Take The Pledge

Anyone who has followed me on social media, read any of my blog posts or op-ed pieces over the years, seen me speak at a public event, or been in a training I facilitated or co-facilitated can likely ascertain one thing about me: I care about people. Every aspect of the work that I do as a human resources professional, as an equity consultant and trainer, as a member of multiple communities as well as the community-at-large, is focused on helping people feel loved, respected, valued, and supported. I know firsthand how impactful being shown even a modicum of decency and respect, to be seen as a human being, can be. To be treated like you matter, to have people offer their support and care for you in real-time, can have such a transformational influence on your mental, physical, and emotional health and well-being. One of the human issues that we are collectively facing as a community in the city of Portland is an increase in homelessness and housing insecurity for our friends and neighbors. As a person of culture and a person who has faced housing insecurity, I have felt how transformative genuine compassion and assistance can be when you are drained and feeling invisible and forgotten. And that is why I am supremely honored to be a member of the steering committee for The Pledge PDX: neighbors helping neighbors.

The Pledge is a project that originated in France, with the North American offshoot of the successful model/pilot program finding its way stateside in 2016, launching in Seattle. At its core, The Pledge is a collaborative effort between organizations and businesses working to address homelessness and provide community members with crucial support. There are more than 40 businesses currently successfully championing the cause in Seattle. This success means that The Pledge is now spreading, with Portland, New York, and Tacoma joining the growing charge.

The Pledge PDX is being launched in collaboration with Business for a Better Portland, Street Roots, B Local PDX and Portland State University's Homelessness Research and Action Collaborative. The concept of The Pledge is simple but real: by signing The Pledge, local businesses will vow to help their neighbors experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity with immediate assistance. Here's how it works: Your business displays a window sticker, just like the image above, that signals to the community that people are welcome. The sticker will show what crucial services you are making available to the homeless and houseless communities. These services can range from:

• complimentary food;
• complimentary coffee;
• water;
• use of a restroom;
• outlets to charge devices;
• menstrual products;
• haircuts;
• hand sanitizer;
• tools;
• bike repair;
• clothing items;
• or just warmth and a safe respite from the elements.

These services are shown as petals around the main circle of the sticker so that your neighbors can see the particular support and services available to them at your business. Pledge organizers will be providing a resource guide to participating businesses to help them educate employees on services that can support those whom they believe could use it.

Are you a business owner and your business doesn't have a storefront or public access? You can still join the Pledge! You can join by volunteering in a shelter, hosting a coffee or meal in your lobby, or providing much-needed items and care packages to organizations that can use them! Businesses that join the movement will be featured on The Pledge website and in ongoing advertisements in Street Roots, which reaches an estimated 25,000 readers each week.

From what we have heard from our peers in Seattle, there has been nothing but positive feedback on the experience of engaging with the community in this way from businesses and their employees. Beyond the community engagement aspect of The Pledge lies the extra benefit that it will be good for your business financially as well. PDX is chock full of consumers who have shown time and again that they will direct their buying power to those who are lending a hand to those in need.

You can learn more about The Pledge by visiting www.pledgetohelp.org/pdx. If you're a business owner or think that your business might want to take The Pledge, please drop me a line via LinkedIn or at pharoahbolding @ hotmail.com and we can set up a time to meet with your or your organization's representatives and leaders to chat!

And if you know you're down and ready to get involved and signed up for The Pledge today? Please drop me a line via LinkedIn or at pharoahbolding @ hotmail.com to schedule a time for us to meet at your business, place your Pledge sticker in the window, and sign you up on-the-spot as a participant in The Pledge (I will have tablet or PC in hand)!

Please join me today in taking this new step as a community toward making sure all of our neighbors know that they are just that: our neighbors. Join me in The Pledge!

Special thanks to Business for a Better Portland, Street Roots, B Local PDX and Portland State University for all of their support in bringing this movement to Portland. Also many thanks to the folx on the steering committee - Chris Bright, Andrew Hogan, Jacen Greene, Corey Omey, Amy Jeffers, Ashley Henry, and Cindy Trivisonno - in allowing me the opportunity to work alongside them to help make The Pledge PDX a reality.