PORTLAND, Ore. — A community group is more determined than ever to continue a food giveaway event that was marred last month by a deadly shooting in North Portland's Dawson Park.
Michael Tabor is a member of Vancouver Avenue First Baptist Church, which stands across the street from Dawson Park. He helped organize a community service event on March 1. That day, he heard gunshots nearby and rushed over to find Mark Johnson, 55, dead.
"Seeing someone killed senselessly made me cry for two days," Tabor said.
Tuesday, about a month after the deadly shooting, Tabor returned to the park — again helping give away food to neighbors in need.
"I've been homeless before, I've been drug addicted before," Tabor recalled.
He said his faith and other people helped him get back on his feet.
"And I promised [God] that if that ever happened, I would do the same for someone else."
He and other volunteers passed out hot meals, bags of groceries, toiletries and sleeping bags to a line of people in the park.
"This community right now needs some help," Tabor said.
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Three people have been shot and killed in Dawson Park since December 2020. Tabor said he is determined to make the space a safe community hub once again.
"Bringing people into the park I think will infuse it with life and also change those that need to be touched just by being part of the community," Tabor said. "If you can change one person, then that person may change someone else, and the ripple effect just continues to grow."
The group will continue hosting food giveaway events every first Tuesday of the month.