Fundraiser/ Party for Right 2 Survive & Portland Burn Survivors/ December 3rd

Facebook event reminder: HERE

More info on Portland Burn Survivors, Inc. : HERE

Sidewalk Obstruction/ Portland Police

From: Report PDX
Date: November 18, 2016 at 1:08:17 PM PST
Subject: Sidewalk Obstructions

This has been sent at the request of the Portland Police Bureau.

“Due to the increase in valid complaints of sidewalks and rights-of-way being obstructed by the tents and property of persons experiencing homelessness, thereby restricting access for persons with disabilities and who use mobility devices, Chapter 14 of the Portland City Code will be more strictly enforced effective immediately.”

Police will ask people to remove their belongings from the sidewalk, and if there is a failure to obey a lawful order, persons will be subject to arrest.

Please advise the people you, and your organizations, work with who are experiencing homelessness of this updated enforcement protocol.”

Respectfully,

One Point of Contact

Homelessness Toolkit

Online Campsite Report Form

Weekly One Point of Contact Update

 

Safe Sleep?

Starbucks Employee Assaults Un-Housed Man/ Milwaukie, Oregon

“At approximately 12:30 pm (PST) on Oct. 8, as I was having some coffee, I witnessed a Starbucks employee physically assault a homeless man in the Portland, Ore. area in order to get him to leave the premises.
The man, who appeared to be in his late 30s, was simply sitting in his chair and this female Starbucks employee (Jeanne) came over to him several times between approx. 12:15 pm and 12:30 pm and asked him to leave. At the same time she also asked two other homeless people (a young man and woman) also seated in the same area to leave. When these three homeless people didn’t leave right away, this same employee (apparently angered) went over to the gentleman in his late 30s and kicked him at least a half a dozen times in the lower leg to rouse him to leave. It was sickening and if I am not mistaken this would be considered second-degree assault.

The location where this took place was at the Starbucks at 14620 SE McLoughlin Blvd, Milwaukie, OR 97267 (Milwaukie is directly southeast of Portland, Ore.).

At the moment that this man was assaulted and subsequently these three people were asked to leave, this Starbucks was virtually empty, so it wasn’t like there were people standing around waiting for a seat.

Shortly after this kicking incident I left the Starbucks and located the two younger homeless people who were seated across from the gentleman who was assaulted by the Starbucks employee, and they corroborated the incident and said, “All we wanted to do was rest.” Sadly, at that moment they were lying on a sidewalk alongside an adjacent grocery store in full sun, obviously extremely uncomfortable and hurting with nowhere to go. They said the gentleman who was kicked by the Starbucks employee hangs around the area where the incident took place, but they didn’t know where he went after they were all ejected from the Starbucks. I have not been able to find him. I have driven up and down the adjacent streets and still have not seen him. The young couple has also not been seen in the area since then.

That same day, about an hour after the incident, I spoke directly with someone at KOIN News who expressed interest in this sickening display for a story, but without some comment by the gentleman kicked or video of him they said they were not ready to do a story. I emailed KATU News and am awaiting a reply. I have also been in contact with the Oregon Coalition on Housing & Homelessness, and spoke with someone from this organization (Carol) who said she “was extremely concerned that this incident is the status quo in terms of how Starbucks treats people perceived as homeless.”

What was really shocking about this incident was that the Starbucks employee (Jeanne) seemed proud of what she did. As I was leaving this Starbucks shortly after the kicking incident I mentioned to her that she had to get some homeless people to leave, and asked her if she kicked the one gentleman and she replied, “Well yes I did—he wouldn’t leave.”

The houseless community is up in arms about an alleged physical attack by a Milwaukee Starbucks employee against a houseless man inside a coffee shop on Saturday, October 8.
The KBOO Evening News received testimony from an alleged witness who wrote that a female employee approached a houseless man sitting at a table at a Starbucks on McLoughlin Boulevard and QUOTE “kicked him at least half a dozen times in the lower leg to rouse him to leave.”
A spokeswoman from Starbucks said that the corporation had spoken to its employees at the Milwaukee shop and that there is no evidence anyone did anything wrong.
Starbucks issued a statement to the KBOO News that said, Quote:
“The safety and well-being of our partners and our customers is our highest priority. We have further looked into this matter, and have found there is no evidence of any type of physical altercation involving any of our partners.”

There were two additional houseless people in the Starbucks at the time of the alleged incident and the witness says the same employee forced all of them out.
The witness alleges that when the Starbucks employee kicked the houseless man’s legs, the shop was QUOTE “virtually empty.”

Right to Survive at City Hall: Protesting the Police Contract Vote

Recorded live at KBOO on October 12, 2016

Listen here: Right 2 Survive Radio

Portland police assaulted local residents who came to City Hall to protest the Police Union contract. Right 2 Survive was there, and reports on what happened.

Additional topic: Oregon Homeless Bill of Rights

image by: Constance Spurling

Happy 5th Year Anniversary, Right 2 Dream Too!

Re-Imagining the American Dream- Episode 5: “Co-Housing”

For more episodes, visit: Re-Imagining the American Dream- Sohana Web-Series

HEARING WEDNESDAY 10/12: HOMELESS CLASS ACTION IN UNITED STATES FEDERAL COURT

HEARING: HOMELESS CLASS ACTION IN UNITED STATES FEDERAL COURT

TIME: 8:00 A.M. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2016

PLACE: ALFRED A. ARRAJ, U.S. FEDERAL COURTHOUSE, 901 19th  ST. DENVER, CO 40294 Courtroom A 402.

Denver, CO— Homeless people are going to U.S. federal court 8 a.m. Wednesday, October 12 to address the mass violations of their fundamental rights by the City of Denver. In spite of daily struggles, homeless and poor people here in America are standing up against powerful government and business interests.

“It’s exactly what Thomas Jefferson had in mind,” says their attorney, Jason Flores-Williams.

Since the passing of the Camping Ban in May 2012, the City of Denver has routinely seized and destroyed the property of thousands of homeless persons in Denver in a policy that has nation-wide come to be known as The Denver Homeless Sweeps.

“Defendants’ systematic policy of confiscating property from this class of citizens has profoundly deleterious effects on homeless persons’ legal standing, emotional well-being and medical health, while providing no demonstrable benefits to the City and County of Denver,” says University of Colorado Political Science Professor, Tony Robinson, an expert witness in this civil rights class action case.

The class action law suit challenging the Denver Homeless Sweeps was filed in U.S. Federal Court August 27, 2016. Wednesday October 12, 2016 marks the first hearing in the matter. There will be a press conference 8:15 a.m. on the public sidewalk on 20th and Champa followed by a hearing in Magistrate Judge Shaffer’s Courtroom at 9:00 a.m. The press conference, as well as the hearing, will be attended by many homeless people including those whose rights and property have been seized by the City.

Plaintiff Jerry Burton explains the reality saying, “Wherever I try to rest, the Denver Police Department comes down on me hard. They always tell me: “If you people would just leave Denver, then all of this would stop.” I have lived here 26 years. This is my home.”

The sweeps must end. You cannot sweep away homelessness. Denver is for all people.

Inquiries:

Law office of Jason Flores-Williams

303-514-4524

Denver Homeless Out Loud

720-940-5291 or 415-517-5603

info@denverhomelessoutloud.org

*reposted from Denver Homeless Out Loud

Oregon Homeless Bill of Rights Campaign Goes to Salem

On September 21st and 22nd, fifteen delegates from Right 2 Survive and Sisters of the
Road made the trip to the Capital in Salem, Oregon to meet with Senators and House
Representatives to reintroduce the Homeless Bill of Rights. We met up with Kimberly
McCullough from the ACLU, former intern Karissa Moden, and Paul Boden of WRAP, to do outreach
and to provide education for this years’ bill (before the Session begins).

We came prepared with packets and answers for their questions. Breaking into groups and
learning their backgrounds and passions helped us to tailor our conversations to hold their
attention. Our packets include statistics on criminalization, numbers of houseless school children
in Oregon, and fact sheets supporting the Bill. Each group also shared some personal stories of
their life and experiences on the streets, adding impact to our delivery.

What a delivery we all made! Everyone that we spoke to directly has said that they were interested,
and would support the Homeless Bill of Rights -either by signing on, or by becoming a Bill backer. We
also spoke with first time Representative Piluso, who was in Law Enforcement in the city of
Gresham,Oregon- and she has agreed to be our Champion. With her background, she understands both
the legal and Human sides of houselessness. Senator Hayward felt strongly that a meeting with the
League of Cities needs to take place, and is willing to facilitate. Senator Dembrow, who co-
Championed the last bill and supports this years’ bill, suggested that we continue to network and gather
statistics on the impacts of Cities with SWEEPS: and the policing, ticketing, prosecution and jailing of un-housed
folks- as related to the bill.

Overall, the back to back meeting and the support for the Homeless Bill of Rights was
welcoming. We are sending in a ‘Letter To Mother’, which is the draft submission, and we look
forward to keeping in close contact with both House and Senate members with whom we spoke.

Our campaign continues to build, and the work is far from over. However, this is a huge step in
the right direction. Oregon is moving forward on a high and positive path to move this campaign.
Right 2 Survive wants to make sure that everyone who works so hard in the background, and on the
preparations to get us to where we are now- we are truly grateful for you, our comrades. This is about the
rights of the houseless to live with Dignity, and free from harassment. However, it is the efforts of all
of us building this campaign and advocating on behalf of the un-housed that gives this bill the
impact to change the criminalization laws that oppress. A heart-felt sincere thank you! More
updates to follow.

Lisa Fay
R2S: Chairperson
Oregon, HBR: Outreach and Education

In Memory of Paige

On Sunday, September 18^th, Right 2 Dream Too’s mascot and ambassador, Paige passed away. She was in the arms of her human, Marty. Paige was loved by many. Thoughtful and calm, she often offered quiet comfort to those in need. Paige was among the sweetest dogs you could ever meet, and she touched countless lives- always ensuring that residents, visitors, and guests feel welcome. With her passing, she has left a huge hole in our hearts. Our dear Paige.