For this month’s Seeds of SE Uplift Volunteer Spotlight, we spoke with Moshe Lenske of the Woodstock Neighborhood Association.
A veteran of World War Two and a board member for the Woodstock Neighborhood Association for over 30 years, Moshe has seen a lot in his time on the board. Moshe was kind enough to share some of his experiences and thoughts about the neighborhood associations and how individuals can embrace and bring about change in their community.
Tell me a bit about yourself.
I’ve done a lot of things. I was born in Portland and grew up in the Southeast Neighborhoods. I was in the army in Europe in WWII. I’ve been active in the citizen participation and neighborhood movements in Portland. I was chairman of SE uplift and have served as chair of my neighborhood association for decades. I am still very involved in geographically based neighborhood associations in the Portland System.
How did you get involved with the Woodstock Neighborhood Association?
I was the past chairman and have been on the board for 30 or 40 years.
What’s the most important thing someone new to the Neighborhood Association system should know about it?
It will help them find a sense of place and a sense of ownership within their neighborhood. It will give them the opportunity to have some influence. They should enjoy being neighbors and part of the community they live in.
What do you hope for the future of SE Uplift and Portland’s Neighborhood System in general?
That people will enjoy their life in the community in which they live and improve it.