Hour 50: NW Neighborhood Cleanup

I'm fortunate to live in an excellent part of Portland. NW Portland (the Alphabet District) is full of activity, well preserved historic buildings, large trees...not much for parking though. There is not much parking in the area because of the high density of people that live here. And with that high density comes litter. Yes, even the clean, beautiful cities of the Pacific Northwest, populated with tree huggers and hip lumberjacks, get littered. This morning Allie and I grabbed a few bags and helped the neighborhood association with their 3rd Saturday cleanup effort. Wrappers, bags, packaging of every kind and color. After an hour we had 2 large bags full of litter, some of which came straight off the front yard. That is as local as it gets.

Makin' dirty work look good.

Hour 46: Another Operation Nightwatch

After some time off from my chase for 100 hours in Portland, I was able to get on board for a Friday night edition of Operation Nightwatch. This was my second time around with these guys. The first time was an excellent experience; so many interesting people from widely ranging backgrounds. It sounds like many of my fellow volunteers are taking some time off from their usual volunteering, as OpNightwatch had posted earlier in the week that volunteer numbers were low (typical for Summer) and they needed more help in order to open their doors this weekend. Enough signed up and doors opened at 7pm this Friday night. Op Nightwatch, as explained last time, is a safe, drug free place where anyone is welcome to spend their weekend nights. Hospitality is the focus here, not food or clothing, but a place where the often unwelcomed are welcome. Not everyone is homeless, but many are having tough times.

Tonights experience was much like the last. I played a few games of chess with a gentleman who took me to school each time. I met and talked with a painter (think artist, not laborer) who told me about his work and the many reasons that Oregon is greater than Georgia, his native state. It was good to run into a few familiar faces from my last nightwatch, and catch up in the way friends do. I tread lightly in these conversations, trying not to ask too many questions but at the same time not wanting to make too many assumptions. At risk of overthinking it, these conversations are the sort of thing that provide some perspective...a goal of these 100 hours.

The mood tonight seemed a bit somber, there was a death in this community of volunteers just a few days prior. The volunteer coordinator, Jimbo, had set out a photo and makeshift memorial for the deceased and all where invitied to share memories or thoughts. All of this on the heels of the news of the Denver movie theatre shooting the night before. One of the guests provided the gift of music for the rest of us, masterfully playing the piano in the next room for the entire four hours. Tonight I was thankful to be able to take part in the community, music, and hospitality on display at Operation Nightwatch. Here's to appreciating what we have at this moment!