Organizers of the #FamiliesBelongTogether campaign are mobilizing communities into action on June 30 to reunite kids who were cruelly separated from their parents and to end the indefinite detention of families.

NOTE FROM EMILY

Hi Everyone,

There are few things that fill my heart as much as Pride in Oregon -- when my beloved home state celebrates the love, families, and human rights of LGBTQ folks for an entire month. My joy this month is also paired with a deep heaviness, because, for me, celebrating love, families, and human rights at this moment means also holding space for those experiencing the atrocities of family separation and detention at the border.

Rather than going on at length, I'd like to invite you to join me in two ways:

1. ACKNOWLEDGING that though these actions do not represent the aspirational ideals of our country, we must own that intentional, race-based separation of families has been a part of the American legacy for centuries. From slavery, to Native American boarding schools, to the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII, to the foster care system and mass incarceration, this unconscionable practice has long been a part of the racist toolbox of U.S. public policy.

2. TAKING ACTION by donating, calling elected officials, signing petitions, protesting, and volunteering. In this month's "Make A Difference" section we've gathered a set of resources to help get you started. This is a moment to take any action you can, no matter how small.

With compassion and solidarity,

Emily Evans,
Executive Director

STAT OF THE MONTH

One in 10 Oregon residents is an immigrant, and about one in eight has at least one immigrant parent.

Source: American Immigration Council

FOUNDATION UPDATES

IMMEDIATE IMPACT FUND

Two organizations, Henderson House and Jackson County SART, recently received $5,000 each from the Immediate Impact Fund.

Henderson House serves women, teens, and girls in Yamhill County living with, or facing, interpersonal violence. Their mission is to provide culturally aware outreach, education, and services for victims of domestic and sexual violence through leadership, hope, and respect for thriving families. They will utilize the grant from the Women's Foundation to bring their confidential shelter's sprinkler systems up to code and thereby avoid the shutdown of this critical community resource.

Jackson County SART, located in Ashland, works to ensure an effective, collaborative response to sexual assault. Their work prioritizes victims’ needs, reduces the traumatic after-effects, helps bring more offenders to justice, and prevents sexual violence through community engagement and change. Jackson County SART's grant from the Women's Foundation will help start a survivors' support group for middle school and high school age youth in response to a growing community demand for such a group before the end of the school year.

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

**Name:** Pooja Bhatt
**Age:** 35
**Occupation:** Policy Advisor
**Member of the Women’s Foundation since … ?**2014, I think!
**Gender pronouns:** she/her/hers

Why are you a member of the Women’s Foundation? There are few organizations in the state that are focused specifically on concrete ways to resource the needs and leverage the assets of women. Focusing resources on people who identify as women around the state is an important way that we can begin to change structures and systems, with the goal that our culture views women just as much as an asset as men. Feminism.

What’s your favorite spot in Oregon? Anywhere on or even in view of Wy'east (Mt. Hood). But really, the most favorite is snowboarding on her on a clear day, with views of the valley all around.

What quality do you most admire in others? The ability to make people feel seen and heard.

Which talent would you most like to have? To communicate well in any language with any person and any animal.

What’s the best place to eat in our great state? An Indian restaurant called Maruti in Portland.

Which woman (living or dead) do you most admire? I don't have just one. I deeply admire any woman who creates community with other women by sharing their stories and creating space for connections. This includes some of my favorite writers, singers, and storytellers, but also everyday women that I am honored to call my own community.

What’s your most treasured possession? My headphones, because they allow me to travel with and through music.

What makes you laugh uncontrollably? Silly panda videos, bad puns, I Love Lucy, and shenanigans with my girlfriends.

Thanks so much, Pooja!

MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Donate
Support local organizations like Innovation Law Lab, ACLU of Oregon, UNIDOS, and One OregonCoalition, who are working tirelessly to coordinate response efforts for detainees here in Oregon.

Act
There are many calls to action circulating nationally to Reunite Families Now. Follow the important work of these organizations and get involved any way you can: National Domestic Workers Alliance, We Belong Together, Women's Refugee Commission, Kids In Need of Defense (KIND), Detention Watch Network, National Immigration Law Center, and Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES).

Attend
On June 30, join (or organize) one of the many events happening across the state of Oregon in a show of solidarity that Families Belong Together.

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Jun 27 (7:30pm): 2nd Annual Portland Thorns FC Pride Night, Providence Park, Portland

Come out to Providence Park to celebrate Pride Month and show your support for the 2017 NWSL champion Portland Thorns FC and the LGBTQ community in the Pacific Northwest.

Jun 27 (5pm): We/Us/Ours: A Trans/Gender Diverse Happy Hour, Eugene
Come hang out, meet new people, connect with old friends, and help us build a better sense of community in Eugene. The HIV Alliance will be there providing FREE needle exchange. No cover, all ages, and all identities welcome (that includes allies too!).

Jun 30 Families Belong Together, Statewide
Communities across Oregon will be sending a clear message that Families Belong Together! Check out one of these events in your city: Albany, Astoria, Bend, Coos Bay, Eugene, Grants Pass, Madras, Medford, Port Orford, P ortland, R edmond,
Roseburg, Salem, Sherwood, and The Dalle s.

Jul 15 (6-9pm): Dolores Screening, Downtown Hillsboro
Join Centro Cultural and Bag&Baggage Productions for a screening of Dolores, a documentary chronicling the life and impact of farmworker rights advocate Dolores Huerta, in celebration of Farmworker Awareness Week. Raising 11 children while wrestling with gender bias, union defeat and victory, and nearly dying after a San Francisco Police beating, Dolores Huerta bucked 1950s gender conventions to co-found the country's first farmworkers union.

Jul 18 (5:30-8:30pm): Wonderful Women Wednesday, Pine Tavern Restaurant, Bend
Join NOW for Wonderful Women Wednesday for a no-host happy hour at the Pine Tavern and get to know NOW members and others in the community interested in women's causes.

Jul 21 (4-9:30pm): 13th Annual PDX Latinx Pride Festival: "SuperQueeroes", Portland
Join the Latinx Pride Festival: "SuperQueeroes"! The celebration includes information booths, food carts, entertainment, a drag show, and dance party.

Jul 21-22: Salem Art Fair & Festival, Salem
Just blocks from downtown Salem you’ll find more than 200 artists, live music, theatre and dance, two craft beer and wine gardens, more than 20 food booths, art activities for the whole family, a plant sale, and much more.

Jul 21 & Aug 11: Beaverton Night Market, Beaverton
The Beaverton Night Market exists to create a free, vibrant, intercultural, family-friendly space that is reminiscent of night markets internationally. The Market offers a culturally-relevant evening activity and gathering space with food and crafts for families of all.

Aug 4 (11am-5pm): 2018 Capitol Pride Festival, Salem
Mark your calendar and visit the Riverfront Park for Live Music & Entertainment, Vendor & Sponsor Booths, Food, beverages and much more!!

NEWS TO KNOW

The Intercept: Separating Migrant Families Is Barbaric. It’s Also What the U.S. Has Been Doing to People of Color for Hundreds of Years.
Shaun King reminds us that the human rights catastrophe playing out in the United States right now is the result of a deeply entrenched mechanism used over and over again in American policies.

The Oregonian: Initiative to ban taxpayer-funded abortions in Oregon closer to reaching ballot than ever
Backers of this initiative aim to restrict access to reproductive health services by prohibiting the use of state funds to pay for abortions. If successful, abortions would no longer be covered under the Oregon Health Plan, reversing the 2017 Reproductive Health Equity Act that Gov. Kate Brown signed into law.

NPR: High School Valedictorian's Mic Cut When She Talks About Campus Sexual Assault
Lulabel Seitz would not be silenced by Petaluma High School administrators attempting to stop her from publicly talking about sexual assault at her school.

Huffington Post: The Supreme Court Is Helping Companies Get Away With Sexual Harassment
According to a new Supreme Court ruling, companies can now require workers to sign away their right to file class-action lawsuits against the employer. This can be particularly problematic for women who face systemic sexual discrimination or harassment in the workplace.

The Atlantic: The Forgotten Girls who Led the School Desegregation Movement
Before the 9-year-old Linda Brown became the lead plaintiff in Brown v. Board of Education, a generation of black girls and teens led the charge against the “separate but equal” doctrine in public schools.

Washington Post (Video): Will 2018 be a leap forward for women or just another small step?
2018 is being called the Year of the Woman. So was 1992. Here’s why this time might be different.

KGW: Neighbors vote to extend stay of Kenton Women's Village
The Kenton Women’s Village will continue to house up to 14 women in a North Portland tiny home compound.

MEMBERSHIP MATTERS

Support women, girls, and femmes in Oregon. Suggested membership for the Women’s Foundation of Oregon starts at just $10 a month or $120 a year. Or contribute an amount that is meaningful to you. Our Give What You Can Membership is recommended for those who believe in our vision, but for whom membership would otherwise be a barrier.

If you become a member, renew, or give a gift by June 30th, your gift will be doubled, thanks to a generous match from Wells Fargo. And, you'll be entered into a drawing to join the Foundation team and other members for a VIP Experience at the July 15th Portland Thorns game from atop the Daimler Deck!

Won't you join our growing community and strengthen our collective force for gender equity in Oregon?

June 2018 Newsletter: Families Belong Together