We have been busy getting into the swing of things as we brought on two new staff members while preparing and launching our fall writing season.  Brandy Bell (she/her) joined us in August as our half-time Admin. She is a novelist and facilitator. And Maya Friedman (she/they) joined the team in September. She is a […]

When we see someone in need of a warm coat for the cold or a meal when they are hungry, the solution seems simple. But what about those facing invisible struggles like trauma, addiction, or depression? Relief isn’t always straightforward, and thousands of our neighbors are suffering in ways you can’t always see. At Write

Omari Williams-Reid is a Write Around Portland participant who we met at PHAME in Southeast Portland. PHAME is an organization that empowers people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to lead full, creative lives.  Omari’s story is captured in this video that we shared at our Raise Your Pen Fundraiser and it is an example of

WANT TO volunteer but short on time? Selection Committee is perfect for you! Your voice can help decide which stories or poems reach the world through our next book. You’ll join other volunteers to make important decisions about our upcoming book. Some meetings focus on selecting poems and stories from the many pieces participants submit

THANKS TO YOUR support, we’ve partnered with Multnomah County Libraries to solve a big problem: finding space for our Resonate program. Resonate creates writing spaces specifically for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. Participants had been asking for in-person events, but we needed an affordable meeting space. Your support helped us secure something amazing: free

MICHELE CALLS herself “the most reluctant artist.” But she knew she wanted to grow as a writer. Your donation made it possible for Michele to access the support she was seeking. For 10 weeks, our facilitator Marlee arrived at Michele’s housing building with supplies, snacks, and encouragement – removing barriers so Michele could focus on

Mark your calendars! Write Around Portland’s next anthology goes into production in early November and we will need your help.  Twice a year we produce an anthology of work written by participants in our community creative writing groups. These books are created through the hard work of our staff and volunteers with little outside help. 

Expanding to new locations and sharing creative writing opportunities is a powerful way to strengthen and enrich the entire Portland Metro area. This fall we began a new partnership with Mercy Housing to bring creative writing to their residents in Lake Oswego. Mercy Housing is a nonprofit whose mission is to provide affordable housing in

In August, we wrapped up our summer facilitator training and we are excited to send our new volunteer facilitators into the city to helm writing groups throughout Portland. These 11 volunteers spent the month of August investing 27 hours into mastering how to conduct our creative writing classes in-person and online.  The training is a

Recently, we polled our community to ask about their writing habits and what motivates them to sign up for writing workshops and events. Here are the results. What kinds of support or experiences would help you grow or feel more confident as a writer? Here were the responses, ranked from most checked to least checked: