Resolutions NW is currently on the City budget chopping block for a 16% cut ($40,230).  It’s a huge hit for RNW and will significantly impact both RNW's  facilitation and mediation programs.  The City budget will be finalized in the next week or so and we need strong advocacy from you NOW. RNW needs you to call or email ALL the Commissioners and the Mayor (contact info below) and ask them to restore our funding!

Please tell city council members why you value RNW and why the community needs their services!

The most effective support you can offer is a short personal experience you have had, a neighbor has had, or a client you worked with had.  For example, did your volunteer experience provide you with skills you use elsewhere in the community?  Have you seen transformation within groups with the help of RNW’s facilitation expertise?  Has a police officer thanked you for taking on an ongoing neighborhood conflict?  Has a client acknowledged that mediation helped him resolve what felt like an intractable conflict?  What’s your story?
 
 If you need talking points, here are a few you can use.
 
1. RNW’s facilitation program fosters greater public involvement and community engagement through inclusionary and small group practices.  All Commissioners have used our facilitation services.
2. By building conflict resolution capacity within the community through trainings and community education, RNW enhances residents’ conflict resolution skills promoting greater public safety.
3. RNW supports law enforcement by helping to resolve ongoing neighborhood conflicts, avoiding multiple police call backs.
4. Through City funding, RNW’s neighborhood mediation services are accessible to all Portland residents, many of whom can not afford any other means of resolving their conflicts.
5. RNW’s 100+ engaged volunteers provide well over 2000 hours of conflict resolution service for the community, the equivalent of over 1.5 FTE.

What to do:

§        Send an email or call each City Council member before Wednesday, 5/23.
§        If you email, be sure to include RNW in the subject line
§        Copy RNW on your email at info@resolutionsnorthwest.org

Contact info for Council members:

 
Nick Fish
Commissioner of Public Works
1221 SW 4th Ave, Room 240,
Portland, OR 97204
(503) 823-3589
e-mail: Nick@portlandoregon.gov

Dan Saltzman
Commissioner of Public Affairs
1221 SW 4th Avenue, Room 230,
Portland, OR 97204
Phone: (503) 823-4151
E-mail: dan@portlandoregon.gov
 
Randy Leonard
Commissioner of Public Safety 
1221 SW 4th Avenue, Room 210,
Portland, OR 97204
Phone: (503) 823-4682
E-mail: randy@portlandoregon.gov
 
Amanda Fritz
Commissioner of Public Utilities
1221 SW 4th Avenue, Room 220,
Portland, OR 97204
Phone: (503) 823-3008
E-mail: amanda@portlandoregon.gov
 
Sam Adams, Mayor
Commissioner of Finance and Administration
1221 SW 4th Avenue, Room 340,
Portland, OR 97204
Phone: (503) 823-4120
E-mail: mayorsam@portlandoregon.gov
 
 
As always, THANK YOU for your support.  We’ll keep you posted as new budget developments occur.