Portland, OR. The 17th annual Jesuit High School Financial Aid Luncheon was held on campus in the Knight Center. A record-breaking crowd of over 625 guests included alumni, current parents, grandparents, and friends of the school. The October 16th luncheon raised $540,000, and since its launch in 2003 the annual event has raised over 6 million for student financial aid. Speakers included alumni parent Gladys Lalic, keynote speaker Tim Boyle who is the President and CEO of Columbia Sportswear and graduated from Jesuit in 1967, and Jesuit senior Yosan Tewelde. Each shared stories of their journey with guests. This academic year 27% (or 332 students) are receiving over 3 million dollars in financial aid. The school relies on fundraising events like the luncheon to reach its budgeted goal each year. (Photo credit, Bob Kerns)
Financial Aid Luncheon Chairs and JHS current parents Marni Goodman and Desiree Baldocchi celebrate a successful event.
Guests pack the Knight Center on Jesuit’s campus to support the Financial Aid program.
Student Emcees Danny Murphy ’20 and Ria Debnath ’20 entertain guests with stories about life as Jesuit students.
Guests enjoy visiting with student volunteer Eva Grunkemeier ’20 at the luncheon.
Jesuit President Tom Arndorfer and Principal Paul Hogan
Here’s a video about the event:
From Jesuit High School:
We are incredibly grateful for Tim and Mary Boyle’s tremendous commitment to the education of Jesuit students through their generous matching gift of all funds raised at the event! Special thanks to Financial Aid Luncheon Chairs Desiree Baldocchi and Marni Goodman, the Financial Aid Luncheon Committee, sponsors and volunteers who spent countless hours ensuring the success of this critical event. We are especially grateful for our additional matching gift sponsors The Bernice Heffernan Family Foundation with support of Pat & Tricia Heffernan and an Anonymous donor. Thanks to their commitment to Jesuit education, all new and increased gifts to the Financial Aid Luncheon were matched up to $20,000. We are humbled by their support and the support of our generous school community.
Portland, OR. Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) held its 2019 Alumni Reunion in Portland during the weekend of October 18th. Over 150 attendees, many of whom were blind or visually impaired, traveled to Portland with their guide dogs from across the U.S. and Canada. (Photo credit, Morry Angell, Guide Dogs for the Blind.)
GDB reunion attendees visit The Portland Art Museum for a special tactile art exhibit tour.
The first day of the reunion featured activities for attendees to experience Portland through the senses of taste, touch and sound. Activities included indoor rock climbing and a walking tour of downtown Portland. Each activity was chosen with blind and visually impaired visitors in mind to create a tactile experience.
GDB reunion attendees and guide dog teams experience the indoor rock climbing class.
Saturday featured various educational sessions for GDB alumni, as well as friends and family members. Some of these sessions included: a quality of life workshop hosted by the OHSU Casey Eye Institute, a discussion for sighted attendees on ways to support their blind or visually impaired friend or family member and a beginner’s guide to identifying North American bird songs.
GDB guide dog teams explore downtown Portland as part of a Walking and Tasting Tour.
The 2019 Alumni Reunion ended with a red carpet celebration and a screening of the IFC-produced documentary film Pick of the Litter, which follows a litter of GDB puppies on their journey to become trained guide dogs. The film was shown in anticipation of the upcoming Disney-produced documentary TV series of the same name, scheduled to air on the Disney+ platform starting on December 20th.
Here’s the trailer of that documentary:
From Guild Dogs for the Blind:
GDB has a Portland area campus in nearby Boring, Oregon. Various GDB events take place at the Boring campus throughout the year, as well as campus tours and graduations that are open to the public. Interested members of the public can find more information on the nonprofit’s Boring campus tours and graduations here.
Portland, OR. The Oregon Humane Society was granted $107,500 from PetSmart Charities on November 18th. This money is earmarked for the Oregon Humane Society’s Second Chance Program. The program was created to help other overflowing shelters move animals to communities with eager adopters for a second chance at a new life. Originally the Second Chance program helped dogs and puppies, but in 2019, the Oregon Humane Society opened a new Cat and Kitten Intake Center to accommodate large transports of cats and kittens. In Madera, California, they were struggling with a cat overpopulation for years. With this new Second Chance Program, more than 200 cats and kittens have been transported to OHS as a part of this grant.
This kitten was transported as part of the Second Chance Program. OHS plans on two trips per month from the Madera region through August 2020.
Deborah Turcott, acting president of PetSmart Charities, believes strong partnership is the key to success for this and other transport programs.“Pet transport is one of the strongest examples of how animal welfare organizations come together to solve for pet homelessness,” she explained. “And our funding to the Oregon Humane Society in this way brings our mission of finding loving homes for homeless pets come to life in communities across the country and in areas of great need.”
Cat Pictured From Oregon Humane Society’s Second Chance Program
OHS is the largest humane society in the Northwest and adopts more animals from its Portland shelter than any other single-facility shelter on the West Coast. OHS puts no time limits on how long animals remain at the shelter—a pet stays available for adoption for as long as needed to find a loving home. If a pet in the care of OHS needs medical attention, the OHS veterinary hospital provides the pet with the same level of care you would want your own pet to receive. Founded in 1868 by noted humanitarian Thomas Lamb Eliot, OHS is the fourth-oldest humane society in the nation. Eliot initially established OHS to stop the neglect and abuse of draft animals. The mission expanded to include companion animals and, until 1933, orphaned children.
More from PetSmart Charities:
PetSmart Charities, Inc. is committed to finding lifelong, loving homes for all pets by supporting programs and thought the leadership that brings people and pets together. Through its in-store adoption program in all PetSmart® stores across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, PetSmart Charities helps to find forever homes and families for more than 600,000 shelter pets each year. Each year, millions of generous PetSmart shoppers help pets in need by donating to PetSmart Charities using the PIN pads at checkout registers inside PetSmart stores. In turn, PetSmart Charities efficiently uses more than 90 cents of every dollar donated to fulfill its role as the leading funder of animal welfare in North America, granting almost $400 million since its inception in 1994. Independent from PetSmart Inc., PetSmart Charities is a 501(c)(3) organization that has received the Four-Star Rating from Charity Navigator, a third-party organization that reports on the effectiveness, accountability and transparency of nonprofits, for the past 16 years in a row – placing it among the top one percent of charities rated by this organization. To learn more visit www.petsmartcharities.org.
Portland, OR. Did you know that 43% of Oregonians volunteered in 2018? Many volunteered at Human Solutions to help ensure that homeless and low-income families can build pathways out of poverty. Oregon ranks third in the nation, behind Utah and Minnesota for the percentage of the population that volunteers. In city rankings, Portland ranks fifth of all cities with 44% of citizens volunteering. (The full list of rankings is included in this story, near the end. In last place: Florida.)
We’d like to tip our hats to those who give of their time for others! Thank you!
We’ve got some idea for volunteering this holiday season if you’d like to join the crew, there are hundreds of opportunities. Hands-on Greater Portland is a great place to start. You can sort by date, interest, location, etc.
We have a list of over 150 local nonprofit partners with live links on our Partners Page. All your favorites are there! Like Meals on Wheels. Here’s a video about their program:
You can check out organizations that offer special holiday volunteer opportunities by interest, like the following:
Portland Animal Welfare Portland Animal Welfare (PAW) hosts monthly clinics that offer free veterinary services to the homeless and impoverished. Medical, creative and logistical volunteers are always needed. Volunteers are always welcome at rescue shelter Animal Aid and the Oregon Humane Society.
Helping the Homeless Bridgetown Inc. helps Portland’s homeless population. You can volunteer at its weekly Night Strike event that brings food, clothing, haircuts, and supplies to people under the Burnside Bridge. There are also opportunities to help at Portland Homeless Family Solutions shelters and with local service-providing organization Outside In.
Oregon Food Bank Keeping the pantry stocked at the Oregon Food Bank is a big job that typically falls to volunteers. Sign up as an individual or as a group.
Friends of Trees Keep Portland and the surrounding area green with Friends of Trees, which is always looking for volunteers to plant trees in local soil.
Meals on Wheels People Volunteer to deliver hot meals to the homebound elderly for the holidays with Meals on Wheels People, which is looking for volunteers now. You can also use your car to give rides to the elderly or disabled with Ride Connection.
Helping a Home A home can be a meaningful thing – it can also be pretty costly. You can help by volunteering at the ReBuilding Center, a Portland organization that reclaims and recycles rebuilding and remodeling materials, selling them at a low cost. For the home decor side of things, there’s Community Warehouse, which provides basic household furnishings to Portland’s more vulnerable populations.
Here’s a list of the national volunteer statistics from the Corporation for National and Community Service:
Beaverton, OR. Groundbreaking for The Patricia Reser Center for the Arts launched construction of the first of its kind facility to be built in the Portland-metro area in more than 30 years. On November 13th, Chris Ayzoukian of Patricia Reser Center for the Arts, Beaverton Mayor Denny Doyle, lead donor Pat Reser and Lani Faith of the Beaverton Arts Foundation used their ceremonial shovels to dig in.
Thomas Lauderdale and 180-voice choir celebrate the new regional performing arts center.
A crowd of about 400 attend the ceremony at the site of the Patricia Reser Center for the Arts. It’s adjacent to the Beaverton Round which is near Hall Boulevard and SW Millikan Way.
Lead donor, Pat Reser, addresses the crowd at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Center for the Arts. It’s set to open in the fall of 2021.
“As we approach the realization of this performing arts facility, we have been provided a once-in-a-generation opportunity within our community to broaden exposure to the arts, including artists and arts education,” said Pat Reser, chair of the capital campaign for the Patricia Reser Center for the Arts.“This center will provide a place to celebrate artistic expression in all of its forms and it is my strong conviction that both the arts and our community will continue to flourish, impacting residents for decades to come.”
“I’m thrilled that this long-held personal dream and our community vision of a vibrant downtown with culture and arts at our heart is becoming a reality,” said Beaverton Mayor Denny Doyle. “This center is a benefit to our city, the region and beyond. I’m counting down the days to opening and the opportunity to share this wonderful asset for many to enjoy.”
Together with emcee and Eye on the NW host Natali Marmion, Mayor Doyle, the Beaverton City Council and Beaverton Urban Redevelopment Agency Board welcomed lead donor Patricia Reser, as well as Oregon Poet Laureate Kim Stafford, among others. To highlight the center’s mission of bringing a diverse range of artists and audiences together, a nearly 200-voice choir – especially assembled for the occasion – performed “True Colors” and “All You Need is Love,” including an audience singalong led by Thomas Lauderdale of Pink Martini. The choir included members from iSing Choir, Portland Gay Men’s Chorus, Portland Lesbian Choir, Arts & Communication Magnet Academy Choir, Southridge High School Choir and others, along with singers Marilyn Keller, Maddie Green and members of Big Horn Brass.
Nestled near to The Round between SW Cedar Hills Boulevard and SW Hall Boulevard, the Patricia Reser Center for the Arts will include a 550-seat theater, art gallery, rehearsal, workshop and meeting space, lobby, outdoor plaza and adjacent parking structure. With innovative offerings in the performing arts – theater, music and dance – the Patricia Reser Center for the Arts will be a beacon for civic engagement, creative learning and greater social cohesion.
“I’m excited about the many possibilities at the center to bring regional and national artists and attractions to Beaverton in a professional and intimate setting,” said Chris Ayzoukian, general manager for Patricia Reser Center for the Arts. “It will be a welcoming regional destination for many kinds of events and arts education programs that will highlight the cultural diversity of Beaverton and create more access to the arts for all.”
On July 17, 2018, the Beaverton Arts Foundation announced a gift of $13 million to the project. This transformative pledge made possible by Patricia Reser is an investment that provides nearly one-third of the $51 million in project costs needed to build the Center. Another $21.9 million is coming from public sources, including a land donation and a new City Transient Lodging Tax (TLT). In total, 96 percent of the construction costs have already been identified through public and private philanthropic investment.
“It has truly been inspiring to see how the community has stepped up in support of the vision for the Patricia Reser Center for the Arts,” said Lani Faith, executive director for the Beaverton Arts Foundation, the fundraising partner for the new center for the arts. “The dream of a vibrant stage and central gathering place has been in the hearts and minds of residents for many years, and it’s an incredible privilege to watch it come to life.”
The project’s design and construction team includes Skanska USA Building Inc., Gerding Edlen and OPSIS Architecture.
From the Patricia Reser Center for the Arts:
The Patricia Reser Center for the Arts will be the first performing arts center of its kind to be built in the Portland-metro area in more than 30 years. Nestled near to The Round between SW Cedar Hills Boulevard and SW Hall Boulevard, the facility will include a 550-seat theater, art gallery, rehearsal, workshop and meeting space, lobby, outdoor plaza and adjacent parking structure. With innovative offerings in the performing arts – theater, music and dance – the Patricia Reser Center for the Arts will be a beacon for civic engagement, creative learning and greater social cohesion. For more information, please visit: centerfortheartscampaign.org and beavertonoregon.gov/prca.
Portland, OR. ‘Ohana Oasis hosted its 3rd annual “Giving for Joy Gala” at the Multnomah Athletic Club on November 9th. The goal of the event is to create an evening of joy while raising funds to send parents grieving the loss of a child on a healing retreat in Hawaii. The retreats are a revitalizing experience for parents, and a safe space to be with others who have gone through the painful death of a child. At the benefit, featured speakers Kristi Kimball, the nonprofit’s founder Heidi Low, and Quinn Kimball posed for a photo. The benefit also included some crowd-pleasers such as the Wine Wall and Dessert Dash. (Photo credit, Blaine + Bethany Photography)
Meryl Riddle dashes for her dessert. Organizers offered a champagne welcome with live music, a silent auction, and live auction.
125 supporters listen to Kristi Kimball share about her daughter Lila, her experiences at the ‘Ohana Oasis retreat, and the way she’s been impacted by Lila’s life.
Gala Chair, Becka Carter shares why she works to put on this gala every year.
From Ohana Oasis:
Ohana means family and an oasis is a refuge. Ohana Oasis is a safe and peaceful space for bereaved parents to spend a week beginning a new way of life. Retreats create a revitalizing personal experience for each parent, as well as a safe space to be with others who have gone through the painful death of a child. Through Ohana Oasis they can hear and share their own fears, struggles, questions, joys and hopes echoed by others. Next year’s event will be held on Saturday, November 14th at the Multnomah Athletic Club.
Portland, OR. Portland Center Stage at The Armory celebrated the World Premiere of a new play:Redwood.It stars Brittany K. Allen, a New York-based actor and writer. The play focuses on a young black woman’s relationship with her white boyfriend and how it’s thrown into turmoil when they discover her ancestors were enslaved by her boyfriend’s ancestors. Redwood also features a hip-hop dance chorus that helps explore a way to live in the present with the ghosts of the past. Pictured above at the November 1st’s opening night party are Brittany K. Allen, Hannah Rice, Orion Bradshaw, Ashley Mellinger, Darrell Grand Moultrie, Jamie Lynne Simons, and Andrea Vernae. (Photography by Kate Szrom/Courtesy of Portland Center Stage at The Armory.)
Brittany K. Allen and Nick Ferrucci at the opening night of Redwood.
Jamie Lynne Simons, Hannah Rice, Darrell Grand Moultrie, Orion Bradshaw, and Ashley Mellinger at the opening night of Redwood.
Jennifer Lanier and Tyrone Mitchell Henderson at the opening night of Redwood.
Eva Steingrueber-Fagan with Redwood costume designer Alison Heryer.
Nick Ferrucci and Darrell Grand Moultrie
Jenn Thompson, Lauren Modica, and Katie Nguyen at the opening night of Redwood.
Andrea Vernae, Ashley Mellinger, Orion Bradshaw, and Charles Grant at the opening night of Redwood.
Chip Miller, Marissa Wolf, and Darrell Grand Moultrie
Associate Producer Chip Miller made his directing debut at The Armory with his vibrant theatrical production. Darrell Grand Moultrie, who has choreographed for Beyoncé and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, also made his debut at The Armory choreographing Redwood.
Miller states, “How much of our identity is something we choose? And how much of it is tied to our genealogy – the traumas and joys of our ancestors being passed along to us through generations? Brittany is able to ask these challenging questions while maintaining a true sense of joy, surprise and theatricality continue to astound me. Plus, there’s dancing!”
Marissa Wolf and Chip Miller
A short video of Redwood:
From Portland Center Stage at The Armory:
Portland Center Stage at The Armory is the largest theater company in Portland and among the top 20 regional theaters in the country. Established in 1988 as a branch of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the company became independent in 1994 and is under the leadership of Artistic Director Marissa Wolf and Managing Director Cynthia Fuhrman. Around 160,000 visitors attend The Armory annually to enjoy a mix of classic, contemporary, and world premiere productions, along with a variety of high-quality education and community programs. Ten productions are offered this season, in addition to hundreds of community events created to serve the diverse populations in the city. As part of its dedication to new play development, the company has produced 27 world premieres and presents an annual new works festival, JAW: A Playwrights Festival. Home to two theaters, The Armory (originally built in 1891) opened its doors in 2006 as the first building on the National Register of Historic Places, and the first performing arts venue in the country, to achieve a LEED Platinum rating.
THE 2019-2020 SEASON
The 2019-2020 season is funded in part by Season Superstars Tim and Mary Boyle, Mary and Don Blair, and Lead Corporate Champion Umpqua Bank. Further support comes from Season Sponsors Advance Gender Equity in the Arts (AGE); the Regional Arts and Culture Council; and the Oregon Arts Commission, a state agency funded by the state of Oregon and the National Endowment for the Arts. Support for Redwood comes from Ronni Lacroute, Ellyn Bye, and Hilary Krane and Kelly Bulkeley. Here’s a link with more information: https://www.pcs.org/
Portland, OR. This December will mark the 65th launch of the Christmas Ships Parade season. Parades on the Columbia and Willamette Rivers will last for 15 nights beginning on Thursday, December 5th through Sunday, December 22nd. There are seven nights where the fleet with be combined. Please click the links below to see the schedules for more details:
Making waves in downtown Portland near the Riverplace Marina in 2018.
Christmas Ships in St. Helens at the Columbia View Park in 2018
Christmas Ships on the Willamette near the Riverplace Marina in 2018.
The boats, 14 to 65 feet long, are brightly lit for the holiday season. Up to 60 holiday boats are expected to make up the two fleets. As in previous years, there will be two “Meet & Greet” events at the public dock near Tom McCall Waterfront Park (Riverplace area). The first Meet & Greet will be from 8 pm until 10 pm on Saturday, December 21st, immediately following the parade run to Lake Oswego. The second Meet & Greet will be from 2 pm until 4:30 pm on Sunday, December 22nd, before the last run down to the St. Johns Bridge (Cathedral Park). This year, the nonprofit Christmas Ships Parade Organization is partnering with William Temple House. During each of the Meet & Greet events, William Temple House will have representatives collecting new kids’ winter coats. (Children come in all shapes and sizes, so any new warm coat from children’s small up through adult XXL would be appreciated.)
From the nonprofit Christmas Ships Parade:
The privately-owned vessels come from Portland, Vancouver, McMinnville, Salem and Hood River areas. Some of the owners of the ships have been part of the Christmas tradition for more than 30 years with many being part of the Christmas Ship fleet for over 20 years. Each skipper is responsible for their own expenses, including fuel and insurance for their vessels over the two weeks. This can run into the hundreds of dollars, which in itself is a testament to the dedication and enthusiasm the Christmas Ship skippers bring to the organization and the community. The organization accepts donations to help cover the cost of maintaining, managing and promoting the organization, but none of these donations go to the skippers, their crews, or their boats. Christmas Ships, Inc. is an all-volunteer organization, with no paid staff or officers, just a large group of friendly individual volunteers/skippers who give back to the community they love.
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.
Portland, OR. It’s still over a month until Christmas, but Local Mud Bay pet stores have some special visitors. Eight Portland-area stores are offering pet owners keepsake pictures of dogs, cats, hamsters or other pets with Santa. All family members are also welcome. The photos benefit The Oregon Humane Society.
Here are the details of the event:
When: Nov. 9-10 and Nov. 16-17, 11 AM – 3 PM
Where: 8 Mud Bay stores in the Portland metro (see below for full list)
What: For $20, you get two prints of a professional 5×7 portrait and a digital copy of your photo.
Why: All proceeds go to help pets at OHS.
Photos will be ready for pick-up at Mud Bay within five days of your photo session.
Portland, OR. “Reach for the Stars” was the theme of the 10th Annual De La Salle North Catholic High School Fall Benefit. The popular gala was held at the high school facility on North Fenwick Avenue and raised $522,000. Organizers thanked members of the Class of 2020 who helped serve dinner and the parents, faculty, and staff who volunteered for the October 24th fundraiser. (Photo credit, Andrea Lonas)
Phil Silver, Marty Brantley, Cyndy Maletis, Fred Jubitz
VP for Advancement Ashleigh de Villiers, Martha Richards and Alice McCartor pose with the recipients of this year’s Cassin Award, Barb and Steve Spence. HS President Oscar Leong also extends his congratulations.
Senior Juan Larazo addresses the gathering.
Michael Alexander, Board Member Milt Coleman, David Leonard
Founder Matt Powell and Tom Brenneke
Kim Malek (center) of Salt & Straw
Sanda Stein and Cooper DuBois
Oregon Supreme Court Justice Adrienne Nelson, Amy Donohue, HS President Oscar Leong
Werner Nistler of Touchmark
Fred and Gail Jubitz
Brittney Clark and Chris Brooks
Carolyn Murphy raises her paddle.
Alumna Khadjia Bruce (on right) and her family return to support the school.
Here’s a video featuring Khadija Bruce, De La Salle North Catholic High’s Class of 2015, (George Fox Class of 2019.) She shares her journey to become a 5th-grade teacher at Sabin Elementary.
From De La Salle North Catholic High:
Our mission is to provide an affordable, college preparatory, faith-based education to young men and women throughout the Portland metro area with limited financial resources. Over 325 years ago, St. John Baptist de La Salle, the founder of the De La Salle Christian Brothers and their schools, established the practice of providing a Christian education to the young, especially those who are most on the margins of society. Today, along with the support and sponsorship of the De La Salle Christian Brothers (San Francisco New Orleans District), De La Salle North Catholic strives to continue this mission.
Since the school was founded in 2001, our school has continued to grow and develop into a community of dedicated teachers and staff who, along with our many corporate work-study partners and volunteers, provide our unique education to capable, motivated and interested young people.
What is so unique about our school:
Our school turns no one away based on an inability to pay tuition. Even though our tuition is more than $10,000 less than any other private, Catholic high school in our area, most of our families still would find it hard to afford our low tuition.
Every student in our school works five days each month at “real-world” jobs. Not only does the money they earn at these jobs off-set nearly 50% of the cost to educate each student, but the work experience is life-changing for them. We are a founding member of the Cristo Rey Network® of schools which, today, number over 30 and are located in every major urban area throughout the United States.
In that we are a relatively small, faith-based school, we can provide a safe and supportive environment where students truly do “enter to learn and leave to serve” (our school’s motto).
Our students don’t simply graduate high school; over 95% have been accepted to colleges and universities—each and every year. Our students go to college with employable skills which help them pay for their college education, which ultimately, will help them break the cycle of poverty. Their success is a result of a culture of goal setting and achieving high standards by blending rigorous academics, four years of professional work experience and Catholic morals.
So, on behalf of our religious sponsor, the De La Salle Christian Brothers, the Board of Trustees and the entire De La Salle North Catholic community, thank you for your interest and we invite you to come visit our students and experience our unique, innovative, and transformational school! More information at: https://www.delasallenorth.org/
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]
