Category Archives: community resource

King Farmers Market Supplements Food Stamps

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Photo by: Kenneth Aaron

Photo by: Kenneth Aaron

Via the Skanner:

Program Boosts Food Stamps at King Farmers Market
http://www.theskanner.com/index.php?action=artd&artid=9586

The recently opened King Farmers Market is now giving Oregon Food Stamp recipients an extra boost. With the help of the Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods, the Portland Farmers Market and the Alberta Food Co-Op, the Foodshare Fund Northeast will give users of Food Stamps an extra $5 at the King Farmers Market.
The market is open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sundays until October 25th near the intersection of NE 7th Avenue and Wygant Street.

Each Portland Farmers Market accepts EBT transactions. Recipients of Food Stamps merely need to convert their EBT credits into EBT tokens at the market’s information booth. The tokens can only be used for fruits, vegetables, meats, fish, poultry, dairy and seeds and plants intended for growing food. They can’t be used for pre-made or hot foods.
The fund began with a $3,000 grant from Alberta Co-op Grocery and a matching donations from the Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods and the King Farmers Market Advisory Council. With future donations, organizers are hoping to expand the program by giving additional food credits to people in need.

Contributions can be mailed to 4815 NE 7th Ave. Portland, OR 97211 or online at http://www.necoalition.org.

Groundwork Portland Turns One

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Groundwork PortlandGroundwork Portland: everyone has a right to a livable community

Almost four years ago, Kevin Odell of OPAL, Clark Henry of the City of Portland Brownfield Program, Connie Ashbrook of Oregon Tradeswomen, Inc, Will Newman of Oregon Sustainable Agriculture Landtrust, Jeff Berbetsky of Restorical Research, and Joice Taylor of North/Northeast Business Association bonded over a dream of bringing much-needed resources to Portland neighborhoods overwhelmingly- and unjustly-burdened by urban pollutants, a lack of investment in community-centered development, and the pressures of gentrification.

One year ago, in September of 2008, Groundwork Portland opened its doors to organize low-income communities, communities of color, and youth around vacant land in their neighborhoods, plan for its redevelopment, and access the resources necessary to transform eyesores into community assets like community centers, community gardens, locally-owned businesses, and parks.

Over the past year, Groundwork Portland has been proud to collaborate with many different organizations and communities.

In the spring, Groundwork Portland launched Our Portland, a community-centered engagement program with seniors at Mt. Scott Learning Center to evaluate environmental justice issues in the Foster-Powell Neighborhood. The seniors joined community leaders on tours in their neighborhood to learn about environmental justice issues like brownfields, urban renewal, and gentrification. The program ended with Intersections, the art show they put on in their high school to showcase their photographic explorations of these issues.

While engaging the students in a conversation about environmental justice issues in their neighborhood, Groundwork Portland helped the school take on a project in their own backyard. Volunteers of Groundwork Portland coordinated the transformation of Mt. Scott Learning Center’s parking lot into a lush garden, basketball court, and outdoor lunch area. Over the course of three work days, more than 200 volunteers from the community pitched in to take out parking spaces, plant, paint, and otherwise spiff up this small charter school.

Last winter, Groundwork Portland joined forces with OSALT to begin the cleanup and creation of Emerson Street Garden. This summer, more than 65 kids from the Blazers Boys and Girls Club were the first to get their hands dirty, with a small container garden lush with all the fixings for salsa.

Over the coming year, Groundwork Portland and OSALT will hold garden planning sessions so everyone can chime in about what they want to grow. GeoEngineers, the local engineering firm that’s donating all necessary remediation services, will continue testing and remediation plans to ensure that the garden is safe enough for everyone to enjoy.

In addition, Groundwork Portland helped more than 50 community organizations like churches, schools, and community-centered nonprofits answer questions and access resources they needed for their own work to transform eyesores into assets. We offer a wide range of support to our partners, from research to joint grant applications. Contact Groundwork Portland for a copy of our “What’s in Your Garden?” brochure to help you evaluate the safety of your garden project, or to get more information about partnering with Groundwork Portland.

This has been a wonderful year for Groundwork Portland, and for me, so it is with no little sadness that I say goodbye to all of you. Today is my last day with Groundwork Portland. It has been wonderful working with you. The energy you bring to community-based projects is inspiring; I can’t wait to see what you accomplish next. Feel free to email me and tell me all about it.

Andrea Hamberg
Program Manager
—
Groundwork Portland: because everyone has a right to a livable community
2407 SE 49th Ave
Portland, OR 97206
503-467-4567
info@groundworkportland.org
www.groundworkportland.org

Backpack Drive and 8/29 Taking it to the Streets 2009- Dawson Park Event

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As you’re gearing up to do your back-to-school shopping with your kids, please consider picking up a back-pack or other school supplies for the Backpack Drive that will give a much needed backpack and school supplies to youth in our neighborhoods.

Emmanuel Community Services and Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods are partnering on a Backpack Drive and “Taking it to the Streets 2009” Event to support neighbors in need. We’ll be collecting backpacks (new and slightly used) and a variety of school supplies to give away to kids and families in our neighborhoods! The give-away event will be on Saturday, August 29th. There will also be food and games for the kids as well.

You can drop-off backpacks and school supplies at our office at 4815 NE 7th Avenue, from now until Friday, August 28th. If you have any questions, feel free to call anytime!

http://kingneighborhood.org/Reference_Files/Backpack_pc.pdf

Lauren

Lauren McCartney
Neighborhood Association Outreach Coordinator
Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods
4815 NE 7th Avenue
Portland, OR 97211
P: 503-823-4135
F: 503-823-3150
E: lauren@necoalition.org
www.necoalition.org

Graffiti Abatement Funds to be Cut

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Currently the draft City of Portland budget included a 50% cut in funds to the graffiti abatement program. This loss of funds will put an end to free removal services to homeowners and small businesses. Already, the Abandoned Auto Hotline was saved from elimination due to public pressure on city council.

You are encouraged to submit your support for Graffiti Abatement to all of our city commissioners via phone, email or writing by the end of May. There will be a community budget forum on Thursday, May 21, 6:30-8:30, Mt. Tabor Middle School, 5800 SE Ash St.
Bus Routes: 20, 71, 15

You may also testify online @ www.portlandonline.com/communitybudget

Sam Adams, Mayor
Commissioner of Finance and Administration
City Hall @ 1221 SW 4th Avenue, Room 340, 97204
Phone: (503)823-4120
E-mail: Samadams@ci.portland.or.us

Amanda Fritz
Commissioner of Public Utilities, Position Number 1
City Hall @ 1221 SW 4th Avenue, Room 220, 97204
Phone: (503)823-3008
E-mail: amanda@ci.portland.or.us

Nick Fish
Commissioner of Public Works, Position Number 2
City Hall @ 1221 SW 4th Ave, Room 240, 97204
(503) 823-3589
e-mail: Nick@ci.portland.or.us

Randy Leonard
Commissioner of Public Safety, Position Number 4
City Hall @ 1221 SW 4th Avenue, Room 210, 97204
Phone: (503)823-4682
E-mail: randy@ci.portland.or.us

Dan Saltzman
Commissioner of Public Affairs, Position Number 3
City Hall @ 1221 SW 4th Avenue, Room 230, 97204
Phone: (503)823-4151
E-mail: dsaltzman@ci.portland.or.us

Indoor Playspace and Coop for N.E.

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There is growing interest in establishing a family swap shop and play space in NE Portland modeled after the Sunnyside Swap Shop Co-op and Swap N Play in St Johns. The co-op would provide member families a year round indoor play space where they could develop community with other families. The swap shop would allow them to exchange goods that they are no longer using (clothing, toys, books, equipment, etc) for items that they may need. This is a wonderful way to reduce the costs of raising children and reduce a family’s carbon footprint at the same time by extending the life of consumer goods. To join, families will pay a small monthly membership fee, which goes towards operating costs, and volunteer for a co-op job, such as cleaning a dirty toy bin a couple of times a month. The co-op can develop and grow according to members needs and interests. If you are interested in becoming involved in this project or following our progress, please join the following yahoo group.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NE_Ptld_family_swap_shop/