Right 2 Dream Too Needs You!

Dear friends,

What a year it has been for Right 2 Dream Too!  As most of you know, we are still on the corner of 4th and West Burnside, and expect to be there until we find a permanent site for R2DToo. We started 2014 with a huge push to be included as equals at the negotiating table with city officials who were brokering deals that directly impacted us. The Dreamers, board members, and community supporters testified week after week in front of council.  As a result, the process became more participatory. Although we do not have any viable sites for our new permanent home yet, we are making great strides to change policies and practices that criminalize the houseless and punish people without economic resources.

Dreamers storm the Mayor’s office in January, demanding a seat at the table.

R2DToo provides safe sleep for approximately 100 people in a 24 hour period.  We also provide food, clothing, referrals, and advocacy, as much as we are able. It is with your generous donations that we are able to keep this self managed resource available to our community.

We hope you will consider clicking on the Donate Now on the right side of the screen, and giving a one-time or monthly recurring payment through our paypal account.  Tax deductible donations can also be received at our registered office: 4635 NE Garfield Ave. Portland, 97211.

Some of the highlights of 2014 are:

We helped to organize the 4th Annual Pitch-A-Tent in partnership with Right 2 Survive. This event highlights the fact that it is okay in the City of Portland for housed people to camp overnight along a parade route to hold their spot for a parade, but that is illegal for the houseless community to do so any other time in order to survive.  We provided 24 hour shelter for more people than in previous years, and the entertainment was off the hook!

Bajo Salario inspires the crowd at the 4th annual Pitch A Tent protest and celebration.

This year, R2DToo celebrated three years at our current site. This was a momentous occasion, as many people thought we wouldn’t make it a month, or even one week.  We were so happy to celebrate with people who use the rest area to sleep safely, and our dynamite volunteers.

Celebrating 3 years of safe sleep at Right 2 Dream Too, October 10th.

In June, Tucson Safe Park Dream Center founding member Jon McLane visited Right 2 Dream Too.  Then in October, we sent two of our board members to Tucson, AZ to support their rest area, called Tucson Safe Park Dream Center.  They are facing similar challenges to what we experienced here in Portland in the beginning. We are proud to stand in solidarity with and help educate other houseless people throughout the US and the world so that they can build community and provide safe sleep.

Mural at Tucson’s Safe Park Dream Center, our allies in the Southwest.

Our Under the Bridge Walks (UTBW) have been ramped up, thanks to generous donations of blankets, warm clothes, and hygiene supplies that have been coming in to the rest area in the past month. UTBW happens almost every 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month. UTBW were started by Right 2 Survive.  Right 2 Dream Too is the meeting place and from there we set out to network with houseless community under bridges and in the doorways, to make sure they have the basic necessities for survival and comfort.  We distribute blankets, warm clothes, toiletries, food, socks and more.

If we can get 100 people to donate just $15 a month, that will support Right 2 Dream Too’s monthly costs of $1500!  That amount includes, water, electricity, port-a-potties, recycling, compost, and garbage. R2DToo is solely supported by donations from the public, and grants.  We do not take a dime from the city or any other government agency to run daily operations.

Community support is what we need to be a sustainable model.  Please help us reach that goal. We also invite anyone interested to come visit the rest area, see how it is operated and talk with the houseless folks to hear their stories and share your own.

R2DToo is in solidarity with many organizations including, but not limited to:

Right 2 Survive, Sisters of the Road Cafe, Portland Jobs with Justice, Portland Harbor Community Coalition, Groundwork Portland, KBOO, Food Not Bombs, The Western Regional Advocacy Project (WRAP),15 Now PDX, Seattle Housing and Resource Effort (SHARE).

Thank you in advance for your generous donation!!