Division Midway Alliance convenes ‘Community Visioning’ session

Learn how this outer East Portland Neighborhood Prosperity District has progressed, and what’s in their future …

More than 100 participants arrived at the Division Midway Alliance Community Visioning and Beyond meeting in the Mill Park neighborhood.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton

As a follow-up to the Division Midway Alliance Neighborhood Prosperity District (DMA) Community Visioning Session in 2018, on April 1 of this year the organization convened another meeting, entitled, “Community Visioning and Beyond”.

In the meeting room in Gethsemane Lutheran Church, the day-long conclave brought together 105 participants to build upon the vision for the Division Midway Corridor.

A total of eight different groups participated. They came from Bhutanese, Burmese (Karen), Chinese, Iraqi, Latinx, Pacific Islanders, Somali and Vietnamese community. A few city and county elected officials also were in attendance.

Addressing the group as the meeting got underway was Division Midway Alliance Executive Director Lisha Shrestha.

The meeting began with DMA Executive Director Lisha Shrestha sharing the mission of the organization, and reporting its activities over the past four years. “The DMA has served and engaged 8,311 individuals across DMA six programs. Our hope from this session is to be able to report back to the community on how the organization is fulfilling its mission.”

The gathering broke out into eight groups, to discuss such important questions, such as:

  • What are the things that you like about Division Corridor area?
  • What do you think this area will look like in 20 years?
  • What types of physical infrastructure would you like to see in your neighborhood?
  • What does community safety look like to you?
  • What are some of the things that the community wants to see DMA do in the future?

 

Attendees serve themselves vegetarian Vietnamese Bahn Mi, noodles, Halal style vege chicken rice and salad, while also enjoying hibiscus and horchata.

Around noon, participants broke for lunch, dining on vegetarian fare served buffet style.

After lunch, representatives from each group arose to summarize their table’s discussion.

Tongan community representative Kolini Fusitu’a reports the desires of this community, and other minority communities in the DMA district.

For example, representing the Tongan community was Kolini Fusitu’a, who said that this group wants programs to “gain equality and equity with their neighbors. We want to be the ‘front page’ of this neighborhood.

“We want that you can see us; and we want our neighbors to know who we are. The DMA Festival of Nations is good,” Fusitu’a continued. “We would also like to see individual festivals for all the ethnicities that are represented here.”

One by one, each group’s spokesperson shared the passions of his or her community, and expressed their desire to not be displaced in the future.

Multnomah County District 3 candidate Ana del Rocío gets a warm reception as she pitches her election.

After the event, DMA Programs Coordinator Manuel Suarez Pallas summarized for East Portland News the ‘Top Five Visions’ for the area:

1. Personal Safety
2. A Community Center and green space
3. A Better and Safe Transportation System, and Educational Enhancements
4. Affordable housing and anti-displacement practices and policies
5. Workforce and Economic Development Opportunities

“This event opened the door for change, positive feedback, and most importantly community building,” Suarez Pallas summarized.

By the way, the DMA’s Festival of Nations returns on September 16 in the outer East Portland Planned Parenthood parking lot at 14601 SE Division Street.

Find out more about the Division Midway Alliance at their website: CLICK HERE.

© 2023 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News™

 

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