Why We Moved to East Portland

We used to live in Southwest Portland. Southwest is known for its hills, peaceful neighborhoods, and low crime rates. We now live in East Portland. The east side is known for its lack of sidewalks, cheaper housing, and higher crime rates. 

So, why did we choose to live in East Portland?

Many people we know seem to be a bit confused as to why we moved to a neighborhood that would definitely not be considered "family-friendly," especially when we are expecting our third child to be born anytime now. In fact, we really want to live here. There are a number of reasons why: God has called us to be here, we were priced out of our old apartment, and we have community here. 

First and foremost, God has made it clear to us that He wants us here. We are members of a great church in Portland, Imago Dei Community. We have loved what God is doing through this group ever since we have lived in the city. The church is located in inner Southeast Portland, within walking distance of the river. Imago decided to form an Eastside campus at about the same time we were thinking about moving out of our 2-bedroom apartment in Southwest. Jen and I both felt like the Holy Spirit was telling us that we were being called back to the east side. We used to live at Burnside and 143rd before we had kids and before my teaching jobs moved our family around to different locations in the state. God was apparently providing a path for us to return.

East Portland has been often regarded as "neglected" by city officials and is arguably one of the most needy areas of Multnomah County. As the diagram to the right shows, crime is relatively high in this area, and we moved smack dab into one of those red spots, which indicates that residential robberies is "well above average." The funny thing about this not seeming like a "family-friendly" area is that many young families actually live in East Portland. 28% of the city's total population lives here, but it is home to 37% of the city's school-age children (source). We have an opportunity to make a difference here. God is at work on the east side, and we want to be a part of it. James wrote that faith without works is dead. We believe that God love the people in this part of the city just as much as any other area. If there is a need for help, then my question is... why aren't more Christians coming to live here? We want to act in response to our faith, so to us, this is a no-brainer.

"East PDX is Getting Poorer and Angrier"

Secondly, we live in East Portland because we were priced out of Southwest. Our rent kept increasing more and more each year in the 2-bedroom apartment we lived in previously. Living in Multnomah Village was an ideal location because I was able to walk to work, it was equidistant between my parents and our friends, and we were a stone's throw from an I-5 on-ramp. However, with our third child due to be born this summer, we knew two bedrooms would be too cramped. We couldn't find any affordable 3-bedroom apartments in Southwest, so we knew we had to look elsewhere. East Portland is known for its cheaper housing, and since we already knew the area, it seemed natural to look there. The unfortunate reality that many struggling families find themselves in is that if they have to move to a particular area, then other costs increase. For example, now that we live on the east side, I have to commute to work. We needed to get another car and pay for the gas and insurance that goes with it (I would love to take TriMet, but three hours round trip each day would be suicide for Riedl family morale).

To be completely honest, we actually feel like we fit in here, financially speaking. Our neighbors on the east side drive crappy cars, are on food stamps, and have a hard time making ends meet. We are in the same boat. Like many low-income families, we are struggling to keep our heads above water. We feel like we can identify with a lot of the difficulties people face in our neighborhood. In Southwest Portland, we felt like outsiders.

The third reason we really want to be in East Portland is that we have community here. Living in the Glenfair Neighborhood before we had kids, we helped start the Glenfair Community Garden, which was a great way to meet our neighbors and help those who can benefit from fresh produce. We got to know people in the area from church, grew to be friends, and now hope to do more of the same, especially now that Imago has an Eastside campus. We now live in the Powellhurst-Gilbert Neighborhood, just off 122nd and Division. Driving down Division in this area certainly isn't as welcoming as driving down Capitol Hwy in Multnomah Village. They are polar opposites.

East Portland is also known for being more culturally diverse. According to the image to the right, the black, Asian, and Hispanic populations have been increasing while the white population is decreasing. Imago Eastside seeks to also be intentionally diverse--not just another white church in a diverse neighborhood--rather, a body representing the area it is located. There are already more races and ethnicities represented than the typical Portland church, which is something I am proud to say I'm a part of. With all the racial issues surrounding our country at a time like this with Ferguson, Baltimore, and Charleston, we want to be a part of what is going on. We don't want to just look from afar and spit out our opinion from time to time, thinking that words are enough to make a difference. No. It takes more than just words. It takes action.

Since action is what makes a difference rather than just talking about it, that is where I begin to wrap this up. We know that we want to be where the problems are so we can help make a difference. However, we are not done by just moving here. This is only the beginning. We need to step outside of our apartment and meet people. We need to remember their names and get to know them. Our goal in life is to love God and love our neighbors. We need to find a place or a way to volunteer regularly. There are other churches and non-profits who are already here following God's call to help their neighbors and we need to find them and work together. There is so much pain in this world and it's so much more apparent here than it is in Southwest. Christ has led us into a place that is uncomfortable, and that's a good thing.

Moving to Imago Dei's Eastside Campus

We had another gathering tonight for Imago Dei Community's Eastside Campus, which is launching slowly but surely. Pastor Eric Knox is leading us to the Hazelwood Neighborhood in East Portland. We are currently meeting monthly in a lecture hall in David Douglas High School.

God definitely made it clear to Jen and I that we are supposed to move back to East Portland after moving away to go to Ontario, Oregon and then to where we are now in SW Portland in order to find a solid teaching job for me. Now, since I have a secure job teaching at a private school in SW, we have the freedom to move anywhere we want (in other words, SW Portland is too expensive and we need to move somewhere cheaper and with more room for when our new baby is born, and besides, we miss the comforting Friday night sirens in East Portland too much). Lol

In all honesty, we really have a heart for East Portland and all the crap going on over there between it and Gresham. Before Nolan and Delaney existed, we were really enjoying starting the Glenfair Community Garden, which we helped our friends from Glenfair Church build from scratch. It was such an awesome way to get to know our neighbors and build community. We hope to do more of that in the future when we move back, including getting more involved with East Portland Neighborhood Office (EPNO) and whatever neighborhood association corresponds to wherever we end up living.

The leadership team for Imago Dei Eastside has a great heart for really wanting to help those who are already living their lives in East Portland without trying to change them into something they aren't. We want to build relationships and help them discover their assets and use those to their advantage in order to allow them to be successful with their immediate needs, and through that they will receive Jesus' love through us. We are partnering with SecondStories.org to learn more about how to build relationships and being WITH them rather than just doing things for them.

As for Sunday services, it is really up in the air right now. We need people to step up and volunteer in order to get a weekly service going. I will be leading the production of audio/video, slides, etc. while Jen will be working with the nursery and preschool kiddos. It is very strange to be in a small church type setting again, even smaller than when we were at Origins in Ontario. We definitely know this is where we want to be, since we want God to stretch us and use us to glorify His name in one of the most diverse, low-income, and neglected areas in the Portland area. God is already doing awesome things. We are just joining in!

Oh yeah... and we also still need to actually move there. Our lease ends in a few months, so, if anyone hears of any inexpensive 3-bedroom  houses or apartments for rent, we're hoping to find a place before our baby pops out in July! Hopefully by the end of June we'll be settling into a new place! Crazy changes ahead!! We are looking forward to where God is leading us. We are up for anything, good or bad... as long as we are loving God and loving others, we know we are on the right path!

Why I'm Not Ashamed To Use Food Stamps

I have heard that many people are ashamed to use food stamps when purchasing food from the store. For those who don't know, the Oregon Trail card is Oregon's debit card version of food stamps. More formally referred to as an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card, one applies for these benefits through a program the Department of Human Services (DHS) offers, which is called Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

I am proud to say that I am very thankful to be on food stamps and the new owner of an Oregon Trail card.

It seems to me that it's a touchy subject to talk about SNAP benefits. I don't personally know very many people who are getting these kinds of benefits. I'm not sure if it is because I don't actually know anyone on food stamps or if it is because nobody wants to talk about it. Why are people ashamed of this kind of assistance? We received government assistance to go to college and often joke about how much we are in debt from student loans, so why is assistance for food a big deal? It's a small drop in the bucket compared to the gallons and gallons of student loans.

From what I have heard in my limited experience living in this silly world of ours, many people will judge those who use food stamps when they buy food, like the cashier checking them out at the store or other customers standing in line with them. As they put items on the conveyor belt in the checkout line, onlookers might inspect the items purchased to make sure they are using their free money wisely. After all, the wealthy people out there who earn money and pay taxes toward assistance like this, their money is paying for these food stamps. So, they think it might be justified to make sure the benefits aren't wasted on junk food or other irresponsible purchases. That's how I think many people rationalize it, anyway.

When I made my first purchase with my Oregon Trail card, it crossed my mind that people might be judging me. I was in a Papa Murphy's buying pizza with Nolan. As I paid the cashier, I thought the people behind me in line might be judging me by looking at my clothes, trying to figure me out, deciding whether or not I looked poor enough to deserve the benefits. What made matters worse in my mind was that Nolan was playing with the containers of cookie dough on display. He exclaimed, "Daddy! Cookies! I want cookies!" As if I am an irresponsible parent who only feeds his kid cookies and pizza, maybe the people in line behind me thought I should have worked harder to get a better job and earn more money for myself before having kids. Then I wouldn't be depending on their tax money to pay for my food.

This all went through my head in the few split seconds as I bought my pizza. In reality, the people in line behind me were probably not judging me. They were probably only thinking, I think I'll get a large pepperoni pizza tonight. Heh, cute kid with the cookie dough. I'm glad I didn't bring my kids, they'd be saying the same thing.

I have to block out these thoughts in my mind. I should not care what other people think. It's not like I'm ever going to get into a conversation with them and explain to them that I am actually a full-time 5th grade teacher who doesn't make enough to live comfortably (according to DHS's standards, anyway) each month. What's even more humorous is that I teach at a private school, and many of my students' wealthy parents would probably be shocked to find out that their child's teacher is on food stamps.

In my previous post, I wrote about helping others in need. More often than not, people appreciate it when others help them out. That's how I feel about food stamps. I appreciate the fact that we live in a place where we can depend on each other in times of need. Personally, I'd rather depend on places like Neighborhood House and churches rather than the government, since it is more relational and less political. But I didn't write this to discuss politics... so, moving on...

Overall, in my heart, I know that I am doing my best for my family. As a husband who cares about his wife and a father who cares about his children, I know that taking a gift from others in the form of food stamps is something that I don't have to be ashamed of. If I think that I must earn all of the money for our family myself, well, that's just plain selfish. I work hard at my job and I earn a relatively small paycheck. Other people in this world work hard at their job and earn a relatively large paycheck. That's just life. Life isn't fair, but how you deal with situations that are unfair shows you where your priorities are in life. We probably should have applied for these benefits a long time ago. It really helps keep our heads above water. Even though I struggle with thoughts about what others think about me, I know that it's more important to be able to ask for help when I need it.