Category Archives: Community Involvement

Community Feedback Sought

Posted on by

OurUnitedVillagesCommunity Outreach of Our United Villages (OUV) would like your recommendation or referral. They are hosting Community Feedback Sessions on October 28th and 29th. The feedback shared at these sessions will help them determine topics for future conversations that provide benefit to the community as a whole. Their mission is to strengthen the social vitality of communities and they are interested in what that looks like for people. They value your input and greatly appreciate your participation. If you cannot attend one of the sessions, recommend someone else who would love to share their ideas. A written feedback form is also available. They would like to confirm participants by October 21.

Dates for sessions:
October 28th – 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
October 29th – 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

OUV Conference Room, 3625 N. Mississippi Ave

Impact of the Recession on Low Income Households

Posted on by

Multnomah County

Multnomah County

The current recession has hit our community hard. One out of four households in Multnomah County report that over the past 12 months they have been unable to pay for essential services such as housing, heat, or food, according to a 2009 Oregonian poll. With unemployment rates of nearly 12% and 2% of homeowners in mortgage default, households in Multnomah County are feeling the impacts of the recession in big and small ways. More public school students are homeless. More families are going without healthcare, even for serious medical conditions. Poverty is not a new concept in Multnomah County, but there are now more households new to poverty that may not know how to access support services and assistance.

Your input will inform how federal dollars are spent on programs addressing the impacts of our current recession for households in Multnomah County.

Where: Floyd Light Middle School: 10800 SE Washington St.
Date: Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Time: 6:00-8:00 pm
Trimet: Bus line 20 & Max Blue Line
Dinner will be provided. Childcare and translation are available upon request by calling (503) 823-2396 three days in advance of the hearing.

We are especially interested in your answers to these questions:
• What has been the impact of the recession on low-income households?
• What temporary strategies should the City support to counter these impacts?
• Has the recession had a greater impact on communities of color and immigrants?
• How can we expand access to economic opportunities for households in need?
• How are schools and public services affected?

Co-sponsored by: Housing and Community Development Committee along with the
Multnomah County Commission on Children, Families & Community

Neighborhood Small Grants

Posted on by

This is a great funding opportunity for neighbors with innovative projects – planting trees, shooting documentaries on neighborhood landmarks, spiffing up parks, creating community gardens, starting new neighborhood projects/programs with seed money, and so on. The money comes from the City and is distributed by the Northeast Coalition. From the NECN website: “the NE Coalition will be awarding $20,913 in grant funds for projects that build community, attract new and diverse members and sustain those already involved.” Last year, the King Neighborhood Association worked with Board Member Allyson Spencer to start The Blue Door Project, tidying up and replanting the yards of seniors and single-parent families in the King area. Do you have any innovative ideas? If so, you can go directly to the Coalition website to check out the Small Grants application, or you can come to the next King Neighborhood Association meeting (Wednesday, October 14th) to find partners/feedback for your project.

Small Grant website:

http://portland.necoalition.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=165&Itemid=89

Sharing Ideas: Grass-roots Projects

Posted on by

Sharing%20Ideas%20Panel%20PosterSharing Ideas:
Grass-roots projects started by neighbors.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2009 6:00pm-9:00pm
GRANT PARK CHURCH (2728 NE 34th Ave. Portland, OR 97212)

Come learn about inspiring projects from local organizers.
Hosted by Community Outreach of Our United Villages, a local community building non-profit.
Please let us know if you plan to attend by Thursday, September 24th to outreach@ourunitedvillages.org or 503.546.7499.
Free and open to all. Light meal provided. Child care, transportation, and interpretation upon request.

www.ourunitedvillages.org

Ask questions and learn from their experiences.
See possibilities for replicating projects in your own neighborhood.

Panel:

swap ‘n play: child-parent cooperative
maya angelou summer art camp: neighborhood youth event
ainsworth collective: neighborhood network
blue door: volunteer support for elders
ne tool lending library: neighborhood resource

New Development for Martin Luther King Jr Blvd Planned

Posted on by

MLK-SkidmoreThe North-Northeast Economic Development Alliance (NNEDA) and the Portland Family of Funds (PFF) invite local community members and other inner NE Portland stakeholders to the OAME conference room to review the redevelopment concept plans for the former Lutheran services facility site located on NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and NE Skidmore.

PFF is an investment firm that has participated in a dozen projects in Portland, including four in NE Portland: Vanport Square, Kings Crossing, Oregon Medical Clinic, and the Community Transition School. PFF utilizes numerous financing programs, including the New Markets Tax Credit program, to facilitate the development of community-based projects in distressed communities.
MLK-Skidmore2
NNEDA and PFF would like to offer local residents and stakeholders an early opportunity to review and comment on the schematic design plans for developing an education- and family housing-based project on the former Lutheran site at the corner of NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and NE Skidmore. Come hear from the project team about their vision for the site, and provide your feedback on their design plans for implementing that vision.

This project is intended to create an attractive and exciting private development that focuses on building community capacity through the co-location and collaboration of education, family housing and community services within a single facility.

Please join us on the evening of September 23rd to hear more about the plans for this project and to share your thoughts and suggestions for the concept and plans.

OAME Large Conference Room
4134 N Vancouver Avenue
September 23, 2009
6:00 to 9:00 PM
Light refreshments will be provided

You can also view the schematic design plans for the project and comment on them at http://www.portlandfunds.com/projects/albina.php. Or bring your questions and comments to the meeting on September 23rd. If you would like additional information prior to the meeting, contact Carl Talton at 503-546-2650 or carl@portlandfunds.com. We hope you will join us.

Sheila Holden and Carl Talton