From the moment you find out you’re pregnant to the moment you see that precious face - the journey of motherhood is filled with moments you cherish. PeaceHealth is here for every moment, starting with the moment you choose your pregnancy doctor.
Heidi Radlinski, MD, is a family medicine doctor who specializes in obstetrics. She takes a holistic approach in her practice, focusing on whole body care. She especially loves helping moms and babies transition from pregnancy to parenthood. Partnering with Dr. Radlinski also brings support of the PeaceHealth Southwest Family Birth Center, which has been named one of the best maternity hospitals in the U.S. by Newsweek magazine for three years in a row.
Learn more at peacehealth.org/vancouvermom or call 360-334-3973.
Heidi Radlinski, MD
PEACEHEALTH FAMILY MEDICINE SOUTHWEST
100 E. 33rd St. Suite 100 Vancouver, WA 98663
Combining compassion and community, Cascade AIDS Project connects HIV-positive patients with the right care and services to help them live life to the fullest.
M.E.Ch.A. Clubs & National Hispanic Heritage Month From ofrendas to traditional dances, Hispanic and Latinx high schoolers invite all to celebrate their heritage year round.
Dollar For
After a TikTok video went viral, read how one local nonprofit is now crushing millions of dollars of medical bills nationwide.
8 Couve Scoop
• Copious Costumes at Center Stage Clothiers
• Open Studios Tour Brings Artists and Art Lovers Together
• Chelatchie Prairie Railroad Puts the Fall Season on Display
10 Mosaic Family Voyage
Follow the Messerschmidt family as they explore the remote reaches of Bahia de Los Angeles (Bay of LA)
28 Calendar of Events & Activities
• Pumpkin Patches in Clark County
• Open Window Online: Innovative Education for Gifted Students
GET
Why do we love harvest season so much? Perhaps it’s the literal change of scenery with the colorful leaves, some relief from the heat or anticipation for the upcom ing Christmas and Hanukkah holidays. The end of the growing season brings to mind the abundance of the land, and our place in the natural order of things. And of course, there’s the arrival of pumpkin spice everything. Perhaps most poignant during this time of year are our traditions of remembering our ancestors and coming to terms with our own mortality—often through delightfully frightful displays of gore and decay. Whether you revel in seriously scary scenes, or you prefer light-hearted, happy ghosts or the colorful calaveras (skulls) of Dia De Los Muertos, it seems that flaunting our fears for a short time each year may be a sort of collective catharsis. “The idea that we can redirect our fear into excitement and joy is in credibly powerful, especially on a cultural level,” writes Megan Mc Clintock in a 2019 article on Medium.com. “Halloween has survived because it allows us to engage with our fear—our fear of death, of the dark winter, of the unknown—in the same space that encourages wild joy. It transforms the things that we dread the most into a celebration where we can embrace the things we don’t understand.” However you celebrate the harvest season, we hope it’s full of this sort of wild joy.
In this issue, celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month along with local Latinx high school students as they share their cul ture with the community (page 18), learn how one local non profit is crushing millions of dollars of medical bills nation wide (page 24), and connect with Cascade AIDS Project, an organization that has been supporting HIV positive patients for over three decades (page 12). Plus, go to VancouverFamilyMagazine. com to check out our list of local pumpkin patches and corn mazes!
Publisher Julie Buchan
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Emily Corak, Kristen Flowers, Rachel Messerschmidt, Sarah Mortensen
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Bella graduated from Mountain View High school in 2022, and is now attending Western Washington University in Bellingham. She loves drawing, making pasta and hanging out with her cat.
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Kristie@truenorthportraits.com www.truenorthportraits.com
Photo by Marie Pham Photography Photo by Kristie Benson
C enter Stage Clothiers on Main Street in Vancouver is ready for the trick-or-treating season. Since COVID cancelled many previous Halloween gatherings, those who are ready to go big this year can check out this unique and well-stocked costume shop.
Center Stage supplies outfits from any decade or century, from medieval times to the 1990s, plus they carry a large selection of couple costumes for folks wanting to dress in a matching theme. “We also offer themed photo shoots and private dress up parties in our store,” shares store owner Diana Kirkpatrick. As the only costume shop within an hour radius of Vancouver, Kirkpatrick and her staff pride themselves on their personalized customer service and knowledge. Kirkpatrick holds an apparel design degree, so clients can commission custom made costumes if by chance she does not have what they are looking for in-store. “My staff and I will be dressed in costume every day in October and posting ‘Costume of the Day’ pictures for inspiration, so follow us on Facebook and Instagram to get some great ideas!”
In addition to supplying the best rentable Halloween costumes around, Center Stage is the go-to shop for high school theater productions. In August, Center Stage welcomed local drama teachers to participate in a drama-teacher mingler event. After a long COVID hiatus, drama teachers were able meet and learn from each other and Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle made an appearance, too. “We [were] wanting to reach schools that we ha[dn’t] worked with before [to] not only show them what we have available but let them know we offer substantial discounts to schools, as well as mentoring for their up-and-coming student costumers,” explains Kirkpatrick. Mayor McEnery-Ogle welcomed the teachers and stressed the importance of the school art programs, not just for the students, but for the entire community.
Fall foliage is the main feature of the Chelatchie Prairie Railroad October run as riders get to enjoy a trip through rural Clark County to Moulton Falls Park. This year, the fall leaves ride is available on October 8 and 9 and is well worth the wait. “We do our best guess at when fall leaves will be well along when we set up our schedule in the spring,” explains Doug Auburg, treasurer and station master of the nonprofit BYCX. He’s been volunteering since the train’s first summer season in 2000. “Families come back year after year, particularly for our Christmas run, train robbery weekends and Headless Horseman runs,” shares Auburg. The Headless Horseman is a second chance to see the fall colors and will run October 29 and 30. While it may sound scary, Auburg assures that it is appropriate for all ages, since this horseman stops for pictures with the families at Moulton Station after he rides by the train on horseback.
The Chelatchie train runs over historic track first built in the 1890s to bring lumber out of northeast Clark County. Either a steam locomotive (currently under renovation, due to be completed late this year or next year) or a vintage diesel engine pulls the train. No matter the season, riders will get to see both farmland and forest with amazing views of the Lewis River and a 330-foot solid rock tunnel. Tickets are $18 per adult, $17 for military and senior and $12 for kids 3-12 (all tickets are an additional $4 for steam locomotive runs).
The historic Chelatchie Prairie Railroad will delight riders this month with fall foliage views of rural Clark County, plus an appearance from the Head less Horseman. Other special runs throughout the year include Christmas tree specials and train robbery weekends (typically in summertime).
Center Stage Clothiers in Downtown Vancouver offers a huge variety of costumes for sale and for rent, all year round. Photos courtesy Diana Kirkpatrick.
Photo courtesy Afton Nelson
Photo courtesy Chelatchie Prairie Railroad
Want
Did
The Clark County Open Studios Tour is back November 5-6, 2022 with a free self-guided tour designed to build connections as local artists open their studio doors to inquisitive visitors from near and far. A program of Artstra, Open Studios is an annual juried art event designed to enhance community awareness of talented local artists while enriching the cultural life of Clark County neighborhoods. “We invite the community to step into the artist’s world and be inspired by the process of creativity. You’ll find inspiration, connect with others, and learn first-hand about painting techniques, printmaking, sculpture, glass, ceramic, jewelry, fiber arts, photography and much more,” says Jennifer Williams, Open Studios director.
The art and the studios where the creative process happens are as diverse as the artists themselves. This year’s tour features multiple farm studios, including father and daughter studios in a historic barn in Vancouver, a sheep farm in Ridgefield, an Alpaca farm in Camas, and an organic garden in Fern Prairie. Driving around the county, exploring creative places can in itself be a fun experience, but tour-goers will find it’s the artists’ stories and the details behind the scenes that are the heart of Open Studios. Visitors have the opportunity to ask questions, learn how the artists’ careers began, how they make their work, what drives them to create, and how they make a living as an artist.
More information about each of the fifty participating artists and all the tour details, including a Google map showing all studio locations, can be found at artstra.org. Visitors can customize their tour by planning which studios they’d like to visit using the category filters to find mediums, wheelchair-accessible studios, available classes and more. Printed tour guides can be picked up early from Art at the Cave and Aurora Gallery in Downtown Vancouver, Vancouver Art Space at Vancouver Mall and the Attic Gallery in Camas, or at any studio location during the tour.
Clockwise from top right: Artist Sharon Agnor cleans one of her artworks for outdoor installation. Artist Jessica Joner at her potter’s wheel. “Quieted Soul” by Jessica Joner. Artist Larry Holt in his welding studio. Artist Jungmoo Ahn in his studio. Photos courtesy Artstra.In early July, we arrived in what would become our final “neighborhood” of our first season cruising in the Sea of Cortez: Bahia de Los Angeles or, in English, the Bay of LA. We’d been hearing about the beauty of this area for years and we couldn’t wait to check it out.
There are many anchorages available within a short day-sail from the village that goes by the same name. The village there is the only civilization within 125 miles in any direction. Cell phone service is nonexistent and if it weren’t for our friends’ Starlink satellite internet, there would have been absolutely no way that I would have been able to work during the month of July.
To put it simply, the Bay of LA is just about as remote as it gets in the Sea of Cortez. But there was a nice little family-owned waterfront restaurant that was welcoming to our group of cruising sailboats. They had useable Wi-Fi and great food. What more could a cruiser ask for?!
We stayed for our first few nights anchored in front of the village. We enjoyed exploring the town and buying fresh fruits, veggies and
other goods at the grocery store that was just a couple blocks from the water’s edge. We met new cruiser friends here and reunited with others.
On the 9th (our daughter’s birthday), we moved across the bay to a little spot called La Mona. Two of our buddy boats came along and we had a three-family birthday party that night aboard our sailboat, Mosaic.
By this time, we were seeing daily temperatures climbing upwards of 100 degrees, and even the water our boat was floating in was over 90. The wind, when it blew, felt as if it was 115 degrees or more. I have never in my life experienced such breathtakingly hot wind. We were miserable. Our only reprieve from the heat was to get in the water so we spent many hours floating in the shade of our boat just trying to cool down.
Finally, the worst of the heat broke, and we found a new anchorage that had heavenly, cooling breezes. It was still over 90 each day, but with wind that was blowing over the water instead of off the land it was manageable. This was the La Gringa anchorage just north of the BLA village and this was where we saw and swam with whale sharks. Major bucket list item checked off our list!
on next pagePage 10, top: The author's sailboat, Mosaic, at anchor in La Mona. Any forays to shore were done early in the day to avoid the worst of the heat.
Bottom: The author's daughter, Kali, stands next to a whale skeleton on display at the restaurant. The deceased animal had washed up on the beach in front of the town.
Page 11, top: An image taken from the author's drone of a visiting whale shark swimming next to the author and their daughter on their paddleboard. This was the smallest of the whale sharks that visited the anchorage.
Middle: The families from Mosaic, Captain Musick, and Meraki all gather to celebrate the author's daughter's 9th birthday.
Bottom: Sunrise in front of the village in the Bay of LA. Local fishermen guide tourists on fishing excursions.
continued from previous page
We stayed in La Gringa for over a week amongst an often-changing crowd of up to 15 cruising sailboats. We played in the beach lagoon where the tide cycles each day created never-ending entertainment for kids and adults alike as a river formed and flowed inward on the incoming tide and then out again on the outgoing flow. And, of course, we swam with the whale sharks that visited the anchorage. Unfortunately, this is also where COVID struck our little floating community and nearly every boat took their turn battling through mild to moderate cases, thankfully. We, by some grace, were spared and managed to dodge the illness.
Then suddenly one day, the La Gringa party broke apart as we all noticed some strong and unfavorable winds in the forecast. In just one day the entire anchorage emptied of all the cruising boats, and we scattered for a night or two to various spots around the Bay. We took our boat back to the village and picked up a few more fresh groceries before heading to the local “hurricane hole” known as Puerto Don Juan to ride out the forecasted winds.
The big, scary winds either never developed, or perhaps just didn’t make their way into the 360-degree protection of the Puerto Don Juan anchorage. We were safe and stayed there for several nights while 30- and 40-knot winds were predicted for the majority of the Bahia de Los Angeles area.
But the heat kicked up a notch again and we decided it was time to start moving up to our staging zone for our final passage of the season. We would soon be making a 22-hour sail up to Puerto Penasco at the very top of the Sea of Cortez and thus wrapping up our first season of Mexico cruising.
Rachel Messerschmidt and her family are Clark County natives living and cruising full time aboard their 40-foot sailboat, Mosaic. They traveled down the US West Coast and have been cruising in Mexico since November of 2021. Rachel shares her family’s adventures on her blog at www.mosaicvoyage.com and on Facebook and Instagram @mosaicvoyage. She writes a monthly column for Vancouver Family Magazine.
Back in 2009, Jessica G. was experiencing flu-like symptoms. No matter what she did, she never felt any better, so she went to the hospital. She thought she would be in and out. Instead, her life changed forever during a nine-day stay at the hospital. The medical staff couldn’t figure out what was wrong. They ran all sorts of tests and even decided to remove her gallbladder. They eventually diagnosed her with mononucleosis and released her from the hospital. It wasn’t until weeks later that her test results returned and revealed what was wrong.
She was HIV positive.
“It was a huge shock,” Jessica says. “I didn’t think I was a high-risk person, and I didn’t know anyone who had HIV. It was very scary, and I didn’t know where to turn. Nobody thinks it’s going to happen to them.”
In the weeks and months that followed, Jessica missed a lot of work due to being sick. Because of missed workdays, she needed help with rent money because her living situation had changed; she barely had enough money to put gas in her car. The financial toll weighed on top of the extreme stress and devastation Jessica was feeling about her diagnosis. Thankfully, there was a place that she, along with thousands of others, could turn to for help: Cascade AIDS Project (CAP).
CAP is one of the oldest and largest community providers of HIV services in Oregon and Southwest Washington. For the past 35 years, CAP has provided financial, medical and emotional support to those living with HIV/AIDS, and the need for their services is great. In 1983, Cascade AIDS Project was founded with only two staff members. Today, there are over 100 staff members who are supported by over 600 volunteers. The Southwest Washington chapter also began with just two staff members which grew to twenty in a few short years. “It was started by a handful of volunteers that saw their friends and family dying and needed to do something about it,” shares Jasmine Gruenstein, director of CAP’s Southwest Washington branch. “We have grown to
now be one of the largest AIDS service organizations in the Northwest.”
While the disease largely remains out of the news, HIV and AIDS continue to spread. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that HIV/AIDS killed more than 700,000 US citizens between 1981 and 2021. Currently, 1.2 million people in the United States over age 13 are living with HIV, with 13% of that population not realizing they are HIV positive. More testing is needed and is especially crucial in underserved communities. If a person tests positive, a myriad of emotions follows a diagnosis. Some people may carry on like nothing ever happened, others drown themselves in information they find online. Many find it extremely difficult to accept the news.
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Gruenstein understands the turmoil someone goes through after being recently diagnosed. She started volunteering at CAP over ten years ago while getting her public health degree. She always felt a calling to work in HIV services and with the LGBTQ+ community. Since then, she’s worked at a satellite clinic in Vancouver, as a volunteer that provides testing for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in the community, and now oversees the two CAP offices in Southwest Washington (Vancouver and Longview). She says CAP’s mission is to assist its clients in accessing much needed resources. “We support folks living with HIV or AIDS in getting connected to medical care in the Southwest Washington area. HIV is specialty care, so there are specific providers that are up-to-date and knowledgeable and have expertise in HIV. We want to make sure our clients are going to those providers.”
When someone comes to CAP after receiving a diagnosis, or to be tested and later finds out they are positive, a medical case manager will be assigned to them. That person helps the patient get client referrals for housing support and employment services and stay medically
adherent. “There is a statewide program through Washington State Department of Health that allows HIV medication to be accessible and free,” explains Gruenstein. An HIV prevention team works specifically with high-risk communities. A Vancouver clinic provides free testing for STDs and HIV every Tuesday and Thursday. They also use that clinic to educate the public on PrEP, a daily drug that, when taken, greatly reduces the chance of contracting HIV. PrEP is taken daily, as you would take birth control. Its efficacy is 99% against unprotected sex and 74% effective against injection contamination. “It’s a pretty new technology,” says Gruenstein. “It’s only been around for about ten years, and it’s FDA approved. And we help folks access it [locally].” PrEP is accessible to those who feel they might need it, thanks to a statewide program. CAP can help people access those programs and find the providers who prescribe the medication.
Another important aspect of CAP is its peer navigation program. This group is filled with people who have lived experience with HIV or AIDS. As such, they more easily connect with someone who is newly diagnosed since they have been in their shoes, feeling that initial and overwhelming shock. They provide support and allow the client to feel heard and validated. Having a person who
has gone through the struggle was crucial for Jessica. “It really does help us feel not so alone. [CAP] has excellent training and distress management and knows how to talk to people from different backgrounds. They really put me at ease.”
“It’s so important for us to show up for them and to see them and to break down those barriers and to keep talking about it so that stigma can get broken down,” explains Gruenstein. “We can pave pathways so people can be more than their status, they can live normal lives outside of just being someone living with HIV.” Gruenstein understands that a diagnosis of HIV is still stigmatized in society, and the initial thoughts about the disease are often wrong. “There’s this idea, this picture, if you will, that’s really come through popular culture over the last 30 years of what it means to be someone living with HIV and AIDS, and it’s a one-dimensional story. We must acknowledge that HIV disproportionately affects communities of color, the LGBTQ+ community, and other historically underserved folks. But the reality is that it affects all of us and you can live a normal, healthy life as someone who is living with HIV if you have access to culturally competent and safe resources, which is what CAP strives to provide.”
Feature: Cascade AIDS Project: Combining Compassion with Community"... there are specific providers that are up-to-date and knowledgeable and have expertise in HIV. We want to make sure our clients are going to those providers."
- Jasmine Gruenstein
director of CAP’s Southwest Washington branch
Medical advancements in the last 40 years have changed the entire course of the disease. “HIV can be a chronic disease, and it’s not a death sentence that it was back in the 80s,” Gruenstein says. What’s especially important to CAP workers like Gruenstein is educating the public that the resources to live an entire, enriching life are in our backyard. This includes the most critical piece of the puzzle: testing. “We applaud people for walking through the door to get tested because a lot of folks won’t even come in because it’s so scary,” shares Gruenstein. “It’s such an unknown thing, and they don’t want to talk about their sexual health, or they are worried someone is going to treat them poorly.”
A patient’s concern about being met with homophobia or racism in the medical field is on the mind of CAP’s team. The staff is trauma-informed, undergoes anti-racist training and works to remain culturally competent. CAP’s goal is to provide a trusting and welcoming environment for all, which they show at community events such as the AIDS Walk and Vancouver Pride. Being out among the people of Southwest Washington and being seen as an active, local nonprofit is essential to the workers at CAP. That feeling of belonging is something that Jessica was drawn to right away. “There is a huge support system of caring, intelligent people who are here to help. So, if anyone finds themselves in this situation, I want them to know that they are not alone. That’s number one. And two is that this is not the end of their lives. Many people live wonderful, rich lives with HIV and AIDS, and there is a dedicated support
system here for people that need it.” As a long-term client, Jessica also supports the work of CAP as a volunteer and activist, helping to reduce the stigma of those living with HIV.
The Southwest Washington chapter of CAP has grown significantly over the last five years, and they have no plans to stop. The CAP members and staff continue to look for new programs to secure sustainable funding that allows them to fill in the gaps for their clients. “A few years ago, we heard our clients needed some help with resumes or finding work, and we got to expand our funding to start an employment services program,” explains Gruenstein. “We’re listening to the clients and then responding accordingly and finding funding to really build those programs.” But like many nonprofits, CAP relies on the community for its funding. Individual and corporate donations help fund many of the programs that people like Jessica say have been instrumental in their lives. Beyond finances, volunteers are always needed and welcome.
Whether support comes in the form of employment or housing resources, peer support, competent medical care or just a listening ear, having Cascade AIDS Project in Southwest Washington can mean the difference between someone giving up, or living a whole, enriching life. “We continue to evolve and transform each and every day,” says CAP executive director, Tyler TerMeer. “If our community tells us that they need us, we’re going to find a way to respond.”
Kristen Flowers is the host of the morning show, Nick and Kristen in the Morning on 99.5 The Wolf. She lives in Vancouver and currently blogs for her own website, www. AccordingtoKristen.com. She moderates the Positive Parenting Posse group on Facebook, a page dedicated to sharing positive and helpful tips about parenting. In her spare time, she’s working on her debut novel and making everything she possibly can on her new Cricut maker.
“If our communitytells us that theyneed us, we’re going to find a way torespond.”
- Tyler TerMeer, CAP executive director
In 2015, a student approached me asking if I’d be interested in advising a club he hoped to start at Skyview High School. Ricardo Mares saw the need for Latino* students to gather, celebrate their culture and have a space to support one another. After witnessing high schools like Fort Vancouver and Hudson’s Bay have great success in similar ventures, he set out to found Skyview’s first ever chapter of Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano/a de Aztlán (M.E.Ch.A.). The club has chapters all over the nation and was originally organized by students to foster activism, student advocacy, cultural education and community service. While the club was new to me, I quickly jumped on board and sat back as Ricardo and other students used their leadership skills to initiate a cultural shift within the school and beyond.
Ricardo Mares, now 24, reflects on what inspired him to start the club his senior year of high school. He says, “I started getting really into my culture and its history. And I needed a place to talk about that with other people who understood, and I wanted to make our school a better place.” Club members across the district have indicated that establishing community is one of their most important goals. After Ricardo Mares graduated, his sister, Andrea Mares, took
over as president for the next several years. She says one of her proudest accomplishments was M.E.Ch.A.’s initiation of a large mural that represented students of all nationalities within the school with the goal of forging schoolwide unity.
Both Ricardo and Andrea also noted that even though there were many Latino students in school, there was still a lack of representation and numerous misconceptions. “I noticed that people were familiar with Black History Month, but no one seemed to pay any attention to National Hispanic Heritage Month,” shares Ricardo Mares. “I wanted to change that, because both are important and deserve to be recognized.” The more he learned about his culture and historical figures like Cesar Chavez, the more he wanted his peers to know and understand as well. He adds, “Most people confuse Cinco de Mayo with Mexican Independence Day and use it as a day to party, but Independence Day is really September 16.”
Students across high schools in Vancouver got to work quickly at the onset of the 2022-23 school year to celebrate and raise awareness of National Hispanic Heritage Month, which began September 15 and lasts through the October 15. Given that nearly 28% of students in the Vancouver
School District identify as Latino or Hispanic, these students in particular feel passionate about celebrating and raising cultural awareness. Erika P., one of the current vice presidents of Skyview’s M.E.Ch.A. club, says it is challenging to start projects so early in the year when clubs are getting to know each other, but it’s worth it to reach the club’s goals of honoring their heritage and educating students and staff.
The club president and vice president at Fort Vancouver High School, Cris M. and
Siblings Andrea and Ricardo Mares (photographed here at ZooLights in 2018) both served as president of Skyview High School’s M.E.Ch.A. Club. Photo courtesy Andrea Mares. *This
from page
Gustavo P., are anticipating at least thirty members in their chapter of M.E.Ch.A. this school year. The club works hard to build a welcoming community for their peers and help all Latinx students feel included in the school, but the club is open to anyone who wants to join. Some of the educational efforts include posters, speaking at assemblies to represent prominent Latinx historical contributions and larger organized events. Cris and Gustavo say their club is bringing back the popular Baile Folklórico event, the first one they’ve been able to hold since 2019. This traditional dance organized by the club boasts dancing, a food truck and slideshows of historic Latinx figures.
Students at Skyview will be continuing their tradition of celebrating Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead, November 1-2) and inviting all staff and students to participate. Their plans include studentmade decorations of elaborate flowers, sugar skulls and skeleton art, in addition to an ofrenda where all members of Skyview’s community are invited to share photographs of loved ones who have passed. Club members said these
celebrations of the Mexican holiday previously proved to be very successful with widespread participation and they are excited to host the holiday this upcoming year.
In addition to cultural celebrations and education, the students of M.E.Ch.A. are committed to making a difference and impacting positive change within their schools and out in their communities.
When asked what they were most proud of, Cris and Gustavo described a lowrider event held in Fort Vancouver High School’s parking lot, put on singlehandedly by the students. Their innovative competition for “Best Car” raised enough money to award scholarships for the eight graduating seniors in the club.
The club’s rich history of civic engagement is extensive.
Locally, Fort Vancouver High School’s M.E.Ch.A. branch
received a leadership award from ESD 112 for organizing a Spanish speaking mental health fair to destigmatize mental health and provide equitable access to other essential resources. In addition to partnering with local artists to create murals displayed around the school and the city, the club also worked with Crestline Elementary to assist first graders studying civil rights in their Changemaker project.
At the first M.E.Ch.A. meeting of the year, Skyview High School students were busy discussing their dreams and projects for the year while reflecting on their past accomplishments. The club has been known to organize numerous food drives throughout the community and, prior to the pandemic, they created and ran a Youth Latino Conference designed to educate and empower fellow middle and high schoolers about options after high school. Current president at Skyview, Angel T., says these conferences and other guest speakers provided information about college and scholarships he never would have known about otherwise. When he joined M.E.Ch.A. last year, Angel was hoping to get more involved in the school
continued on page
Feature: M.E.Ch.A.: A Club of Many Cultures Top: Fort Vancouver High School M.E.Ch.A. Club members organize a community toy/hygiene drive. Photo courtesy Fort Vancouver High School M.E.Ch.A. Club. Bottom: An ofrenda is displayed at Skyview High School for last year's celebration of Dia De Los Muertos. Photo courtesy of the author.
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and become more social, but the club surpassed his expectations as it became a leadership opportunity and a community that enhanced his future.
So what’s next for these impressive student leaders? Erika of Skyview says she’s been inspired by both Hudson’s Bay’s and Fort Vancouver High School’s traditional dances and hopes to do more of that. Her chapter is also hoping to partner with the Black Student Union (BSU), to work on joint projects and continue to promote inclusion and celebrate the school’s cultural diversity. Thanks to inspiration from high schools around the district and a great deal of student initiative, Skyview’s club has grown and flourished since it first started in 2015. Ricardo Mares says he’s proud of the club’s growth and to see the impact of M.E.Ch.A. all around. He hopes this is only the beginning.
Emily Corak has lived in the Pacific Northwest for the past three decades. A former educator with Vancouver School District, Emily is now a freelance writer, photographer and mom to two young kids with big personalities. She is set to graduate with her MFA in creative writing this fall and, if given the choice, she would spend all her spare cash on travel and books.
Editor’s Note: While fact checking this article, one source, Ricardo Mares, wanted to express his gratitude for this article’s writer, Emily Corak, who, as stated above, helped found the M.E.Ch.A. chapter at his school. He stated, “While reflecting on my senior year at Skyview, Mrs. Corak was a big impact of bringing us together and uniting the Hispanic culture. We knew the basics of our culture, but we knew it wasn’t going to be an easy task of showing everyone else that there’s more that meets the eye.”
Right: A Fort Vancouver High School graduate displays her heritage and gratitude for her family.
Left: Fort Vancouver High School M.E.Ch.A. Club members made posters to celebrate and educate their classmates.
R Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber: hmccoregon.com
R Latino Community Resource Group: latinocommunityresourcegroup.org
R Mercado Latino: mercadolatinovancouver.com 5910 NE Fourth Plain Blvd., Vancouver / 360-737-6446
R League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Southwest Washington Council #47013: lulacvancouver.org
R Latino Leadership Northwest: latinoleadershipnw.org
R La Casita Art Gallery and Cultural Center: instagram.com/lacasitaculturalcenter 205 E 16th St., Vancouver / 360-281-0455
R Vancouver Ballet Folklórico: danzaspre-hispanicasyfolklordemexico.com
R ¡Viva Vancouver! Latin Festival: facebook.com/Vivavancouverwa
Feature: M.E.Ch.A.: A Club of Many Cultures (cont'd)
IN 2012, Jared Walker received and unexpected phone call. His pregnant cousin had gone into premature labor and was about to deliver her baby seven weeks early. Just fifteen minutes later, his wife, Jill, received a call that her aunt had died of cancer. As they sat together thinking about their families, Walker worried about the inevitable cost of care both situations would and had required. The thought of the financial burden was almost as terrible as the news itself. Life plans were changed instantly and the weight of the worry for his family was heavy. One moment, he was enjoying a night in with his wife, and the next he realized that he was not the only person in America who had received a similar phone call that same night.
Wanting to help, Walker did some research. He learned that at the time, most bankruptcies in the United States were filed due to outstanding medical debts, even though 78% of those who filed bankruptcy had medical insurance. Shockingly, most of those medical debts were under $10,000.
Thinking of the millions of Americans struggling with medical bills, Walker realized that they included not just his own family, but his neighbors, co-workers and friends too. Determined to do something for them, he created the nonprofit Dollar For Portland. This original organization signed up thousands of Portlanders to donate as little as one dollar a month to help local families with medical expenses. Each month, the money would be pooled to help someone in need.
As Dollar For Portland grew, Walker attended a networking event in Vancouver. There, he was introduced to attorney Eli Rushbanks, who was excited by Walker’s work and asked him if he knew about the charity care provision in the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Rushbanks informed Walker that within the many pages of the law was a requirement for nonprofit hospitals to waive medical bills for low-income Americans in order to keep their nonprofit tax status. Essentially, those hospitals must prove that they are providing a service to the community to qualify as a nonprofit by providing care at no cost, or a reduced cost to those below a certain income. Upon hearing this news, he wondered if it was too good to be true. “Honestly, I felt like a chump because I had been paying medical bills for low-income families that all would have been eligible for free or reduced care,” Walker remembers.
At the time, Walker was working as a bartender while attending Warner Pacific College and running Dollar For Portland in his spare time. “I didn’t have big plans,” he admits. “I was study[ing] business administration . . . I guess I was trying to figure out [plans for after graduation].”
But, with Rushbanks on board as general counsel, Dollar For Portland began to expand. Now they didn’t need to wait for pooled money to help people; they just needed to help spread the word and help people apply for programs already offered by the hospitals themselves. Still,
this was not as easy as it sounds, since most hospitals don’t plainly advertise this option. “Every hospital has their own policy. Sometimes states have additional laws that set income requirements, timelines, etc.,” explains Walker. “I wish they were standardized. Unfortunately, the ACA gives hospitals a lot of leeway.”
On January 15, 2021, Walker posted a TikTok video briefly explaining how to find a hospital’s charity care policy and how to apply. He invited those who watched the video to message him if they needed help. The video went viral with millions of views and so many messages, he couldn’t keep up on his own.
A very short year later, Dollar For Portland is now simply Dollar For, and is Walker’s full-time operation. Through the spread of social media, including celebrity re-posts, philanthropists like LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman and Roku CEO Anthony Wood learned of Walker’s efforts. Dollar For is now fully funded by theirs and others' generous donations, allowing them to help others free of charge. Dollar For employs seven full-time staff members, including four patient advocates. The advocates answer questions submitted online to anyone seeking help with medical bills, but will also go through the steps on behalf of
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Jared Walker founded Dollar For severalyears ago, but after aJanuary 2021 TikTokvideo went viral, theorganization grew rapidly.Photo courtesy Jared Walker.
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each person, applying and submitting the long and sometimes complicated forms. “In the last year I think we have had about 14,000 intakes,” shares Walker. “Not all of these people got medical debt relief, but we have eliminated over $18 million so far and completed over 3,000 applications on behalf of patients.”
While founded in Portland (and now based in Vancouver), Dollar For can help anyone who has visited a nonprofit hospital (which is the majority of hospitals) in the United States. The website directs users through a short survey to see if they are likely to qualify for financial assistance. It took months for 50 volunteers to research each hospital and collect and record its policies and income thresholds to make the website simple and user friendly. “We have made a handful of improvements, but it will be an ongoing project making sure it is up to date,” says Walker. After completing the survey, users are directed on how to go through the process themselves, or they can request Dollar For to do the work for them. “When people get medical bills, it is usually because they had some unexpected medical crisis,” explains Walker. “This is stressful enough. When you add on the financial burden it can be overwhelming. Our healthcare system is so confusing and one of the most frequent things we hear is, ‘It was just nice to have
someone in my corner.’” The advocates will not just complete and submit all necessary paperwork, they will also call the hospital on a patient’s behalf, or write the hardship letters that are often required. They will even file an appeal of the hospitals’ decision if necessary. Whether it takes weeks or months, Dollar For will see the process through to the end so that people can attend to getting better and/or getting back to work.
In April of this year, Walker was invited to the White House by Vice President Kamala Harris. “They were announcing some new initiatives around medical debt and a response to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) medical debt research,” Walker told me of the experience he had there. “I’m grateful Dollar For is considered a key organization in the medical debt space and invited to these conversations.” And the conversation is ongoing; Dollar For’s work has been featured in numerous reports and articles, including NPR, Upworthy and BuzzFeed.
Walker continues to post weekly videos listing the amounts of medical bills his team has “crushed.” Some of the amounts are “enormous,” and others are relatively small. However, Walker doesn’t want you “to think that the larger numbers are more important than the smaller numbers, because here is the reality. If you get hit with a $3,000 medical bill and you don’t have it, it may as well be $300,000. If you don’t got it, you don’t got it. And, the problem is that these hospitals aren’t vetting people for financial assistance. So, you’re getting slapped with medical bills that you have no business paying,” he shares in one Instagram reel. In that video, Walker reported that one bill they “crushed” was over $400,000.
One important piece of advice he offers is to not wait to apply for help. Some patients who feel overwhelmed with a bill they know they can never repay simply ignore it until it inevitably goes to collections. The general rule is that you must apply for assistance no more than 240 days from the time you receive your first bill. “But some hospitals and states will extend it,” says Walker. “We have helped a lot of people get bills in collections waived . . . it depends on the hospital, the state and how old the bill is.”
Dollar For’s website tells multiple stories of the families and individuals they
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Left: Jared Walker during his visit to Washington DC.
Right: Jared met with Allison Sesso, Executive Director of RIP Medical Debt, a national nonprofit whose mission is "to strengthen communities by abolishing financially burdensome medical debt."
Photos courtesy Jared Walker.
continued from previous page have helped. From cancer, to accidents, to emergency surgery, most of these medical events take people by surprise. Even though these individuals clearly qualified for charity care, no one at the hospital mentioned it to them. Most Dollar For patrons hear of the service from friends or social media.
A problem in the system is that, despite the ACA law, there is no mechanism to hold hospitals accountable. Walker compares Dollar For’s role in getting patients approved for financial assistance as that of an enforcer. “[We want] to make charity care known, easy and fair,” he says. “We have used our social media following to [force] some hospitals into helping patients
they are wrongfully denying.” Also not well known is a recent law requiring hospitals to post the prices for their services, but very few hospitals are in compliance with that either. It has fallen to patient advocacy groups and nonprofits, such as Dollar For, to do the work to ensure transparency and fairness in medical billing. “Using patient data and stories can drive hospital policy change,” continues Walker. “I think hospitals will always fight back, but Dollar For can play a key role in making sure charity care is accessible and equitable.”
In the meantime, if you or a friend or family member find yourself with an unexpected bill, Dollar For is there for you. “We crush medical bills. For free. If you have hospital
bills, don’t wait. We have people ready to help you.”
Sarah holds a degree in English and Marriage and Family Studies from BYUIdaho. She works for Vancouver Public Schools as a paraeducator in addition to her role as associate editor of Vancouver Family Magazine. When Sarah is not reading to her kids or students, she is probably in her backyard taking care of her garden. She enjoys hiking, hot chocolate, and dressing up for Halloween. She lives in Vancouver with her husband, son and daughter.
Dr. Ronald Hsu DDS, M.S. (Board Certified Pediatric Dentist)
Vancouver Farmers Market at 8th & Esther St. 9 am-3 pm
Oregon Trail Challenge Camp at Camp Hope, 12800 NE Roper Rd, Battle Ground. Visit camphope-wa.org/camps for more infor mation. 9 am-3 pm
Birdfest and Bluegrass in Ridgefield. Spend time Downtown and on the Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge during the annual Friends of the Refuge festival! Enjoy birding activities at the Refuge, vendors, kids crafts, Bluegrass perfor mances and a Pickers Festival. See ridgefield wa.us for full details and schedule. 9 am-8 pm
Halloween on Franklin Street at 4616 NW Franklin St., Vancouver. Huge Halloween dis play and trick-or-treating. Decorations up Octo ber 1-31, trick-or-treating on Halloween Night.
Vancouver Farmers Market at 8th & Esther St. 10 am-3 pm
First Fridays on the Farm at Thiselle Creek Farm, 26903 NE CC Landon Rd., Yacolt. Family friendly hangout on the farm! Bring your kiddos rain or shine to come play outside at the farm with bubbles, a barley “sand” box, and possible farm animal sightings! Bring a chair or picnic blanket, wear appropriate clothing for the weather, and closed toes shoes are recom mended. Enjoy 10% off all items at the farm stand as well! 3-5 pm
First Friday Pumpkin Pageant and Harry Potter Costume Contest in Downtown Camas. Harry Potter fans unite! Lots of activi ties throughout downtown. 5-8 pm
Teen Fright Night at Cascade Park Communi ty Library, 600 NE 136th Ave., Vancouver. Join
the library for an after-hours event filled with tricks and treats! For ages 12-19 only. 6-8 pm
Fall Craft Night at Battle Ground Community Center, 912 E Main St., Battle Ground. Blanket making! This crafted is rated for ages 14+, and an instructor will be on hand to assist craft ers. Blankets will be approximately 48″x70″ and there will be lots of colors to choose from. Register at CityofBG.org ($40). 6-9 pm
Vancouver Farmers Market at 8th & Esther St. 9 am-3 pm
The Downtown Alley Flea Market at 606 Main St., Vancouver. Kindred Homestead Supply hosts this gathering of 20+ vendors. Support your local community of collectors, makers, movers, and shakers! 9 am-4 pm
Chelatchie Prairie Railroad Fall Leaves Special at 207 N Railroad Ave., Yacolt. This weekend is a fan favorite train ride through a 330-foot solid rock tunnel, to the Heisson area with a stop at Moulton Station to visit Yacolt Falls. Tickets $12-$18 at tickets.bycx.org. 12 pm & 2:30 pm
Hooked on Nature 2022 at The Ripple Space, 275 W 3rd St., Vancouver. An evening of food and fun benefitting Columbia Springs. Tickets $25-$75 at ColumbiaSprings.org. 5:30-9 pm
Vancouver Farmers Market at 8th & Esther St. 10 am-3 pm
Chelatchie Prairie Railroad Fall Leaves Special. See October 8 for more details. 12 pm & 2:30 pm
“Murder on the Orient Express” at Magenta Theater, 1108 Main St., Vancouver. Just after
midnight, a snowdrift stops the Orient Express in its tracks. The luxurious train is surprisingly full for the time of the year, but by the morning it is one passenger fewer. An American tycoon lies dead in his compartment, stabbed a dozen times, his door locked from the inside. Isolated and with a killer in their midst, the passengers rely on detective Hercule Poirot to identify the murderer—in case he or she decides to strike again. Tickets $20 online at MagentaTheater. com or $22 at the door. 7:30 pm
Vancouver Farmers Market at 8th & Esther St. 9 am-3 pm
“Murder on the Orient Express” at Magenta Theater, 1108 Main St., Vancouver. See October 14 for more details. 7:30 pm
Vancouver Farmers Market at 8th & Esther St. 10 am-3 pm
“Murder on the Orient Express” at Magenta Theater, 1108 Main St., Vancouver. See October 14 for more details. 2 pm
“Magical Moments” from SW Washing ton Wind Symphony at Union High School, 6201 NW Friberg-Strunk St., Camas. Enjoy compositions inspired by unforgettable historic sounds and sights of everyday life including “The Klaxon” by Henry Fillmore, “Magnolia Star” by Steve Danyew, and “Cajun Folk Songs II” by Frank Ticheli. Admission is free. Masks will be required indoors. 3-5 pm
“Murder on the Orient Express” at Magenta Theater, 1108 Main St., Vancouver. See October 14 for more details. 7:30 pm
“Murder on the Orient Express” at Magenta Theater, 1108 Main St., Vancouver. See October 14 for more details. 7:30 pm
Autumn Festival at Camp Hope, 12800 NE Roper Rd., Battle Ground. Press your own apple cider and enjoy fun fall activities. Visit CampHope-wa.org/camps for more details.
Vancouver Farmers Market at 8th & Esther St. 9 am-3 pm
“Murder on the Orient Express” at Magenta Theater, 1108 Main St., Vancouver. See October 14 for more details. 7:30 pm
Vancouver Farmers Market at 8th & Esther St. 10 am-3 pm
“Dog Man: The Musical” presented by Oregon Children’s Theatre at Newmark Theatre, 1111 SW Broadwa, Portland). “The world is far, far better, when you fill it up with love . . .” Best buds George and Harold have been creating comics for years, but now that they’re in 5th grade, they figure it’s time to level up and write a musical based on their favorite character, Dog Man, the crime-biting sensation who is part dog, part man, and ALL HERO! How hard could it be? Tickets $20-$42 at OCTC.org/dog-man. 11 am & 2 pm
“Murder on the Orient Express” at Magenta Theater, 1108 Main St., Vancouver. See October 14 for more details. 2 pm
Howl-O-Ween Pooch Parade at Battle Ground Community Center. Battle Ground BARKS & Recreation is delighted to an nounce that we are hosting our first ever pet costume contest! Pick that perfect costume for your furry friends and join us for our first annual Howl-o-ween Pooch Parade. Fun, treats, and prizes await; without a doubt, this event will PAWS-itively be a dog-gone good time! $5 to participate. More information at CityofBG.org/933/Howl-o-ween-PoochParade. 6-8 pm
“Murder on the Orient Express” at Magenta Theater, 1108 Main St., Vancouver. See October 14 for more details. 7:30 pm
“Murder on the Orient Express” at Magenta Theater, 1108 Main St., Vancouver. See October 14 for more details. 7:30 pm
Halloween Murder Mystery Dinner in Giatti’s: Terror in Transylvania at Salud Wine Bar, 224 NE 3rd Ave, Camas. Fun Night of Dining, Mystery and Mayhem. Each of the attendees will receive a “character part” for the evening and enjoy a delicious dinner. $25 + gratuity. Register at SaludWine.com. 5:30-9:30 pm
Help volunteers at Cedar Creek Grist Mill press 10,000 pounds of apples at their annual Apple Cider Pressing.
Vancouver Farmers Market at 8th & Esther St. 9 am-3 pm
Cedar Creek Grist Mill Apple Cider Press ing at 43907 NE Grist Mill Rd., Woodland. Step back in history while we press around 10,000 pounds of apples into the best drink on planet Earth. We’ll put your kiddos to work on hand-cranked presses. Play an instrument? Come join the Bluegrass Jam on the back deck. 9 am
“Dog Man: The Musical” presented by Oregon Children’s Theatre at Newmark Theatre, 1111 SW Broadway, Portland. See October 23 for more details. 2 pm & 5 pm
“Murder on the Orient Express” at Magenta Theater, 1108 Main St., Vancouver. See October 14 for more details. 7:30 pm
Vancouver Farmers Market at 8th & Esther St. 9 am-3 pm
“Dog Man: The Musical” presented by Oregon Children’s Theatre at Newmark Theatre, 1111 SW Broadway, Portland. See October 23 for more details. 11 am & 2 pm
“Murder on the Orient Express” at Magenta Theater, 1108 Main St., Vancouver. See October 14 for more details. 2 pm
Downtown Ridgefield Trick or Treat. 3-5 pm
Halloween on Franklin Street at 4616 NW Franklin St., Vancouver. Huge Halloween display and trick-or-treating. Decorations up October 1-31, trick-or-treating on Halloween Night.
Photo courtesy of Afton Nelson
