LEAVEN COMMUNITY INCLUDING SALT & LIGHT LUTHERAN DECLARES SANCTUARY
and GETS COMMITMENT FROM EUDALY ALLOWING TINY HOUSES and RVs on PRIVATE PROPERTY

(L to R) Commissioner Chloe Eudaly, Eric Conklin, Luz Gomez 

"Leaven Community, partners, friends and neighbors, will you join Luz in officially asking Commissioner Chloe Eudaly representing the City of Portland, for this stay on the citation of tiny homes and RV’s on private property, halting the displacement of these residents and inviting them out of the shadows and into the light to organize with us? If so, respond, “Yes!

The answer was a resounding, "Yes!"

"Commissioner Eudaly, I ask on behalf of all these people, will you implement this stay and work with us toward an affordable, legal option? If so, respond, “Yes!”

Commissioner Eudaly 's response was an unequivocal, “Yes!"

Eric, Conklin asked this of those at the Leaven Community Declaration of Sanctuary Assembly held, Sunday, October 15, 2017 where Leaven Community, including Salt & Light Lutheran Church, publicly announced our decision to be a Sanctuary Community. Eudaly's announcement that the stay would take effect immediately moved audience members to jump to their feet, cheering and clapping. Over 140 members, neighbors and friends shared our stories and experienced the power of collective action to relieve some of the pressure felt by many Portlanders around their  immigration and housing status. 

The stay is a win for Leaven Community's Land and Housing Research Team that is forming relationships and building a coalition of churches and nonprofits interested using their own properties and land to contribute to the solution of affordable housing in Portland. When the team heard Luz Gomez's story of migration and housing displacement and learned of her opportunity to live in a tiny house, they took immediate action to ask the commissioner for a stay on the citation of tiny homes and RV’s on private property while work is being done to adopt new city codes. After meeting with Eudaly's chief of staff, Marshall Runkel, and then with Eudaly, the answer was yes and affirmed by the mayor's office. Since housing intersects with sanctuary, being in a safe place, it was decided to make the announcement public at Leaven Community's Declaration of Sanctuary Assembly.

The announcement was preceded by the community's affirmation to create relational and community space where people can share their stories and be in solidarity, making sure people feel safe and are supported in this time of fear and discrimination. We also committed to go public and bring the injustice of immigration policy and procedure to light and to co-create Physical Sanctuary with those most affected. 

Declaring sanctuary is just the first step.  Now we need to live into this declaration. Our members and neighbors are still at risk. We have work to do and now we can do it together!

We give thanks to Leaven Community's Sanctuary Lead Team, the Land And Housing Research Team and to the Congregation Missional Leadership Team of Salt and Light Lutheran Church for their dedication and work to bring this work forward. The assembly co-leaders were Rita Jimenez and Jake Antle. Additional Leaven Community leaders in the order of their participation included: Rosemary Brown, Mira Conklin, Solveig Nilsen-Goodin, Ryan Palmer, Eva De Cesaro, Thomas Montalvan, David Heller, Natalie Breece, Darrel King, Luz Gomez, Eric Conklin, Jocelyn Furbush, Tom Mooney, John Rodgers, Benn Kovco, Sam Phelps, Anneliese Davis, LaVeta Gilmore Jones, Melissa Reed, Ali Ippolito and the Leaven Community, "Seat of Our Pants" choir. 

LINK: Commissioner Eudaly Statement Regarding Tiny Homes and RV Enforcement 10/16/17

No one should have to live in the shadows!
Together we can bring these issues into the light!

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RESOLUTION FOR DECLARATION OF SANCTUARY
SALT & LIGHT LUTHERAN CHURCH and LEAVEN COMMUNITY

1. WHEREAS, Leaven Community, including Salt & Light Lutheran Church, trusts in the sacred interconnection of all and the creative and liberative power within those relationships; and

2. WHEREAS, Sanctuary is one of the most ancient traditions for people of faith and goodwill; and

3. WHEREAS, we are called to recognize that no one is “the stranger”, and to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person; and

4. WHEREAS, we are called to engage in justice, equity and compassion in human relations; and

5. WHEREAS, Leaven Community, including Salt & Light Lutheran Church, ignites the power of relationship in our shared stories and spiritual wisdoms by acting collectively with our neighbors to cultivate equitable, diverse, thriving neighborhoods;

6. THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that we, Salt & Light Lutheran Church and Leaven Community, respond to the call from our immigrant members, friends and neighbors to support and co-create Sanctuary with the most vulnerable among us, particularly those who face an increased risk of criminalization, detention and deportation because of immigration status or country of origin; and

7. BE IT RESOLVED that, we, Salt & Light Lutheran Church and Leaven Community, affirm our Leaven Community Statement of Support for Sanctuary as follows and commit to executing Physical Sanctuary, as it is asked for, encouraging our membership to engage in the following ways as they are able and called:

Accompaniment
Showing up for those in our communities in actions such as accompanying people to court, writing letters of support, etc.

Rapid Response
Showing up for those in our communities who are facing deportation and other injustices related to immigration status or country of origin. This could take the shape of being present in places of ICE activity in our neighborhoods and/or on the grounds and building of Salt & Light Lutheran Church/Leaven Community.

Organizing Power for Immigration Policy Reform

• Rooting ourselves in our own migration stories and the immigrant story that is woven through the narratives and histories of our spiritual and faith traditions.
• Listening deeply to the stories of our vulnerable immigrant neighbors as we seek and develop authentic relationships and looking to them as leaders in this work.
• Building collective power through contemplative, relationship-based organizing as we work together with immigrant neighbors to change systems that oppress and criminalize and to enact ones that welcome, connect, and affirm.
• Safe Space
• Continuing to cultivate safety for people of every human category to fully be themselves and to experience protection from harm, whether within relational space, our physical space or in gatherings outside the building.

Be in Solidarity with Other Sanctuary Communities
Showing up for those in our communities in actions such as meal preparation or accompaniment for someone in sanctuary in another setting or participation in public actions.

Physical Sanctuary
Holding physical sanctuary in our building as requested by our immigrant members and neighbors, as outlined in our Sanctuary policies and procedures adopted by the Congregational Mission Leader Team (CMLT) of Salt & Light Lutheran Church and affirmed by the Leaven Community Board of Directors.

8. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED we do this in partnership with our immigrant communities and leaders, and the Interfaith Movement for Immigrant Justice; and

9. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Leaven Community, including Salt & Light Lutheran Church, encourages all people of goodwill to unite and work together to promote compassion, loving kindness and understanding in our shared community, rejecting hatred and divisiveness, as we strive to protect the freedoms we all hold dear.

10. BE IT OFFICIALLY AND PUBLICLY RESOLVED that this 1st day of October, 2017 we, the members of Salt & Light Lutheran Church and the members of Leaven Community, agree by consensus, to adopt this RESOLUTION FOR SANCTUARY DECLARATION.

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RESOLUCIÓN PARA LA DECLARACIÓN DEL SANTUARIO
SALT & LIGHT IGLESIA LUTERANA Y LA COMUNIDAD DE LEAVEN

1. CONSIDERANDO que la Comunidad de Leaven, que incluye la Iglesia Luterana Salt and Light, confía en la sagrada interconexión de todos y el poder creativo y liberador dentro de esas relaciones; y

2. CONSIDERANDO QUE, el Santuario es una de las tradiciones más antiguas para las personas de fe y buena voluntad; y

3. CONSIDERANDO que estamos llamados a reconocer que nadie es "el extranjero" y para afirmar y promover el valor inherente y la dignidad de cada persona; y

4. CONSIDERANDO que estamos llamados a participar en la justicia, la equidad y la compasión en las relaciones humanas; y

5. CONSIDERANDO que la comunidad de Leaven, que incluye la Iglesia Luterana Salt & Light, enciende el poder de las relaciones en nuestras historias compartidas y nuestras tradiciones espirituales, actuando colectivamente con nuestros vecinos para cultivar vecindarios equitativos, diversos y prósperos.

6. POR LO TANTO SE RESUELVE que nosotros, la Iglesia Luterana Salt & Light y la Comunidad Leaven, respondamos a la llamada de nuestros miembros inmigrantes, amigos y vecinos para apoyar y co-crear el Santuario con los más vulnerables entre nosotros, con un riesgo de criminalización, detención y deportación debido a su situación migratoria o país de origen; y

7. POR LO TANTO, SE RESUELVE que nosotros, la Iglesia Luterana Salt & Light y la Comunidad Leaven, afirmamos nuestra Declaración de Apoyo a Santuario de Leaven Community y nos comprometemos a ejecutar el Santuario, según lo solicitado, de las siguientes maneras:

Acompañamiento
Estar presentes con aquellos en nuestras comunidades en acciones como acompañar a las personas a la corte, escribir cartas de apoyo, etc.

Respuesta rápida
Presentarnos para/con aquellos en nuestras comunidades que se enfrentan a la deportación y otras injusticias relacionadas con el estado de inmigración o país de origen. Esto podría tomar la forma de estar presente en lugares donde hay actividad ICE en nuestros barrios y / o en las propiedades y el edificio de Leaven Community / Salt & Light Lutheran Church.

Organizarnos para la reforma de la política de inmigración

• Enraizarnos en nuestras propias historias de migración y en la historia de los inmigrantes que se entretejen a través de las narrativas e historias de nuestras tradiciones espirituales y de fe.
• Escuchar profundamente de las historias de nuestros vecinos inmigrantes vulnerables mientras buscamos y desarrollamos relaciones auténticas y seguiendoles como líderes en este trabajo.
• Construir el poder colectivo a través de la organización contemplativa y basada en las relaciones mientras trabajamos junto con los vecinos inmigrantes para cambiar los sistemas que oprimen y criminalizan y promulgan los que dan la bienvenida, conectan y afirman.

Espacio Seguro
Continuar con cultivar la seguridad para que las personas de todas las categorías humanas para ser quienes son y experimenten protección contra el daño, ya sea en el espacio relacional, en nuestro espacio físico o en reuniones fuera del edificio.

Ser solidario con otras Comunidades Santuario.Ser solidario con otras Comunidades Santuario
Estar dispuestas para apoyar a aquellos en nuestras comunidades en acciones tales como preparación de comida o acompañamiento para alguien en santuario en otro lugar o participación en acciones públicas

Santuario Físico
Proporcionar un santuario físico en nuestro edificio como lo piden nuestros miembros inmigrantes y vecinos. Sosteniendo santuario físico en nuestro edificio como lo piden nuestros miembros inmigrantes y vecinos

8. SEA RESUELTO que lo hagamos en asociación con nuestras comunidades y líderes inmigrantes y con el Movimiento Interfe por la Justicia del Inmigrante (IMIrJ); y

9. SE RESUELVE ASIMISMO que Leaven Community, que incluye Salt & Light Lutheran Church, alienta a todas las personas de buena voluntad a unirse y trabajar juntos para promover la compasión, la bondad amorosa y la comprensión en nuestra comunidad compartida, rechazando el odio y la división, como nos esforzamos por proteger las libertades que todos queremos.

10. RESUELVE OFICIAL Y PÚBLICAMENTE que este 1º día de octubre de 2017, los miembros de la Iglesia Luterana Salt & Light y los miembros de la Comunidad Leaven, accedamos por consenso a adoptar esta RESOLUCIÓN DE DECLARACIÓN SANTUARIO.