Street Roots is proud to unveil our first Advisory Panel. People have asked, what’s the point in having an advisory panel? Our first response has been to formalize the relationships the organization has already built. More than that, though, Street Roots wants to be a real force in the community surrounding poverty. And to be honest, we don’t have the resources or the expertise to do it alone.
For far too long, Street Roots has dedicated all of its resources to external functions and campaigns that have left us scrambling for resources to keep our lights on, the bills paid, and the paper out. Currently, we are stepping back from leading or co-leading any campaigns surrounding poverty, and exploring existing campaigns we can help reinforce. We will continue, as we have over the past several yeras, to publish and organize hundreds of community voices.
The primary function of the Advisory Panel is to gain people’s expertise and support in building a wider movement for social justice to help fight poverty, and to help people help themselves through the sales of the newspaper.
How does the advisory panel work? We know the organization doesn’t have the capacity to coordinate a large group of people and steer them in one direction or another, so we offered people the opportunity to provide their skills one-on-one to the organization as a whole. We’re asking people to meet one-on-one with the editor, director, vendors and board members. We’re asking people to contribute opinion pieces, host house parties educating people about Street Roots, or to attend events such as fundraisers, open houses and vendor functions. We’ve asked people to share their area of expertise by presenting at a Street Roots forum or offering trainings. And last but not least, we’ve asked people to come on board and work with the organization by sitting on our marketing, fund-raising, vendor and editorial committees.
Street Roots would like to thank everyone who has agreed to be on the advisory panel, and welcome you to a new era of Street Roots. Together we can build a larger movement of professional alternative media, empowerment, and activism in the Portland region.
Currently serving on the Street Roots advisory panel in no particular order, are:
If you are interested in sitting on the advisory panel, contact Israel Bayer at 503-228-5657, or e-mail him at streetroots@hotmail.com.