Portland, OR. American Cancer Society’s Hope Gala was held at the Oregon Zoo’s Cascade Crest Ballroom. The November 9th benefit had a travel theme and featured a silent auction, cocktails, dinner, speakers, a live auction and entertainment. The funds raised at the Portland Hope Gala will benefit cancer research as well as the quality of life programs that remove barriers and provide resources and information to those battling cancer.
Steve Orozco of Fred Meyer Jewelers and the Hope Gala Hype Squad celebrate Steve’s Golden Ticket prize. (Photo credit, BarcStone Photography)
Portland Hope Gala guests enjoy their VIP reception featuring entertainment by Hula Halau ‘Ohana Holo’oko’a. (Photo credit, Aperture Vision Photography)
Portland Hope Gala guests enjoy mobile bidding during the silent auction at the Oregon Zoo. (Photo credit, BarcStone Photography)
From American Cancer Society:
At the American Cancer Society, we’re on a mission to free the world from cancer. Until we do, we’ll be funding and conducting research, sharing expert information, supporting patients, and spreading the word about prevention. All so you can live longer — and better.
Whether we’re working in a community near you or one halfway around the world, our mission remains the same: to save lives. See what we’ve been up to lately — and get to know the American Cancer Society a little bit better
Portland, OR. “JDRF is the world’s largest nonprofit funder of type 1 diabetes (T1D) research. Our focus is on finding a cure; until we do, the advancements we’re making every day ease the burden of those living with the disease.” That’s the message the JDRF of Oregon/SW Washington wants you to hear. It offers many programs to support the community, like youth art groups for kids with T1D.
Summer Art Group is just one of the offerings of the local nonprofit, others include advocacy, outreach and research advancements.
JDRF has been leading the charge against diabetes for 25 years and leaders want you to be a part of their anniversary celebration. There are many ways to become involved and contribute to JDRF of Oregon/SW Washington. One is to support JDRF’s ticket sales for the VIP Sneak Peek at the Portland Auto Show on February 19th, 2020 at the Oregon Convention Center. You’ll see 600 of the best production, exotic and concept vehicles 2020 has to offer. $100 of your $125 ticket will benefit JDFR.
Last February many JDRF supporters took advantage of the Charity VIP event. They were among the first to attend the Portland International Auto Show, minus the crowds. JDRF is one of the 8 Charities who benefited.
The annual JDRF Hope Gala is another way to celebrate and support the nonprofit.
Here’s information about the 2020 Hope Gala: On April 25th, 2020 the annual JDRF Hope Gala will bring together over 500 passionate community leaders and T1D leaders at the Sentinel Hotel to reflect on the past 25 years and to raise much-needed funding for fulfill JDRF’s mission of improving lives today and tomorrow by accelerating life-changing breakthroughs to cure, prevent and treat type 1 diabetes and its complications. Click here for more information about the event.
JDRF is the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes (T1D) research. Our strength lies in our exclusive focus and singular influence on the worldwide effort to end T1D.
Vision: A world without type 1 diabetes
Mission: Improving lives today and tomorrow by accelerating life-changing breakthroughs to cure, prevent and treat T1D and its complications
Why we fight type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that strikes both children and adults suddenly. It has nothing to do with diet or lifestyle. There is nothing you can do to prevent it. And, at present, there is no cure.
In T1D, your pancreas stops producing insulin—a hormone the body needs to get energy from food. This means a process your body does naturally and automatically becomes something that now requires your daily attention and manual intervention. If you have T1D, you must constantly monitor your blood-sugar level, inject or infuse insulin through a pump, and carefully balance these insulin doses with your eating and activity throughout the day and night.
However, insulin is not a cure for diabetes. Even with the most vigilant disease management, a significant portion of your day will be spent with either high or low blood sugar levels. These fluctuations place people with T1D at risk for potentially life-threatening hypoglycemic and hyperglycemic episodes as well as devastating long-term complications such as kidney failure, heart attack, stroke, blindness, and amputation. Learn more about T1D.
JDRF wants a world without T1D
JDRF works every day to change the reality of this disease for millions of people—and to prevent anyone else from ever knowing it—by funding research, advocating for government support of research and new therapies, ensuring new therapies come to market and connecting and engaging the T1D community. Founded by parents determined to find a cure for their children with T1D, JDRF expanded through grassroots fundraising and advocacy efforts to become a powerhouse in the scientific community with dozens of U.S. locations and six international affiliates. We’ve funded more than $2 billion in research to date and made significant progress in understanding and fighting the disease. We must keep up the pace of funding so progress doesn’t slow or stop entirely.
You’re the reason for our success.
Every dollar we put toward research comes from donations. So when you support JDRF with your time, talent, voice and, yes, your money, you enable us to advance even more research.
There are many ways to join the JDRF family, but for 47 years there has been only one reason—because we are the organization that will turn Type One into Type None.
We have some of the best ratings for an organization focused on a single disease from charity watchdog groups and media. In 2012, Forbes named JDRF one of its five “All-Star” charities, based on its evaluation of our financial efficiency.
What’s in a name? A bit of “JDRF” history
JDRF has led the search for a cure for T1D since our founding in 1970. In those days, people commonly called the disease “juvenile diabetes” because it was frequently diagnosed in, and strongly associated with, young children. Our organization began as the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation. Later, to emphasize exactly how we planned to end the disease, we added a word and became the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Today, we know an equal number of children and adults are diagnosed every day—approximately 110 people per day. Thanks to better therapies—which JDRF funding has been instrumental in developing and making available—people with T1D live longer and stay healthier while they await the cure. So a few years ago, we changed our name to JDRF:
To remove the misconception that T1D is only a childhood disease
To acknowledge that nearly 85 percent of people living with the disease are over age 18
To reinforce our commitment to funding research that improves life for people of all ages and all stages of the disease
*This informational feature story is a sponsored story from Portland Society Page.
Portland, Or. The Girl Scouts of Oregon and SW Washington are working hard to help shape America’s future leaders. Now leaders say they could use your help with their year-end giving campaign. They need funding for programs like the organization’s upcoming annual meeting in Eugene. At the annual meeting, the Girl Scouts of Oregon will be offering, “Speak Up, Stand Up, Rise Up” an activity exploring the significance of the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution 100 years ago. Girl Scouts will learn about the history of the fight for women’s right to vote, including how the Amendment discriminated against groups of women on the basis of race and did not allow all women in the U.S to participate at the polls. Girls will engage in activities to be able to evaluate disparity that continues to be prevalent in women’s rights today, while also planning steps towards action they can demonstrate in their local communities.
The local Girl Scouts are active year-round participating in activities like the Mock Legislature at 2019 Girl Scout Leadership Day at the Capitol.
Girl Scout Leadership Day with Oregon Governor Kate Brown
Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington serves members throughout Oregon and Clark, Skamania and Klickitat Counties in Washington. 40 volunteer-led areas called service units provide support for girls and adults in their area. The local council is funded through grants, donations, bequests, program fees, product sales, investment income and endowments.
Brownie Girl Scouts lead a signature campaign to save a local park.
A Girl Scout Cadette follows the Path to the Ballot in her school.
Here’s a video explaining how Girls Scouts offer a lifetime of leadership:
From Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington:
Thanks to the generosity of people like you, Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington is able to deliver on the mission of building girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.
One in four Girl Scouts in our council depends on financial assistance, so your gift directly impacts the lives of girls in your community.
Gifts of any amount go a long way. Every donation makes an impact in the lives of girls in our community.
Your $10 gift could provide three Girl Scout Brownies with their Programming Robots badges, inspiring even the youngest girls to dream big dreams.
Your $25 gift could furnish a girl with her annual Girl Scout membership, opening up a world of possibilities—camp, STEM, travel, building friendships for a lifetime, learning about the world, and taking action as a leader.
Your $50 gift could supply seven Girl Scout Ambassadors with “Your Voice, Your World: The Power of Advocacy” Journey books.
Your $100 gift could outfit 12 girls with their official Girl Scout sashes, to proudly display their hard-earned STEM and outdoor badges.
Your $250 gift could help 16 girls experience camp for a day, where they’ll try new adventures like scaling a climbing wall and paddling a canoe.
Your $1,000 gift could welcome three girls to Classic Camp, where they’ll build confidence in swimming, building campfires, cooking outdoors, paddling on the lake, and more.
Portland, OR. Advantis Credit Union and Safeway found two ways to support the Portland Police Bureau’s Sunshine Division this holiday season. One way was by loading food boxes for distribution to 3,000 families. The boxes were filled with a holiday feast including mashed potatoes, stuffing, ham, rolls, and more. The Sunshine Division provides free accessible food and clothing assistance to struggling local families and individuals year-round.
The boxes were filled with care.
Advantis Credit Union and Safeway volunteers pose for a photo.
Additional support for the nonprofit came in the form of sponsorship of the Winter Wonderland at Portland International Raceway. Over 43 tons of food has been donated to the Sunshine Division via Winter Wonderland.
From Sunshine Division: If you need help with food and clothing, please call 503-823-2102 to listen to our informational message or email us at: [email protected]
Portland, OR. The 37th annual Providence Festival of Trees was a lively kick-off for a season of philanthropic holiday events. The four-day festival raised nearly $1.5 million, had 20,000 visitors and featured more than 100 decorated trees, mini-trees, and holiday displays. The event has raised more than $18 million since it began in 1983. At an opening night gala on December 5th, Chief Philanthropy Officer for Providence Foundations of Oregon, Kelly Buechler, posed for a photo with Blake and Liz Howells, and daughter Ellie. One decorated tree took top honors:
Best of Show was “Country Christmas” sponsored by Play Smart Youth Heart Screenings. Designers: Leslie Radke, Sandy Miller, and friends
Steve Dunn and Angelica Thornton from KATU serve as hosts for the evening.
Doug Cain, Executive Director of Providence Newberg Health Foundation and wife Jill
Portland’s Singing Christmas Tree entertains.
Auctioneer Johnna Wells and Safeway’s Jill McGinnis are joined by raffle tree winner Cheri Hick
Johnna Wells with Rick Mahler from Packhouz Jewelers announce the winner of the Diamond raffle – 75 tickets sold for the 75th anniversary of the child center.
After the gala dinner auction, the halls are thrown open for visitors.
The money raised supports the programs and services of Providence Health & Services, providing critically needed health care for children and adults and advancing nationally recognized clinical research.
From Providence:
Many thanks to the donors, community partners and local businesses who generously provided financial support and in-kind gifts – and to the hundreds of volunteers who worked long hours to create the festival’s magic and help local children make special holiday memories.
Portland, OR. Would you like to join the parade of giving this December? William Temple House was selected by the Christmas Ships organization as its 2019 charity and you can help the organization as well. At two Christmas Ship Meet & Greet events you can bring new winter coats for the Children’s Clothing Closet at William Temple House. You can also donate money, anytime; here’s a link where you can make a tax-deductible donation today.
Here’s event information for the “Meet and Greet” events with the Christmas Ships organization: Saturday, December 21st, from 8-10 PM and Sunday, December 22nd, from 2-4:30 PM. The “Meet and Greets” are held at the Portland waterfront docks near Riverplace Marina. Again, William Temple House will have a booth set up to collect warm coats for children in need. Cash/credit card donations will also be gratefully accepted.
Donations will help further the mission of William Temple House to provide social services, mental health counseling, and spiritual care to individuals and families in need.
Christmas Ship organizers explain why they selected the nonprofit: “William Temple House is a nonprofit social service agency located in NW Portland that supports people in need, especially those who are affected by two major concerns in our area: extremely high rates of mental illness and the affordable housing crisis. Their services include affordable access to mental health counseling for individuals, couples, and families; a healthy food pantry; hygiene items; new clothing for children; dental and vision care; and energy assistance so that families don’t have to choose between paying rent or basic living expenses. William Temple House has been making a difference in the lives of Portlanders for 54 years. The Christmas Ships are honored to work with organizations like this and we hope you’ll consider contributing.”
One such person who has benefited from the services of William Temple House is Karen. Here’s Karen’s William Temple House story:
Karen is an avid reader with a passion for helping others. This year she organized a book drive for the free library at William Temple House. “Today I’m a giver in the world,” she says, “and it feels really good.” But it wasn’t always that way. Before Karen came to William Temple House, she felt lost and afraid. Her struggle with bipolar disorder made it difficult to get by and strained her relationship with her husband Ed.
“I had done everything I could and I heard that William Temple House had couples counseling. I felt like we really needed that. And that was the beginning.”
Here’s a video about Karen:
The affordable counseling appointments at William Temple House made it possible for Karen and Ed to meet with their counselors regularly as a couple and individually. With therapy tailored to their specific needs, Karen noticed that she and her husband began to work better as a team. After a few months of counseling, Karen knew they would be able to achieve their goal of staying together.
Karen and Ed are doing well now. And if they need support, they know William Temple House can be a resource for them.
Karen and Ed received mental health support at a difficult time in their lives, as well as free healthy food and check-ins with our community chaplain when they needed it. Karen believes our counseling program saved her marriage and nurtured her growth as a person. “William Temple saved our life. I don’t know what would have happened… and I’m very grateful right now, that this is the life we have.” Karen and Ed are doing well now. And if they need support, they know William Temple House can be a resource for them.
Today, Karen is a giver because it feels good to give back. “It’s empowering to give, because then you grow more. And then the good goes on. The good is multiplied.”
From William Temple House:
Your donation to William Temple House helps provide our current and future clients much-needed access to affordable counseling averaging $5 a session, healthy groceries, and many other services that families need to move forward in their lives. Your support makes a difference! Thank you.
William Temple House is a place of hope for people in our community.
With low- and no-cost counseling, social services and spiritual care, we lend a helping hand to Portland’s most vulnerable populations.
This year we experienced a 14% increase in the number of clients we served. Will you help us meet this growing need with a donation today?
Together we brighten the lives of thousands of our neighbors, helping them make it through difficult times and get back on their feet. Please open your hearts this holiday season and give generously for the well-being of our community.
Portland, OR. Vets at Oregon Humane Society (OHS) are getting the blind kitten they call Ilene ready to go. She was adopted on Saturday, December 14th. Ilene was originally found soaked by the cold rain, wrapped in a bag in a pile of trash. A good Samaritan heard her cries for help, wrapped her in a t-shirt and brought her to the local animal shelter in Madera, CA.
Despite all Ilene had gone through, she started purring and soliciting affection the moment she was rescued.
While Ilene’s story began at a small, crowded shelter in central California, thanks to a partnership between the Oregon Humane Society, Madera Animal Services and PetSmart Charities, she was transported to Oregon. With the new Cat and Kitten Intake Center at OHS, the shelter is able to save more feline lives by accepting large transports of cats and kittens from underserved communities.
“When we got the call to help with Ilene, we immediately said ‘yes,’” says Mia Heaslet, OHS Second Chance Program Manager. “We are fortunate at OHS to have a great medical team who are well versed in unusual conditions.”
“It’s likely that she has a condition called microphthalmia in both eyes and was already blind,” says Dr. Maia Titcomb, OHS veterinarian. “This condition is usually caused by a congenital defect in cats, but can also be due to trauma or infection.”
Ilene received surgery this week to treat the eye area and prevent any future infections. “Not being able to see has not slowed Ilene down a bit,” added Dr. Titcomb. “She is a happy, playful kitten.”
While Ilene was adopted on December 14th, there are still many more animals to adopt; you can search the organization website at https://www.oregonhumane.org/adopt/.
“The resiliency of this tiny kitten and the compassion of the people who saved her are inspiring,” says Sharon Harmon, OHS President and CEO. “The next step for this special feline is to spend the holidays with a new, loving family.”
From the Oregon Humane Society:
The Oregon Humane Society is the Northwest’s oldest and largest humane society, with one of the highest adoption rates in the nation. OHS receives no government funds for its adoption, education and animal cruelty investigation programs. Visit oregonhumane.org for more information.
Portland, OR. It’s time to focus on year-end charitable donations! On our partner’s page, there are live links to hundreds of your favorites. They’re listed by categories like animals, arts, and education. Please explore PortlandSocietyPage.com for ideas, and watch for our features about many worthy local charities. If you’d like to suggest your favorite nonprofit for a feature, contact us at [email protected]
At Big Brothers/Big Sisters Columbia Northwest‘s Baltazar Ortiz Community Mentoring Initiative, editor Elisa Klein visited with Danielle and her program little sister, Kyara.
The website, Charity Navigator is a research tool for donors and evaluates how charities use money. The organization also offers these tips for smart giving:
Be Proactive In Your Giving Smart givers generally don’t give reactively in a knee-jerk fashion. They don’t respond to the first organization that appeals for help. They take the time to identify which causes are most important to their families and they are specific about the change they want to affect. For example, they don’t just support generic cancer charities, but instead have targeted goals for their giving, such as providing mammograms to at-risk women in their community.
Hang Up The Phone / Eliminate The Middleman Informed donors recognize that for-profit fundraisers, those often used in charitable telemarketing campaigns, keep a large portion (in some cases all) of each dollar they collect (read our report about telemarketing for more specifics on the costs affiliated with this form of fundraising). Wise donors never give out their personal information – like credit card accounts, social security numbers – over the phone. If they like what they hear in the pitch, they’ll hang up, investigate the charity on-line and send their contribution directly to the charity, thereby cutting out the middleman and ensuring 100% of their donation reaches the charity. Taking it a step further, donors may want to reconsider supporting a charity that uses an inefficient telemarketing approach and instead identifies a charity that does not use telemarketing to raise funds.
Be Careful Of Sound-Alike Names Uninformed donors are easily confused by charities that have strikingly similar names to others. How many of us could tell the difference between an appeal from the Children’s Charity Fund and the Children’s Defense Fund? Their names sound the same, but their performances are vastly different. Would you be surprised to learn that the Children’s Charity Fund is a 0-star charity while the Children’s Defense Fund is a 3-star charity? Informed donors take the time to uncover the difference.
Confirm 501(c) (3) Status Wise donors don’t drop money into canisters at the checkout counter or hand over cash to solicitors outside the supermarket. Situations like these are irresistible to scam artists who wish to take advantage of your goodwill. Smart givers only support groups granted tax-exempt status under section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code. All of the charities evaluated by Charity Navigator meet this basic requirement.
Check The Charity’s Commitment To Accountability & Transparency In 2011, Charity Navigator added an Accountability & Transparency dimension to its rating system. It tracks metrics such as whether the charity used an objective process to determine their CEO’s salary, whether it has an effective governance structure, and whether it has a whistleblower policy. This data is critical because charities that follow good governance and transparency practices are less likely to engage in unethical or irresponsible activities. So, the risk that such charities would misuse donations is lower than for charities that don’t adopt such practices.
Obtain Copies Of Its Financial Records Savvy donors know that the financial health of a charity is a strong indicator of the charity’s programmatic performance. They know that in most cause areas, the most efficient charities spend 75% or more of their budget on their programs and services and less than 25% on fundraising and administrative fees. However, they also understand that mid-to-large sized charities do require a strong infrastructure therefore a claim of zero fundraising and/or administrative fees is unlikely at best. They understand that a charity’s ability to sustain its programs over time is just as important as its short-term day-to-day spending practices. Therefore, savvy donors also seek out charities that can grow their revenue at least at the rate of inflation, that continue to invest in their programs and that have some money saved for a rainy day. All of this analysis is provided on Charity Navigator’s website for free, but when considering groups not found here, savvy donors ask the charity for copies of its three most recent Forms 990. Not only can the donor examine the charity’s finances, but the charity’s willingness to send the documents is a good way to assess its commitment to transparency.
Review Executive Compensation Sophisticated donors realize that charities need to pay their top leaders a competitive salary in order to attract and retain the kind of talent needed to run a multi-million dollar organization and produce results. But they also don’t just take the CEO’s compensation at face value; they benchmark it against similar-sized organizations engaged in similar work and located in the same region of the country. To help you make your own decision, Charity Navigator’s analysis reveals that the average CEO’s compensation of the charities we evaluate is almost $150,000. In general, salaries tend to be higher in the northeast and at arts and education charities. Sophisticated donors also put the CEO’s salary into context by examining the overall performance of the organization. They know it is better to contribute to a charity with a well-paid CEO that is meeting its goals than to support a charity with an underpaid CEO that fails to deliver on its promises. (Check out our CEO Compensation Study for more benchmarking data.)
Start A Dialogue To Investigate Its Programmatic Results Although it takes some effort on their part to assess a charity’s programmatic impact, donors who are committed to advancing real change believe that it is worth their time. Before they contribute, they talk with the charity to learn about its accomplishments, goals, and challenges. These donors are prepared to walk away from any charity that is unable or unwilling to participate in this type of conversation.
Concentrate Your Giving When it comes to financial investments, diversification is the key to reducing risk. The opposite is true for philanthropic investments. If you’ve taken the time to identify a well-run charity that is engaged in a cause that you are passionate about, you should then feel confident in giving it a donation. Spreading your money among multiple organizations not only results in your mailbox filling up with more appeals, but it also diminishes the possibility of any of those groups bringing about substantive change as each charity is wasting a percentage of your gift on processing expenses for that gift.
Share Your Intentions And Make A Long-Term Commitment Smart donors support their favorite charities for the long haul. They see themselves as a partner in the charity’s efforts to bring about change. They know that only with long-term, committed supporters can a charity be successful. And they don’t hesitate to tell the charity of their giving plans so that the organization knows it can rely on the donor and the charity doesn’t have to waste resources and harass the donor by sending numerous solicitations.
Portland, OR. Harry Potter’s in the house at the Pittock Mansion this holiday season. The theme of this year’s Pittock Mansion Christmas display is a Wonderful World of Books. The exhibit runs through January 5th, from 10:00 am-4:00 pm daily. From children’s classics to modern-day mysteries, this year’s display is a book lovers dream. Organizers invite you to experience the literary visions of local decorators as they transform the Mansion’s rooms into magical storybook settings. Here’s a look inside:
The wizarding world of Harry Potter
The dining room features A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens.
The fairytale of Cinderella features little birds and mice.
It’s made complete with Cinderella’s glass slippers.
There’s a display for Breakfast at Tiffany’s. It the novella by Truman Capote published in 1958 upon which the famous film was based.
For the gourmets, Irma S. Rombauer’s The Joy of Cooking is a favorite.
The Joy of Cooking series is one of the world’s most widely read cookbooks series. It’s on display in the Pittock Mansion kitchen.
One table is set using The Tale of Peter Rabbit as a theme. The children’s book was written and illustrated by Beatrix Potter
Madeline is on display. The 1939 book was written and illustrated by Ludwig Bemelmans,
“We were excited with this year’s theme because it gave the decorators an opportunity to highlight old favorites, like Beatrix Potter, as well as to be inspired by new favorites, such as Harry Potter,” Curator Patti Larkin explains. “While much of our content today arrives electronically there’s still a strong connection to printed books. Whether it’s a classic or just a light tale that piques our personal interest, the stories in books continue to resonate.”
Over 70 volunteers began developing their designs for 18 rooms of the Mansion last January. During the exhibit, volunteer musicians will be playing in the Music Room providing Christmas carols and festive music.
This year Pittock Mansion will be hosting a book drive from Monday, November 25 through Sunday, December 8 in collaboration with Community Action for Head Start children, aged 0-5. Full donation guidelines can be found here.
Tickets are available both online and onsite. Admission is $13 for adults, $11 for seniors, $9 for youth and children 5 and under are free. More info at: http://pittockmansion.org/exhibits/
Pittock Mansion is a historic house museum in Portland, Oregon operated by the Pittock Mansion Society in collaboration with Portland Parks & Recreation.
The Pittock Mansion Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The mission of the Pittock Mansion Society is to inspire understanding and stewardship of Portland history through Pittock Mansion, its collections, and programs.
Address: 3229 NW Pittock Drive, Portland, OR 97210
Portland, OR. Nearly 2,000 people filled New Hope Church in Happy Valley, Oregon, on November 23rd. The community came together for a free concert supporting local community aid organizations. Adventist Health Portland presented its annual Celebration of Thanksgiving concert as an expression of gratitude for the community’s faith and support. Adventist Health Portland includes Adventist Health Portland Medical Center in southeast Portland, a nonprofit, 302-bed acute care facility, offering a full range of inpatient, outpatient and emergency services throughout the Portland/Vancouver metropolitan area. Clinically integrated with OHSU, Adventist Health Medical Group represents more than 100 primary care and specialty physicians who treat and admit their patients to Adventist Medical Center. Pictured above are people sorting out the generous food donations.
Dr. Terry Johnsson
Matt Maher performs for the crowd
The event opened with performances by a praise band made up of Adventist Health employees, including Joyce Newmyer, Adventist Health Pacific Northwest Region president. Headliner and contemporary Christian artist Matt Maher took the stage, Maher has written and produced nine solo albums and penned many well-known praise and worship songs.
People enjoying the concert
Joyce Newmyer, president of Adventist Health, shares a message of thanks with guests at the 11th annual Celebration of Thanksgiving concert.
Collecting socks for Portland Rescue Mission
Young folks donating food
This year’s guests contributed 1,900 pounds of food for Portland Adventist Community Services (PACS) and more than 3,000 pairs of socks for the Portland Rescue Mission in place of admission for the concert. The celebration of Thanksgiving has raised more than 12 tons of nonperishable food donations since its inception in 2009. More than 10,000 pairs of socks have been donated since this emphasis was added in 2016. Previous performers include Phillips, Craig and Dean; Point of Grace; Rebecca St. James; Selah; and Sandi Patty.
From Adventist Health:
Adventist Health services in Portland are part of Adventist Health a faith-based, nonprofit integrated health system serving more than 75 communities on the West Coast and Hawaii. Our compassionate and talented team of 33,300 includes more than 24,600 employees; 5,000 medical staff physicians; and 3,700 volunteers working together in pursuit of one mission: living God’s love by inspiring health, wholeness, and hope. Founded on Seventh-day Adventist heritage and values, Adventist Health provides care in 19 hospitals, more than 280 clinics (hospital-based, rural health and physician clinics), 13 home care agencies, seven hospice agencies, and four joint-venture retirement centers.
From The Portland Rescue Mission:
The Portland Rescue Mission has had a tireless commitment to breaking the cycle of homelessness, addiction and despair in the lives of hurting people in need. We offer emergency services of food and shelter at our original downtown location at the Burnside Shelter. And we’ve expanded those services to include 24/7 restrooms, showers, clothing, mail service, referrals and community activities in the Guest Care Center.Thanks to generous community support, we’ve expanded our ministry to include a wide range of programs designed to meet a hurting person at their point of need and help them toward their journey home. This includes our 3-month Connect program for men and women, and our New Life Ministries for men and women at The Harbor and Shepherd’s Door, respectively. Portland Rescue Mission also includes our Drive Away Hunger car sales and donations program and Mission Bar-B-Que catering. Proceeds support all of our programs to give hope and restore life to hurting people.
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