arms in the air and shouted out in joy as they walked across the stage to receive their certificates.  Small steps have never seemed so significant.

As I looked around at the faces in the room … all I saw was pride.  Pride in knowing that this day … this ceremony … represents something greater than the passing and receiving of a certificate.  It represents the first of many successes for these youth.  It is a shining example of the wonderful work New Avenues for Youth does every day.  These young people stepped away from street life and its countless limitations, and through their connection to NAFY, they stepped into a new, productive life … with countless opportunities.

They now trust … that for every step back.  Sideways.  Down.  And around.  There will be twice as many ….

Steps.  Forward.

www.newavenues.org

Clockwork.

29 Saturday Jan 2011

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Ilce, Kate and Jennifer.  Three sisters ages 11, 10 and 8.  They lived with their mom, Leticia, in the New Columbia community in North Portland’s Portsmouth neighborhood and attended the Regence Boys & Girls Club after school.  Every day. 

Like clockwork.

It is their home away from home.  Staff members describe the girls as caring, bright and well-mannered.  Each one has been a youth-of-the-month.  When they arrived at the Club after school they phoned their mom to let her know they arrived safely.  And when they left to go home in the evening, they phoned her again … and even though their home is just across the street, Leticia would go out on the front porch and watch them walk safely home.  Every evening. 

Like clockwork.

Until last week.

Tragically, Leticia was killed in a car accident in the early hours of Thursday January 20th.  The circumstances of the accident are still under investigation, but what is known, is that the lives of these 3 girls was turned upside down.  Far more than they realize, and far more than we want them to.

There is very little consistency in the lives of low-income families.  Very little positive consistency.  But Leticia had done her best to create a home and routine for her daughters … to provide the best she could with what she had.  She made use of community services available to her and she enrolled her daughters in the after-school programs offered by the Boys & Girls Clubs of Portland.  It became the girls’ home away from home. 

To say the Boys & Girls Clubs are “the positive place for kids” is an understatement.  We all know what happens when our youth don’t have stability or structure in their lives.  When they have no place to go after school and no support system.  Wrong turns and bad choices are theirs for the taking.  And it happens too often.  But Leticia wanted to protect her daughters from taking those wrong turns.  She wanted to give them an outlet that supports healthy decisions, provides homework assistance, leadership and character development, physical recreation and … is a positive place for kids.

Today the community will gather at the Regence Boys & Girls Club to remember Leticia’s life … and more importantly, to embrace and support Ilce, Kate and Jennifer.  Three young girls with no other family in the area.  Three young girls whose mother left a life of extreme poverty in Mexico years ago to build a better life here … for herself and her family.  We will gather to let them know that the biggest gift their mom gave them was an extended family through the Boys & Girls Clubs.  And because of that … during this sad and uncertain time in their young lives …  they are not alone.

We, as a community, will be there for them.

Like clockwork.

http://bgcportland.org

Blueberries, wooden swings and perspective.

31 Friday Dec 2010

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The last day of the year often gives me pause.  To reflect on the experiences … and emotions … of the past year.  Not for the purpose of making sense of it.  But to accept it.  Learn from it.  And continue to be thankful for the journey.

2010.

A year that brought my greatest joy.  My deepest sadness.  Transition.  Awareness.  Love.  Growth.

A year with moments that tested my courage.  Strengthened my faith.  Exposed my fears.  Broke my heart.  Patched it together.  And expanded it.

A year that blessed me with a new perspective … and greater clarity … of who I am … and why I’m here.

A friend recently asked me to make a list of 25 nouns that somehow are a part of my inner and outer life.

I consider it my nutshell:

  • family traditions
  • rainbows
  • French tulips
  • grace
  • the Great Wall
  • snowshoes
  • my daughter’s smile
  • campfires
  • humility
  • the night sky
  • fall leaves
  • blueberries
  • the willing
  • first edition literature
  • aspens
  • compassion
  • snow cones
  • my father’s Marine handkerchiefs
  • faith
  • smiley faces
  • the Columbia River
  • freedom
  • baseball
  • tugboats
  • wooden swings

So I’m saying farewell to 2010 … taking my nutshell … my clarity and perspective … and opening the door to 2011.

Six.

07 Sunday Nov 2010

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Six.

I will never think of that number the same again.

Last evening I attended a benefit auction for Doernbecher Children’s Hospital.  The event was appropriately titled, “Heroes on the Hill.”  You only needed to look to the person next to you to see one.

I have attended A LOT of events over the years and this was the most compelling, mission-driven event I have ever witnessed … thanks, in large part, to the inspiring story of Liam.  A six-year-old boy battling a cancerous brain tumor.

I had the opportunity to spend time with Liam’s family a few weeks ago.  I was so impressed with the grace, strength and optimism they carry through this journey.   

But what struck me even more, was their tremendous sense of gratitude.

Gratitude for the doctors and nurses that care for Liam.

Gratitude for the support of family and friends.

And most of all, gratitude for the generous donors … who had never met them … but who, over the years, have supported Doernbecher, making Liam’s care possible today.

And they wanted to pass that on.

And they did … big time.

They courageously shared Liam’s story with the audience last night and inspired the room to continue that tradition of giving.  To ensure that the same level of care that Liam is receiving, is available to all children … today, and into the future.

And while the donations flowed.  One in particular stood out.

Liam had heard earlier in the day that a generous donor was going to give $50,000 at the auction.  Liam went to his room … unprovoked … got into his piggy bank and brought six dollars out to his parents.  One dollar for each year of his life.  And at the auction, Liam gave his little baggie containing six dollars to the auctioneer. 

An unforgettable moment.

Suddenly, audience members were holding up their bid cards and yelling out, “six … six … six!”  So the emcee asked if everyone in the audience would be ok adding six dollars to their tab.  Resounding cheers filled the room!

The donations continued … $50,000 was the largest gift … but six dollars was the most significant.

Young Liam taught us that although there may be heroes all around us … the true hero … lies within us.

That’s the power of six.

* Liam’s $6 Club:  www.doernbecherfoundation.org

A Fork in the Road.

02 Friday Jul 2010

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Today is the double funeral service for Billy Moore and his mom, Valerie Martinez.  Many of us came to know Billy through the news of his untimely death … shot at the age of 17 … on his way home from visiting his mom at OHSU.  She had been battling leukemia and was now on life support.  Billy was there to say goodbye.  They died on the same night.

To the community of Portland, Billy’s death was eye-opening, heartbreaking and unexplainable all at the same time. 

Billy was a recent graduate, and the first Prom King, of Rosemary Anderson High School, an alternative high school in North Portland.  According to Joe McFerrin II, the President of RAHS,  Billy enrolled in RAHS in the fall of 2008 and although he struggled his first few months, the longer he stayed, the more he bought into the program and the more he brought to it.

He was working in an RAHS-sponsored internship with the Salvation Army where he was learning valuable work skills while earning money to help his family and he planned to attend Portland Community College in the Fall.

Billy Moore is an RAHS success story.  He is our community’s success story.  This big-hearted boy was finding his way … and thankful for his life and those that took an interest in him.  He felt blessed.  The 16-year-old that shot him … the 16-year-old whose life has changed forever … was traveling down a different path.  He made choices that Billy could have easily made.  But Billy didn’t.  

It’s an  interesting contrast.  Two boys coming to a fork in the road and choosing alternate paths.  Billy had guidance when he came to the fork.  From his faith.  From his family.  From RAHS.  Any one of these things may have made a difference in the life of the boy who shot Billy.  And for that, I hope we continue to use our voices to advocate for our youth and the safety of our community, pool our resources to support vital programs …… position ourselves at the forks in the road.

www.rosemaryanderson.org

www.moorememorialfund.com

Fate.

05 Wednesday May 2010

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Security is mostly superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it.  Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing. To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable.”   ~ Helen Keller

Legacy

18 Sunday Apr 2010

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What we love we grow to resemble.”   ~ St. Bernard

A few days ago, God met his newest angel, as our father passed away unexpectedly.  The pain is still fresh.  The emptiness at a level I’ve never experienced.  Sleep is non-existent and breathing … normally an intuitive act …  now seems to take a conscious effort.

A friend told me that not being able to sleep says something important about experiencing feelings … and feeling deeply those emotions is part of the healing process.  So I’m not struggling to sleep … but instead, I’m allowing my heart and mind to sift through memories and images and I’m clutching tightly to my dad’s beautiful smile and gracious spirit that touched so many lives.

I truly believe that God knew my dad was going to spend his life caring for others, so He blessed him with the most generous heart and an abundance of love to share.  And that he did.  We have been overwhelmed by the number of people who have called and written to share stories of how their life was impacted by our father.  My dad believed that each day was an opportunity to take what he had been given, and use it to make a difference in someone else’s life.  And that he did.  He shared a smile.  Lent a hand … and an ear.  He lived gratefully and graciously.

The next time you look up in the sky and see an extra sparkle in the stars … that is the twinkle in my dad’s eye as he watches over us (I’ve seen it each night) … making sure we continue to care for one another and be stewards of good will.  That is his legacy … and ours to carry on.

I love you dad.

Linnie

A Case for Role Models

21 Sunday Mar 2010

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Last week, the basketball team at St. Mary’s Home for Boys had their final game of the season.  They lost.  It was a tough season for them.  They played the same team each week throughout the season.  Another group of young men who have faced challenges in their lives.  Each week they played their hearts out.  And often, but not always, they came up short.

But after this final game … they came up big.

Earlier in the week the St. Mary’s boys decided they should give something to the other team after the game.  A gesture of sportsmanship.  A thank you.  And the boy I mentor made the decision to give up one of his prized possessions.  A limited edition basketball that the Portland Trail Blazers had given to him on Christmas day.  They gave it to him as he stood, alongside other boys from St. Mary’s, on the court before the Blazers tipped off against his favorite team … the Denver Nuggets.  He loved that basketball.  Partly because very few people had one … but mostly because it was passed to him from the hands of someone he considers to be a role model.

And so he had all his teammates sign it.  And when the game ended, they passed it on to the other team.

He doesn’t know the saying, “the scent of a rose lingers on the hand that gives it” … and he may not realize that the act of kindness, not the basketball, was the true gift.  But he does observe the acts of others … people he admires … role models.  And he follows their examples.  His kind gesture makes a case for the importance of role models.  A case for those in the public eye to set a good example.  Our youth are watching.