Expanding a 30-year university partnership and fueling health and disease prevention. 3 questions for Kasey and Sydney on their 3-month practicum at Maybelle Center for Community.

We sat down to talk with Marie to get an insider perspective on what it’s like to visit members as a volunteer.

We caught up with Mary Ann Farley, SNJM as she was preparing for the memorial of our member, Clyde. Mary Ann is a longtime visitation volunteer and assists our Spiritual Support Coordinator with memorials. Q: What’s it like to walk next to a member in their last days? “I find it a really holy journey and one I feel privileged to be on with anybody. There is a flow of life, even in the face of death.” Q: What’s your relationship with the deceased’s friends and family during this time? “You get pretty connected when you journey with somebody whose loved one is dying. You’re way more important in their life than you otherwise would be. Sometimes people see me as a connection to their deceased loved one as we plan the memorial service together.” Q: Do you have one piece of advice you’d give to someone facing the death of a loved one? “Sometimes when people are grieving they tell me, ‘I try not to cry.’ And I reply, ‘They’re worth every tear. Only strong people are willing to cry. Weak people won’t let the walls down.’” Q: What do you find especially hard about this type of work?…

“Volunteering in a privilege,” asserts Crystal, our Spiritual Support Coordinator. Throughout their lives, many of our members have heard a subtle and pervasive message that they don’t have anything to offer; that they’ll always be takers. Yet, our members know deep inside they have something valuable to share. What if we could change the conversation from what you can’t do because of a physical or mental ability to brainstorming how to creatively-utilize your talents? For the last year, we’ve been growing our capacity to accommodate our members’ unique skills and gifts. And despite daily challenges, over 100 of our members are actively making our community a better place through volunteering. Over 25 members welcomed student nurses into their homes and helped educate our future health professionals regarding complex health challenges related to poverty. Babs led a class on recovery this spring. Jackie, Brayden, and Gary volunteer as Building Ambassadors, advocating against social isolation and referring residents who may benefit from Maybelle Center services. Di started a calligraphy class. Doug, wanting to give back to the Maybelle Center community after his death, has listed Maybelle Center as a 25% beneficiary of his life insurance plan. Wendy wrote an argument for a ballot…

Q: How are you involved with Maybelle Center? “I have been involved with Maybelle Center since retiring three years ago, as a member of its Board of Directors, as a donor, and as a volunteer visitor every Wednesday afternoon.”   Q: Can you describe what it’s like to visit members? “I have been able to build genuine friendships with eight individuals living in SRO’s (single room occupancy hotels). They have a roof over their heads but are living on the margins in social isolation. I can’t wave a wand and make their lives better, but I care about them and can offer friendship and support. They are good folks just trying to deal with the challenges of day-to-day life with the cards they have been dealt. And believe it or not, having just one friend visit means the world to them.”   Q: Steve, why do you partner with Maybelle Center? “Because I believe in the inherent worth and dignity of every person. And everyone, regardless of personal circumstances, is deserving of human connection and caring. But for the grace of God, any one of us could be in their shoes.” Thank you Steve!

We’re all part of an intersecting web: Daniel and his customers, his landlord, and maybe even you. Daniel’s the kind of person who signs up for a sales job even though he’s introverted and shy…Each morning Daniel clutches his stack of Street Roots newspapers and walks to his assigned beat, outside of our neighborhood bakery. And waits. One of 160 vendors who sell the alternative paper, he braves sweltering summer days and bitter freezes. Sometimes there’s a half hour between customers. Occasionally they line up. For each paper he sells, he keeps $0.75. As you round the corner and see Daniel with his Street Roots badge dangling, it might seem like a familiar Portland sight. But it’s a fantastic feat of sheer determination. If you don’t know Daniel well, you might have to wrestle for more than one word from him. It takes immense courage to overcome his shyness and reserved nature. Daniel says Street Roots has given him confidence in speaking with others. And with that, self-respect and self-sufficiency. And now he can pass it on, one-person-at-a-time. With every newspaper, he’s offering his neighbors a glimpse into the social justice issues that line the paper. And with each paper,…

For many of our members, the highlight of their winter is the personalized gift they receive from donors. Each member requests a modest gift such as a twin sheet set, cooking supplies, a funny movie, warm socks, or hat (approximately $25). Talk with your family, friends, and community this month about how many member gifts you want to sponsor. Simply email Kerry (klinhares@maybellecenter.org) with the number of gifts.

We miss him already! Neal just finished up his year as our Jesuit Volunteer in the Community Room at the end of July. We wanted to share the reflection that Neal shared with our members at his Goodbye Party: July, 2017 To all my friends at the Maybelle Center, My one year in the Community Room is finished! It’s time for me to move on. My next steps are going back home to Arlington, Virginia, and then visiting my family in Kolkata, India for a few months. As my time ends, you all in the Community Room have approached me to thank me and share several kind words with me. I want to take the time to return the favor, and share some words with you all. It’s clear to me that I’m surrounded by strong, inspiring, and loving humans here every day. Whether you only came in for five minutes to grab coffee and a cigarette, or if you came in every day, thank you for sharing your lives and stories with me. I’ve heard many powerful stories from you all – stories of struggling with addictions, of mental health challenges, of growing up with unsupportive families, and of…

An interview with Kevin O’Brien, one of our newest board members, and his 15-year courtship with Maybelle Center. As Kevin rounds the corner, he is greeted by the familiar musty smell of the old apartment as he enters the dimly lit hall. He knocks on Billy’s door, waits for what seems like five minutes, before seeing a pair of eyeballs peak inquiringly through the crack. Recognizing Kevin and his visitation partner, Billy opens the door, examines the hallway, and says “ok, I know you guys, come on in,” before quickly slamming the door. A wonderful human behind the mask of paranoia It was 2002, and Kevin O’Brien was a junior at the University of Portland on one of his first volunteer visitations with Maybelle Center (then Macdonald Center). He was seeing first-hand the toll that undiagnosed mental health took on a person. Billy had schizophrenia and was isolated due to his paranoia. Kevin said his experience “was really powerful – just putting yourselves in his shoes and the world Billy lives in. Some days were better than others. But once you started talking to him, Billy was a great guy, and he had a lot of interesting stories. Billy just…

How will you leave the world a better place? Many of us have an unsettled feeling deep inside that we’re not doing enough. A nagging feeling that our 9-5 trudge to work and back to the couch isn’t making a lasting difference in the world. Maybe we flirt with dropping everything and flying to a service project in Nicaragua or Sudan. Somewhere we can lay our heads each night, confident we’re making a lasting impact on our planet. Brett Weigl was surrounded by colleagues who set off for short-term service trips in far-away lands. A twinge of jealousy pulsed throughout his body. And while his company compensated employees for volunteering, the weight of being a good father to his 6-year-old son trumped adventure. A brown bag and a quest for greater meaning As a Product Manager for Salesforce, Brett was indifferently participating in company-sponsored volunteer events: “If you’re in the headquarters office, they kind of bring volunteer opportunities to you. Recently it was, ‘we’re going to pack lunches for children today.’ But all you’re really doing is buying the food and putting it in a bag. It does do something good and gives you extra volunteer hours, but there wasn’t…