The Common Good Project
The Common Good Project
The Common Good Project (TCGP) is a program working under the nonprofit Trash for Peace (TFP). What does this mean? It means that TCGP can get public funding and grants for its projects and have assistance running its programs so that the focus can be on our work on the streets and have the support of TFP when it comes to administrative duties.
The Common Good Project is a year-round service organization whose mission is to stabilize, enrich, and transform the lives of Portland’s homeless residents through meaningful city waste removal work that builds self-esteem, personal agency, and community, ultimately creating pathways toward more stable lives. It employs homeless team members with a dignified wage and partners them with volunteers from our housed community to conduct large-scale waste removal from street camps, followed by regularly scheduled maintenance. In so doing, we connect diverse members of our community in the shared goal of caring for each other and our city.
The Common Good Project was born during the fall of 2020, when former restaurateur and cookbook author, Jenn Louis, noticed an increase in the number of homeless people in her neighborhood and throughout the city. In response, she started a community-funded project, regularly providing basic living necessities such as hot meals, non-perishable food, batteries, hygiene products, shoes, and clothing to a group of 30-40 homeless people. Since then, she has been on the streets up to five days each week, helping this same core group of people meet their basic needs. As a result of her persistence and care, she has built lasting trust and community among a stigmatized and oft-neglected population.
Despite the support Jenn provided, she still noticed that accrued waste was a lingering problem. With a $5,000 grant from Metro, she turned this problem into a new opportunity to help her homeless neighbors. Cleaning equipment was purchased, dumpsters rented, and a clean-up crew recruited from the homeless groups Jenn worked with. They were provided with transportation, lunch breaks, and a living wage for a 4-hour shift (20$/hour). Over the span of 10 days, team members were able to clear ten tons of trash and were motivated to continue working. The Common Good Project plans to expand its initial pilot program into a year-round operation. Many Havurahniks have volunteered in a variety of ways over these last few years.
For more on TCGP, please check out the Trash for Peace website in January, 2023, when their website updates should be completed.
Thu, March 28 2024
18 Adar II 5784
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Upcoming Events
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Saturday ,
MarMarch 30 , 2024
Shabbat, Mar 30th 10:00a to 12:00p
Led by community members and Rabbi Benjamin, this service includes davening, Torah reading, and discussion. For Zoom link (Zoom Room Aleph), email info@havurahshalom.org. -
Saturday ,
MarMarch 30 , 2024
Shabbat, Mar 30th 10:30a to 11:30a
Young children (0-5) and parents celebrate with singing, movement, blessings, and storytelling. All are welcome. -
Sunday ,
MarMarch 31 , 2024
Sunday, Mar 31st 10:00a to 12:00p
Email Rachel (info@havurahshalom.org) for more information. -
Monday ,
AprApril 1 , 2024
Monday, Apr 1st 1:00p to 4:00p
We are excited to bring mahjong back to Havurah. It is a fun, social activity that builds community, encouraging new friendships and cementing old ones. And while some of us may play elsewhere as well, we all agreed that restoring its place as an ongoing congregational activity will be a good fit for Havurah and those of us who play or want to learn the game. So please don't hesitate to join us! -
Tuesday ,
AprApril 2 , 2024
Tuesday, Apr 2nd 7:30p to 8:30p
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Wednesday ,
AprApril 3 , 2024
Wednesday, Apr 3rd 7:00p to 8:30p
Facilitated by Rabbi Benjamin. In this class, we’ll be exploring various ways in which the Divine is represented and imagined in Jewish tradition. Beyond simply the intellectual, our lens will be more one of spiritual reflection and practice. In other words: As we encounter and interact with the metaphors that the tradition offers for experiencing and connecting with God/Spirit/Life, what do we notice within our hearts and minds? How do particular images shape our consciousness and perception? As a guide for this exploration we will read Rabbi Toba Spitzer’s book, God is Here, which should be purchased for the class (contact Rabbi Benjamin for a free copy if needed). RSVP here by March 1. -
Thursday ,
AprApril 4 , 2024
Thursday, Apr 4th 7:00p to 8:30p
Rabbi Benjamin and Joel Beinin will offer three sessions on “Understanding October 7, 2023” – the Hamas attack on Israel and Israel’s response. The class will offer space for people to express their personal feelings about the events as well as explore the historical context of the events of October 7. Integrated into our examination of this moment, we will engage with a variety of Jewish texts: on grief and loss, on holding multiple truths, and on questions of fundamentalism and fixed views. -
Saturday ,
AprApril 6 , 2024
Shabbat, Apr 6th 10:00a to 12:00p
Led by community members and Rabbi Benjamin, this service includes davening, Torah reading, and discussion. For Zoom link (Zoom Room Aleph), email info@havurahshalom.org. -
Saturday ,
AprApril 6 , 2024
Shabbat, Apr 6th 3:00p to 5:15p
This program gives children a foundation for lifelong Jewish learning and engagement while integrating parents and children in a caring Jewish community. -
Saturday ,
AprApril 6 , 2024
Shabbat, Apr 6th 3:10p to 4:00p
Parents explore the hopes and fears that inspire, inform, and complicate the planning process. Led by Adela Basayne and Laura Orgel, psychologist and child/family therapist.