The plan for the SE Portland Parish has always been threefold,
Sellwood Faith Community- a vibrant, growing, experimental community which brings imagination, creativity, and an embodied faith to the Parish.
Trinity UMC- a traditional congregation with established ways of governance and a people who live welcome and care deeply for their neighbors that brings a strong Methodist tradition and stability to the Parish
?????- a mission-based entrepreneurial business that would serve our neighbors in Southeast Portland and bring in a sustainable income for the Parish.
When we began we started with a vision for a laundromat. It’s a great idea, with a high initial start-up cost. Laundromats are places that cross our social divides and provide a basic hygiene service. Our former Associate Pastor was the energy behind the idea. When she left in October 2017 we took a step back from the laundromat to reevaluate what was the right next step for the Parish. Jayde joined us in July with fresh eyes and began to listen deeply to the people of the Parish and the neighborhood. She discerned a deep heart for children and a deep need for affordable childcare. Through some asset-based community development work, partnering with our local schools through the Backpack Buddies program, the support of the Discovery Team, and the partnership of our tenant preschool Blooming Gardens the idea of a child development center was born.
Our long-term vision is for a center that provides year-round affordable, high-quality care to children 0-5, an after-school homework club for elementary students, and a day camp that provides care, learning, and fun for elementary students when school is not in session. We call this third piece of the Parish the Steele Street School.
SSS is a big vision, and we have a lot to learn along the way so this summer we are embracing the lean start up model and beginning with 4 weeks of day camp.
We’re partnering with L.A.S.T., a program that brings youth groups to Portland to engage in service projects and then processes these experiences through a faith lens. The youth will serve 4 days a week as the counselors for the groups of children. We’ll have adult led activities of art, music, cooking, games, and gardening. There will be times for free play outside and times for self-directed activities like reading, coloring, and board games. We are working with our local elementary schools to talk about the kinds of things teachers wished their students did in the summer. All content will be secular and there will be no religious teachings as part of the Steele Street School programming so that it may be a safe and welcoming place for all.
We’ll be operating June 24th-28th, July 1-5, July 29-August 2, and August 5-9th. Cost for a week is $100. We will be open for drop off at 7 am with activities beginning at 8:30 am. Our program will end around 4 pm and children must be picked up by 6 pm. The USDA will provide sack lunches and we will offer breakfast to those kiddos dropped off before 8 am.
Register here. We’re starting small, so sign up soon.
If you are interested in volunteering, donating towards the Steele Street School, or finding out more please email us at steelestreetschool@gmail.com.
This holy adventure continues to grow and come alive and I can’t wait to see how this all develops for the good,
-Eilidh
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