10.1.2025 Resetting

Happy Filipino American History Month!

It's been a while since I've done an intro--Hiii! It's Geleen

When I first started Shop Halo Halo back in 2015, I was a stressed out nursing student looking for a creative outlet, a way to connect with others beyond my isolated little university bubble, explore and learn about my Filipino heritage and history, and help fundraise for organizations and causes important to me. Believe it or not, I didn’t start out selling baked goods. Not sure I’d really call myself a multi-media artist, but whatever craft I was using to chase a sense of calm in the moment was what filled my market booth back then. That included anywhere from watercolor paintings to sewing stuffed animals to beaded jewelry. The first Filipino food fundraiser I’d ever organized was as a member of the Portland Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines (PCHRP)—we made a BUNCH of siopao to fundraise for natural disaster relief in the Philippines after Typhoon Haiyan. I had rolled more lumpia than I ever had to help fundraise to send members of Gabriela Portland and PCHRP to the Philippines the following year. We vended at local markets, hosted large dinner events, organized pop-ups, meeting and building with so many amazing people along the way.

Interwoven in the story of Shop Halo Halo is my family’s migration story, my Fil-am upbringing and experiences, my activist history, and many many stories of connection and community building over the better part of a decade. In reflecting on our recent closure, I had every desire and intention to keep that momentum going; to create a culturally vibrant and community centered space that offered a taste and feel of home—the kind of space I wanted and needed when I first moved to Portland in 2012. In a lot of ways I was able to accomplish that. With the help of friends and fellow organizers who volunteered time, skills, and hands, we were able to create this space together that held workshops, community events and fundraisers, pop-ups and mini-markets. I was able to do what I love most: creating, baking, and bringing people together.

Unfortunately over time, and in a lot of ways, we were stifled by this space that wasn’t wholly our own, by a partnership that didn’t quite align with our values and vision, and the crushing weight of everything else—high rent, inflated food costs, etc. etc. Deep down I knew things were not okay, and I tried to make it work for much longer than I probably should have—to the detriment of my health, sanity, and joy, truly. I’ve certainly learned a lot, a few major things being that it’s okay to walk away, to recalibrate, to look for a home that’s better suited for what we envision.

I’m truly grateful for this little community we’ve built over the years and to have genuine and supportive people in my corner. I’m grateful to all of you for your continued support, kindness, and patience. Now that we’ve taken every last bit of us out of that space (save for my beautiful tile wall), I’m taking the time to reset, looking into other locations, and popping up around town like the old days. I also want to take things back to my home bakery diary days and share more candidly about everything—the ups and downs of the journey, recipes, family stories, food history, and the goings on of the local Filipino community, so if you’d like to learn more Geleen and Shop Halo Halo lore, follow along on our blog.

And if you’d like to support us in securing a new home for Shop Halo Halo, consider donating to and/or sharing our relocation fundraiser!