Portland, Oregon
By Kylene Grell (Mentor, Oregon)

In February 2004 I joined Diaper Free Baby as a Mentor for Portland, Oregon. At the time I started the group, I knew approximately four people in area practicing EC. Attendance at our monthly meetings varied that first year, usually 3-5 people, but some months there was not enough interest for a meeting. However, we began to vary the location of our meetings, from a cozy evening potluck at a member's home on a cold and rainy night to outdoor meetings at various parks when the weather got warmer. And in early 2005 we started holding our meetings at a regular time - the third Wednesday of the month at 11:30 am. We were also offered a permanent meeting space at a center for single mothers. Now we have 45 members in our local YahooGroup as well as other members who attend the meetings and do not participate online. Our meeting now sometimes have as many as 20 people!

Due to the recent media buzz about elimination communication and Diaper Free Baby,a reporter contacted me in May of 2005. The article, printed in July, was a turning point for DiaperFreeBaby of Portland as we received many positive responses from people who had read the article, including a request to appear on a morning TV new show. We were well received and had a wonderful time.