Eylul Yaren Tas (she/her) was born in Antalya, Turkiye. She has lived in different parts of her home country and abroad. Tasl graduated from Earlham College with a BA in Quantitative Economics. At Earlham, Tas worked at Lilly Library and Earlham Student Government and participated in the Budget Advisory Committee. Tas enjoys playing volleyball, dancing, and learning different languages in her free time. She is excited to join the Outside In Clinic in Portland and explore the Pacific Northwest.

Imani Patterson (they/them) grew up in Boston, Massachusetts. Over the past 15 years Imani has been involved in both community work and activism work regarding the LGBTQ Community. Outside of that Imani loves biking, dancing and performing stand up comedy. Although Imani is new to Quaker spirituality, Imani is interested in learning more about the Quaker Community in Portland.

They will be serving with Hillsboro Friends Church.

Roy Farrell (he/him) is from Durham, NC, where he attended Carolina Friends School for high school. He recently graduated from UNC Asheville with a degree in English and Mass Communication. After graduation, Roy served in the Maine Conservation Corps for the summer & fall of 2022, completing conservation projects in the forests and parks of Maine (including trail work on the Appalachian Trail). Despite originally planning to attend graduate school after the end of his gap year, Roy has decided to instead reach back to his Quaker school roots and dedicate a full year of service with QVS. He is excited to explore how building community, engaging in front line human rights advocacy, and cultivating spiritual practices will manifest in his life and in those of the other Fellows serving in Portland. Roy loves writing, discovering new coffee shops, seeing live music, and any/all activities related to the outdoors. He is excited to move from the East Coast to the West Coast to partner with HereTogether for the service year.

Salem Heideman (he/it) is an aspiring revolutionary. He grew up in Minnesota, in the Twin Cities area, doing theater, making music, and studying math. He now enjoys listening to and performing old union songs, making zines, fixing ripped clothes, and learning about histories of rebellion and mutual aid in the United States. He also loves collecting stories and talking with strangers on the bus. Salem is recently getting in touch with his spirituality, and is looking forward to the opportunity to explore it further during his QVS year.

Salem is excited to work with New Avenues for Youth in Portland!

New Avenues for Youth is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the prevention and intervention of youth homelessness. Since 1997, our programs and services have impacted more than 20,000 young people as they work to overcome barriers, pursue their goals, and realize their potential. From supporting basic needs like meals and counseling to providing opportunities for education, job training, employment, and housing, we meet youth where they are—and help them get where they want to go.

Our mission is to work in partnership with our community to prevent youth homelessness and provide young people experiencing or at-risk of homelessness the resources and skills needed to lead healthy, productive lives.

SNAP Benefits and Administrative Specialist
The SNAP Benefits and Administrative Specialist will work with New Avenues PAVE job training program supporting homeless and at-risk youth ages 17-24 who come from diverse cultures and backgrounds. They will connect youth to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and applicable resources, and will work with the Administration Team to support critical back office functions. The position performs weekly data entry, direct youth support, and SNAP program enrollment assistance. As a part of the PAVE team, the SNAP Benefits Specialist will help maintain a structured, supportive and safe milieu in the PAVE Career Lab and Drop-In spaces, and will collaborate with staff across New Avenues in order to create a model that provides effective, comprehensive services for program youth.

A well-qualified candidate has the ability to swiftly build trust and rapport with youth. They also possess a strong desire to foster equitable food access, work with diverse staff and youth, problem solve, and they excel in a multi-cultural environment. Group facilitation and relationship-building skills are key to a successful QVS experience.

The Fellow will join a well-structured team environment that values youth voice, equitable program access, and the adaptability needed to sustain a dynamic job training problem for young people. They will also join an agency with more than two decades of experience providing services through multiple systems of care— housing, case management, meals, drug and alcohol recovery and mental-health supports, education, job training, culturally specific LGBTQIA+ youth supports, and more annually to 1,600+ individuals experiencing homelessness and housing instability.

Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility was founded in 1981 by a group of local physicians and scientists who advocated against nuclear weapons and for the cleanup of the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. We are the local affiliate of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War which was awarded the 1985 Nobel Peace Prize. Guided by the values and expertise of medicine and public health, Oregon PSR seeks a healthy, just and peaceful world for present and future generations by protecting human life from the gravest threats to health and survival.

Specific programs include advocating for a healthy climate and environment, ending nuclear power, and promoting peaceful alternatives to militarism, nuclear weapons, and gun violence. In addition to bringing the health perspective to issues of social responsibility, we intentionally prioritize the voices and needs of communities of color. We work to incorporate racial and immigrant justice into our environmental, anti-nuclear, and peacebuilding work.

Outside In‘s mission is to assist homeless youth and other low-income and marginalized people move toward improved health and self-sufficiency. Outside In, established in 1968, has continually revised services to respond to changing client needs. We operate a Federally Qualified Health Center and are state-certified for both mental health treatment and alcohol and drug treatment services. Current programs include a Clinic and Homeless Youth Department. The Clinic is a cutting-edge blend of western and alternative medicine. It is a teaching site for Oregon Health Sciences University, and provides western medicine, naturopathic, acupuncture, Chinese herbal, chiropractic, and dental care. The Clinic provides healthcare five days per week and 28,000 visits annually. The Youth Department serves about 800 homeless youth annually. A Day Program provides safety off the streets and basic needs resources, including 3 meals per day, 6 days per week. It also offers other wraparound supports including case management, QueerZone supports for LGBTQ youth, mental health treatment, alcohol and drug treatment, 30 units of on-site housing, 50 units of housing in the community, our “Urban Ed” Alternative School, an employment center, and the Virginia Woof Dog Daycare/Job Training Center. This past year, 7 youth obtained their GED, 32 enrolled in college, 126 were employed, and 124 youth were supported in our housing options. 92% of youth graduating from Transitional Housing did not return to the streets.

There will be two possible Fellow positions for a placement with Inside In:

Fellow Position: Youth Engagement Specialist

The goal of this position is to support homeless youth in transitioning from street life to self-sufficiency. The Youth Engagement Specialist builds positive relationships with youth through role modeling and mentoring; checks youth in the Day Program and ensure they are following COVID protocols upon arrival; assists with providing youth access to showers, laundry, toiletry supplies, phone charging, clothing or other available resources; involves and empowers youth participants in generating community, meeting community norms, and sense of ownership within programs and the community. Additionally, the Specialist will assure material and operational support of the Day Services Program. This can include assisting with maintaining cleanliness of program areas and assisting with food program support as needed, consistent with COVID risk mitigation practices. Knowledge of the impact homelessness has on the LGBTQ and BIPOC communities; knowledge of homeless resources; and knowledge and understanding of adolescent development, Trauma Informed Care, and harm reduction will be supportive in this role.

Fellow Position: Food Pantry and Community Engagement Specialist

The Food Pantry and Community Engagement Specialist will lead the operation of our weekly food pantry and work to build relationships with community members to increase the number of patients accessing the OI East Clinic. There will also be the opportunity to cross-train and support other clinic processes as desired. Food pantry responsibilities include:

• Serve as primary site contact and liaison with rest of agency for the East Clinic food pantry.
• Coordinate food donations and orders.
• Receive deliveries, stock food pantry, and redistribute items to other sites as needed.
• Staff food pantry, navigate patient flow and check in, onboard and direct volunteers.

Community engagement responsibilities:

• Staff outreach events at community partner agencies, register and schedule new patient appointments.
• Perform targeted outreach
• Establish partnerships and conduct outreach to local schools to promote pediatric and child health services available at East clinic.
• Coordinates with Clinic Manager to identify upcoming resource needs within the community, in response to partner meetings, and community and urban planning updates.