Donors helped DeJai discover a new passion DEJAI INITIALLY joined our PIVOT Job Corps writing group mostly out of obligation. At first, she wasn’t thrilled, but felt she should as student body president. DeJai reflected, “I never knew writing could be something I’d enjoy.” Then, the healing power of creative writing kicked in. “The program […]

Thanks to donors, we wrote with over 450 people! THIS PAST SPRING was a huge success — thanks to donor support! We wrote with people recovering from addiction, people experiencing mental health crises, previously houseless Veterans, and other populations. Writing groups were hosted in all corners of the Metro area – from St. Johns to

Research shows that writing improves wellness EXPRESSIVE WRITING (also called “writing therapy”) is a modality that is often used in healthcare settings. Our program brings expressive writing to all kinds of communities, resulting in transformational change for many. In fact, throughout human history, many cultures have used the arts as parts of important healing rituals.

Thank you for Responding to our Survey! Recently, we sent out a quick 3-question survey to our donors and volunteers asking a few questions to help us improve our organization. We were thrilled at the number and quality of responses. Thank you to everybody who took the time to give us some feedback! (If you

Ken Ballard is a longtime friend to Write Around Portland. He began as a participant in our writing program nearly 25 years ago and we have been lucky enough to keep in touch with him since then. The following is a statement that Ken shared with us recently about why he continues to support the

As we revel in the beauty of what was a very successful spring season for Write Around Portland, we’re also thinking about how we will keep that momentum going for this fall. We were able to bring our writing program to 15 locations, up from 10 in the spring of 2023. We also increased the

We were thrilled to see OPB highlight DoveLewis’ Pet Loss Support program last month. In 2020, we partnered with DoveLewis to provide healing creative writing workshops for grieving pet owners. And we’ve continued to provide these workshops quarterly. Write Around Portland Program Director Sarah Weller noted, “We’ve found that the DoveLewis participants have had wonderful

 We celebrated our inspiring writers at our Spring Reading & Book Release on Thursday, May 16.  44 writers bravely approached the microphone – the most in recent memory — sharing their work with more than 100 people in a packed house. There were tears, laughter, and heartfelt expressions of gratitude toward our amazing workshop facilitators. Held at

Write Around Portland Staff’s Statement on the Crisis in Palestine At Write Around Portland, we believe in the dignity of all people and that writing is a powerful tool for individual and societal change and healing. Our organization uses storytelling and listening to create a more just and humane society. Through creative writing in community

Our spring creative writing workshop season is in full swing, thanks to donor support! We’re writing with 14 different communities across the Portland area right now! We bring our healing creative writing program to nonprofits and other agencies across the Portland Metro. Participants write for 6-10 weeks with a volunteer facilitator and are published in