PORTLAND, Ore. — A nonprofit that helps people suffering from Lupus was the target of vandals. However, they may have been targeting the next-door neighbor.
Broken glass is what Kaleidoscope Fighting Lupus found at their Southeast Portland office. They think the vandalism happened sometime Friday night.
“It's incredibly sad and frustrating at the same time,” said Greg Dardis.
Dardis is president of the board of the group, which helps people who have the debilitating and potentially deadly autoimmune disease.
A large window was busted out on Kaleidoscope’s side of the building, which they share with a company that has been targeted by protests and vandalism in the past.
Rapid Response has had contracts with the city to clean up, in what some call, "sweeps" of homeless camps. Dardis said he believes they have a challenging job and have been good neighbors.
“They've been a wonderful group of people, they've helped us out we've helped them out, there is that sense of neighborliness.”
Dardis said he does understand organized peaceful protest and civil disobedience to effect change, but said, “If it seems indiscriminate, senseless, it actually erodes that sense of community, which in the end is what we find is the underlying foundation for helping others.”
The erosion has been happening in different parts of the city off and on since last summer, with destruction to businesses in the Pearl District most recently.
The damage in Southeast Portland, which may have been meant for Rapid Response, is now a small nonprofit's job to fix. It will take from funds used to help people survive financially, who suffer from Lupus. The largest segment of that population is women of color.
“We do support them through our emergency client assistance program that goes directly to people's rent and so the sad irony is that we are working to keep people in their homes.”
Portland police are investigating but have made no arrests. Anyone with information can email crimetips@portlandoregon.gov.