Portland, OR. Bybee Lakes Hope Center (BLHC) announced the grand opening of its newly renovated space in North Portland. The BLHC expansion doubles the bed capacity and adds new services to continue the center’s mission of providing support to people experiencing houselessness in the Portland metro area. The expansion includes new dorms and wraparound services for participants, including families and members of the LGBTQIA+ community. With the renovation, BLHC can now house and support 318 people at time, up to 4,700 participants per year, in a trauma-informed, data-driven, person-centered manner. This includes crisis management, case management, resource navigation and a customized Individual Reentry Plan based on each participant’s unique story and lived experience.
Donor Jordan Schnitzer sees the center as a long-term solution and possibly a model for other communities.
Along with its increased bed capacity, Bybee Lakes Hope Center at the Jordan Schnitzer Campus now offers a new dorm for LGBTQIA+ participants, who are at a higher risk of experiencing houselessness as youth and adults, and a professional kitchen with vocational training to help participants with employment opportunities. Below are some photos of the newly renovated spaces.
Future plans include:
On-site dog kennel and dog run with volunteer veterinarian services
Raised bed gardens and increased educational opportunities in their three-acre therapeutic garden with orchard and exercise paths
Two playground/play areas for children and families
Daycare and preschool services for working parents
Medical, dental, mental and behavioral health care
Nutrition education classes to teach cooking skills including how to cook for healthy living
“Bybee Lakes Hope Center’s individualized model for transitional housing has proven to be successful, and is an example that could be applied nationwide,” said Alan Evans, founder and CEO of Helping Hands, who was homeless for over 25 years. “We’re helping people get off the streets and out of an unsafe environment, and giving them the support they need to be successful after they transition out of the center.”
The expansion was made possible with contributions from many local donors and organizations, including a $1.2 million donation from United Way of the Columbia-Willamette (UWCW).
“We were very fortunate to be in a position to make this substantial grant, to support the final transformation of this facility which can now serve so many more in our community,” said Cindy Adams, president and CEO of UWCW. “UWCW is committed to housing stability, a key contributor to health, employment and education outcomes. Providing safe and stable housing for people in need is one tenet of our Resilient Families focus.”
About Bybee Lakes Hope Center:
Bybee Lakes Hope Center (BLHC) is a transitional housing facility in the Portland Metro area led by Alan Evans, who was homeless for over 25 years. BLHC opened in 2020 after local philanthropist, Jordan Schnitzer, donated the land to Helping Hands Reentry Outreach Centers. For more information, please visit: https://helpinghandsreentry.org/bybee-lakes-hope-center.
About United Way:
For more than one hundred years, United Way of the Columbia-Willamette has been working to meet the needs of vulnerable families. No matter the crisis, we have always remained steadfast to our commitment to LIVE UNITED. Together, we are helping our community recover and become more resilient, while building a more inclusive and equitable region where all families have the resources and opportunities to thrive. For more information and to get involved, please visit www.unitedway-pdx.org.
Beaverton, OR. Assistance League fans are all smiles over their recent fundraising campaign. A week-long online auction and fund drive, launched on March 27th, raised over $48,000. Organizers say they’re still taking donations.
Accustomed to holding a spring fashion show and luncheon, Assistance League of Greater Portland made a successful mid-pandemic pivot with a smart virtual event in 2021 and geared up to do it again with its “No Fooling” theme. Assistance League is working to surpass the $80,000 raised last year and before the event had already raised $21,500 in pledged in matching funds.
The online auction featured shoes signed by the Portland Trail Blazer’s Damien Lillard. The auction also included Portland Thorns’s Emily Menges, a Portland Timbers team signed ball, vacation packages, gift baskets, and more.
The fundraiser was built on last year’s success, and featured videos of local personality Poison Waters (aka Kevin Cook), who as the drag queen has emceed the event for over ten years.
Recently Cook wrote in an email interview, “I feel like I’ve been part of the family forever.” What’s so special about Assistance League? Cook replied, “ I grew up in a very low-income family and know firsthand what it’s like to not have the basics needed to succeed in school. Operation School Bell [Assistance League’s program for disadvantaged kids] is amazing!”
The Assistance League Thrift and Consignment Shop (and its offices) are located at 4000 SW 117th Avenue in Beaverton. The shop is currently open Thursdays and Saturdays, noon to 4 pm.
From Assistance League of Greater Portland:
All donations remain in the local community, helping to fund the organization’s four programs: Operation School Bell® provides new clothes to boost the self-esteem of kids in need; organized activities are offered to youth at Cordero Residential Treatment House; Assault Survivor Kits® provides comfortable, fresh clothing to survivors leaving emergency care; and Assistance League’s newest program, Scholarships in the Trades, provides funds for tools, books, and tuition for students in Portland Community College’s trades programs. Donations to Assistance League’s No Fooling fundraiser can be made online at https://portland.assistanceleague.org, or by mail.
For more information visit https://portland.assistanceleague.org. Business supporters include O’Donnell Law Firm, LLC, Franz Bakery Foundation, NW Natural, OnPoint Community Credit Union and Albina Co., Inc.
Portland, OR. After a two-year absence from their Waterfront Park offices, Rose Festival officials, including Rose Festival CEO Jeff Curtis, are opening up their boarded-up offices on SW Natio Parkway.
The windows looking out on Waterfront park have been covered since March 2020.
Rose Festival staff members have been splitting time between working from home and working out of the office since the pandemic closed up downtown Portland in 2020, but with the Festival on track for a full return this spring, staff members are eager to get the team back together planning a ‘Rose City Reunion’ with three big parades and CityFair at Waterfront Park.
The Rose Festival Court is also complete with the Princesses for 2022. The Court was announced between February 28 and March 18.
Official say, “Congratulations to these fifteen outstanding young women, who will represent their schools at the 2022 Rose Festival and during their community outreach leading up to it. Each Princess has earned a $3,500 scholarship, thanks to the generosity of The Randall Group. A special thanks goes out to the Royal Rosarian Foundation for their support of Court outreach.”
You can Learn more about the Princesses by checking out their bios and speeches here. This year, there were a mix of in-person announcements and live stream announcements on the Rose Festival’s YouTube Channel. You can still view the video recordings of the live stream announcements here.
Portland, OR. Rose Haven celebrated the grand opening of its newly constructed and expanded shelter and community center on March 8th. Rose Haven runs Portland’s only day shelter and community center, serving women, children and gender non-conforming people who need help. Up until now, it has been operating in about 3000 square feet in the basement of a building. With the help of design company Gensler Portland, the nonprofit converted what used to be a coffee shop and roasting facility, into a 10,000 square feet day shelter.
The nonprofit has provided help for women and children since 2007.
The new facility on the corner of Northwest 18th and Glisan Street will allow the nonprofit to double the number of people — women, children, and marginalized genders — that they serve. Rose Haven provides restrooms, showers, meals, a space for mail distribution, device charging, and special outdoor activities.
The expansion comes at a critical time as more people have been forced outside amid pandemic restrictions over the last two years. “Home for the Haven” was a $3 million campaign centered around the new facility, enabling Rose Haven to build its dream home, bring guests back indoors, reestablish programs, and increase capacity to welcome and serve more community members.
The new facility has a clothing store.
As a community based organization, Rose Haven that includes guests, agency partners, volunteers, staff, donors and stakeholders.
Rose Haven’s new space includes a welcoming intake and reception area, guest services area, activity rooms, prep-kitchen and pantry, community dining room, wellness area with showers, laundry and medic room, and a boutique-inspired area where guests can select donated clothing items. Offices and workspaces for Rose Haven’s team of directors, advocates, and volunteers will also be incorporated into the design.
From Rose Haven:
Rose Haven is a day shelter and community center serving women, children and gender non-conforming folks experiencing the trauma of abuse, loss of home and other disruptive life challenges. We break the cycle of homelessness by providing meals, clothing, first aid, mailing addresses, hygiene, restrooms, showers as well as educational programs and guidance through medical and social services. By meeting basic needs and building trust, we empower our guests to explore long-term change.
Portland, OR. Zoe designed the ‘Nike Dunk Low’ for the Nike Freestyle XVII collection. An alternate colorway (one of two pairs in the world) was up for auction on eBay, along with other rare products. On March 5th Nike and OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital raised $568,000 with the annual event. Since 2004, the partnership has raised nearly $31 million.
Ayman’s Doernbecher Freestyle collection shoes were auctioned off. Only two people in the world own these Nike Blazer Mid ’77 sneakers (and Nike Mercurial Superfly 8 Elite FG boots), both were signed by Portuguese soccer star, Cristiano Ronaldo.
There were seven exclusive Doernbecher Freestyle XVII collections up for auction.
About Doernbecher:
Doernbecher Children’s Hospital is an academic teaching children’s hospital associated with Oregon Health & Science University located in Portland, Oregon. Established in 1926, it is the first full-service children’s hospital in the Pacific Northwest, and provides full-spectrum pediatric care.
Here’s a video about the work done by Doernbecher:
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