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.
A traditional meal will be served to-go on Thanksgiving Day.
Portland Rescue Mission started in 1949. Over 70 years later, it’s still known for compassionate care to homeless men, women, and children. The nonprofit has 4 different locations and also provides long-term recovery care.
US Bank Corp volunteers assemble snack bags at Union Gospel Mission of Portland
Other Thanksgiving Volunteer Opportunities:
Blanchet House does not serve meals on Thanksgiving Day or Christmas Day so that its shelter residents who help to prepare and serve meals can enjoy a day of rest. The nonprofit has volunteer opportunities that you can do from home on Thanksgiving. See below.
From Blanchet House:
You can volunteer from home by doing one of the following meaningful activities.
Make Sack Lunches
Prepare 10-100 sack lunches and drop them off at Blanchet House. Review our Sack Lunch How-To for the details.
Donations can be dropped off Mon-Sat*, at 310 NW Glisan St. from 8 – 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 – 4 p.m. *We are closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Pull up to our entrance, knock on the door to get our attention, and a staff member will retrieve your donation from the car. If you’d like a donation receipt, we can provide one. You can also call us at 503-241-4340 or email [email protected].
If you would like to volunteer on-site at Blanchet House on a day that is not a holiday sign up here. Blanchet House is open Mon-Sat, except for New Years Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. We are open all other holidays.
Portland, OR. Albertina Kerr worked with Durham & Bates Insurance to raise money and awareness for the nonprofit’s work helping children and teens struggling with their mental well-being. The insurance company offered $5,000 with a chance to double it if 500 supporters liked and shared the challenge on social media platforms. Organizers say they surpassed 500 votes and secured the full $10,000 donation for the nonprofit.
Durham & Bates Insurance attended Albertina Kerr’s 24 Hours of Kerr fundraiser to assist in raising funds for the organization in 2019.
The recent donation is just one of many that businesses and community members have to Albertina Kerr. The organization continues its offer short-term, safe, and secure residential placement for children and teens (ages 5-17) who are experiencing a mental health crisis. Services focus on mental health stabilization, psychiatric evaluation, and transitional planning.
Children and teens are provided individual and family therapy, like this group therapy session, intensive skill-building, case management, and medication management.
From Albertina Kerr:
Kerr provides services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), mental health challenges, and other social barriers by:
Serving over 53% of the youth in IDD group homes in Oregon.
Leading the creation of employment and community living opportunities for adults with IDD.
Operating the only standalone subacute children’s crisis psychiatric facility in Oregon.
Providing leadership in statewide policy discussions related to disability and mental health care.
Leading industry discussion, training, and innovation of best practices in programs for children with dual diagnosis.
Practicing evidence-based and trauma-informed care.
Since 1907, Albertina Kerr has been caring for Oregon’s most vulnerable citizens. Over the decades, our services have evolved to meet the community’s needs. While these needs have changed, the values of our expert caregivers remain constant: compassion, commitment, collaboration, and advocacy.
Today, Kerr empowers people experiencing intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), mental health challenges, and other social barriers to lead self-determined lives and reach their full potential. We provide comprehensive crisis and preventive mental health care for children and teens, as well as a full range of services for children and adults experiencing an I/DD.
Portland, OR. Lan Su Chinese Garden is open for visitors. Masks are required for all visitors to the garden aged 5 and older, regardless of vaccination status. Zhong Qiu Jie (中秋節), a.k.a. the Mid-Autumn Festival, is considered one of the most important Chinese holidays. Traditionally taking place on the fifteenth day of the eight-month of the lunar calendar, the Mid-Autumn Festival is usually on or close to the time of the “Harvest Moon” when the moon appears at its fullest during the autumnal equinox. During the weekend of September 18th and 19th, the garden will be adorned with countless hanging lanterns. There will be a lantern-making activity, storytelling, chopstick challenge, and calligraphy demonstration. This daytime festival is free with garden admission or membership.
The garden is also offering a virtual tour so people can enjoy images of the garden from the comfort of their homes. The botanical garden featuring rare plants native to China, decorative stonework & a tea shop is located at 239 Northwest Everett Street. The garden takes up an entire block of the city’s historic Chinatown district.
Events and concerts are offered, year-round like the Takohachi drummers.
The garden is also encouraging contactless visits. An app has an audio tour and a series of interactive scavenger hunts, photo challenges, and multiple-choice trivia questions. with the help of the following:
Musicians like OregonKotoKai regularly perform at the garden.
The garden is getting ready for a benefit fundraiser. The virtual event will coincide with the celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival, a traditional Chinese holiday when the family is reunited to share stories, eat mooncakes, and gather under the moon.
The Lan Su Chinese Garden is an authentic Ming Dynasty-style garden built by Suzhou artisans, that brings together art, architecture, design, and nature in this 2,000-year-old Chinese tradition. It’s an inspiring, serene setting for meditation, quiet thought and tea served at The Tao of Tea in the authentic teahouse at Tower of Cosmic Reflections, as well as public tours of the grounds led by expert horticulturalists.
The mission of Lan Su Chinese Garden is to cultivate an oasis of tranquil beauty and harmony to inspire, engage and educate our global community in the appreciation of a richly authentic Chinese culture.
Lan Su Chinese Garden is one of Portland’s greatest treasures and most interesting sites to see while visiting Portland. A result of a collaboration between the cities of Portland and Suzhou, our sister city in China’s Jiangsu province that’s famous for its beautiful Ming Dynasty gardens, Lan Su was built by Chinese artisans from Suzhou and is one of the most authentic Chinese gardens outside of China.
Much more than just a beautiful botanical garden, Lan Su is a creative wonder — a powerfully inspiring experience based on a 2,000-year-old Chinese tradition that melds art, architecture, design, and nature in perfect harmony.
Last spring, Executive Director Elizabeth Nye released a statement against Asian hate:
Amidst the hate crimes against the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities during the COVID-19 pandemic, our hearts break for our brothers and sisters of the AAPI community. We want to make our voice very clear— Lan Su is standing united with the Oldtown Chinatown community to strongly condemn racial intolerance and violence. This is no place for hate.
Built on the friendship between Portland and our sister city, Suzhou, China, Lan Su has always been an inclusive haven in Oldtown that inspires cross-cultural connections. From the planting of a single osmanthus tree to the raising of countless red lanterns, the garden has become the perfect backdrop for stories to be told, history to be learned, and diversity to be celebrated.
On the path to grow and evolve as a nonprofit organization, we are always learning with our community and listening carefully to your voices. Share your opinions with the garden by e-mailing us at [email protected].
Walking through Portland’s Oldtown-Chinatown arch, you would be greeted by an inscription that reads “四海一家”, which means “One family from the Four Seas” in Chinese, a heartfelt wish to everyone, wherever they have traveled from, to find their community here in peace. A wish that we hope you can join us, to make happen.
Vancouver, WA. The Kuni Foundation, of Vancouver, Washington is awarding 19 grants worth $13.2 million. The grants support dismantling disparities in cancer detection and treatment for Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) communities and housing solutions for people experiencing intellectual disabilities.
The grants were awarded to a wide range of groups. Providence St. Vincent Medical Foundation, for instance, received $430,000 “to explore key drivers of disparities in breast cancer screenings by socioeconomic status, race and ethnicity.” And Oregon Health & Science University received $1.5 million “to accelerate the development of low-cost blood biopsies, which would increase access to early cancer detection for underserved communities.”
Wayne and Joan Kuni were known for their commitment to community service. Wayne Kuni founded Kuni Automotive, and over the years, the Vancouver, Washington-based company grew into a network of 15 automobile dealerships in Oregon, Washington, California, Colorado, and Kansas. The foundation was founded by Wayne and Joan Kuni.
Joan Kuni
Wayne Kuni
Joan E. Kuni died at age 88 in 2019. Her husband, Wayne Kuni, founded Vancouver-based Kuni Automotive in 1970 died from lung cancer in 2006. The foundation was the largest shareholder of Kuni Automotive and in 2016 created a $50 million fund for cancer and other medical research and to enhance the lives of developmentally disabled adults — causes that were close to the Kuni’s hearts. The fund has grown year by year since then.
There are an estimated 24,000 adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs) in the region who face housing insecurity now and in the coming years. Of those adults, 70% in Southwest Washington and 61% in Oregon live with family members, and one-quarter to half of those family members are aging parents who lack an affordable housing option for their children once they are no longer able to provide care.
“We’re excited to help advance the transformative work of these organizations and individuals,” said Angela Hult, President of the Kuni Foundation. “These projects reflect our commitment to supporting collaborative, pioneering approaches that propel equitable access to housing, cancer detection and treatment.”
From The Kuni Foundation:
Reducing Disparities, Improving Outcomes
Native Americans face profound barriers in accessing cancer screenings and treatment that can result in later stage diagnosis, increased complications, and life-limiting prognosis. A collaborative effort between UW Medicine and Washington State University received just over $1.4 million from the Foundation to work in tandem with tribal communities on culturally appropriate solutions to reduce barriers to cancer detection and treatment and improve outcomes. The research focused on early detection of endometrial cancer among Black women received $1.2 million in funding. Black women’s mortality resulting from endometrial cancer has worsened over the past 20 years, and they are more likely to have advanced-stage cancer when diagnosed.
UW Medicine researchers also received grants for efforts that include the creation of the world’s first Cancer and Transplant Clinic and National Collaborative Bioregistry and the advance of glioblastoma research, one of the most fatal and hard to treat brain tumors.
“These transformational grants recognize the strength of cancer research and collaborations across UW Medicine,” said Paul G. Ramsey, MD, Chief Executive Officer of UW Medicine. “Many of these grants support bold projects aimed at reducing health disparities in underserved populations. We are truly grateful to the Kuni Foundation for their significant partnership and advocacy for a healthier and more just future.”
Providence St. Vincent Medical Foundation received $430,000 to explore key drivers of disparities in breast cancer screenings by socioeconomic status, race and ethnicity. The intent is to drive health policy and systems change to create more equitable health outcomes. In the long-term, these changes will lead to higher rates of mammography screening, especially among communities experiencing disparities, leading to earlier treatment and increased survival.
Oregon Health & Science University received $1.5 million to accelerate the development of low-cost blood biopsies, which would increase access to early cancer detection for underserved communities. The Knight Scholars Program received $1 million to expand to schools in Portland and Eastern Oregon that have a high percentage of students from Hispanic, Native American and Black communities and to bolster peer-to-peer mentoring opportunities. The program offers high school students whose communities are underrepresented in cancer research, health care and public health the opportunity to explore cancer research careers.
Expanding Housing Access
Ten nonprofits advancing a diverse range of urban and rural housing solutions for the I/DD community also received funding. According to a recent study cited in Psychology Today, 30 to 40 percent of people experiencing homelessness also experience a cognitive challenge, and many have never been professionally diagnosed. A $230,000 grant to Seattle-based Ryther will advance community outreach and accessibility to screenings, mental health services and public benefits, transitioning individuals experiencing both I/DD and homelessness to stable housing.
A $250,000 grant to Northwest Housing Alternatives will support the due diligence necessary for the development of an inclusive, affordable housing effort in Portland while a grant to FCC Homes provides emergency funding to find stable housing for displaced adults. When the Port of Centralia declared eminent domain over the land owned by Alderhouse, a Washington home for adults experiencing I/DD, FCC Homes stepped in to help the long-time residents find alternative housing. Horizon Project, Inc. received $850,000 to expand rural housing options in Hermiston and Pendleton.
“Actively listening to the voices of people and service providers in both rural and urban areas, the Kuni Foundation is flexible in its partnerships, helping dreams become reality,” said Terri Silvas, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of The Horizon Project. “The Foundation’s support has been a catalyst for helping our organization enhance inclusion and quality of life for people experiencing I/DD in rural eastern Oregon.”
UW Medicine, Seattle, WA: Uncovering the Progression from Clonal Hematopoiesis to Leukemia,
Based in Vancouver, Washington, the Kuni Foundation fuels the power of human potential by investing in scientists advancing cancer research and efforts that accelerate the inclusion of people who experience intellectual and developmental disabilities. Learn more at www.kunifoundation.org or via Twitter at @KuniFoundation.
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