THE NEED

Native Americans are over-represented in the foster care system, and have some of the worst rates of graduation and poverty. More than 1 in 5 foster children are Native American. In Portland, only 3 in 10 Native students receive a high school diploma or GED. Half of our children live in poverty.

 OVERVIEW OF GENERATIONS PROJECT

NAYA’s Generations project will be an intergenerational community of permanent, dedicated housing for foster children, foster parents wanting to adopt foster children, and Elders. The site will also include an early learning center which will provide early-childhood education for neighborhood children zero-to-five, and a community center (a Long House), which will provide services to spur economic advancement and opportunity.

HOW IT WORKS

• A “wraparound” service provider, Generations coordinates strategies informed by several professional social welfare models and utilizes the often-untapped power of community members in executing them.
• Organizing around specific issues, the community itself becomes the solution. Foster children, foster parents and Elders living at Generations are not viewed as “cases” or “clients,” but as families, neighbors and friends who need love, respect and dignity.
• Given the opportunity to care for one another, community members become a first line of intervention. Intentionally-created, geographically contiguous communities can provide more for their residents’ physical, emotional, spiritual and social well-being than disparate health, wellness and religious organizations, which are often reactive rather than proactive.

COMMUNITY SUPPORT

• “Caring for each other, we learn from and respect one another… from generation to generation, our elders cherish our youth who in turn honor their elders.” – Ruth Jensen, Tlingit.
• “I am so impressed by the numerous forms of outreach, support and economic development NAYA is engaged in,” – U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley
• “NAYA is a vital part of addressing the social and educational disparities facing the large and vulnerable population of Native Americans in Portland.” – Joe Finkbonner, Lummi, Executive Director, Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board
• “NAYA serves Portland’s urban Indian population in many vital ways, from our precious youth to our respected Elders. We are blessed to have this resource here, to ensure our people continue to thrive for generations to come.” – Paul Lumley, Executive Director, Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission
• “The leadership of Bridge Meadows supports the Generations project, because we have already seen that the Native American community has a great need for intergenerational services and particularly for culturally-relevant services in this area. The potential for bringing about lasting improvement in the community and the lives of people of all ages are undeniable.” – Dr. Derenda Schubert, Executive Director, Bridge Meadows
• “The Generations project is a clear and thoughtful strategy to implement the shared vision of a culturally-informed intergenerational community that will educate and uplift foster children, the Lents neighborhood, and the local Native American community.” – Carole Smith, Superintendent, Portland Public Schools
• “NAYA is a critical resource for every member of Portland’s Native community, from our esteemed elders to our youngest children. Giving to NAYA is an investment in a healthy and vibrant Native American community in Portland.” – Eddie Sherman, Executive Director, Oregon Native American Chamber of Commerce

 HOW WE’LL GET IT DONE

• Outreach will be vital to the success of the project. We will connect with members of the Lents community including neighborhood associations, businesses, educators, local elected officials, and community leaders. We must also raise awareness within the Native American community, among Elders, children in foster care, and foster parents.
• Research will be conducted on best-practices in the diverse fields of early-childhood education, aging and disability services, intergenerational communities, mental health services; as well as any new, innovative services that lead to economic opportunity.
• Partnership-Building has proved vital to making Generations a reality. There are several key partners already involved in the project, including the City of Portland, Portland Public Schools, Guardian Real Estate (our developer), Carleton Hart Architecture, and LMC Construction. Portland City Commissioner Dan Saltzman has been a strong ally throughout the process.

GET INVOLVED

• Sign the pledge – show your support for making Generations a reality.
• Make a donation – every dollar you give to NAYA gets us closer to our goal.