As we discussed in past posts, the board has committed to improvement in five areas of focus this year. We have promised to:

• Improve accessibility.
• Hear from members.
• Communicate more.
• Increase accountability.
• Evaluate the organization’s structure and activities.

We’d like to share some of the steps we’ve taken in these areas with our members and with the general public.

This week, we’ll look at our successes and our next steps to Improve accessibility.

All 107IST board meetings are now available by video conferencing. While this has been a necessary step during the pandemic, it also has the added benefit of allowing those who do not live close to Portland to attend board meetings. To avoid meeting-bombing, we do not publish the links for the general public, but anyone who wishes to attend a board meeting by video conferencing may do so by signing up at timbersarmy.org. All registered attendees receive a link to the board meeting by email ahead of time.

Ensure that virtual meetings are properly subtitled. When we hold meetings, we do so using Google Meet, with the captioning option, so that attendees can access the conversation through captioning as well as by audio.

Establish protocols and procedures for accessibility. It’s true that the pandemic has meant that we hold meetings online, which allows for captioning. We have established that this is not only a practice to undertake during a pandemic, but have also added procedures and protocols for accessibility to the board handbook for both in-person meetings (ASL interpreters) and for remote meetings (captioning) going forward.

In progress:
We are in the process of adding alt text to our (prodigious) collection of photos to make them accessible to persons with visual impairments or with low or limited vision.

Look for more information about our efforts in the few weeks!

The following is a guest piece from Sarah Groube (@groubes), a friend and fellow footy supporter from Australia. She writes to those who are impacted by closing in fires or those dealing with smoke in their homes. I thought we could learn from her experiences during the massive fires in Australia earlier this year. Please continue to monitor evacuation levels and follow advice from local authorities.

In southeast Australia, the fires burned from November 2019 to mid February 2020. It took a flood to put them out. Covid was in the country within weeks.

Given the magnitude of the fires, we had power and cell phone tower failures for hours, days, or weeks at a time during the fires. We’re really not used to living without those services, and rely on them for information.

This was different to anything we had ever experienced. Friends reported evacuating time and time again: back home, out again, back home. Our clothes smelled like a campfire for four months. P2 Masks weren’t available to help with the smoke because there was so much fire, and because China needed them for a pandemic that was taking hold.

This is not official advice, I’m not a Medico or firey, and do not offer these as life saving tips. You should follow the advice of local professionals for that. These are tips that helped us, or that we learned in the aftermath in hindsight. We didn’t lose our property (thanks to a wind change), nor were we in the path of the fire, but we left when ‘watch and act’ warnings came, because we could. We found that when evacuation orders were given, sometimes roads out of the region were already closed and the only options were evacuation centres, so we chose the ‘leave early’ option. We totally appreciate that not everyone has that option. Even if the fire doesn’t impact you directly, it might affect you through smoke and loss of services.

An evacuation warning is more stressful than you think it will be. Prepare a checklist of actions/items to grab so you don’t have to think at the time. We prepared our go-bag and safe at the back end of the fires. It’s fair to say that despite the annual warnings we really weren’t prepared.

Tips

• If your home is smoky, wet some towels and hang them around your house. We pegged them to clothes hangers and hung them in doorways. Some say the smoke particles cling to them - I don’t know the science but it helped.

• Don’t assume that because you’re ok that people know you’re ok - try to give regular updates to your loved ones. We didn’t hear from close family for nearly a week after the fires burnt through their town. They were totally fine. We were totally beside ourselves. Yes, land lines and mobile phones were down, but Red Cross usually have a comms service of some type - please check yourself in as safe.

• Make sure you fill your car with Petrol (gas?). If an evacuation is called you don’t want to be queuing for hours or stuck on empty.

• With the power failures, none of the credit card or EFT/POS facilities worked and people couldn’t withdraw cash. So withdraw some cash now.

• While you have power, keep your phone charged, and charge your portable phone chargers.

• Make sure you have lots of water in containers in case the water supply is affected.

• A tip from a guy who was in the Christchurch earthquake and wished he knew this one, so we put it to good use which helped us in our recent floods - Put 1.25 litre bottles of water in your freezer so that when the electricity and water goes out you have freezer blocks to keep your food fresh, then you can drink the water when it defrosts.

• Don’t overburden the electricity grid. Turn off non essentials.

• Again - plan for comms and electricity to go down. And know that, even at midday, if the fire is nearby, there will be no daylight because the smoke will block the sun. We had some family who were ‘ready’... except they couldn’t find their shoes, torch or cat because it was unexpectedly pitch black at 10 a.m..

• Listen to local radio - our community radio station had check ins with people on the ground near fire areas. Official sources take some time to verify info before they can broadcast or update apps, so this direct intel was invaluable.

• Reverse park in your driveway so that when you need to leave you can literally drive straight out.

• Have multiple plans to leave - roads close and the navigation systems you rely on in normal times won’t keep up with fire and emergency needs.

• Have plan A, B and C for an evacuation. The Evac centre you plan to go to might be fire impacted. If you’re in a household, plan together. Communicate what you will do if you get separated.

• Great quote I read after many in my family had spent new year in evacuation centres sleeping on hard basketball court floors “Evacuation centres are a life raft not a cruise ship” - take your own bedding, camp mattress, sleeping bag - and food.

• If you can’t evacuate in time, make sure you are wearing long natural fibres - wool preferably. A pure wool blanket might be your best friend if confronted by fire. And fully enclosed shoes goes without saying. We had friends who were surrounded by fire on a beach - as well as good clothing and face masks, they had the foresight to grab some swimming goggles which protected their eyes from the smoke.

• Don’t be complacent about how quick, and in which direction the fire can move. At the coast the fire came on New Year’s Eve which just didn’t compute with people, and they weren’t listening in to warnings as they were on holiday, and the fire wasn’t ‘expected’ for a few more days.
  

• If/when you donate money, check to see who is on the ground helping. There are some big charities with big fundraising drives but there are some very worthy practical charities on the ground helping people and wildlife.
  

• When grey ash is falling around, it’s a sign the fire is near (enough) and the wind is coming your way. Where we are, the ‘fire brand’ got heavier - burnt bark and sticks - the closer the fire was. No doubt it then feels hot, and then embers, but I don’t know because we left when it was ash.
  

• Apps to download - windy - wind direction and speed is the most important intel and our fires created their own weather, air quality, s**t!ismoke
  

• Pack a Go-Bag and have it in the car or easy to grab. Google it for what to include. Our essentials would be a battery operated radio, woolen clothes, underwear, toiletries, medication, water, torch (flashlight or lantern), phone charger, cash, long life food. Essential documents (in a fireproof safe if possible). 

• We prepared our go-bag and safe at the back end of the fires. It’s fair to say that despite the annual warnings we really weren’t prepared.

It feels like it will never end, but it will.

During 2016, the 107IST embarked on a fundraising project in conjunction with Tanager coffee to help build a soccer field in El Salvador so the families of workers in local coffee fields would have a place to play the beautiful game. As always, our members and supporters were generous, purchasing special-edition scarves and coffee, and raising $20,000 for the project.

Since that time, we have been working with coffee farmer partners in El Salvador to get the project underway, but it has been slow going. In late 2018/early 2019, we received initial drawings and estimates for the project. We communicated with our contacts in El Salvador regularly to see where we stood with breaking ground, but unfortunately made little progress.

In early 2020, the board decided that we couldn’t wait any longer, especially given the pressing needs in our own community at home. We again communicated with our project contacts in El Salvador, explaining that we needed to see some kind of communication or plan by June 1, or we would need to move the funds to other endeavors. The coffee-farm owner we spoke with was understanding and promised to get back to the board promptly. After many weeks, we still had no update, despite repeated attempts.

Therefore, the board voted to move $10,000 of the funds initially allocated for this project to other outreach efforts — particularly those focused on Black Lives Matter and local organizations (particularly those serving the BIPOC community and LGBTQIA+ members) who have been hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

We remain firmly committed to supporting soccer in and around Portland and beyond, from the grassroots to the highest professional level, and we truly appreciate the support from the community for the project. In the interest of transparency, we wanted to share the current status of the project and of the board’s redirection of a portion of the funds raised to meet local community needs.

This month's drive supports JOIN! 

Mission statement: "JOIN exists to support the efforts of individuals and families experiencing homelessness to transition into permanent housing. Our efforts are directed at individuals sleeping outside or in their car in the Portland Metro area. Our service provision is not dependent on age, gender, race, ethnicity, faith, culture, language, sexual identity, specific diagnosis, or identifiable issue."

In addition to their other work, JOIN has recently been involved in the creation of Portland's C3PO camps, which started operating in April to mitigate effects of covid, and prioritize BIPOC, trans, gender non-conforming, and queer individuals who often have a more difficult time in the shelter system.

Many items can be gently used or open, please check the list (below or found at their website) for details:

Cold Weather Items - New or gently used

• Socks
• Blankets
• Sleeping Bags
• Tarps
• Jackets
• Hats
• Gloves

Hygiene Items –New or partially used/open

• Shampoo – large or small size
• Conditioner – large or small size
• African American hair care products
• Feminine Products
• Razors & Shaving Cream Soap (bar and liquid)
• Lotion
• Deodorant

First Aid Supplies- New or partially used/open

• Ibuprofen, Tylenol, Aspirin
• Band-Aids
• Anti Bacterial Wash
• Neosporin
• Ace bandages

Basic Service Center Food items

• Coffee
• Sugar
• Creamer
• Peanut Butter

Clothing- Gently used or New:

• Men’s and women’s functional clothing
• Men’s and women’s underwear & bras
• Men’s and women’s boots and shoes

Miscellaneous:

• Headlamps
• Pet Food & Supplies
• Trimet Bus Tickets
• Fred Meyer/Safeway/Albertsons Gift Cards
• Stamps
• Bike Locks
• Bath Towels
• Books & Periodicals
• Backpacks
• Paper & plastic bags

We do NOT accept: Furniture, Dress clothing and shoes, Toys 

Donations can be dropped off at Fanladen during the following hours:

• Wednesdays - 6pm to 8pm

• Fridays - 3pm to 6pm

• Saturdays - 12pm to 3pm

• Sundays - 12pm to 3pm

Fanladen is located at 1633 SW Alder. All donations are accepted at the door to maintain social distancing. This drive will run through September. 

JOIN also needs financial donations to purchase additional items. If you wish to make a donation, please visit this link. We know some folks are not currently leaving their homes, or are supporting from afar. A direct financial donation is currently the best way to support this effort.

Thank you for your support and donations! 

If you have any questions about this drive, please contact Evan Taylor. If you wish to help out with this or future drives, please contact Rachel Greenough.

Operation Back to School provides fully loaded backpacks of school supplies to students throughout Multnomah and Washington counties.  The organization was founded in 2018 in memory of Kim Ellsworth, a long-time teacher in Hillsboro. Operation Back to School works with trusted community partners that provide culturally-specific services to BIPOC students and families. This allows these organizations to self-determine the best way to distribute supplies and provide support to students and families.

This year, Operation Back to School has a goal to provide 2,000 (!!!) backpacks of supplies to students in the area. They need all the supplies they can get. With schools closed, students will depend on their own supplies for school work this year.

All of the below items are needed!

Backpacks
2” Binders
1” Binders
College Rule Paper
Wide Rule Paper
Boxes of regular pencils
Boxes of large pencils
College Rule Notebook
Wide Rule Notebook
Paper Binders
Plastic Binders
Ruler
School Scissors
Giant Glue Stick
Boxes of Pens Black
Boxes of Pens Blue
Dual Head Pencil Sharpener 
Large Eraser 
Index Cards 
Highlighters Box 
Box of 24 Crayons 
Box of 24 Multicultural Crayons 
Large 8 count Crayons 
Large 8 Count Multicultural Crayons 
Box of Color Pencil 
Box of Color Markers 
Large Color Markers 
Plastic Divider 
Pencil Pouch 
Primary School Notebooks 
Packet of Construction paper 

Donations can be dropped off at Fanladen during the following hours:

• Wednesdays, 8/12, 8/19, 8/16 - 6pm to 8pm

• Fridays, 8/14, 8/21, 8/28 - 3pm to 6pm

• Saturdays, 8/15, 8/22, 8/29 - 12pm to 3pm

• Sundays, 8/16, 8/23, 8/30 - 12pm to 3pm

Fanladen is located at 1633 SW Alder. 

Operation Back to School also needs financial donations to purchase additional items. If you wish to make a donation, please visit this link.

Thank you for your support and donations! 

If you have any questions, please contact rachel@rosecityriveters.org

Posted on behalf of Capo Sunday and the Timbers Army and Riveters CDnT:

While it has been a tumultuous year, you, the membership of the 107ist, with your network of family, friends, and fellow supporters, have stepped up time and time again to donate goods, help out, and send money. Bravo! You are amazing! There is always more to do and more to learn, and you keep doing and keep going. THANK YOU! 

We (Capos DnT as a unit) are nothing without you. The lack of seeing all of your faces in PP this season, sharing in the experience as we deal with tension, loss, joy, irritation at the refs, of standing with you in passion and love, well, it has made it an odd and long offseason. 

The CDnT are still dedicated to providing support to the youth in our community through our annual tradition of BYCAP*. Our longstanding goal with BYCAP is to provide help to the burgeoning young voices in our neighborhoods, to aid them in learning how to be strong and confident, to provide them with the ability to communicate their needs, dreams, ideas, and opinions. To be able to leverage the power of their voices the way we, the CDnT, do on match days (oh, how we all miss them...le sigh…) and to that end, we are continuing to have our annual BYCAP fundraising event.  

We acknowledge that this is an unusual season. We refuse to ignore or minimize the effects of the two pandemics happening all around us - Covid-19 and the long and systemic history of human rights abuses of our BIPOC communities locally, nationally, and globally. This season we are turning tradition on its ear so we can have a stronger, greater positive impact on our local BIPOC youth. We are joining forces of the TA and the Riveters for a single BYCAP event, with a single entity recipient, instead of the traditional tandem team specific BYCAP fundraisers.  

100% of funds raised in this online BYCAP will be donated to Self Enhancement, Inc. (SEI)**. 

SEI is a comprehensive, one-stop resource for youth and families, primarily African Americans and others living in poverty or seeking culturally responsive services. SEI believes that every child has a gift and that is our shared responsibility to help every child find his or her gift. 

Please help us surpass prior years fundraising by donating and signal boosting this event. 

>>>   The 2020 joint BYCAP goal to meet, or surpass,   <<< 

>>>    is $6240 -which is the combined amount   <<<

>>>    of TA and RCR 2019 BYCAP events.   <<<

A donation link will be available on the open access part of the 107ist.org website from August 8th through August 22nd. Make sure you click the BYCAP button. 

*Buy Your Capo A Pint [or representational thank you goodie]

**Self Enhancement, Inc. https://www.selfenhancement.org/mission

Post Script - 

For those of you who are unfamiliar with BYCAP, it usually happens on or near the last match of the regular season for Timbers and Thorns. As the season would normally be coming to a tense point (or wrapping up) often folks are feeling kind and nostalgic for the events of the season, and many want to “buy us a pint” to say thanks. Thanks for helping to hype the crowd, to keep it on time, to provide eyes and assistance when there is an interloper or and altercation, and generally for us needing to buy tickets to turn our backs to the pitch for a whole season, so the North End can resonate beyond the PP rooftop to roll across the pitch and through the neighborhood.  To aid in providing focused passion for our teams. It has been noted that our livers cannot take so much thanks… so instead we have collection buckets out at our stage, nests and drums, and we ask you to donate that ‘pint’ (or soda, water, coffee) money to our fundraiser so we can help others find a voice the way we have one. We get the “thank you” and our community youth get much needed help and support.

The 107ist is seeking additional member input for topics we discuss with the Timbers and Thorns Front Office. The board meets with the Front Office (FO) the second Tuesday of each month, barring any scheduling issues. Past discussions and topics can be found here or by reaching out to the board via email. We are working to do a better job of communicating the topics in our weekly newsletters after the meeting, too.

During these meetings, both the FO and the board bring topics to the table. The board is generating topics throughout the month, based on committee meetings or what we are seeing other teams or leagues doing (or not doing).

To make it easier to ask questions, we have created a new form form for members to solicit questions or feedback to the FO. This form is exclusive to members and we are asking for your contact information so we can close the communications loop with you.

If you are not a member and have a question for the FO, please email board@107ist.org and we will work to get answers.

The 107ist board & committees are working to better represent our members, non-members, and all PTFC supporters. Your input is important and we hope you share your perspective with us. 

Recent BLM marches & protests have been met with violence by local police and federal officers. On June 30th, Portland United Against Hate sent a letter to the Mayor to condemn police brutality and a list of demands for City Council. The 107ist is proud to be a signer on the letter and to be a member of the PUAH coalition. 

Our volunteers have also been helping to support PUAH by distributing information during marches and protests about the Report Hate program as well as passing out water, earplugs, and helping medics attending to those injured during the protest. You may have noticed that the No Pity Van has been in different parts of Portland area throughout the marches and protests. 

In June, the 107ist ran a Donation Drive to provide medic supplies for Rosehip Medic Collective. Those supplies have been used and there is a large demand for additional supplies so we are asking our members and our community to aid in providing more medic supplies to those helping protesters. 

Full list of items needed for the medics at the protests in Portland (listed in order of priority/need):

• NeilMed - NasaMist Extra Strength Nasal Mist (Neutralizes CS Gas) 

• Arm & Hammer - Extra Strength Nasal Mist (Neutralizes CS Gas) 

• Surgical Masks

• Ace Bandages

• Instant Cold Packs

• Rolled, Pad, & Hemostatic gauze

• Medical Tape

• Sports Tape

• Bottled Water

• Butterfly Strips

• Flash Lights

• Boost Oxygen Natural (Canned Single use 02) 

• PD101 Gas Masks (for medics)

• Leaf Blowers

• Goggles & Helmets (For Protesters)

• Respirators & Cartridges (For Protesters)

• Sugar (Chemical Wipes)

• Baby Shampoo (Chemical Wipes)

• Citric Acid (Chemical Wipes)

• Shop Towels

• Individually wrapped, non-perishable snacks
  

Donations can be dropped off at the Fanladen during the following windows:

• Wednesday, 7/29 - 6pm to 8pm

• Friday, 7/31 - 3pm to 6pm

• Saturday, 8/1 - 12pm to 3pm

• Sunday, 8/2 - 12pm to 3pm

Fanladen is located at 1633 SW Alder. 

If you would like to make a monetary donation directly to medics providing support to protesters, please do so via Rosehip Medic Collective.

Please keep in mind that we are also collecting items for the Native American Youth & Family Center during the same windows of time.

This weekend is the last push for our Donation Drive for the Native American Youth and Family Center. They provide education opportunities and drive community involvement of Native youth and families in the Portland metro area. NAYA’s mission is to enhance the diverse strengths of our youth and families in partnership with the community through cultural identity and education.

The 107ist Donation Drive is intended to help them collect items that their programs are low on at the moment. NAYA has a high need for more baby items at the moment, so please focus any shopping efforts on diapers, pull-ups, wipes, and formula. 

A full list of the NAYA Donation Drive items is below:

• Diapers

• Pull-ups

• Baby wipes

• Baby formula

• Cleaning supplies

• Disinfecting wipes

• Toilet paper

• Face masks

• Hand sanitizer

• Laundry soap

• Sponges

• Canned goods: salmon, tuna, spam or chicken; soups: tomato, vegetable beef, chicken noodle and broths; chili beans, beef stew; spaghetti sauce, garbanzo beans, green beans, pumpkin and corn; canned milk. 

• Shelf stable: milk, almond milk, rice milk; peanut butter and almond butter. Boxed mixes for cornbread and biscuits.

Donations can be dropped off at the Fanladen during the following windows:

• Wednesday, 7/29 - 6pm to 8pm

• Friday, 7/31 - 3pm to 6pm

• Saturday, 8/1 - 12pm to 3pm

• Sunday, 8/2 - 12pm to 3pm

Fanladen is located at 1633 SW Alder. 

If you would like to make a monetary donation to NAYA, please go to this link to donate directly to their organization.

On June 1, a longtime Timbers Army capo and member of our gameday ops committee, posted a blog about his experience as a Black member of the 107ist and it has put our own systemic, institutional racism front and center for the board of directors. The experience detailed in the blog was not a one-off experience, and the board has been confronted with the hard truth that we have biases and have not been doing nearly enough to be actively anti-racist and radically inclusive. We apologize to our friends and fellow supporters for failing them, leaving them to do the work of pointing out our mistakes and the hurdles that have been in place.

On June 4, the board asked for 30 days to develop a plan to start restructuring and identify steps that will bring us closer to the organization we want to be. We realize we have not centered BIPOC voices in our decision making or created sufficient pathways to participation or leadership.

Since then, several BIPOC members of the 107ist have volunteered to form a committee. Here is an update from the team:

• The team has met twice in person to discuss the current issues and introductions.
• The team is working on a mission statement and figuring out the structure within the team. Duties have been split amongst the team members.
• Currently working on creating a list of action items for the board, no current hard dates for delivery yet.
• New volunteer committee members are being onboarded.

Today, July 4, the board is sharing our plans for changing the organization to be better. In the process, we have identified paths toward not only addressing the issues regarding racism and not centering BIPOC voices, but also toward other areas of improvement, including better communication, more transparency, and more inclusivity.

Below are the different areas that the board is working to improve over the next 5 months. We have identified Board Leads for each area so our membership can hold us accountable as well as know who to reach out to if able to help these efforts.

• Improve accessibility: Virtual meetings with closed captions; and ASL interpreters for in-person events like the AGM and candidate forum.
• • Board leads: Gabby, Jen, Zach
• Hear from our membership: Create more opportunities to connect with members, such as meet-and-greets with committee leads and board members; update our member survey; add another annual meeting where members set the agenda; look for fresh ways to welcome newcomers and new volunteers; and evaluate ways to reach out to past volunteers to encourage re-engagement.
• • Board leads: Drew, Joshua, Kristen, Sheba, Zach
• Communicate more: Give more information and notice about board meeting times and topics; post invites to individual committee meetings as appropriate; evaluate our communication structure and strategy to ensure members are getting the information they need and in a timely manner; and add contact info to weekly emails.
• • Board leads: Christin, Dawn, Jen, Gabby, Sheba
• Increase accountability: Create accountability measures for the board and communicate them to our members; formalize processes such as blog posts and meeting participation; evaluate committees and their engagement levels; and maintain a running list of follow-up items and responsible board members.
• • Board leads: Drew, Gabby, Maggie
• Evaluate org structure & activities: Evaluate responsibilities of the board, election process, governance with a specific view to ensuring that underrepresented voices are centered as part of the org; increase partnerships with businesses and organizations that serve marginalized communities; and prioritize process documentation for board and committee activities.
• • Board Leads: Christin, Maggie, Zach

In addition to the move forward plan, the board has also done the following over the last 30 days:

• Consulted with experts on next steps to center BIPOC voices, including Eric Ward from Western States Center and Zakir Khan from CAIR Oregon
• Contracting with Resolutions NW for future mediation services
• Connected with Y.O.U.th to develop Implicit Bias training for the board and 107ist members
• Board leadership changes to make room for fresh ideas and new voices as we work with the BIPOC team to find a replacement. Ray stepped down from the board and Sheba stepped down as president and Gabby was elected by the board as president for the remainder of 2020.

We want to do this work alongside our members, see an area that you want to be involved in? Email the board members responsible. All emails can be found here. We will also be reaching out for help in various ways over the coming weeks and months.

If you would like to join the BIPOC team, please email the team directly at BIPOC@107ist.org. This email address does not go to the board, but to the members of the BIPOC team.

For more information on any of the items listed above, please email board@107ist.org.

Members have also asked what we, the board, are doing to learn more about systemic racism, how to be an antiracist, and the issues with racism in the United States. Many of us have been spending time reflecting and discussing past and present issues regarding racism and privilege with friends, coworkers, and family. We are looking to bring these changes not only to the 107ist and our work on the board, but to our workplace and other community groups which we belong to. Below is a list of educational material we have been engaged with that focus on re-centering Black experiences and other diverse voices:

• Reading: How to be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi, Stony the Road by Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Eloquent Rage by Brittany Cooper
• • A free virtual talk with Ibram X. Kendi, Author of "How to be an Antiracist" on 7/20 at 4pm PT
• Podcasts: BSI with Jeremy Ebobisse, NPR’s Code Switch, Scene On Radio: Seeing White - also engaged in a Podcast Club organized and led by The Flock
• Movies & documentaries: 13th, When They See Us, Selma, 4 Little Girls, Just Mercy, Becoming, The Hate U Give, LA 92, Let It Fall, Reconstruction