Portland, OR. KGW anchor Drew Carney was the emcee for the annual Bridge Meadows Imagine gala this year. It was his seventh time hosting and he noted it was very different: no dinner, no crowd, and most importantly, the whole event was online. Over 500 people tuned in for the September 17th benefit, which also featured entertainment by Patrick Lamb. The event raised over $196,000 for the nonprofit’s intergenerational communities. Bridge Meadows leaders say the funds will help them expand across the state and region.
Derenda Schubert, Ph.D. Executive Director, Bridge Meadows spoke during the virtual gala.
Bridge Meadows works to promote health and well-being across three generations by providing permanent, adoptive homes for youth in foster care, supporting adoptive parents with resources and guidance, and helping elders retain meaning and purpose in their daily lives through positive social connection. The nonprofit has planned communities in several locations, including, Portland, Beaverton, and Redmond.
It has also joined forces with New Avenues for Youth to create New Meadows; an innovative housing community for transition-age foster youth.
For kids at Bridge Meadows, school is now in full swing, albeit virtually for most districts.
The Bridge Meadows program team and families are currently working together to support youth as they navigate distanced learning. Beaverton and North Portland communities are creating learning hubs to safely set aside community spaces for tutoring and schoolwork, creating new routines and strategies to adjust to the challenges of online schooling.
Bridge Meadows currently serves 56 youth, 21 parents and 63 elders. It is intentionally diverse in race, income and culture, with 78% of youth representing communities of color.
Here’s a video about Bridge Meadows:
From Bridge Meadows:
Bridge Meadows builds intentional intergenerational living communities that bring youth who have experienced foster care, their families, and elders together.
Youth enjoy stable homes. Parents receive support and guidance. Elders find the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of families and children. And we help create strength and self-reliance with family and community services that address each generation’s unique needs.
Portland, OR. Former President Barack Obama urges financially-able Americans to help those hit the hardest by COVID-19 by sharing the link to Charity Navigator’s Coronavirus relief list. It features highly-rated, trustworthy charities who have created funds to support communities around the world affected by the outbreak. This growing list of nonprofits includes nonprofits like DirectRelief, Children’s Hunger Fund, and Americares.
Obama tweeted, “The best part of my job was meeting people like this— ready to make a selfless act in a time of need. Many Americans are already making deep sacrifices to keep our communities healthy, but if you’re able to, consider helping those hit the hardest.”
Interested in funding response and recovery efforts for those affected and for responders? The Center for Disaster Philanthropy, a charity that has earned a 4-star Charity Navigator rating and is also a trusted philanthropic partner of Google, has a COVID-19 Response Fund. This fund allows donors to give now to support preparedness, containment, response and recovery activities.
Charity Navigator’s Chief Relationship Officer, Kevin Scally, shares that there was a 500% increase in dollars donated through Charity Navigator’s Giving Basket. “Thanks to awareness raised by Former President Barack Obama and other philanthropic leaders, we saw a 500% increase in the dollars donated to a wide spectrum of nonprofits in a year over year comparison of March 19 giving. This is a heartwarming indicator that, even in trying times, Americans band together to help those who help others.”
Charity Navigator analysts work throughout the year to research and rate thousands of nonprofit organizations and share the evaluations free of charge on CharityNavigator.org. Lists of highly-rated organizations are curated by Charity Navigator and published in response to crises as Hot Topics. Charity Navigator users direct millions of dollars of donations to organizations included on these lists which all must have a three- or four-star rating.
ABOUT CHARITY NAVIGATOR:
Charity Navigator is the world’s largest and most-utilized independent charity evaluator. The organization guides informed giving by evaluating the financial health, accountability, and transparency of charities and by providing data for about 1.7 million nonprofits, accessed more than 10 million times annually. Charity Navigator does not charge the organizations it evaluates, ensuring unbiased evaluations, nor does it charge the public for this trusted data. As a result, Charity Navigator, a 501(c)(3) public charity itself, depends on support from individuals, corporations, and foundations that believe it provides a much-needed service to America’s charitable givers.
A lifestyle story: Portland, OR. Private jet rentals in the Portland area are becoming more popular during the pandemic as people look for alternatives to commercial flying. Not everyone owns their own jet, or “P.J.,” as they’re called. As a result, according to Forbes Magazine, the number of jet rentals across the country is taking off. A spokeswoman for NetJets, a private-jet rental company, says inquiries for flights shot up from the previous year, and have only continued to grow as the pandemic has stretched on. During the pandemic, calls to NetJets have been up over 60% from the previous year.
For those who don’t want to be in America, a recent report found that the superrich are paying as much as $2.6 million for international citizenships, then zipping out to said country on their private jets.
Part of the boom in private jet travel could also the lower price as jet fuel has hit rock bottom. Additionally, the CARES act suspended a 7.5% federal excise tax or FET on air transportation through January 2021. For consumers, this means private jet travel is about 15% – 20% less than normal.
EvoJets is one of the companies which offers service in the Portland area. It flies out of PDX, Hillsboro, Troutdale, and the downtown Portland heliport which is located in northwest Portland, not far from the Steel Bridge. Popular destinations are Vail, New York, Aspen, Bend, and many other locations.
The cost to charter a private jet can range widely in price, based on flight time and the type of aircraft.
Some trips are more affordable, with a cost per seat just slightly more than some first-class tickets.
Breaking down the different ways to jet:
Approximate starting cost
What it actually means
Approximately $3 million upfront (depending on the jet, of course) plus additional maintenance, staff, and regulation costs
Full ownership gives you total control over your jet setting experience. You have access to the jet at any time, typically use the same staff and pilot, and can even rent your jet to other travelers as an investment income stream.
$500,000 upfront plus fixed management and maintenance fees
You’re essentially paying for a share of a plane, rather than an entire jet, not unlike a timeshare. How much equity you purchase in a specific jet often dictates the number of hours you can fly in it.
Depending on the trip and the type of jet, costs hover between $4,000 (shorter trip, midsize jet) to $13,000 (longer trip, large jet)
Chartering means paying as you go, and essentially means booking a one-off every time you jet.
Here a list of Private jet companies compiled by Departures Magazine:
NetJets
A leader in the private aviation industry, NetJets offers fractional ownership programs, which offers travelers the luxury of an aircraft all to themselves, and the ease of near-instantaneous access to a jet. The fleet is comprised of some of the best jets in the business, from the Cessna Citation Latitude and Longitude to the 14-passenger Bombardier Global 6000. They often run partnerships with coveted seasonal destinations (like Cape Cod or Walt Disney World Resort in the summer) and every one of their flights is pet-friendly.
Wheels Up
Wheels Up has a charter marketplace where you can book your next flight through their app or website, with the option to instant book select jets. Core, connect, or business members also have access to members-only jets, including the King Air 350i. The eight-person jet has unprecedented noise cancellation technology and the ability to many lands closer to your destination because of the King Air 350i’s short-field capabilities.
PrivateFly
PrivateFly can jet you to almost any airport around the globe, and provides 24/7 access to a team of experts who can help you find the right jet for any scenario. They make it easy on travelers with top routes to choose from, like New York to Miami, New York to Los Angeles, London to Paris, and more.
Central Jets
Central Jets is working to shake up the private aviation industry, because they’re the first company to allow users to charter jets directly from owners. They’re essentially eliminating the middleman, which seriously reduces fees. And Central Jets offers 24/7 concierge service and up to 50% off flights to those paying €199 to use their platform.
VistaJet
VistaJet owns over 70 large cabin Challenger and Global private jets, and their passengers have flown to 1,900 airports all over the world since their launch in 2004. VistaJet has most recently launched The VistaJet Wine Program, the first global in-air vino program, and VistaPet, designed for passengers who want their four-legged family members to travel in style, too.
Flexjet
Flexjet offers a multitude of flight options, from jet leases to fractional jet ownership. Fractional owners can be on their jet a mere 10 hours after calling for one, and jet card holders can secure one in 24 hours.
Forbes magazine explored the phenomenon of more private jet trips and came up with the following conclusions:
“We’ve seen a massive surge in inbound request and new customer acquisition,” in the last 90 days, said Magellan Jets’ President, Anthony Tivnan. The private jet and charter company reported a 117% increase in customer acquisition for June.
“There are about 8.2 million households in the US with a net worth of two million or more. The majority of them weren’t flying private before,” said Tivnan. “We are seeing a huge shift in that narrative now it is a health and safety concern.”
With some commercial carriers are refusing to close off middle seats, many people who would typically fly passenger airlines are just not interested. In addition, flying private gives customers more control over their entire trip – from avoiding TSA lines to waiting in line for check-in. Chartered aircraft are estimated to have 30 times lower risk for Covid-19, according to GlobeAir.
Instead of ferrying business travelers or offering charters for milestone events like a birthday or football game, private jets are ferrying people to domestic destinations in the United States.
Monarch Air Group, a private jet charter provider, saw an increase in demand based on the total number of booked flights, which rose 125 percent year-over-year; compared to June 2019. And 52% of their secured charter contracts from June 2020 were from new business.
“We used to see New York to the Hamptons, now we see Florida to the Hamptons,” said David Gitman, President of Monarch Air Group. “People who wouldn’t normally charter are chartering.”
Magellan also reported an increase in flights to second-home destinations like Jackson Hole, Boseman, Aspen, the Carolinas or Savannah.
“Last year we would have the vast majority of trips going to Italy or southern France. We just don’t see that,” said Gitman. “We see a lot of people traveling to their second home…These are people who would usually travel commercial. So either there is no flight or they are in a risk category.”
As commercial airlines limit their flights, private is also becoming an easier way to get between locations. “It is not just getting on a direct three-hour flight anymore, now you are talking about a whole day of travel. Two or three congested airports,” said Gitman.
“When you think of the airlines, it is a bigger issue than just the experience on the flight,” said Gitman. “Right now it’s impossible to practice social distancing on a plane. The airlines have to figure that out.”
Seattle, OR. Boeing announced $700,000 in grants from the Boeing Charitable Trust to help local communities with the ongoing humanitarian and environmental crisis caused by wildfires burning along the West Coast. Boeing is providing $500,000 to the American Red Cross to support its fire relief efforts in Washington, Oregon and California. Above, American Red Cross volunteer Kalen Pippins, helps to get meals ready to deliver to evacuees from the Oregon wildfires who are staying in hotel shelters in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Scott Dalton/American Red Cross)
“On behalf of Boeing employees across the globe, we extend our heartfelt sympathies to all those impacted by the West Coast wildfires,” said Boeing President and CEO David Calhoun. “As these wildfires have ravaged the Western United States, the American Red Cross has stepped up to answer the call at this critical moment of need, and we are happy to support them in their critical work. Through our partnership with the Red Cross, we will help bring recovery and relief efforts to those who have been displaced – and whose lives have been impacted – by these destructive fires.”
American Red Cross volunteers deliver meals to evacuees at a hotel that is being used by the American Red Cross as a shelter in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Scott Dalton/American Red Cross)
Sifters are loaded into a truck that will deliver them to families affected by the wildfires in Silverton, Oregon. Sifters will be used to salvage items remaining at burned homes. (Photo by Scott Dalton/American Red Cross)
Additionally, Boeing is donating $200,000 to provide food assistance in these states where significant numbers of the company’s employees live and work. $100,000 is being given to Northwest Harvest in Washington, and $50,000 apiece to the Oregon Food Bank and Redwood Empire Food Bank in California.
“Thousands of our families, friends and neighbors have been displaced around the west,” said Stan Deal, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes and the company’s senior executive in the region. “We are committed to helping them through this exceptionally challenging time.”
Boeing’s grant to the Red Cross will provide shelter, food and essentials for those who have been displaced from their homes due to the wildfires. These funds will also assist in the ongoing evacuation and aid delivery response in impacted communities.
“The Red Cross is working around the clock to help hundreds of thousands of people forced to evacuate from their homes due to the California, Oregon and Washington wildfires. We have taken extra safety precautions due to the pandemic to ensure people feel safe as we support the communities impacted by the wildfires,” said Don Herring, chief development officer at the American Red Cross. “We are extremely grateful for Boeing’s support, which allows us to provide shelter, food and comfort to help people in need.”
Consistent with Boeing employee gift match programs, the company will also match qualifying employee contributions made to eligible nonprofits for wildfire relief efforts.
Game-changing innovation will always be at the heart of Boeing. And just as our business has evolved to meet the challenges of a global marketplace, so has our approach to community engagement.
Through purposeful investments, employee engagement and thoughtful advocacy efforts, Boeing and its employees support innovative partnerships and programs that align with our strategic objectives, create value and help build better communities worldwide. This includes improving access to globally competitive learning as well as workforce and skills development and supporting our military and veteran communities.
See how Boeing and its employees give their time, talent and resources in communities around the world.
Portland, OR. Supporters gathered virtually to support Albertina Kerr’s life-saving Children’s Mental Health Services during the 24 Hours of Kerr virtual gala. The community raised more than $400,000 to serve children, teens, and their families in crisis.
Kerr leaders say, “During this historic time, so many kids and families are struggling. From the fear of an invisible illness, the fight for racial justice, and raging wildfires to social isolation and remote learning. For some kids, this new reality is unbearable, worsening their symptoms of anxiety, depression, and suicide ideation.”
The virtual gala on September 12th was co-hosted by Kerr’s CEO Jeff Carr and Kerr Ambassador Johnna Wells. Evening highlights included: client and family stories, watch-to-win prizes, the culmination of an online auction, and the announcement of the winner of the Golden Ticket ultimate beach getaway. (photo credit, Raise Agent)
Kerr Board Member David Wilson and his mother, Deanne Foster shared their inspiring Kerr story.
Marsha Buono, a Kerr volunteer for 39 years, remarks on what makes Kerr special.
Amy Laing, along with other Kerr families, clients and staff, shared their magic moments.
According to Albertina Kerr, last year, over 600 youth (5-17 years) facing a mental health crisis received life-saving care from Kerr’s dedicated team of mental health professionals. “These unsung heroes help children, teens, and their families survive and thrive. Now, more than ever, we need to ensure youth facing a mental health crisis have access to Kerr’s vital mental health services. Support of Kerr’s short-term crisis care and community-based outpatient services will help expand this essential, life-saving care to serve more children and teens in the coming year and beyond.”
Since 1907, Albertina Kerr has been caring for Oregon’s most vulnerable citizens. Today, empowers people experiencing intellectual and/or developmental (I/DD), mental health challenges, and other social barriers to lead self-determined lives and reach their full potential. Learn more at: AlbertinaKerr.org
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