DESCRIPTION:
Oregon’s housing crisis is felt in nearly every community in our region. This complex issue is caused primarily by a lack of affordable housing– and further exacerbated by a fractured system of social services to address substance use disorders, mental health, and systemic economic challenges. As philanthropic partners, it’s often hard to know where our resources can make an impact, given the scope and scale of this humanitarian crisis.
Grantmakers of Oregon and SW Washington is hosting an inaugural collaborative conversation to gather our members around this issue. We will discuss how homelessness is being addressed by governmental institutions and community-based organizations and create a safe space for how this collaborative might educate themselves about homelessness, engage other partners to focus on what is already being done that is working, and to leverage capacity within philanthropy to develop an intentional collaborative plan of action to directly impact homelessness in Portland, the Metropolitan area and the region.
To attend please contact Mark McCrary.
Kaia Sand
Executive Director
Street Roots
Kaia Sand became executive director of Street Roots in late 2017, two decades after she worked as a staff reporter for the Burnside Cadillac, the predecessor to Street Roots. In those subsequent 20 years, Sand worked as a poet, artist, community organizer, and university professor, focusing particularly on economic injustice and homelessness. She also co-founded Right2Survive, a community organization raising awareness of issues that houseless people in our community are facing. She taught at Portland State University, Pacific University, Willamette University and St. Mary’s College of Maryland and has performed and taught internationally, including in England, Ireland and Brazil. In 2019 she was awarded a Spirit of Portland award by Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty; and in 2019, the regional Society of Professional Journalists small newsroom first prize for Best Column.
REGISTRATION:
Date: Monday, March14 , 2022
Time: 2 – 3:30pm
Members Only Collaborative Kick-off
This event is open only to members. To learn about membership click here.