A message from PHAME student Debby McKnight

After my disability was diagnosed in the fourth grade, my classmates could be cruel.  I still remember being called names when I was put in Special Ed in 1962.  I wanted what others had—a place to belong.

At PHAME, I’ve finally found that.  I can laugh, and also cry, and I can get silly without being put down. 

PHAME means being accepted.  It means I have people that really support me—as an artist and as a person. 

Today, I’m writing to ask you to support PHAME.

PHAME has made such a difference in my life.  I’ve been developing my craft here since 1993.  Because of what I’ve learned, I audition for and perform in plays all over Portland.  This year I was proud to be part of Mask and Mirror Community Theater’s Anatomy of Gray and Beaverton Civic Theater’s Sleepy Hollow.

I love being part of different shows while continuing to take classes and perform here at PHAME, in a place that feels like home.  I love the people, and there’s always something new to learn.

I hope you’ll think about making a gift of $100 or more this year.  You can help create more programs and opportunities for PHAME students, including the PHAME Arts Leaders program, performances like In a Single Breath (which I was in this summer), and community building events from dances to seeing the Portland Opera here at PHAME.

I might be a great-grandmother, but I’m not ready to retire yet.  Thanks to people like you who make PHAME’s work possible, I’ve found that home I always wanted when I was young, and there’s so much more art I can’t wait to try.

Please make your contribution today.

Sincerely,
Debby McKnight
PHAME Student

P.S.  Please make your gift online now or call 503-764-9718 ext 4.