Mentors making a difference

This afternoon, I'll be attending a meeting of the Big Brothers Big Sisters' Latino Mentoring Advisory Council.

We haven't met since spring, so it's important we come away with some momentum in planning a fall networking event to spread the word about the agency and its nationally acclaimed mentoring programs. I've been a member of the advisory council since its inception a couple years ago. We're a collection of professionals and community members who advise the BBBS staff on ways to recruit more so-called Bigs (caring adults) who can be mentors to Littles and incorporate cultural sensitivity into its training of volunteers.

The agency has made it a priority to serve the rapidly growing Latino population in the Portland-Vancouver metro area. The biggest challenge: recruiting more adult mentors. Believe me, there's no shortage of kids waiting to be matched up.

Take a couple minutes to watch the video. And if there's any way you can help -- with a referral, a donation, or as a volunteer yourself -- please get in touch with me or the agency: www.bbbsnorthwest.org

Portland: A 'youth magnet' city

Someone reading The New York Times' fawning account of "Frugal Portland" (see previous post) might be tempted to pack up and move, drawn by the city's marvelous food and casual vibe, reflected in the vibrant music scene and bike-friendly culture.

Before they do, they might want to slap both cheeks with this cold bucket of water from The Wall Street Journal: " 'Youth Magnet' Cities Hit Midlife Crisis" Today's story in the Journal is subtitled:

Few Jobs in Places like Portland and Austin,
but the Hipsters Just Keep on Coming

Those of us who live here recognize the truth in that article immediately. It's well established that Portland is one of a handful of cities -- along with Seattle, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Austin, Texas -- that draw college-educated, single people between the ages of 25 and 39 at a much higher rate than the rest of the country.

As the Journal's Conor Dougherty writes:

What these cities share is a hard-to-quantify blend of climate, natural beauty, universities and -- more than anything else -- a reputation as a cool place to live.

Trouble is, many of those dewy-eyed arrivals find out that jobs are hard to find. They end up plowing through savings, running up their credit cards and settling into jobs -- if they can find one -- for which they are overqualified. That's not a universal story, by any means, but you know it's true to some degree, judging from the number of laptop-lugging hipsters and overeducated servers in the city's coffeehouses (such as Stumptown Coffee, above) and brewpubs.

You might think that the weak economy and Oregon's 12.1 percent unemployment rate (second-highest in the nation) might discourage some folks from coming or nudge others already here to return to where they came from. Not so. But maybe there's a silver lining down the road.

"For now," the Journal notes, "an excess of young workers is adding to the ranks of the unemployed. But holding on to these people through the downturn will help cities turn around once the economy recovers."