This past Monday, I had the profound pleasure of taking my Black, 9-year-old grandson, King–named after the man we were there to celebrate–to the “Reclaim Martin Luther King Jr. Day” march that weaved its way through the streets of NE Portland. Despite the feeling of warm sun against our chilled faces, the powerful voices of so many singing in united harmony, and the elated solidarity we found in widely shared beliefs and values–we knew our optimism would be quickly tempered by one look at our alerting phones.

I know that many of us are still unsure of what the new administration will mean for ourselves, our friends and families, and our community. Critical questions about trans-inclusive health care, resources for underserved communities, protections for American citizens from birth, and so many more uncertainties are on the hearts and minds of our staff, supporters, and the people we serve. I wish I could make predictions or promises to easily erase all the concerns weighing on the Friendly House community, but I can’t.

I do want to reassure this community of the few things that I do know. Currently, Friendly House receives very little federal funding. The bit we do get is tied up in a complex web of state and county funds, protected by local and regional laws that we anticipate will complicate any attempts to be rescinded. It is reasonable to expect lengthy legal battles to delay any imminent impact, and, even if those legal battles are lost, I have great confidence in the Friendly House community to step in and help augment any loss of funds for our most underserved community members.

Friendly House is and will remain committed to the work of diversity, equity and inclusion. We will continue to prioritize support for people who face extraordinary barriers to accessing services, giving special attention to LGBTQ+ elders, Black, Indigenous, and other people of color, immigrants and refugees, the unhoused, the aged, the differently abled, single parents and low-income families. Our services will not change based on any administration, unless they are to expand to better meet the needs of more people, and as we’ve done for almost 95 years, Friendly House will continue adapting to meet new and emerging needs in our community.

Friendly House’s commitment to our community:

Our trans and nonbinary community will not be made invisible in our House. Friendly House SEES you, and we are here for you.

No human being is illegal in our House. We are committed to working within the law to help protect Friendly House members and families from illegal and unethical separation or deportation.

Black and Brown lives matter in our House. Friendly House invites and welcomes all Black, Indigenous, and other people of color to participate, reciprocate, and thrive in this community.

These are not radical slogans, but rather time-tested, proven measures for building and maintaining a healthy, thriving, diverse, and mutually beneficial community, which is the very core of Friendly House’s mission. We look forward to working with this community for the next four years, and well beyond, to be certain that we have the necessary training, skills, empathy and energy to protect ourselves and each other.

For anyone looking to become involved with your local community, Friendly House needs you more than ever. We’re calling on potential volunteers to lend their time and talents to assist with children, participants, and clients; help with fundraising; set up and clean up at events; help with outreach; and to provide leadership by serving on boards and committees. There are important roles for everyone, and everyone is welcome at our House.

“We may all have come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.”

–Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

In solidarity,

Mya Chamberlin, Executive Director

The post A Letter From Our Executive Director first appeared on Friendly House.

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Tell us a little bit about Mermosa.

Mermosa is inspired by my family’s heritage. We, like most people, have family members from all around the world historically. We are French, Haitian, we are Black and we are also from South Carolina. Mermosa is a restaurant that pays homage to our family heritage as a fusion.  We specialize in bringing people together from all walks of life and one of the ways we do that is through our food and our “Don’t Take Things Too Seriously” type of environment. 

What brought you to opening up a restaurant in NW Portland? 

I’m a winemaker and serial entrepreneur. Back in 2017, I had a business in Florida that was a swimwear store. The whole focus was to make women feel beautiful in their own skin. We would pop bottles and make it fun. I decided we needed to have another ingredient to make it even more fun. That ingredient was wine. I was trying to create the perfect ready-to-drink mimosa and at the time there was nothing really like that on the market. I was looking for something more elevated that used premium wines, as opposed to something that used what I call well wines. I began to call people at wineries in California and Washington State. I had no experience in wine, other than being a wine drinker. The people in California laughed at me and I never heard back from Washington State. 

But when I called Oregon, I was received with open arms. I was invited out to learn how to get involved in the business and make this wine. In 2018, I released my first wines and became Florida’s first Black winemaker. In 2020 and 2021, the wines went into distribution and began to take off on the east coast. When travel became more challenging, my family and I felt like we really needed to focus on the core elements of what we loved about the business and its brand and concept. 

We found Portland to be the perfect spot for us. Between the people, we can have these authentic conversations here that we can’t have in other places necessarily. We can share history in a way that is truly embraced. We also feel like this is a really great place to raise kids and we love the outdoors. So we came and spent a lot of time here, learning about the communities. When this place on 23rd became available, we felt like all the stars aligned. The location has a perfect mix of neighborhood vibes mixed with some tourism. Being in Portland is a dream for us so we relocated from Florida.

Have you faced any challenges since opening your restaurant?

Of course, there’s always challenges as business owners. We always wish there was more business or more of everything. But I’m an entrepreneur and none of the challenges we’ve faced have been new. In fact, I feel like we’ve had more opportunities here than we would have in other places. Because the community is so supportive. Portland is a place where people are authentic. They’re not just gonna say they’re going to show up and not show up. They’ll let you know if they’re not gonna show up! We’ve been very overwhelmed with the amount of community support here, especially as one of the only Black–owned businesses on NW 23rd. It’s been a really refreshing welcome. We love it.

What does community mean to the folks at Mermosa?

That’s a good question. Community means authentically connecting with people of all walks of life. Showing up for each other, listening, and caring. 

Do you have any hopes of expanding? 

Well, we haven’t even been here a year yet! One of the reasons why we selected this space, as opposed to other spaces, for us, is that it’s a cultural hub. From live music to exhibitions to wine festivals and some catering, that’s enough for us now. We are just gonna continue being active participants in the community and organizations feel like they can come and bring their concept to life, in addition to our regular programming for now. Maybe some popups but I think we are pretty good in terms of physical expansion. Our wines are going into New Seasons next month. We are also in some other shops around here. We’ve already done the 20 state distribution and we choose our family and community.

Is there anything you’d like to say about Black History Month or how our neighbors can best support local Black businesses?

We celebrate Black History Month every day. I appreciate that it’s a month and we certainly appreciate all the programming around it. I love participating in Black History Month events. Whenever you come into our space, the Black history is everywhere. From the family pictures and history on our walls to the food. I think that’s one of the reasons why we’re. When you walk in our doors, we have an extremely diverse patronage and we work really hard to make sure that everybody is welcome, and we protect that at all costs. We want to make sure that conversations about Black history, which is American history, are reflected authentically here. For example, all of the wines that I curate at our space are all BIPOC or women-made. We really try to focus on Black-owned spirits so we can tell these stories. Thursday night is a really great night to come in. We feature new wines and spirits on the regular. We like to tell those stories because at the end of the day, the wine and spirits industry are in agriculture and agriculture is about family and raising crops and being connected to the Earth. There’s a lot of history that goes along with that, especially when you’re talking about Black folks in America and around the world. That’s a long way of saying you can’t get away from Black History when you’re here. It just is and we can’t turn it off. We celebrate it everyday. 

We welcome everybody to come by. If you have community events that you’ve been trying to dream up, come on in, we love doing events! 

Thank you to Desiree from Mermosa for sharing your story with Friendly House and our community! Mermosa is located at 1422 NW 23rd Ave and more information can be found at Mermosapdx.com.

The post Local Business Highlight: Mermosa PDX first appeared on Friendly House.

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“I believe that attending Friendly House deeply impacted me as a person. Not just learning social-emotional developmental skills, but also how to be in community, to share and collaborate.”

Carrie Hoops is a very special part of our Friendly House community. Not only does she have a significant and long-lasting personal connection to Friendly House, but she is also the Executive Director of William Temple House, a long-time partner organization with Friendly House. William Temple House and Friendly House serve many overlapping populations, and as we strive to not duplicate our services, referrals go both ways in this treasured relationship. Continue reading to reminisce with Carrie about her childhood attending Friendly House Preschool and how that link has allowed our two organizations to have, as Carrie puts it, “a symbiotic connection that is working to build a stronger, more connected community in Northwest Portland.”

“I grew up in Willamette Heights right next to Friendly House. If my memory serves me correctly, I believe I started attending the preschool in 1970 at the age of four. Many other neighborhood children also attended, and it came highly recommended as a safe, high-quality learning environment for children. My teacher was the beloved Glenda Croes.

I have so many fond memories of that era. The way the room felt. Even though it was in the basement, it still felt light and bright with kids’ art tacked to the walls, classical music playing on the record player, graham cracker and peanut butter snacks set out on tables, and afternoon story time in the corner of the room on the sisal carpet where Glenda read us countless books, including Robert McCloskey’s “Blueberries for Sal” and Maurice Sendak’s “Where the Wild Things Are.” Glenda would make homemade “playdough” every week in the small kitchen in the back part of the room. There was a rugged wooden play structure that was constructed in the center of the room.

A few years later, I came back to attend the annual Summer Camps. I remember packing our sack lunches and then all loading into the school van on adventures up to “Old Ben’s” zipline and giant A-frame swing in the woods off Skyline & NW Germantown Road. I remember hiking up Balch Creek Trail to make small dams in the water, and splashing in the wading pool in Wallace Park on long hot summer days. Later, when I was attending Lincoln High School and learning about photography, I was able to access the darkroom at Friendly House where I made my first black and white prints.

I believe that attending Friendly House deeply impacted me as a person. Not just learning social-emotional developmental skills, but also how to be in a community, to share and collaborate. I made life-long friends at Friendly House. Several of them I still see regularly fifty years later. I cherish the deep connections I made there.

Friendly House has evolved so beautifully over the years from its founding as a settlement house to its current configuration of programs and services. I see the agency as an integral part of our community, a safe accessible place where all people—from the young to senior citizens—are welcomed and respected. In my current role as Executive Director of the William Temple House, I connect on a different level: as an important collaborator in our safety net serving people in NW Portland, providing referrals to Friendly House for families seeking services, including hot showers, holiday family programs, affordable preschool, and summer/winter camps. Friendly House staff, in turn, refer their families to our mental health services and to our food pantry. We have a symbiotic connection that is working to build a stronger, more connected community in Northwest Portland.”

A huge thank you to Carrie for sharing her story and being a part of this project!

If there is someone whose story you would like to hear or if you would like to share your Friendly House story, please reach out to us by emailing info@fhpdx.org.

The post The Faces of Friendly House: Carrie Hoops first appeared on Friendly House.

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“The folks at Friendly House really care about the community and the people who come to them for care and services. Everyone belongs at Friendly House, everyone is family there.”

Kevin Cook has been a long-time friend of Friendly House. From hosting our auction as Poison Waters, to volunteering pre-pandemic at our SAGE congregate meals, Kevin is in our corner. We couldn’t be more grateful that one of the most recognizable faces (and biggest hearts) in Portland is a supporter of all our work in the community. Enjoy reading Kevin’s Friendly House story below.

“I first became aware of Friendly House years ago when I was hired to host a segment of the Gay & Grey Expo (Friendly House’s resource fair for LGBT+ older adults and allies). Then a few years later I attended an award ceremony at the Multnomah Athletic Club, and Friendly House announced they were going to partner with Meals on Wheels to serve lunch to LGBTQ seniors through their SAGE program. I had Mondays available to volunteer and thought it would be a great way to support our community.

What I remember most about spending time at Friendly House over the years is the Meals on Wheels lunches with SAGE and also the annual gala fundraiser. I always remember how easy it was to talk with the seniors at lunchtime. They are all so open and willing to share their stories and ask about my life. I always left my volunteer shift feeling so much better than when I began it.

The longer I’ve worked with the great folks at Friendly House and the more I’ve learned about all of their programs, their history, and all they do and mean to the community, the more I’ve realized their broad reach through so many generations, giving a sense of family, support and friendliness. I feel honored to play a small part in all of that and can’t wait to get back to volunteering with SAGE soon!

I would describe Friendly House as an all-encompassing community center that serves the needs of the families in our local area from preschool children through senior citizens. I would say whether it be through a group activity or one on one, Friendly House makes you feel seen and heard, supported and valued. The folks at Friendly House really care about the community and the people who come to them for care and services. Everyone belongs at Friendly House, everyone is family there.”

A huge thank you to Kevin for sharing his story and being a part of this project!

You can also see Kevin (along with Friendly House Executive Director, Mya Chamberlin) in this TV clip from KATU’s Season of Giving this past December:

Watch KATU Clip with Kevin Cook

If there is someone whose story you would like to hear or if you would like to share your Friendly House story, please reach out to us by emailing info@fhpdx.org.

The post The Faces of Friendly House: Kevin Cook first appeared on Friendly House.

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“Friendly House is where people find new friends, continue lifelong friendships, connect with their Northwest neighbors, take fun classes, where children have a safe place to have fun together, where elders are seen and cared for, and where people want to give back to help their neighbors in need.”

Stacey Moy is one of Friendly House’s fantastic After School Assistant Teachers. It also just so happens that she celebrated her third anniversary of working at Friendly House this week on February 7th! It means so much that someone so kind-hearted has dedicated this much of her time to enriching the lives of the children in our community. We hope you enjoy learning a bit more about Stacey and her time at Friendly House so far.

“I hadn’t heard of Friendly House until I applied for a job here. A former co-worker let me know that Friendly House was looking for an After School Teacher, and she encouraged me to apply. At the time, I had taken a long leave from working with elementary students after a challenging two years at a previous job. In January of 2019, I was ready to work with students again. I was so excited to take the plunge at Friendly House.

I came in for a panel interview. I was a bit nervous. Sitting across the table was former After School Head Teacher, Chris Lay (now he works on the Complete Student Support program), the Co-Children’s Programs director, Dan Hupala, and our former Executive Director (now retired), Vaune Albanese. They worked together to get to know me and see if I was the right candidate to join the After School team. A few days later, I got the call with a job offer. I was so excited to be part of the team to make a difference in this neighborhood. I remember that on my first day working at Friendly House I was passing through the Crawford lobby and Vaune greeted and encouraged me. I thought it was amazing that the Executive Director saw me and welcomed me to the Friendly House team and made me feel so comfortable. My first day went by in such a blur that I don’t remember the details. I just remember feeling happy and exhausted at the end of the day. I’ve been working at the After School program for three years now. I’ve gotten to know so many students, their families, and other people in this community.

One of my favorite experiences working at Friendly House so far has been the After School program’s Winter Clubs during Winter term 2020. I led a Tai Chi and Chinese Games Club with a group of ten young students from K-2 grades. At the end of the term, the students’ families were invited to learn what we did in our Clubs at a Club Showcase. I remember there were about five of my students with me as we showed everyone in the room some Tai Chi moves. I noticed a few family members following along. The next day, a couple of my co-workers said to me, ‘Wow! It’s amazing. In a room full of 50 people, everyone quieted down, and they were following the breathing and hand movements.’ One of the best things about working at the After School program is that every time we have Clubs the activities are diverse and offer choices so that the students stay engaged. The kids will tell their families, ‘Don’t pick me up until Club Day ends.’ This Winter, we restarted Club Days after two years of absence due to the pandemic. For some students, they are excited to be in their Clubs again, while for others it’s their first time experiencing them.”

When asked how she would sum up Friendly House, Stacey puts it beautifully, saying,

“Friendly House is where people find new friends, continue lifelong friendships, connect with their Northwest neighbors, take fun classes, where children have a safe place to have fun together, where elders are seen and cared for, and where people want to give back to help their neighbors in need.”

A huge thank you to Stacey for sharing her story and being a part of this project!

If there is someone whose story you would like to hear or if you would like to share your Friendly House story, please reach out to us by emailing info@fhpdx.org.

The post The Faces of Friendly House: Stacey Moy first appeared on Friendly House.

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“My long-term connection with Friendly House, its staff and fellow volunteers has given me a deeply satisfying experience of working together to benefit others and to strengthen an indispensable community asset.”

Ellen Goldschmidt has been a part of the Friendly House community for over 30 years. Throughout this time, she has remained dedicated, motivated, and enthusiastic to an inspiring degree. If you need to get something done, you ask Ellen. In the following interview responses, Ellen discusses her journey with Friendly House, and the many different roles she has held along the way.

“I moved to Northwest Thurman Street in Portland from San Francisco in 1990, with my husband and one-and-a-half-year-old son, Sam. Knowing no one in the neighborhood, I was so pleased to find that Friendly House—right down the street from us—offered a playgroup for kids from birth to three years old. Sam and I started attending regularly. It was great to share tips and stories with other parents as the kids played. And, it’s where Sam met his first best friend and I met one of mine.

From playgroup, it was a natural step to join Friendly House’s cooperative preschool, where Sam thrived and we both made more lifelong friends. The knowledgeable teachers mentored the parents, as well as cared for and educated the children. I learned valuable parenting lessons there. What a great support system!

As a parent volunteer, I grew interested in what more Friendly House did beyond the preschool. A friend of mine was the preschool rep on the Friendly House board. I decided to follow in his footsteps and joined up.

In two terms (six years) on the board, I chaired the Program and Planning Committee, served as Vice President and conceived and organized special events, such as a panel discussion on children and computers (back in the early days of computer use). I was on the search committee to hire a new Executive Director after long-time ED Mary Brentano retired.

I think it was after my time on the board that I was asked to lead the effort to decorate the community center for the annual Spring Auction. (This is because I am an artist.) I brought together a group of neighborhood artists and creatives — we dubbed ourselves the Ambiance Committee— and we began an ambitious program of large-scale 2D and 3D art installations to enhance the auction experience, creating something different and more inventive each year.”

“This was my favorite special project. It was satisfying and fun to transform the Crawford Building into a fanciful space for supporters to mingle, celebrate and support Friendly House’s work. I like to think the creativity and care we poured into Ambiance encouraged auction bidding.

Currently, I serve on the Marketing Committee, the Development Task Force and the Auction Committee. Oh, and I created the mural, Friends of Friendly House (that graces the front stairway wall) to honor former Executive Director Vaune Albanese upon her retirement.

Volunteering at Friendly House for over 30 years has given my life focus and meaning. As an artist, I work alone much of the time. My long-term connection with Friendly House, its staff and fellow volunteers has given me a deeply satisfying experience of working together to benefit others and to strengthen an indispensable community asset.”

A huge thank you to Ellen for sharing her story and being a part of this project!

If there is someone whose story you would like to hear or if you would like to share your Friendly House story, please reach out to us by emailing info@fhpdx.org.

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“I have faint memories, as I would walk through the Y to the day’s activity, of seeing doors open to rooms where older men were talking. It couldn’t possibly have entered my mind then that 60+ years later I’d be like those men, seeking companionship for an hour or two.”

This week, we’d like to share a very special letter from Friendly House volunteer and program participant, Jerry Harris. Jerry first became involved in Friendly House programs in the fall of 2019, when he began attending SAGE socials with his partner Rick. Jerry’s story of finding community at Friendly House is a heartwarming and inspiring reminder about the power and importance of community organizations and philanthropy, and we hope you’ll enjoy reading it.

“Born in 1948, I grew up with my parents and two older brothers in a one-bedroom apartment. Things were tight in terms of both spatial and economic comfort. We lived in an apartment building in the Bronx, New York City, where several other families on our floor were just as crowded, but we kids didn’t realize how much so.

The local “Y” (YM-YWHA, Young Men’s-Young Women’s Hebrew Association) provided my brothers and me with a home away from home. There were structured “clubs” where we did arts & crafts, played outdoor games in the fenced-in rooftop recreation area, and board games in the “games room”. We swam in the indoor pool. During the summer, the day camp bussed us to campgrounds outside the city.

It was only when I was well into my adult years that I learned from my mother that we were “scholarship” children. We never could have done all these things without our fees being subsidized by the Y. And for my mother, knowing we were in a safe and friendly environment, she was able to work at least part time while my father had 10-hour workdays (13 including his subway ride to and from work).

A lifetime later, after moving to Portland, while seeking to get involved in activities for gay seniors, I found SAGE at Friendly House. I now attend the weekly LGBTQ seniors social as well as a Gay & Grey support group. Besides attending these groups, I have also volunteered as a co-facilitator in monthly Conversations on Aging co-sponsored by Friendly House and the VIEWS program of Cascadia Behavioral Health.

From reading the newsletter and after one or two visits (later ones, because of Covid, had to be via Zoom), I gradually learned that Friendly House is very much the same as the place where I grew up. Ironically, I have faint memories, as I would walk through the Y to the day’s activity, of seeing doors open to rooms where older men were talking. It couldn’t possibly have entered my mind then that 60+ years later I’d be like those men, seeking companionship for an hour or two. A different time, a different place, a different community. Pre-schoolers, after-schoolers, families and seniors, all share Friendly House just as others did in the Y of my childhood. Both are friendly houses.

As a senior, I am now able to pay back the scholarship funds I benefitted from as a child, by my monthly donation to Friendly House. And, as a senior, I continue to benefit. I hope you will join me, as best you can, by contributing to our community both by your participation and, if possible, financial donations.”

Donate Here

A huge thank you to Jerry for sharing his story and being a part of this project!

If there is someone whose story you would like to hear or if you would like to share your Friendly House story, please reach out to us by emailing info@fhpdx.org.

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“Community is really the word. I am inspired and amazed by the incredible work the staff at Friendly House do every day! No matter the position, everyone has a vital role to play and does their part.”

Denise is truly a Friendly House institution. She has spent 26 years working at Friendly House and has provided so many members of our community with the help that they need. In this interview, Denise kindly offers a glimpse into her Friendly House journey.

“I moved to Portland looking for a change and new adventure. I feel lucky I found Friendly House! I had been working in retail for 10 years prior to moving to Portland, and I had recently graduated from college and was eager to find a new career path. I have held many positions over the last 26 plus years at Friendly House and have had some great mentors and colleagues.

I started in admin and have always had some role involving supporting the agency or staff overall. At various times I have overseen the CRE (Community Recreation & Education) program, and it has a special place in my heart. I have been lucky to have some experience in just about every Friendly House program and because of that, I have always felt it is important for all staff to feel that they are a part of Friendly House—not just their program. In addition, my son attended the After School program while he was at Chapman. It was so wonderful to have him close and know he was in a quality program during his after-school time. [Also,] I have worked every in-person auction since 1995! Including bringing my son to an auction when he was 6 weeks old (he slept through it).”

When asked what Friendly House means to her, Denise said:

“Community is really the word. I am inspired and amazed by the incredible work the staff at Friendly House do every day! No matter the position, everyone has a vital role to play and does their part. I also see the commitment our supporters have to our mission and their incredible support of our programs.

While we can’t be everything to all people, we can and do focus on what we do well and when possible help others navigate other resources. We support children and working families, help older adults live independently, and serve as a health and wellness gathering place.”

In many ways, Denise is the glue that holds Friendly House together. She knows the ins and outs of every department and is known by all. Denise speaks beautifully about the Friendly House community because she truly knows our community better than anyone else.

A huge thank you to Denise for sharing her story and being a part of this project!

If there is someone whose story you would like to hear or if you would like to share your Friendly House story, please reach out to us by emailing info@fhpdx.org.

The post The Faces of Friendly House: Denise Lafond first appeared on Friendly House.

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“Empathy means having the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. My grandma had this. So does Friendly House. Friendly House is the rock that brings our community together to serve those that need it most.”

Tonya Hobson is relatively new to Friendly House, having joined our Board of Directors this past spring. After hearing her story, however, it becomes abundantly clear that Friendly House is absolutely the place where she belongs. Tonya kindly shared the following story about her family and the values that she holds dear.

“This is personal to me and isn’t something that I share often.

The person that made the most impact on me in my life was my Grandma Clara. Her mom was Native American and growing up was tough for her. My Grandma grew up in a shack, in a holler (i.e. hollow) in Virginia. Even though she only had a 3rd-grade education, she taught me more than anyone else ever could. When she was old enough to leave home and get married, my grandpa, a coal miner at the time, melted down a toothbrush to make a ring and put it on her finger. They had 12 children together (later, 36 grandchildren) and at Christmas, each child would receive an orange as their gift. I remember growing up, listening to her play old gospel bluegrass on her banjo. She knew every song by heart and played for 80 years! Later in life, after my grandpa passed, her only income was Social Security. At the time, this was only $600 per month.

The values that she instilled in me, I also see in Friendly House. She was so compassionate towards others and never put herself first. If someone was in need, she would give them the clothes off her back, if able. And her comfort cooking could make anyone feel better—eggs, sausage, grits, biscuits, and mouth-watering gravy with a cup of her extremely strong coffee. She would listen for hours if you needed someone. I didn’t notice until I got older that my grandma never gave her opinions and never spoke about anyone to others. This included family, friends, neighbors, and acquaintances. She considered everyone to be God’s children. Even with such a large family, my grandma still included everyone. She didn’t care about your political views, social status, sexual orientation, who you married or not, or any rumors that may have been going around. She cared most about what was inside you. She was the rock that kept our family together.

Empathy means having the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. My grandma had this. So does Friendly House. Friendly House is the rock that brings our community together to serve those that need it most.”

Tonya’s Grandma Clara embodied the values of a connected and equitable community, and we are so pleased to have folks like Tonya working with us to promote compassion, inclusion and interdependence in our community every day.

A huge thank you to Tonya for sharing her story and being a part of this project!

If there is someone whose story you would like to hear or if you would like to share your Friendly House story, please reach out to us by emailing info@fhpdx.org.

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“Friendly House is an amazing organization that supports our community from their first steps to their last.”

People have a way of finding Friendly House when they are in need of community. Christy is one of these people.

“On my son’s first day of preschool, we were greeted at the door by his smiling and enthusiastic teacher. It was hard for me to leave, but his teacher gently told me to go outside to the goodbye window. Outside, I saw my smiling son waving at me. It wasn’t easy dropping off my son, but the goodbye window made it such a positive experience. Through the preschool, I met some of my dearest friends. My husband and I also appreciated the parenting and balancing classes. It was so wonderful to have the opportunity to learn about effective parenting and to also have childcare and dinner with other Friendly House parents and friends!”

After her involvement in Friendly House Children’s Programs, Christy began participating in other ways.

“When my boys ‘graduated’ from Friendly House, I was asked to join the board and the Program & Planning Committee. Embarrassingly, before I joined the board and P&P, I only knew about the preschool, after school programs and summer camps. I was amazed to learn about the support that Friendly House provides for our neighborhood: support for senior and the LGBTQ+ communities, education classes, community nights, plus a gym and fitness center.”

Christy’s willingness to join the board and dedicate more of her time towards supporting our community is admirable and greatly appreciated. When asked what has been the most meaningful part of her time at Friendly House, Christy says:

“I have been most proud of Friendly House during the last 18 months with the support that they have provided our community during the pandemic. At every board and Program & Planning meeting, I was amazed to learn of the grants that secured rent, food, utilities and other expenses for people and their families who suffered from COVID-19. I was so impressed with Dan’s patience and flexibility as he figured out how to successfully implement childcare. And—as someone who virtually tutored 2nd, 3rd and 4th graders at Chapman through a nonprofit organization—I was so excited about Student Success at Home. This amazing program assisted students with distance learning during the pandemic. Some volunteers provided academic support while others provided social support. Today, this program continues as Complete Student Support.”

Christy joined our community because she needed us, but her dedication to Friendly House via her participation in our board and Program & Planning Committee have made it clear that we need her just as much.

“Friendly House is an amazing organization that supports our community from their first steps to their last. My passion is children, and I have been so impressed with their Children’s Programs that provide education and enrichment in their preschool, after school, camps and Complete Student Support… I do seem to use the word amazing often when talking about Friendly House.”

A huge thank you to Christy for sharing her story and being a part of this project!

If there is someone whose story you would like to hear or if you would like to share your Friendly House story, please reach out to us by emailing info@fhpdx.org.

The post The Faces of Friendly House: Christy Marten first appeared on Friendly House.

The post The Faces of Friendly House: Christy Marten appeared first on Friendly House.