Six Actions You Can Take:
Mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters
There are currently over 2,000 kids on a waiting list looking for mentorship. Mentors can volunteer anywhere from 30 minutes-1 hour per week for a year. Mentoring options range from having lunch with a child once a week to going together to Timbers, Trailblazers and Winterhawks games. www.bbbsnorthwest.org/volunteer_programs
Enroll in the Community Educator Program
The Office of Youth Violence Prevention is developing a two-part training for community members that will include in-depth information about gangs. Trained volunteers will then educate their neighbors. For more information on enrolling in this program, please contact Rob Ingram, Director, Office of Youth Violence Prevention at rob.ingram@portlandoregon.gov or 503-823-3584.
Walk with Connected (or start your own foot patrol)
Connected is a group of community members determined to be a presence and positive role model in the lives of youth. This group meets weekly to walk through and around acknowledged ‘hot spots,’ acknowledging and engaging with young and old alike as they go about their business. Connected invites volunteers join them on walks and organize their own groups of walkers. For more information, contact:
Gary Marschke at 503-412-8520 or look for Connected on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Connected
Foot patrols send the message: ‘This neighborhood cares.’ Those who want to volunteer and need help setting up a foot patrol can also call the Office of Youth Violence Prevention at (503) 823-4180.
Attend Gang Violence Task Force Meetings
When: Fridays at 10 am. Email rob.ingram@portlandoregon.gov to be added to the email listserv to know when meetings are coming up.
Where: Portland Police North Precinct, 449 N.E. Emerson
The Gang Violence Task Force is a group of committed partners who have come together to develop solutions, interventions and prevention strategies to reduce gang – related violence and crime in Multnomah County. The progress and achievements of this Task Force will be a result of our collaborative strategies, responsiveness to community priorities and our focus on the reduction of crime and the fear of crime. Join in on these meetings to learn about the city-wide effort to reduce gang violence.
Seek solutions with Restore the Village
Restore the Village is a rolling series of community forums across Multnomah County where concerned citizens, neighbors, parents and young people can come together to openly discuss their reactions to violence in their community and work together to find solutions. Research shows that individuals and neighborhood blocks working together can have an impact on community safety. For information about upcoming meetings, please contact Sam Thompson at 971-340-6339 or Kate Desmond at 503-988-4999.
Partner with the Restorative Justice in Schools Program
The Restorative Justice in Schools program is a preventative measure currently underway in Portland Schools. This program is designed to keep youth in school and engaged in the community (as well as engage the community with youth) through dialogue and meaningful accountability where there has been a crime or harm committed. Northeast schools working with this program include King, Beverly Cleary, Rigler, Grant, POIC, David Douglas and Parkrose. See what you can do to volunteer or get involved: contact Maria Scanelli, maria@resolutionsnorthwest.org or Tobin Krell, tobin@resolutionsnorthwest.org.
–This list was compiled from discussions held by the Northeast Coalition of Neighborhood’s Safety and Livability Team.
