Portland Current
2009 August 31
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Books to Prisoners Mailing Night
September 1, 7, 8, 14, 15, 21, 22, 28, 29, 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm
1112 NE Morton, between Dekum and Ainsworth (buslines #75 or #8)
Sponsor: Portland Books to Prisoners
Portland Books To Prisoners is an all-volunteer project dedicated to assisting in the education and literacy of people who are incarcerated. We are one of over a dozen not-for-profit groups around the country focused on this form of prisoner support. We receive and respond to all letters from people in prison by sending books in the subject areas requested. All books that we mail are donated. All funding for packaging materials and postage come from donations and fundraisers.
We feel that the prison industrial complex is a flawed system, which needs to be changed. One thing we can do to remediate its negative effects is to reach out in a human way to people being held prisoner in this system by providing resources they can use to educate themselves. We hope to help reduce rescidivism rates by sending books in to those who request reading material.
If folks want to get involved, but can't make mailing nights, there are lots of things that need to be done, such as taking packages to the post office, picking up books from drop boxes, organizing fundraisers, doing outreach work, etc. Whatever you can do is much appreciated! Also there are drop boxes all over town at the following locations:
* Laughing Horse Books, 10 NE 8th Ave (north of E. Burnside)
* In Other Words Books 8 NE Killingsworth, (at N. Williams)
* Rocco's Pizza SW 10th & Oak
* Hollywood Theatre 4122 NE Sandy Blvd
* Blackrose Collective Bookstore, 4038 N. Mississippi Ave
* Food For Thought Cafe, PSU Smith Hall Food Court (basement)
* Mississippi Records, 4007 N Mississippi Ave
* Red & Black Cafe SE 12th & Oak
Our most common requests are for dictionaries and thesauruses, as prisoners work to educate themselves. We are primarily looking for donations of books with educational content; including his/herstory, black studies, indigenous studies, latina/o studies, feminism, queer studies, foreign language learning, materials in Spanish and radical fiction. We do not want old textbooks (unless they're law or GED workbooks, math or basic science, and not hardcover), and we really don't need cookbooks, or old computer books.
We also always need: packaging tape, zines, postage stamps, $, and BENEFIT SHOWS!! Copies of literature, flyers for mailing and tabling, and helping out with flyering for events and picking up book donations at drop boxes are other useful tasks volunteers can help out with.
pdxbookstoprisoners@riseup.net
pdxbookstoprisoners.org
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EastSide Democratic Club
2009 September 1, 12pm noon -2pm
Whole Foods, 3535 NE 15th Ave. at Fremont (bus lines 8 or 33)
Topics: Sam Adams recall petition, emergeOregon.
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Hawthorne Urban Farmers' Market
September 6, 13, 20, 27, 1:00 pm - 6:00 pm
SE Hawthorne and 43rd Ave.
SE Portland's Urban Farmers have joined forces and are now offering their bounty for sale and trade at the Hawthorne Farmers' Market, every Sunday from 1-6pm on Hawthorne and 43rd (in the Auto Clinic lot, next to Common Grounds Coffeehouse).
Entry is free for patrons and vendors. Produce, crafts and services are available for cash and barter. Music and a good time is free for everyone!
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Vancouver
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6th Annual Vancouver Peace and Justice Fair
Saturday, Se[tember 12, 9am to 5pm
Esther Short Park, 8th and Columbia St.
We have a beautiful poster for the fair, thanks to Rich Lindsey, which we hope you will post wherever you go! There are two ways to get these posters. One is to simply come to my house and get them from the inside of our screen door. (4303 NE 14th Avenue, Vancouver, WA 98663) The other way is to download and print them from the fair's website: www.vancouverpeaceandjusticefair.org These are BEAUTIFUL POSTERS! Frankly, they would be a great souvenir.
Second, we still need volunteers for the fair. at various times of day with various duties. Margaret Johnson is our volunteer coordinator. Give her a call, even if you only have one hour for the fair! contact Margaret at 360-718-7640.
We have an interesting need this year. Do you have a dressmakers form, or "inflatable" mannikin that isn't stashed too far away to get easily? We would like to display the T-shirts we have for sale at the fair in a cool way!
If you are interested already, they are $15, are cream colored organic U.S.A union made T-shirts about the fair and has its cool logo. If you have a mannikin or possible alternative, please call Kay Ellison 360-696-4840.
kay ellison
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Socialist Party of Oregon
http://www.thesocialistparty.org/