Youth Volunteers at Clay Street Table Find Space to Explore During Retreat

Youth participating in a new high school internship program at Clay Street Table in Portland, Ore., received a special boost, thanks to a retreat held July 11, 2026, at Clay Street. 

Founding Director the Rev. Paul Davis and CHHSM’s the Rev. Dr. Elyse Berry—associate for advocacy and leadership development—went through many phases of planning a retreat in the months leading up to July. Davis “feels strongly that keeping Clay Street’s spiritual ties and grounding are vital to its ministry, work, and vision for the future,” said Berry. Staff additions and program changes meant that throughout the retreat planning, introducing retreat days as part of Clay Street Table’s organizational culture was at the forefront, including time for staff and youth volunteers alike.

Front line workers and volunteers “are around a lot of trauma and the harsh realities and injustices of life,” Berry added. “Having a faith-based mission can offer a grounding and value system for this work that provides a necessary landing place to intentionally reflect, connect, slow down, and metabolize all they are experiencing.”

The day was split into two halves, with Clay Street Table donor Brian Kilgore discussing his vocation as a lawyer working with indigenous tribes in the Northwest during the morning, and Berry presenting two activities in the afternoon to help the students reflect on their vocation, possible career paths, and purpose.

“I’ve never gotten to work with high-school volunteers at CHHSM, so planning the retreat day around this committed and dynamic group of young folks was fun and life-giving,” said Berry. “They not only care about the people they are ministering with at Clay Street, but are asking the big, systemic questions of why people are hungry, or unhoused, or food insecure.

“I got to see their passion come to life for the ministry and for each other. They came from different backgrounds and high schools, but all seemed to gel well with each other. And they noted that this was a vital piece of their experience—connecting with others and forming meaningful relationships.”

Berry started her session with an Ikegai exercise, the ancient Japanese reflective writing practice that focuses on four parts: what you love; what you’re good at; what you can be paid for; and what the world needs. How these intersect help participants reflect on their passion, profession, vocation, and mission.

Some of the youth had a clear idea of their path, from college to profession. “Elyse’s conversations—specifically the Ikegai exercise—allowed them to explore what they saw in those paths that called them, helping them to further refine and explore their dreams for the future,” said Seamus Dignan, Clay Street Table’s program coordinator. “As well, there were some who—just like myself at that age—had no idea what they wanted to do after high school. Elyse created a space where those students could explore the beautiful uncertainty of life without the pressure of needing to set a plan and rigid goals.”

Berry closed with a constellation art activity that encouraged participants to “envision their interests as stars together in the sky that form a shape that could be their potential future,” said Mitchell Lee, Clay Street’s resource director. “The activity went over well, and I thought it was a creative and meaningful way to engage students about their futures without becoming overly steeped in lecture or academia.”

While in Portland, Berry also met on July 10 with the UCC’s Central Pacific Conference Minister the Rev. Tyler Connoley, Davis, and new Clay Street Table staffers Dignan and Lee. Among other topics, they reflected on what being a Christian means in today’s world. 

“The new staff at Clay Street are what I think of when we in the church talk about ‘the joy of the Gospel,’” said Berry. “They are full of hope, inspiration, and life-force energy that is also deeply grounded in the harsh realities of lie and the many forces up against cultivating a more just world for all.”

Berry said she was impressed by what Davis has built at Clay Street Table. “He’s both a guiding and grounding leader who practices what he preaches, especially when it comes to community building and belonging,” she said. “The ministry of CHHSM is alive and well in this nook of Portland, I can tell you that!”