Portland, OR. Human Solutions raised awareness of family homelessness and the need for more affordable housing at its 2nd annual Inspire Dinner on October 27th at the Portland Marriott City Center. The event generated $43,500 to support Human Solutions’ programs and services to alleviate poverty and homelessness in East Multnomah County. Inspire Dinner emcee Jo Ann Hardesty, who is also on the Human Solutions Board of Directors, shared a joke with Kakieba Taylor, the evening’s participant speaker. Kakieba Taylor is a Human Solutions program participant who was homeless with her four children before receiving assistance to move into one of the agency’s 720 units of affordable housing in East Multnomah County. (Photo credit, Andie Petkus)
Multnomah County Chair Deborah Kafoury, pictured with Human Solutions’ Executive Director Andy Miller, was a special guest at the agency’s 2016 Inspire Dinner.
Bank of America Merrill Lynch was the presenting sponsor of Human Solutions’ 2016 Inspire Dinner. Jan Laskey, Senior Vice President of NW Community Development Banking for Bank of America Merrill Lynch, welcomed the crowd and presented Human Solutions with a $7,500 grant for the Homeless Families Program at the event.
Human Solutions Board Member Jo Ann Hardesty and Board President Carla Piluso at the Inspire Dinner. Jo Ann is also president of the local NAACP chapter, and Carla is state representative for House District 50, which includes south Gresham and a small portion of SE Portland. Both are also active in various other community causes.
Guests learned about trauma-informed care (TIC) from Mandy Davis, PhD, LCSW, who co-directs Trauma Informed Oregon. TIC recognizes the adverse impact of trauma on children and families, and is an integral part of the social service model at Human Solutions.
About Human Solutions
Human Solutions focuses on helping homeless and low-income families in East Multnomah County gain stability through safe housing, family support, job readiness programs, and economic opportunities. The agency works not only to remedy the symptoms of poverty, but also to creatively address its root causes by giving families the tools they need to thrive. Human Solutions is the largest nonprofit affordable housing developer and operator in its 245-mile East Portland/East Multnomah County service area, with 18 low-income apartment complexes featuring 720 units of permanently affordable housing. The new Human Solutions Family Center at 160th and Stark in Portland provides the only emergency shelter for families experiencing homelessness that is open 24/7, 365 days per year. The agency offers utility assistance to prevent homelessness and operates five employment programs to help individuals with significant barriers to employment find living wage jobs and/or improve their job skills to increase their household incomes. For more information, visit www.humansolutions.org.
Portland, OR. The Edwards Center 10th Annual Luncheon on October 6th raised $195,000.00 for programs and services for adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities. The “Find One Hundred Ways” luncheon at the Multnomah Athletic Club featured Portland’s own contemporary jazz pianist, Tom Grant who posed for a photo with Jessica Leitner and Jean Edwards. Tom Grant became involved with Edwards Center because of his own special interest in services provided to people with developmental disabilities. Dirk Fournier of the Fournier Group was the Master of Ceremonies and was the presenting sponsor at the event. (Photo credit, Andie Petkus)
Tom Grant’s music is the inspiration for this positive and creative video.
From The Edwards Center:
We believe that people with Down syndrome, autism, cerebral palsy, and other developmental disabilities have tremendous potential. That’s why we’ve created a lifelong plan of services to provide our participants with homes, jobs, and a chance to participate in the world around them. Since 1972 we’ve worked with our clients, their families, and their friends to ensure that adults with developmental disabilities have the opportunity to live and thrive in Oregon.
Portland, OR. Celebrate The Fever was the theme as the Portland Rose Festival made Foundation history by raising more than $157,000 at its annual dinner and auction. 300 guests including Cathe West, Sonja Mallars, Vicky Rice, and Karen Bailey boogied to the music in Montgomery Park at the disco themed benefit. They snapped up items like trips to London and Mexico and walls of wine. Tony Starlight started the crowd going with a rendition of “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing.” The audience was feeling the fever at the October 14th event as auctioneer Patrick Siver guided the bidding into a record night for funding Rose Festival award winning events and programming.
Tony Starlight opening the Rose Festival Disco & Roses Auction
Royal Rosarian table bidding up.
Living History Actor Adeena Wade, Rose Festival Clown Prince Angel Ocasio and Portland Business Alliance 2016 ‘A Place With No Ceiling’ Award recipient Marilyn Clint.
About the Rose Festival:
For one hundred years, the Portland Rose Festival has served families and individuals from Oregon and beyond with events and programs that spotlight the riches of our Pacific Northwest heritage and environment while offering colorful examples of many international cultures. Attended by more than two million people, the festival is annually one of the top three most highly decorated events by the International Festivals & Events Association (IFEA) and in 2007 was named Best Festival in the World. Among the festival’s most popular events are the Grand Floral Parade, one of the nation’s top two all-floral parades, and the WaMu Waterfront Village, which features the Best Children’sProgramming in the World, according to the IFEA.
Portland, OR. The Basic Rights Oregon “Ignite” gala raised over $303,000 to support of the work of equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer Oregonians. The benefit at The Loft on SE 8th featured dancing at a Halloween-themed costume ball. (Photo credit, Andie Petkus)
Co-Executive Director Nancy Haque, Governor Kate Brown, former Co-Executive Director Jeana Frazzini, and Co-Director Amy Herzfeld-Copple pose for a photo
Early board Chair Frank Dixon, longtime donor Terry Bean, founding boardmember Harriet Merrick, and first Executive Director Julie Davis pose for photos prior to the dinner
Presenting Sponsor Michael Smira of Smira Group of John L. Scott Realty supporting LGBTQ equality at the Ignite dinner
Supporters Val Salorzano and Kelly Stafford enjoying the Ignite dinner and raising money for LGBTQ equality.
Basic Rights Oregon will ensure that all lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer Oregonians experience equality by building a broad and inclusive politically powerful movement, shifting public opinion, and achieving policy victories. Basic Rights Oregon is a member of the Equality Federation.
Our Vision
Basic Rights Oregon works fearlessly and tirelessly to build a strong, vibrant, powerful and progressive movement for LGBTQ equality. We understand that LGBTQ Oregonians exist in every community, and that we have to engage in strategic and values-based coalitions to address the many needs of our communities. As such, building alliances with progressive groups that advocate for working families, racial justice, immigrant rights, reproductive justice, and campaign reform will be essential to win policies that meet the varied needs of our diverse community.We recognize that within our LGBTQ communities, many of us experience both privilege and oppression on a daily basis. We know that despite leading the nation in statewide legal protections, LGBTQ Oregonians are far from full legal equality. Our vision is to be a leader in political and policy work that centers the needs of four critically important communities:
LGBTQ people of color, including LGBTQ immigrants & refugees of color, who bear the brunt of homophobia, transphobia, racism, and xenophobia.
Trans, genderqueer and gender nonconforming people, who face astonishing rates of violence and discrimination, and whose basic rights are far from secure.
LGBTQ youth, who face high rates of homelessness, bullying and suicide, and who are present and future leaders for LGBTQ equality and social justice.
LGBTQ people beyond the Portland Metro area, who are often isolated, whose needs are distinct from those in Portland, and who face unique barriers to reach the promise of true lived equality.
Portland,OR. The benefits of innovation and the future of science in Oregon were themes at ARCS Foundation Oregon’s Scholar Awards Luncheon “Recognizing Genius” which drew over 400 guests. 67 PhD scholars were on hand, many of whom presented posters of their research. Dr. Joe Robertson, president of Oregon Health and Sciences University; Joan Foley, president of ARCS Foundation Oregon; Michael Schill, president of University of Oregon, and Dr. Ed Ray, president of Oregon State University were on hand at the Portland Art Museum luncheon on October 18th.
ARCS Foundation Oregon provides monetary awards to outstanding PhD students in the fields of science, engineering, and medical research at OSU, OHSU and UO. The organization presented awards totaling over $400,000 to the scholars. Keynote speaker Dr. Jose Reyes of NuScale Power and ARCS alum Kevin Watanabe-Smith spoke about their research and innovation. The event was chaired by Aletha Anderson and Julie Branford, and raised over $100,000. (Photo credit, Andie Petkus)
Barbara Wagner, ARCS member listening to Nathan Yoder, PhD scholar at Oregon Health Sciences University, present his research.
Barbara Silver, ARCS Foundation Oregon member and donor; Matthew Slattery, PhD student Oregon State University; Bryce Penta, PhD student Oregon State University; Phil Silver, ARCS Foundation Oregon donor.
Lee Peterson, ARCS Foundation Oregon donor; Mrs. Doh, Julia Doh, PhD scholar Oregon Health Sciences University; Adrianne Peterson, ARCS foundation Oregon member and donor.
ARCS Foundation Oregon supports and nurtures young American women and men in doctoral programs at Oregon Health & Science University, Oregon State University and the University of Oregon to take on the science challenges of today and tomorrow. Oregonians are, by nature, pioneering and tenacious, looking for new ideas and ways of improving our lives. More than 100 women in ARCS Foundation Oregon are drawn to the bright light generated by the brilliant students we are helping to attract to Oregon.
ARCS Foundation Oregon is one of 16 ARCS Foundation Chapters nationwide, operating independently under the umbrella of ARCS Foundation National. The Oregon Chapter incorporated in 2004 and since then has awarded more than 175 scholar awards totalling $2.8 million.
Oregon is a land of lush landscapes, environmental conscientiousness, out-of-the-box thinking and fanatical foodies that spawns a welcoming populace, great neighborhoods, community activism and gargantuan local pride. The Oregon Chapter is an organization of generous friends fiercely determined to stimulate our intellectual curiosity. We do that while advocating for groundbreaking discoveries and for placing American scientists at the forefront of their fields.
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