Ms. Carolyn…
You would be forgiven if you mistook Ms. Carolyn for royalty. She always walks with purpose, every movement elegant, an air of dignity and gracefulness follows like a shadow. At Love City, we have known Ms. Carolyn for many years, but recently, we have been blessed that we get to spend more time with her. We now get to receive her wisdom and Spiritual gifts that she has blessed Portland with her whole life.
Ms. Carolyn has been living in Portland for over 72 years. Over 60 of those years at her current house on Montgomery Street. Some of her favorite memories are of her childhood summers, playing down at Portland Park, the summertime activities and movie nights that they used to have down at the park community center. Of course with the good memories come the not so good ones, like breaking her leg coming out of that same community center one snowy day. And just like life has its ups and downs, so do communities, and Ms. Carolyn has seen Portland in all of its stages.
When I asked Ms. Carolyn about Portland over the years, she said it reminded her of the Bruce Springsteen song, “My Hometown”. If you aren’t familiar, it is a song about a beautiful community that represents beautiful memories for people, but that begins to be plagued with violence and closed businesses. Ms. Carolyn remembers the mom and pop shops that Portland used to have, the restaurants, the bars, the ice cream, and craft stores. She remembers when the interstate got built and there was no longer any reason for people to get off the 22nd street exit. The mom and pop shops were replaced by McDonalds and Dairy Queen. She then remembers another decade or two after, as her parent’s generation were passing and their adult children were left with the choice to move back into the neighborhood. She remembers a lot of people who she had grown up with, who decided to just rent the houses out while they lived elsewhere, and she saw as they did not maintain the upkeep on the houses. Those are the things she saw happen in our neighborhood, but as vacant properties and closed storefronts built up, she still chose to stick around, raise a daughter here, and call Portland home.
Ms. Carolyn was first introduced to Love City through a mutual friend who told her about the Fish Fry back when it was in the Mackin. We all knew Ms. Carolyn and said hey to her when she was around, but she really got more connected just a few years ago. A few years ago, Ms. Carolyn’s daughter passed away; she asked Shawn to give the eulogy. She had always trusted Shawn and Inga and felt welcomed by them. From there she got more involved volunteering at events and helping us when we were doing our Tuesday Night dinners, always making the most amazing banana pudding that everyone loves. Whenever we have big community holiday dinners we make sure to invite Ms. Carolyn. So this past Thanksgiving dinner, Ms. Carolyn showed up and was catching up with Shawn and Inga.
Ms. Carolyn worked at Humana and with Inga having worked there in the past, Humana is always a topic of conversation when they get together. The day of the Thanksgiving dinner, Ms. Carolyn had received an email from Humana about an early retirement package. Tempted to take the offer, she knew she would need a part time job as well and so figured she would have to pass. When she was telling them about this email that she had received, just hours prior, we were in the process of looking for a part time bookkeeper. So, like many parts of Love City’s history, God beautifully orchestrated a perfect match for Ms. Carolyn and Love City. At the beginning of 2024, Ms. Carolyn was able to begin as our new bookkeeper. Now she gets to really dedicate her time to her dream of bringing back businesses to Portland and seeing properties revitalized in the neighborhood she has loved and called home her whole life..
While it is exciting to have Ms. Carolyn as part of our team, it is just as exciting having her as a neighbor. Someone who has always encouraged and supported us in any way she was able. From buying a fish sandwich to serving community meals, Ms. Carolyn has been there to help us since Love City’s early days; actually, since long before the early days. Her persistence and belief in her community setting foundations for change. Now you may see her around Mighty Oak or at Porkland on Friday. Make sure to thank her for everything she does for the community and everything she has done over the years, and if she offers you some of her banana pudding, accept it, you won’t regret it.
Ethan
Lent!!!
It’s Lent season, hurry in to get your fish now!! But don’t worry, we won’t tell if you are more in the mood for some Churched up Tots!
Live Music Next Friday!!!
Next Friday join us for dinner and tunes as Josh Glauber plays from 5pm-7pm!!
Check Out this Article!!!
Business First just wrote an article on Love City’s plans to open our thrift shop, Merriment, at the end of April. You can check that article out here. Stay tuned to our social media pages as we will be posting updates and letting everyone know when donations will be accepted.
If you are interested in volunteering or to find out more information about supplies needed please email: info@lovecityinc.org or call (502) 272-078.