New Hope

            I have always considered myself lucky to be a part of a religious community, as I grew up in a very large Christian congregation in the South. When I moved to Portland, it was a completely different atmosphere that definitely took some getting used to. However, it is not the size of the congregation, but the work that they are doing that is important. I have been in the Northwest for 2 years now and have had the wonderful opportunity of getting to help out at Fellowship Bible Church. Last year I helped with the tutoring program, KidReach. This is where the building opens their doors for kids to come in and receive help on their homework from local volunteers. I enjoyed this experience because at the end of the tutoring session, the kids all get together and one of the adults leads them in a group discussion.

            This year, because of my Mobilizing Hope Capstone, I was able to give more time to volunteer at FBC. The pastor at FBC, David Sobocinski, and a local physician converted the upper level of the church building into a separate, free health clinic, New Hope Health Center. This is where I chose to do my community based learning for Mobilizing Hope. The clinic has medical equipment and offers a wide variety of services to its patients; medical care, diabetes counseling, dental care, breast exams, and referrals for specialists. The physicians are also able to send patients out for necessary x-rays and blood-work. The volunteers at NHHC are not all affiliated with Fellowship Bible Church, in fact, most of them attend religious services elsewhere. Patients do not have to be religious to make use of the free clinic, however, most of them are.

            My responsibilities at the NHHC included screening for the free dental exam. On the questionnaire, the patient was asked about their religious beliefs. The space provided for this answer was two lines. If you were to sum up your religious beliefs in just two lines, what would it say? I found it very interesting to hear what the patients had on their mind about this topic. Most of them would explain it to me, then try to find a way to write it on the paper. I also helped office staff by filing and running paperwork to the doctors and patients who were waiting.

The clinic is nonprofit and run solely by volunteers.

            By working at NHHC, I was able to hear from some of the patients. Most of the people who I met had immigrated from other countries such as Somalia, Ghana, and Ethiopia. Many of their journeys made me think of the activists we read about in Mobilizing Hope and what led them to fight for their cause. One person that I spoke with, a volunteer, told me of her journey from Ghana and how her faith guided her to leave her old life behind and start fresh in America. She then informed me that in America, she is not granted all the same freedoms as those who are natural born citizens. This I was aware of, but had not considered the difficult path one must travel just to be given a chance. My conversation with her had me recalling our class discussion on “identifying with the margins.”

            These past several weeks when I was able to be a part of such a great organization, has opened my eyes to the issues that are right here in our own backyard and how just one small act can mean the world to someone else.

~ Jennifer Lubner, March 2014
PLEASE CHECK OUT THIS SLIDE SHOW OF JENNIFER'S WORK