Pass it on
Portland is and will remain a "sanctuary city"
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler was resolute in his statement that Portland "will remain a welcoming, safe place for all people" in an opinion piece published in Sunday's Oregonian. Read it here.Portland is and will remain a "sanctuary city"
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler was resolute in his statement that Portland "will remain a welcoming, safe place for all people" in an opinion piece published in Sunday's Oregonian. Read it here.
Upcoming FREE Renters' Rights Workshops
The Community Alliance of Tenants is presenting Renters' Rights workshops at many Multnomah County Libraries as part of its focus on Oregon's housing crisis for Everybody Reads!
The public is invited to hear answers to Frequently Asked Renters' Rights questions and learn how to get involved with the campaign to end No Cause Evictions in Oregon. Click here for more info and a list of all the upcoming times and locations.
Mult. Co Child Hunger Coalition meeting
Please join the Multnomah County Child Hunger Coalition for an education session to hear about policies being considered by community partners in the 2017 Oregon State Legislative Session.
The Child Hunger Coalition recognizes economic instability, lack of affordable housing and racism are key reasons why food insecurity persists in Oregon.
Attend this education session to hear about how you can make a difference in these critical policy arenas. In addition, this is an opportunity to learn about connecting your organization and the families you work with to advocacy opportunities and decision-makers.
Date: Thursday, Feb. 9th
Time: 9:30 - 11 a.m.
Location: NE Coalition of Neighborhoods, 4815 NE 7th Ave.
Parking available next to the building
Only one Fix-it Fair remaining
Join PCL for the last Portland Fix-it Fair: Feb. 25th at Madison High School, which includes all workshops presented in Spanish. The fair is a free event where people can learn simple ways to save money and connect with community resources. The PCL has several tables: if your organization is interested in attending to spread the word about your services, please contact us.
And thanks to several PCL grantees who participated in the Jan. 28th fair at George Middle School: PPS Head Start; Lifeworks NW Children's Relief Nursery; Lifeworks NW parent support program; and Saturday Academy.
In the News
State graduation rate for class of '16 shows small gain: Seventy-five percent of Oregon students earned diplomas within four years; improvements were better for students of color, students with disabilities, students from low-income households; and students who are non-native English speakers. Read The Oregonian story here.
And here's another take on the grad rate in PPS, where boys are less likely than girls to graduate high school in four years. Read the Portland Tribune story here.
Website for orgs to strengthen volunteer management: The Oregon Community Foundation has created a website that includes resources that project partners have developed over the years. It's mainly focused on organizations that are looking to strengthen their volunteer management. Take a look here.
Bad weather pushes some to "brink of financial disaster": While snow and ice mean inconvenience and hassle for most of us, we forget that it causes severe hardships for families struggling to feed their children and find shelter. Read it here.
Child poverty affects mental health later in life: Researchers report that children who grow up poor experience stress and mental health issues into adulthood. Read the story here.
Programs making a difference: Impact NW Urban Opps
Sarah joined the Parkrose High School Urban Opp group last Spring. When she joined, she didn't have much experience with jobs and wasn't entirely sure she wanted to attend. She came to class with an unfinished resume and said she was not likely to use it for a job search, not interested in job readiness skills, but really there for the financial stipend. She came to each class, but struggled with staying focused. When asked what topics she thought she'd find the most engaging, she would shrug. Staff continued to work with Sarah on her resume, cover letter, interviewing, and finally, she completed an internship with the Oregon Food Bank. After this field experience, Sarah really seemed to commit to the program. She began to engage more actively in the group, she asked questions during class and would even take notes. She worked hard and genuinely seemed to enjoy herself. She began to engage more fully with the instructor and even reached out several times during out-of-group time to ask job-related questions. After the interviewing unit, she asked to do a second mock-interview to practice implementing what she learned.
In the end, Sarah was a dynamic member of the group and earned herself a paid internship and a summer job with Voodoo Doughnut where she demonstrated a great work ethic and a positive, fun attitude toward her job. Sarah reported that her time in Jobs 101 increased her self-confidence, work-readiness and post-secondary knowledge. Sarah is a great example of Urban Opp youth: a smart, yet conflicted young person who, once given some tailored support, thrives with confidence and tenacity. Urban Opp was proud to have supported her at this pivotal time in her life!