Senior members of the Asian Health & Service Center talk to Chair Kafoury about needs

February 24, 2015

From left: Asian Health and Service Center (AHSC) chief operating officer Christine Lau; Oregon Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association secretary Janet Lee ; Chair Kafoury; AHSC founder Dr. Erik Szeto; AHSC executive director Holden Leung

Sim Fong Lee approached Multnomah County Chair Deborah Kafoury in the hallway of the Asian Health & Service Center. Lee spoke in Chinese, her voice difficult to hear over the din of music next door, where more than 200 Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese Oregonians gathered for a Chinese New Year celebration.

Lee pulled over the organization’s founder, Dr. Erik Szeto, to interpret.

“She says that TriMet will only provide her a ticket for two hours, and that’s not enough time to take the bus to the center,” Szeto explained. “That’s not enough time to come, have lunch and go home.”

Chair Kafoury nodded. It wasn’t the first time she’s fielded questions about another government in an area where so many agencies intersect. And because the needs overlap, she was happy to help.

She told the woman the buses are operated by a separate government, but she will continue to talk with TriMet about extending the 2-hour passes -- for seniors at least.

The blurred lines between governments have always been a challenge for Chair Kafoury and the Board of Commissioners. This month, the chair begins a series of community conversations about the county’s $1.6 billion budget.

“We work with people,” she said to those Asian American residents who came Tuesday to share their thoughts. “Human services. Health care.”

Asian Health & Service Center Executive Director Holden Leung said having the chair visit before budget deliberations is unprecedented. “It’s the first time that I can remember that we’ve been asked for our input before they make a decision,” he said.

“It’s important for me to know where money should be spent,” Chair Kafoury said. “If the conversation happens after, it doesn’t give people a chance to weigh in. When people don’t speak English, they may not feel included. But here people feel more comfortable, so I can hear directly from them.”

And after a party so packed that visitors spilled out into the cold morning sun, many members stayed to share their thoughts.

Peter Chen suggested workshops on pedestrian safety. He knows of two seniors hit while crossing the street last year, he said.

Community member Cai Quang Zhou asks Chair Kafoury a question at the Asian Health & Service Center's senior community forum on Tuesday.
Community member Cai Quang Zhou asks Chair Kafoury a question at the Asian Health and Service Center's senior community forum on Tuesday.

Suong Lam said many seniors were now considering whether to enter a nursing home, and she said she would like a workshop to help her understand the process. She also said she struggles with filing her taxes and would like the county to invest in tax assistance.

Property taxes were also a concern. One woman said she has lived in the county for 43 years and her property taxes keep rising. “I’m living on a limited income,” she said. “I want to stay in my house but to keep my house with the property taxes is a really a concern.”

The chair said she was eager to find ways to help. “I want to make sure seniors can stay in their homes,” she said. “I'm working in the legislature for a senior property tax deferral so seniors can stay in their homes.”

Abasa Tharp, a Vietnamese-Indian woman who has lived in Multnomah County for 40 years, asked for art programs to be brought back into the schools. She said her children have moved out of the city to be near schools that still fund the arts, and now she doesn’t see her grandchildren very often.

“The school districts are supposed to fund art, but they haven’t been given enough. The city raised some money for Portland schools but that doesn’t extend to all of Multnomah County,” Chair Kafoury explained. “We partner with Right Brain Initiative, but it’s only in certain schools. We’re trying to expand it so that it’s in more schools.”

Chair Kafoury speaks at the Asian Health and Service Center on Tuesday.

A woman in a pale green hanbok stood up. She said she rakes her leaves and cleans away fallen branches from a towering tree beside her Southeast Portland home, but she still must pay for street cleaners during winter months.

“It’s really becoming a burden,” she said.

“This is a city issue,” Chair Kafoury told her. “But there’s a form you can fill out to say that you clean your own leaves and you won’t have to pay. You shouldn’t have to pay if you clean your leaves.”

Christine Lau, chief operating officer at the Asian Health & Service Center, said she spoke to  community members after the celebration.

“I heard from a lot of seniors that they felt happy and touched that the chair cared about them. She really wants to listen to us. I think this is really wonderful.”

Many immigrant residents come from countries where government that doesn’t ask for input, she said. “But here you can have a voice.”

The next two community conversations about the county's budget are: