Portland, OR. For the second year in a row, Project Lemonade is partnering with the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) in Multnomah County to host a Toys for Tots holiday shop experience for foster families in need.
Kids, like the young lady who selected the pink tennis shoes above, say the shopping experience makes them feel more confident.“These make me feel positive. Because they are pink which is my favorite color and because I picked them out myself.” That’s a comment from Madison who came to Project Lemonade store in the Lloyd Center
The nonprofit collected gifts for teens this holiday season, because teens have historically had a lower selection of gifts in the Toys for Tots shop. The nonprofit serves over 2,000 foster youth in OR and SW Washington annually through three programs: a store where foster youth can shop for free clothes, a paid internship for foster youth, and a WISH program. Oregon ranks third highest in the country per capita for the number of kids in care, with more than 11,000 foster children under the care of the Department of Human Services.
Interns Diamond, Travis, Paxton, and Erick present items that teens want in clothing styles.
Organizers use financial donations to buy new items then Foster Kids are invited to pick out what they’d like.
Many organizations helped stock the shelves this holiday season.
Moda Health employees bring in the donations they collected of new clothing, shoes, backpacks, toys, stuffed animals, and coats.
Here’s a video about the program:
From Project Lemonade:
Want to support our mission further? Consider a gift to our GiveGuide campaign to support our WISH, Internship and Year-Round Shopping programs to support youth through 2022! Supporters can still select items on theAmazon Teen Gift Wish List.
Our three programs, the Project Lemonade Store, Foster the Future Summer Internship, and WISH (What Inspire’s Student’s Hearts), provide foster youth a chance to Shop. Learn. Dream. With the odds against our foster children, let’s do what we can to turn lemons into lemonade.
Our three programs, the Project Lemonade Store, Foster the Future Summer Internship and WISH (What Inspire’s Student’s Hearts), provide foster youth a chance to Shop. Learn. Dream. With the odds against our foster children, let’s do what we can to turn lemons into lemonade.
According to government statistics, there are more than 440,000 youth in foster care in this country. Of those, 23,000 age out of the system, one-fifth are homeless and only three percent graduate from college. Throughout life, twenty-four percent never hold a job, and one-in-four experience post-traumatic stress disorder. Oregon ranks third highest in the country, with more than 11,000 foster children under the care of the Department of Human Services.
Six years ago, a group of caring and compassionate community members came together and created a pop-up store for foster youth to shop for free; they called it Project Lemonade. The goal was to send foster youth back to school with self-esteem and confidence, knowing they looked just like every other kid on the playground. In one month Project Lemonade served 1,000 kids. With community support, this pop-up became permanent, expanded its programs and reach, and now operates year-round from a retail store, and has served more than 14,000 foster youth in Oregon and beyond.
Portland, OR. The Oregon Jewish Community Foundation (OJCF) announced that David Forman has been named President and CEO of the organization, effective January 1, 2022. Forman was selected after a nationwide search. He currently sits on the OJCF Executive Committee.
Forman explained, “The Oregon Jewish Community Foundation aligns with my passion and my commitment to our community. After all my experience as a volunteer in our Jewish community, I now have the opportunity to have a hands-on experience to help write the next chapter of the foundation story and the community at large.”
Oregon Jewish Community Foundation named David Forman as President and CEO effective January 1, 2022
Founded in 1989, OJCF’s mission is to build and promote a culture of giving in Oregon and Southwest Washington to support a thriving Jewish community now and for generations to come. OJCF’s vision is a world in which all Jewish people practice tikkun olam, the Jewish concept of repairing or improving the world. The Foundation helps individuals and families achieve their heartfelt philanthropic goals through charitable giving. Last year the Foundation granted nearly $6.5 million to more than 400 organizations.
Forman brings more than 30 years of experience as an attorney to OJCF and is the Chair of the Corporate Finance and Transactions Practice Group as a partner at Tonkon Torp, LLP. He has served on the board of OJCF since 2014, joining the executive committee in 2018.
Forman succeeds the late Julie Diamond, who led the organization for more than ten years, and retired June 30 while battling cancer. She passed away in August.
“I am blessed to have had my predecessor be Julie Diamond. I am following someone who made an amazing difference, who made a huge contribution to this community. And, if I’m doing it right, I’m honoring Julie,” said Forman.
“Our board of directors is thrilled to introduce David Forman as our new CEO,” said Josh Frankel, Board Chair at OJCF. “After an extensive search, it was evident to our hiring committee that David was the best person to lead the Foundation and sustain and strengthen the legacy of long-time CEO, Julie Diamond. David’s goal is not to replace Julie as CEO but rather he aspires to help us write the next chapter for OJCF. David possesses the experience, qualifications and passion to grow OJCF into an even greater, more successful organization. We are kvelling over David as our new CEO.”
Leaders in the Jewish community of Portland and SW Washington enthusiastically welcome Forman in his new role as President and CEO of OJCF. “David Forman is a ‘community-first’ person. I experienced this firsthand when he was Chair of the Board of the Jewish Federation. I very much look forward to partnering with David in his new professional role within the Jewish community, and the opportunity for greater collaboration going forward,” said Marc Blattner, President and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland.
From: Oregon Jewish Community Foundation
Founded in 1989, OJCF’s mission is to build and promote a culture of giving in Oregon and Southwest Washington that supports a thriving Jewish community now and for generations to come.
OJCF’s vision is a world in which all Jewish people practice tikkun olam.
The Foundation helps individuals and families achieve their heartfelt philanthropic goals through the most tax-advantaged approaches to charitable giving. As the community’s partner in the region, OJCF provides sophisticated giving opportunities and exciting programs expressing the Jewish values of tzedakah (justice) and tikkun olam (repairing the world). Photo by Naim Hasan Photography
Portland, OR. Jeff Bezos’ Day 1 Families Fund is handing out over $96 million to nonprofits providing services to homeless families. 2021 recipients include 32 organizations in 21 states, including a nonprofit in the Portland area. Portland Homeless Family Solutions received $2.5 million. Last year, the nonprofit served 909 kids and their parents.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, right, and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee tour Mary’s Place Family Center, located in an Amazon building in Seattle. (Lucas Jackson Photo via Amazon)
Bezos, explained, “These grants will provide support including housing, food, clothing, and other resources to help families get back on their feet.”
The Amazon founder has given out $398 million to organizations in 38 states since launching the fund in 2018. The video below shows a few of the grantees.
The Day 1 Families Fund grantees include multiple California-based organizations and one from Washington:
$5 million for Building Changes and Africatown International, Seattle
Activists say the national homelessness crisis has grown significantly in recent years, and the greater Seattle area has large numbers of unsheltered residents. Some 11,751 people in Seattle and surrounding King County were experiencing homelessness during a 2020 survey. A study spanning 2016-2020 found that chronic homelessness had increased at an annual rate of 27% statewide and 42% in Seattle-King County.
From Day 1 Fund:
The Day 1 Academies Fund is a non-profit organization launching and operating a network of tuition-free, Montessori-inspired preschools in underserved communities. Directly operating the preschools creates an opportunity to learn, invent, and improve. The Fund uses the same set of principles that have driven Amazon.
Portland, OR. Groups small and large gathered to participate in Portland Backpack’s “Backpacking Around Portland” virtual event on November 10th. Portland Backpack provides weekend meal sacks to Portland Public Elementary School students who rely on free school meals. Board member Katherine Cole hosted a viewing party for 30 at Blockhouse. Daniela Caine, Megan Barnett, Holly Levow, Kat Simons, Christina Wang posed for a photo. (Photo credit, Jessica Lima.)
Bobby Barnett and Kaja Taft
Melissa Jacobs and Tessa Boucherot
Steve Spitznagel and Angie Bowen
Katherine Cole
From Portland Backpack:
We currently partner with ten Portland Public Schools: Cesar Chavez, Chief Joseph, Harrison Park, Lee, Lent, Martin Luther King Jr., Rigler, Rosa Parks, Scott, and Woodlawn. At each, there is a school staff person who coordinates our program. They make sure that their students who need food the most are included. They maintain the list of the kids, and weekly are responsible to distribute the food sacks classroom by classroom to be tucked into each kid’s backpack.
Portland, OR. Bank of America provided $1,481,114 in grants in 2021 to more than 60 nonprofits in the region. The funds support career development, housing security, food security, education, and services supporting economic mobility for individuals and families and more.
Portland Opportunities Industrialization Center, Rosemary Anderson High School (POIC + RAHS) and Bridge Meadows have been named as the 2021 Bank of America Neighborhood Builders® awardees for their work in the Portland area addressing the region’s issues around homelessness and systemic injustice. With this recognition, they will be able to scale up to help even more people through a multi-year grant from Bank of America.
As Neighborhood Builders, each organization receives a $200,000 grant, comprehensive leadership training for the executive director, and an emerging leader on topics ranging from increasing financial sustainability, human capital management, and strategic storytelling. They join a network of peer organizations across the U.S. and get the opportunity to access capital to expand their impact. The program continues to be the nation’s largest investment into nonprofit leadership development
“As communities continue to recover and navigate a changing landscape, nonprofits are still experiencing significant demands and are in need of resources to help meet critical local needs such as workforce development and affordable housing,” said Roger Hinshaw, President, Bank of America Oregon and Southwest Washington. “POIC + RAHS and Bridge Meadows are bridging important gaps for individuals and families to help them chart a path toward economic opportunity and stability. Programs like Neighborhood Builders helps these organizations grow sustainably and strategically for greater positive impact in our community.”
POIC + RAHS has served Portland for more than 50 years, assisting more than 3,000 historically underserved students, work trainees and families annually through alternative education, workforce development and family outreach. They also provide wraparound services, such as youth mentoring programs, leadership development, and career coaching for families impacted by the criminal justice system. The Neighborhood Builders grant will support their newest project, “The Kitchen.” It will become a culinary education training ground for the community, particularly communities of color, and will provide nutritious lunches to students at Rosemary Anderson High School, which currently purchases lunches from another school district.
“Our students are hungry. And not just for food. They crave leadership opportunities, genuine adult mentorship, safe outlets for creative expression, and pathways to meaningful, living-wage career options. At POIC + RAHS, we want to do more – we want to nourish them,” said CEO and President of POIC + RAHS, Joe McFerrin II. “More than standard school lunches, we want to provide nutrient-dense food made with love and offered with an invitation to heal – emotionally, physically. With help from Bank of America’s funding through the Neighborhood Builders’ grant, The Kitchen is where all of these opportunities come together – health, education, employment, community, camaraderie. The Kitchen is where real nourishment will start for our students, their families, and our shared community.”
For 10 years, Bridge Meadows has brought generations together to improve health and well-being through meaning, purpose, and belonging. Built around the concept of interdependence, Bridge Meadows’ affordable housing communities support 300 children who have experienced the foster care system, their adoptive families, and elders, who serve as mentors. Bridge Meadows provides safe, affordable housing and interrupts the cycles of poverty, instability, and isolation that weaken communities over generations. The organization hopes to double capacity over the next two years. The Neighborhood Builders grant will allow them to expand, hire staff, and can even help grow their current affordable housing communities.
“We are truly honored to be awarded the Neighborhood Builder Award by Bank of America,” said Dr. Derenda Schubert, Executive Director of Bridge Meadows. “Together we can ensure children, families, and elders live safe and abundant lives. This partnership ensures children, families and elders know they belong in the community and that their lives matter. Investment from Bank of America will significantly impact Bridge Meadows and catapult us from a local organization serving several communities in Oregon to a regional – and eventually national – organization capable of impacting countless lives across the region.”
From Bank of America:
Since 2004, Bank of America has invested more than $280 million in 50 communities through Neighborhood Builders, partnering with more than 1,400 nonprofits and helping more than 2,800 nonprofit leaders strengthen their leadership skills. Here in Portland and Southwest Washington, 27 nonprofits have been selected as a Neighborhood Builder, with the bank investing more than $5 million in these local organizations through the program since 2004.
Neighborhood Builders is just one example of how Bank of America deploys capital in communities, builds cross-sector partnerships, and promotes socioeconomic progress as part of its approach to responsible growth. So far in 2021, across Oregon and SW Washington, Bank of America has provided more than $1 million through grants and sponsorships to community partners to drive economic mobility through basic needs, jobs, community vitality & advancing racial equity. Some of the nonprofit organizations include:
· Adelante Mujeres
· Albertina Kerr Centers
· All Hands Raised
· Boys & Girls Club of Corvallis
· Boys & Girls Club of Portland Metropolitan Area
· Bridge Housing Corporation
· Central City Concern
· Clark Community College
· Clark County Food Bank
· Corporation for Supportive Housing
· Corvallis Neighborhood Housing Services
· Deschutes County Children’s Foundation
· Dress for Success Oregon
· Elderheart
· Friends of the Children Portland
· Girls Inc. of the Pacific Northwest
· Habitat for Humanity of Central Lane
· Habitat for Humanity of the Mid-Willamette Valley
· Habitat for Humanity Portland Metro East
· Heart of Oregon Corps
· Hispanic Metro Chamber of Commerce
· Impact NW
· Junior Achievement of Oregon and SW Washington
· Literary Arts
· Marion Polk Food Share
· Meals on Wheels People
· Metropolitan Affordable Housing Corporation
· Micro Enterprise Services of Oregon
· New Avenues for Youth
· Northwest Housing Alternatives
· Northwest Youth Corps
· Oregon Food Bank
· ReBuilding Center
· Portland Community College
· Project Lemonade
· Proud Ground
· Reach CDC
· Relief Nursery
· Schoolhouse Supplies
· SE Works
· Self Enhancement, Inc.
· SHARE
· Sheltercare
· Store to Door
· Sunshine Division Portland
· Virginia Garcia Memorial Foundation
· Volunteers in Medicine Clinic
· Youth Era
· YWCA Clark County
POIC + RAHS
Portland Opportunities Industrialization Center and Rosemary Anderson High School provides the highest quality services in alternative education, mentoring, family outreach, employment training, and placement. Serving the BIPOC community for more than 50 years, POIC + RAHS reconnects alienated at-risk youth and adults affected by poverty, family instability, and homelessness to education, career training, and culturally-specific wraparound programs, including services for families impacted by the criminal justice system. Its Strategic Partnerships are grounded in the mutual desires to provide equitable services to our communities and clients, shared core values, and a commitment to growth that strengthens the partnership. Learn more about POIC + RAHS at portlandoic.org and on social media.
Bridge Meadows
Bridge Meadows is a 501(c)(3) multi-generational housing community serving Oregon’s foster youth, adoptive parents and elders (55+). Its mission is to offer permanency in the lives of foster children by providing homes, supporting adoptive parents with resources and giving elders purpose in their daily lives. The nonprofit has three locations, including one that opened in North Portland in April 2011, one in Beaverton, opened in 2017 and one in Redmond, opened in 2021. Bridge Meadows will expand its housing model to communities across the state. For more information, please visit: www.bridgemeadows.org.
Bank of America
At Bank of America, we’re guided by a common purpose to help make financial lives better, through the power of every connection. We’re delivering on this through responsible growth with a focus on our environmental, social and governance (ESG) leadership. ESG is embedded across our eight lines of business and reflects how we help fuel the global economy, build trust and credibility, and represent a
company that people want to work for, invest in and do business with. It’s demonstrated in the inclusive and supportive workplace we create for our employees, the responsible products and services we offer our clients, and the impact we make around the world in helping local economies thrive. An important part of this work is forming strong partnerships with nonprofits and advocacy groups, such as community, consumer and environmental organizations, to bring together our collective networks and expertise to achieve greater impact. Learn more at about.bankofamerica.com, and connect with us on Twitter (@BofA_News).
NONPROFIT BENEFIT TICKET GIVEAWAYS!
Sign up for our free weekly highlights for the chance to win two tickets terrific nonprofit events! If you "like" us on facebook, or sign up for our weekly news highlights, you'll be entered to win! Sign up today!
Look for another ticket giveaway soon! Are you a nonprofit looking to bolster your publicity with facebook and tweets? Email us and we'll run a contest with tickets to your event! [email protected]
