Submitted by Rob Hertert, Host2Host President 2021.

Never more than since the pandemic started have I valued those aspects of my life that have felt reliable.  One near and dear example is Host2Host.  We began four years ago with the blessing of structure mixed with the exciting experience of doing something new. 

That structure has given us stability even during a pandemic.  We have bylaws that spell out a defined sequence of leadership and a board that fully participates in decisions and initiatives.  Our volunteers share Host2Host's vision, providing work and creativity while the H2H structure provides a stable framework.

The foundation of Host2Host, our monthly events, is solid.  Their dependable presence anchors our organization. Everyone involved in creating and producing these events can feel proud of both the quality and continuity of nearly a hundred monthly meetups and almost as many weekly coffee conversations.  All of these require reliable, predictable communications through the newsletter, blog, calendar, website and Facebook. Having an Executive Director, and especially an outstanding one like Jill Palamountain is in itself a reason for our stability.

And there is the “tincture of time”..  We have been in existence for four years - extremely young for an organization but old enough for us to become organizationally and financially relevant to the City of Portland government, Travel Portland and the Portland Housing Bureau. 

As importantly, our membership has been stable. Budgetary structure and discipline has allowed us to remain financially sound while we continue to recruit new members and find alternate forms of income. 

It has been a privilege to see all the wheels in motion that contribute to this great organization’s solid presence.  My thanks to all involved. There are too many to name, but you know who you are!