Evoke-The First Mission

Today I accepted my first Evoke mission. The goal was to learn about social innovation and to take direct action by tackling one of our toughest problems. Upon reading Exhibit A in the objective of this mission, I realized how many regional tough problems my community faces. From unemployment, homelessness to a struggling educational system, my options for tough problems, unfortunately, are great. I chose to look at both unemployment and homelessness, since they often seem to be tied together. In fact, in 2009 Oregon’s unemployment reached 12.2 percent, which is the second highest in the nation and Oregon is leading the nation in the percent of the population experiencing homelessness (US Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Community Planning and Development, The 2008 Annual Homeless Assessment Report, July 2009, page 12). In 2008, this saddening statistic has lead to a 10- year plan to end homelessness by the Oregon Ending Homelessness Advisory Council (EHAC). So far, not much has changed.

In Exhibit A of the Learn1 Evoke mission, Ethan Zuckerman posted seven strategies for “innovating from constraint”, which is more than appropriate when trying to tackle social innovation for unemployment and homelessness. Innovation that comes from constraint forces creative ideas in using and reusing many resources. Oregon is a green state, in more ways than one, and can easily adopt the notion of reusing, as it is part of our cultural tapestry. Being a five-year resident of Oregon, I can tell you there is a notable Oregon culture that boarders on cliché and stereotyping (at least on the west side of I-5). Tree hugging has never had as much meaning as it has while living here. Coop gardens, environmental awareness, vegan-fueled bike riders and locally owned biofuel gas stations are part of my visuals in a daily commute to and from work. Of course not everyone who resides in Oregon shares interest in these innovative ideas for sustainable living, but there is a strong enough presence of those that do.

So, my first objective is to “find out what it REALLY means to be a social innovator”. My answer, a social innovator is the Oregon resident that takes a step in sustainable living, no matter how small, for the purpose of longevity of our planet and selves. I believe that the Oregon resident, who cares for our environment, has the capability to care for our neighbor, homeless or not. I would like to explore how to call all compassionate Oregon residents to help address our community issues of unemployment and homelessness, but before I can do that, I suspect that Evoke has a plan for me and this will come out in time.