Portland- Emily S. Ryan, an active advocate for local youth issues and homelessness announced her candidacy for City Council today.  Ryan a long serving community volunteer on local policy bodies like the Multnomah Youth Commission, Homeless Youth Oversight Committee, Multnomah County Poverty Action Council, and the City’s Charter Reform Commission brings a wealth of experience and a unique perspective.

Born in Pusan, Korea and raised in Portland Ryan attended public school starting at Sunnyside elementary and graduating first from Cleveland HS and most recently from Portland Community College.  While current council members have advocated for policies and programs in support of homelessness in Portland, Ryan is a success story of those programs.  She became homeless at the age of 16 and spent four years in the Homeless Youth Continuum eventually transitioning out of services and into her own apartment, full time employment with the Chinese Gardens, and graduating from Portland Community College with her Associate in Arts, Science, and AGS? Degrees.

Ryan lives in East Portland and works in Old Town.  She is an avid supporter of public transportation and one day as she rode over the Steel Bridge the platform of her campaign emerged.  “The bridges of our city help connect all of us to each other, they connect so many of our amazing neighborhoods with our vibrant downtown,” said Ryan.  “It made me think about the keys to Portland’s future progress and what role I wanted to play in achieving that future.”  Ryan created her platform that she calls the “Five Bridges to a Thriving Portland.” The 5 Bridges include,

• Sustainability
• Homelessness
• Citizen Involvement
• International Affairs
• City Services AND Infrastructure

As a citizen of Portland with an international perspective, a former homeless individual, a youth leader, and an active citizen volunteer and activist Ms. Ryan bring a diverse skill set to help bridge the gap between our diverse communities in Portland and our current City Council.  If elected, Ms. Ryan would be the first woman of color ever to serve on Portland City Council, the youngest member ever, and as far as campaign workers can determine the first City Council member with first hand experience with homelessness.

For more information or to volunteer go to www.emilysryan.com.