Safe Blocks Monthly Activity Summary – March 2026

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Across the month, staff and partners worked alongside Portland residents to strengthen relationships, reduce barriers to services, and support the shared goal of decreasing violence in the places where people live, work, and gather.

Early in the month, Safe Blocks joined community partners at Dawson Park for a resource fair focused on bringing essential support directly to neighbors in the Eliot area. The event opened space for residents to meet with service providers offering housing assistance, health resources, food support, and more. By hosting the fair in the park itself, partners met people where they are - creating a welcoming environment where individuals and families could explore services at their own pace without needing to travel far or navigate complex systems. The event reflected an ongoing strategy of coupling violence prevention with increased access to stabilizing resources.

Later in March, Safe Blocks shifted its focus to environmental stewardship with a community cleanup along the SE 122nd Avenue corridor. Volunteers of all ages joined staff and partners to remove litter between SE Harold Street and the Springwater Corridor Trail-an area where improving the built environment plays an important role in reducing opportunities for crime and improving neighborhood pride. The cleanup was intentionally accessible, providing tools, safety gear, language support, and lunch for all participants. This event underscored Safe Blocks' belief that creating safer neighborhoods is a shared, hands-on effort that strengthens social connections while improving public spaces.

March also included a skills-focused safety opportunity that Safe Blocks co-hosted with Rose City SelfDefense at Midland Library. Participants ages 11 and older learned practical communication techniques, de-escalation strategies, and personal safety concepts grounded in empowerment and community responsibility. While not a core Safe Blocks event, this workshop represented meaningful cross-program collaboration and contributed to the broader ecosystem of safety education available to Portlanders.

Throughout the month, Safe Blocks' activities emphasized partnership, accessibility, and community ownership of safety. Whether connecting residents with stabilizing resources, improving shared spaces, or expanding opportunities for safety education, March's work reflected a holistic approach-one rooted in the understanding that safety grows from strong relationships, responsive support, and active neighborhood participation.