The Heart of Port Angeles
When I first arrived in Port Angeles, I didn’t know what to expect. I had never lived in a small town. Raised in the suburbs of San Francisco, I was neither cool and urban nor downhome and country. What I found in Port Angeles surprised me and I am so grateful to observe and be part of such a loving community. The first thing I noticed was that nearly every social event was also a fundraiser of some kind and, more specifically, an auction. This is not a frivolous community. Every event also doubles as an opportunity to give back to those less fortunate or to a project that will directly benefit the community. Last Fall, Norma Turner gave my husband and I a tour of the new Boys & Girls Club. It is gorgeous. And even more impressive is the wall of donors, whose generosity enabled the building.
Boys & Girls Club-
Wall of donors.
Last Friday I attended the 15th Annual Red Set Go, a fundraiser to bring state-of-the art medical equipment to the Peninsula. Vern Burton Community Center was full of women wielding auction numbers, raising them high to donate as much as $5,000 with a single raise of their hand. But what struck me even more - what brought tears to my eyes - was when the auctioneer asked for $50 donations. It took her five full minutes to circle the room, taking down the numbers of those who pledged their money. It is through small and manageable giving that we come together as a community to bring about change.
The second thing I noticed about Port Angeles is that everywhere I went, whether it was a park, a trail, or a group, it was developed by someone who had a vision of how to best meet a need or provide a service in the community. Attending the Port Angeles High School Hall of Fame Ceremony in 2021 was enlightening. I heard about the woman who started Port Angeles Youth Soccer (Joy Sheedy) and the man who brought badminton to the area (Vern Burton). When I walk or bike the Olympic Discovery Trail I directly benefit from the vision to turn the railroad tracks into multi-use paths, and last summer we watched as the Dream Park was rebuilt by a group of dedicated parents and community members. As we walk, as we play, we are held up by the hands of those who came before us and those who continually give to our community.
The third thing that blew me away about Port Angeles is how interconnected we all are. Of course, I was prepared for the small town, “Oh, you’re so-and-so’s cousin”, but not for how directly our actions, efforts, and words impact life so immediately. When a new building plan is approved, others have to relocate. When people show up to support a new business, it thrives, or conversely, it closes its doors. Recently I heard the story of when the Next Door Gastropub came to town and how dramatically and positively that changed downtown. The same is true of Lefties Baseball. Whenever someone has the vision and the will to bring something new to Port Angeles, we all benefit. This is truly a beautiful thing. We need each other. We rely on each other. And when someone doesn’t have a home, when they lose their job or their faith, or their way, we feel it. We see it on each others’ faces and we see it in the cleanliness of our town. The tents go up, the natural areas become homes, and we are forced to see the consequences of our current societal function, and dysfunction.
Homelessness is not a Port Angeles problem or a Seattle problem, it’s a national problem, even a global one. It has many causes and contributing factors, from the breakdown of families, to cost of living and salary disparities, inflation, drug abuse and addiction, domestic violence, racism, to how mental health services are delivered. The solution is also multifaceted and complex, and it will take time, leadership and thought. But there is something we can do now. We can choose to have an attitude of compassion, realizing that we are all human. We have all faced (or will face) dilemmas in our lives that are not of our choosing, but to which we have to react. And we do our best given the unique set of factors in our lives.
My husband, Brandon, and I faced a dilemma in 2018 while living in Portland, OR. On the outside, we had two great jobs, two beautiful kids, and a house in a great neighborhood. But on the inside we were struggling. It felt like we were disconnected from each other, from our children, and from a fulfilling life. In fact, it didn’t feel like a life at all; it felt like a series of obligations. We had to do something. We wanted a simpler life where we could live from our values: family, freedom, and fulfillment being the top three. We wanted to be more available for our kids, have the freedom to spend our time doing the things that matter to us, and to do work that is fulfilling. We longed for nature, for beauty, for the peace that comes from being part of a community that knows you and cares about you. Brandon grew up in Port Angeles but had been gone for 25 years. Whenever we visited, we had an amazing time. One night, the idea of moving to Port Angeles surfaced and we instantly knew it was right. It’s been three and a half years since we moved here. A lot has changed in the world since then and in some ways life feels less certain than ever. The one thing we do know is that we are very happy to be here.
Compassion motivates people to go out of their way to help the physical, mental, or emotional pains of another and themselves.
Port Angeles is a loving, giving, compassionate community and our best asset is the ability to recognize the innate humanness in all of us, whatever our life experiences, current circumstances and choices might be. Whatever we choose to do and say today has a direct impact on where we go and how we grow as a community. At such a critical time in American history, for so many reasons, I am so proud to be here and to be part of a community that has the ability to make strides towards a brighter future that includes all of us. I can’t wait to see what we do… together. If you are interested in volunteering 4PA, and helping to clean-up our beautiful city, please check out the volunteer page.
