Category Archives: Community Involvement

Report Issues via iPhone, Android Phones

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The City of Portland is pleased to announce the release of PDX Reporter, an application (app) for Android based smart phones. Now residents who use Android phones can report and request service calls to City assets and publicly maintained infrastructure. The decision to create an open sourced Android app follows the successful release of a similar iPhone app in February 2010, and is aimed at increasing transparency through open data and improving communications with Portland residents.

“This is a way to instantly connect with your City. If you see a problem in your neighborhood, you don’t have to wait to report it. You can make a report instantly. I encourage Portlanders to download the PDX Reporter app and send us information on the issues you see around your community,” says Mayor Sam Adams.

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PCRI Addresses KNA, Pledges Cooperation with Neighbors

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A PCRI home in King gets painted

A PCRI home in King being painted

Portland Community Reinvestment Initiatives Executive Director, Maxine Fitzpatrick, Melvin Oden-Orr, PCRI Board President, Karen Gibson, PCRI Board Member, Ben Loftis, PCRI Housing Developer and Cyndi Natalello, PCRI Manager of Property Management all came to KNA’s November meeting to discuss their organization and to address community concerns outlined in our blog post in September. An informational video was shown about the organization that owns 88 properties in the King neighborhood and about 700 in total.

Ms. Fitzpatrick said that PCRI staff felt the organization was unduly negatively represented in the blog and that the attention went beyond what was pertinent to the interest of the neighborhood association. PCRI Board Chair, Melvin Oden-Orr outlined the many competing financial responsibilities of PCRI as it strives to meet mandates by city agencies and provide housing as its portfolio increases. He pledged that PCRI is doing its best to serve the residents of our community and urged patience.

The attendees discussed the issues and it was resolved that KNA and PCRI should work more closely to resolve misunderstandings and any issues that arise with PCRI properties or tenants. PCRI was recognized for providing a vital service in a city that has insufficient affordable housing. PCRI will come to KNA meetings quarterly, will be more responsive to complaints or concerns by residents, and will work strategically instead of reactively to problems.

Concerns about PCRI properties can be referred to PCRI Manager of Property Management, Cyndi Natalello at (503) 288-2923 or cyndi@pcrihome.org.

Read the meeting minutes here.

Visit the PCRI website here.

Local Leaders Institute This Weekend

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From the Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods:

Are you interested in learning about the history of Portland from local leaders and understanding why it is relevant today? How do you get more participation from your group?

Join the dynamic Local Leaders Institute this Friday, Nov 12 from 5-8pm and Saturday, Nov 13 from 10am-3pm in NE Portland. http://bit.ly/LocalLeadersInstitute

Come out Friday evening and hear from local and national representatives from Portland, Oregon. Spend an evening and dinner with former Senator Margaret Carter, former City Commissioner candidate Betty Harris and Vancouver Avenue Baptist Pastor J.W. Hennessee. The topics will cover the history of the Neighborhood System and its initial purpose and role in local government and in the community; the local history of Portland and the changes to culture, environment and demographics; and how to become a motivated leader in your community. Each presenter will speak, followed by a question and answer session. The amount of rich history and energy present for this session will be fantastic!

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Join the King Neighborhood Tree Planting!

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In partnership with Friends of Trees, the King neighborhood is planning a tree planting project for February 12, 2011! Join us on Saturday morning to help plant trees and create a healthier community.

Planting a tree in your yard or parking strip creates long lasting benefits enjoyed by everyone. Did you know that trees remove pollutants from the air? A typical tree absorbs 10 pounds of pollutants, cleans 330 pounds of carbon dioxide, and creates 260 pounds of oxygen each year. Having cleaner air in your neighborhood has all sorts of health benefits, such as reduced asthma rates. Trees also help intercept and retain 760 gallons of rainwater each year, which help keep our rivers clean and help save us money on stormwater fees. Trees can cool our homes in the summer and shade our city which helps us stay cool all summer. Trees raise the property value of your home by up to 20%. Also, unlike many other things, trees appreciate in value each year. And by planting trees now, we can keep our city green into the future.

This winter, King residents will be offered street trees starting at $35.00. The cost will include a site inspection by the Urban Forestry Department to ensure you choose the right tree for your home, hole digging, help with planting your tree, stakes, mulch, ties, labels, follow-up monitoring, and information on proper tree care techniques. For more information, please visit www.friendsoftrees.org.

Planning has begun for the King Tree Planting event, to participate please contact Irek at (503) 828-6943 or king@plantitportland.org.

Give Two Hours for Loaves and Fishes

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David Lomax of KNA asks:

Got 2 hours?

I am volunteering at the New Seasons Market – Concordia store on Sunday, November 21, 2010. I invite you to join my Martin Luther King Jr. Loaves and Fishes team by volunteering for a 2-hour shift.

Loaves & Fishes Centers, The Meals-On-Wheels People, is having a fundraiser the five days preceding Thanksgiving. It is called Donate Dinner. Donate Dinner is one of the largest volunteer events in the Portland metropolitan area. Last year, 1,500 people volunteered for 2-hour shifts and the outcome was incredible – they raised more than $230,000 to support the Meals-On-Wheels program.

What do I need you to do? Greet customers as they come into the store to shop for their Thanksgiving dinner. Smile, hand them a Donate Dinner card, and let them know that if they would like to donate to the Meals-On-Wheels program they tell the cashier when they check out. Their grocery receipt will include their tax-deductible nonprofit donation receipt. It is that simple!

Please join my team for a 2-hour shift. Last year, each volunteer raised an average of $225 per shift! All proceeds are invested in our local senior population.

Together, we can make sure that no senior in our community goes hungry or experiences social isolation. Please join me and the more than 1500 other volunteers to raise critical funds to feed our elder population. Click here if you want to view my team’s current schedule.

If you are not available on Sunday, November 21, 2010 to volunteer for my team, please go to www.donatedinner.org and see if another date and store are available. It takes a village to feed our seniors!

Loaves & Fishes Centers, The Meals-On-Wheels People is a secular nonprofit corporation that prepares 5,000 meals each weekday for seniors in Multnomah, Washington and Clark counties. Unlike most other Meals-On-Wheels programs, our local Loaves & Fishes has never had a waiting list for meal services. Why? Because of the generous community support from volunteers and donors, a meal can be delivered within 24 hours of notification.

David Lomax
MLK Center Loaves & Fishes
5325 NE MLK BLVD
Portland Oregon 97211
(503)-953-8207 Phone
(503)-988-4899 Fax
dlomax@lfcpdx.org
www.loavesandfishesonline.org