Downtown Chapel eNewsletter

Dear Friends,
The realities of our current economic downturn are highly visible here at the Downtown Chapel. Every day we welcome more and more people who have never before had to ask for assistance and who are struggling to navigate the few resources that are available to them. Our staff and volunteers are working hard to assist each person with the resoures we have and to properly refer them to other organizations and state agencies that they might benefit from.

These new challenges and realities require us to expand our community partnerships and donor-base in order to better provide basic needs and support to our growing community. I ask you, or a group that you are a member of, to consider making a regular donation of clothing (especially men's jeans, sizes 32-36), non-perishable food (we are currently seeking a group to hold a summer food drive for our Food Pantry), Tri-Met tickets, or monetary assistance.
I also ask for your continued prayers, because if there is one thing that the economic crisis has made clear, it's that we cannot bear this alone.

	Have a Blessed Easter!
	Andrew Noethe Pastoral Associate

Remembering Our Friends
A Memorial in Music & Words to Honor All Our Friends Who Died This Past Year
Tomorrow, Wednesday, April 8 @ 2pm we will gather at the Downtown Chapel to remember those who have died in our neighborhood over the past year. It is a time for sharing memories of friends, a sharing that comes from Christian, Jewish and Native American traditions. At the close of the service we read the name of each person who has died in the past year and light a candle to symbolize the value of each person as a child of God. This event is organized by the staff of Operation Nightwatch.

***** AFTERNOON ALL-STARS *****

Recognizing the need to offer more volunteer opportunities to our community members, the Downtown Chapel has reorganized the afternoons to allow for new ways in which people can contribute to our mission. As a result in the past six months we have developed a dedicated core group of volunteers who come in every afternoon to do the "behind the scenes" work that is required so that we can efficiently offer food bags, cothing, hygiene, and food on a daily basis.

Two of our afternoon volunteers, David and Kirk (pictured), came to us in November, initially helping out with sorting the inundation of donations we received around the Christmas holidays. David, who hails from Scotland, shared that growing up, and with his own children, he always did volunteer work. He also spoke of how being "on the other side", as someone who needs services, has impacted his outlook: "When you go from having a home, to not having a home, you gain a new perspective on the whole thing. I have a lot of hope, and that's what keeps me going. I appreciate the faith and trust the staff places in us to do what we do here. When I do finally return home, I don't want to forget this place."

Kirk, who comes from Kansas City, has been in Portland since August. He has traveled all over the country, and even though he has not been home in over 20 years, he will always be a Kansas City Chiefs fan. Kirk enjoys his work here, and can frequently be seen laughing and smiling. When asked what motivates him to share his time with us, he smiled and said, "I enjoy seeing what I'm doing here is helping someone else. I started hleping out here because I needed something to keep me from going stir-crazy out here. This place gives me something to look forward to each day. When we leave here at night, we know that we can look forward to coming back the next day. That is a huge relief while being on the streets."

DOWNTOWN CHAPEL CONNECTS

In its second year, Downtown Chapel Connects program has hosted a diverse spectrum of student groups from local Catholic high schools and church youth groups, as well as college students from Linfield College, Lewis & Clark, University of Portland, and Willamette University. Our Faith & Service Intern, Valerie Silliman, engages students in a day of active education, conversation and direct experience to learn about the issues of poverty and justice in Old Town, and make connections between our faith and service.

Master of Nonprofit Administration
Andrew Noethe, pastoral associate and director of the Downtown Chapel's comunity programs, is completing his Master of Nonprofit Administration degree this summer at the University of Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business. The education Andy is receiving has been a great asset to the Downtown Chapel. To learn more about this education program, please visit: http://www.nd.edu/~mna/.

HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE

Holy Thursday:
April 9 @ 5:00pm

Good Friday Liturgy:
April 10 @ 12:05pm

Holy Saturday, Easter Vigil:
April 11 @ 7:00pm

Easter Sunday:
April 12 @ 10:00am

Prayer Tree
The Downtown Chapel recently started a program of active prayer for members of our community. You are now invited to leave detailed prayer requests, via phone or email, which will be passed along and prayed for by members of our community Prayer Tree. To request a prayer, leave a detailed message: 503.228.0746x30 or prayer@downtownchapel.org.

Reaching out to those
with mental illness
by Ed Langlois

On Monday, May 4, Fr. Ron will be leading a skill-building workshop at Practicing Reconciliation: A Leadership Summit. The purpose of the summit is to foster reconciliation between diverse religious, ethnic, racial and cultural communities.This event, being held at the University of Portland, is sponsored by Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, and will be followed by the 2009 Collins Lecture with Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

Join Fr. Ron for his weekly Gospel reflection on KBVM 88.3 FM every Saturday @ 7am and Sunday @ 8am.

Most recently, Fr. Ron wrote, "A beautiful supper", found in the April issue of Ministry and Liturgy Magazine. Please take time to read it.

PARISH BULLETIN

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES & NEEDED DONATIONS

Community Service Administrative Assitant

Kristie Weisert

For each of the past three semesters, the Downtown Chapel has had the opportunity to host a Community Service Work Study position from the University of Portland.

This year, Kristie Weisert has worked closely with our staff in both administrative and service-related endeavors. She has been invaluable in assisting with mailings, organizing our records, doing research for grant proposals, helping to create new community partnerships, and assisting in our Hospitality Center and Saturday Social programs. Kristie is extremely talented and organized, and will be hard to replace next year.

Faith & Service Internship

The Downtown Chapel is now taking applications for its Faith & Service Internship, which is a post-graduate internship for young adults who are looking for the opportunityto explore their faith through service to the poor. The internship is designed to support the future professional and education aspirations of each intern with an experience that will enhance their personal, professional, and spiritual formation. Applications should be submitted by the middle of April.

Sponsored by the Congregation of Holy Cross

MISSION STATEMENT: Compelled by the Gospel of Jesus Christ through prayer and worship, witnessing God's healing compassion through service to the poor, our faith does justice by educating lives, restoring community, offering hope and building the kingdom of God.