BELONG — A Comedy Benefit Show for PIRC

Belong is a comedy variety show celebrating Portland artists and voices while raising money for the Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition. FEATURED ARTISTS (COMING SOON) A NOTE FROM THE PRODUCER This show is how I’ve decided to ring in my 40s. I have been fortunate to live several lives and survive several transformations on this journey to finding belonging in my community, in my relationships, and in my own skin. One thing that has remained my true and guiding constant, is a love for people, for art, and for art doing good for people. For this reason, I decided to celebrate my life by featuring the brilliant talent of the Portland comedy community while raising money to help folks who need it. I chose the theme of Belonging, because of a personal significance, and because it is something we all deserve. Belonging is stability and community. It is opportunity, support, joy, and comfort. It is putting down roots and having hope for the future. Belonging can be with a people. Or a place. Or in our own bodies. The pursuit for belonging brings folks of all backgrounds and identities to Portland, and it is a pursuit that needs protection. I chose PIRC as an organization in need of support that is working towards that very end. (More about them below.) This show is a night of celebration. We will laugh. We will sing. We will create rad art. We will celebrate what we have and raise funds to defend the rights of our neighbors. Let’s celebrate, Skel SPECIAL THANKS TO: - Curious Comedy Theater for donating the space ABOUT PIRC PIRC was created in 2006. Community members came together to build a network so immigrant families would never again face danger without help. What PIRC Does: PIRC runs the statewide hotline when people see or experience ICE activity.PIRC trains and dispatches statewide Migra Watch volunteers and Legal Observers to document ICE actions and help protect people’s rights.PIRC helps families connect to legal support and community resources.PIRC partners with other organizations defending our immigrant communities.PIRC runs an immigrant resource center outside of the Portland ICE facility providing support to families and individuals who have an ICE appointment or are trying to locate a loved one detained by ICE. Why PIRC Matters Today PIRC existed before this administration. It was needed before, it will be needed in the future, and the work of PIRC is excruciatingly critical now. The severity of pressure being placed on this small organization and its volunteers can not be overstated. Financial support goes a long way to relieving that pressure by allowing the organization to allocate resources where they are needed most. Under Donald Trump, ICE activity, intimidation, and detentions are on the rise in Oregon. We see it in the news about aggressive and dangerous sweeps every day. Since July 2025 PIRC has taken (way) more than 20,000 calls from people reporting ICE presence, seeking support, or needing help in the wake of detention. People are being terrorized, lives are disrupted. Broken car windows, bodies slammed to the ground. Grandfathers, mothers, children. PIRC has trained more than 5,000 rapid response Migra watchers and when called, they are dispatched to the scene. PIRC has daily presence at the Immigration Courthouse and Portland ICE Macadam facility. In the opening month of the PIRC Resource Center, PIRC supported 596 people who visited the Portland ICE facility. Community members came to look for detained loved ones, to access resources and information before their scheduled ICE appointments. And it’s making a difference. At an Oregon For All press conference in early November, Innovation Law Lab noted that four Oregonians were able to return to their families because of the work of rapid response documenters and legal support - https://www.facebook.com/reel/848788470856156] For more information on PIRC and their work, visit https://pircoregon.org/