September 4, 2009

Help fight diabetes

Category: Charity, Community, Health — admin @ 1:12 am

stepoutlogoThere will be a lot of red around the Rose Quarter September 13th and it has NOTHING to do with the Trail Blazers.  It’s the annual STEP OUT walk to fight diabetes.  So far organizers have about 1,000 people signed up and expect to raise $200K at the event.  Walks are planned all over the country.

For more info visit the American Diabetes Association here.

August 19, 2009

Going bald in the ‘Couv

Category: Charity, Community, Fundraiser, Health — admin @ 10:38 am

Fundraiser’s will go under the razor in Vancouver this weekend.  It’s a St Baldrick’s event . . .  donors chip in and sponsor volunteers who shave their heads . . . all the money goes to cancer research.

 

This weekend’s event has a bit of a bittersweet twist.  The man who kickstarted the planning is Sam Marks, a high school junior who was recently diagnosed with cancer.  He lost his own battle in July.  The event is going forward in his honor.  For more info, go here.

August 5, 2009

The Swiss Army Knife of charities

Category: Charity, Community — admin @ 1:21 am

Project Linkage fills needs for countless individuals every day

Project Linkage fills needs for countless individuals every day

A lot of charities focus on a large need.  Food banks that collect millions of pounds of food for the hungry.  Fundraisers to pay for medical research or treatments.  But sometimes, you find a nifty group that has found a unique way to tackle a seemingly smaller need.

That’s one of the many reasons we love Project Linkage.  The group run through Metropolitan Family Services offers a lot of services that may seem minor to the rest of us:

Scheduling regular visits between a volunteer and someone who is stuck in the home for the most part.

Driving people to the grocery store, the vet or the dry cleaners.

Heck, even CALLING once a day to make sure they haven’t fallen or need help.

The list goes on (sadly, Project Linkage does NOT offer a compass, toothpick or tweezers).

While the group does many wonderful things every day, they need YOUR help to do more.  Go here to learn more about how to volunteer.

July 24, 2009

Beaverton gets a dose of Good Will

Category: Charity, Community, Jobs — admin @ 1:00 am

The new Cedar Hills GoodWill is the second largest around

The new Cedar Hills GoodWill is the second largest around

For weeks, neighbors in Beaverton have knocked on the doors of the new Goodwill, hoping the doors would finally open.  Well, let the shopping commence.  The new, massive thrift store is officially open for business.

Dale Emmanuel with GWill tells GNPDX this store is the second largest in the local territory . . . but it won’t get the pleasure of being the “family baby” for long.  Business is doing so well for the chain (sales up several percent) that three more stores are slated for opening in the coming months.

Of course, what is good for Goodwill is good for all of us.  About 94% of the dollars that come in go right back to helping local people find jobs.  Yeah, that pair of jeans you never wear and those cooking utensils sitting in your attic gathering dust could help someone find a new career.

Kinda makes you want to do some spring cleaning this weekend, eh?

The new store is in Beaverton across from the Nissan dealership off of Cedar Hills Blvd (12975 SW Westgate Dr).

July 22, 2009

A book that gives hungry kids food

Category: Charity, Community, Fundraiser, family — admin @ 1:00 am

Purchasing the Full Plates Full lives book benefits kids in need right here

Purchasing the Full Plates Full lives book benefits kids in need right here

It’s no secret that the recession is hitting local kids pretty hard.  Schools can’t offer as many free summer food programs.  Belts are tightening at home.  More families need emergency food boxes.  It’s tough.

But the people at US Foodservice have an idea to make a dent in the problem.  Chef Mark Eggerding tells GNPDX that they started brainstorming a cookbook a while back.  HUNDREDS of top recipes have poured in from all over the country, each with personal stories and cooking tips from the chef’s who dreamed up the delectable dishes.

The resulting book is on sale now at this website.  The really cool thing about this book is that all the proceeds are being dropped back into local food banks to pay for fresh fruits and veggies for those kids in need.  Here in Portlandia, the Oregon Food Bank and St. Vincent DePaul can expect donations when the final sale tally comes in.

They are offering a 3-month STEM-ulus offer (great play on the whole fruit and veggie thing), cutting the price in half.

July 20, 2009

A week away

Category: Charity, Community, family — admin @ 1:07 am

More than 4,000 kids in need have benefitted from Camp Rosenbaum

More than 4,000 kids in need have benefitted from Camp Rosenbaum

Forty years ago, Fred Rosenbaum had an idea.  At the time, the Brigadier General for the National Guard was also serving as chair of the Portland Housing Authority.  Every day, he saw local kids in bad circumstances.  He wanted to help.  He wanted to give them each a chance to get away from the day to day struggles and have the opportunity to just be kids.

And so began Camp Rosenbaum.

It started small.  A few kids spent a few days on the coast with volunteer counselors.  But the idea was good and people believed in Rosenbaum’s mission.  So it grew.

Today, forty years later, hundreds of kids get to shake off the city every summer and spend a week having fun.  Horseback riding.  Sports,  Arts and Crafts.  Typical summer-camp stuff.  The camp does incorporate important messages about making good choices and teaches each kid that they control their own destiny.

As a special thank you, the camp is dedicating a Gratitude Garden in honor of Rosenbaum this week.  For more info on visiting you can click here.

The camp itself is staffed by all volunteers, mainly drawing counselors from the National Guard, the Police and Fire Department.  To date, more than 4,000 kids have been campers.

July 17, 2009

Why does Providence care about bikes?

Category: Charity, Community, Freebies, family — admin @ 1:12 am

Every summer, thousands of cyclists get to cruise over Portland Bridges

Every summer, thousands of cyclists get to cruise over Portland Bridges

Cyclists have a good reason to scour the garage for that old ten-speed that hasn’t been ridden since Paula Abdul was known for her music (and not judging other people’s vocal chops).  Or that box of old bike parts that is just gathering dust.

It’s worth $35.00  And you don’t even have to haggle on Craigslist to get the money.

Providence is accepting donations of old bikes and bike parts at their Tanasbourne location this Saturday.  In exchange, each donor gets a free registration to the August Bridge Pedal (a $35.00 value).  Plus, you can bring the kids with their bikes and helmets for a free safety check.  Oh, and if you’re thinking about riding your two wheels to work one of these days, make sure to catch the free commuting workshop.

For more info on the Bridge Pedal, click here.

July 10, 2009

Free block party on Mississippi

Category: Charity, Community, Freebies, Fundraiser, family — admin @ 1:44 am

More than 20,000 people turned out for last year's street fair on Mississippi Avenue

More than 20,000 people turned out for last year's street fair on Mississippi Avenue

It’s going to be in the 80’s and sunny on Saturday here in Portlandia.  So … how will you spend the day?  Mowing the lawn?  Clean the garage?  Maybe throw a few steaks on the grill?

Ho hum.  You can do that any weekend.  How about taking the kids to listen to bands on FOUR live stages … grab  local food from the top restaurants in North PDX … win some prizes … oh, and benefit two local kids programs at the same time.

Beats chores, eh?

Every year, Mississippi Avenue hosts the mother of all block parties, reaching from Skidmore to Fremont.  This year, organizers say more than 20,000 Portlandians will flood the neighborhood to join the fun.  It doesn’t cost a dime to get in, but you will want to bring a few bucks for food and a couple more to donate to the Boise-Eliot Elementary and Albina Youth opportunity schools.

Lest you think this is just a free concert and a few diners opening their doors, think twice oh ye of little faith.  The party includes the finest restaurants, games, a parade, kids area, info on local artists and some environmental projects as well. In fact, GNPDX bets you could start at Skidmore, walk down one side of the street to Fremont and then back the other side and STILL not see it all.

Prove us wrong, Portlandia . . . prove us wrong :)

For more info on who’s playing, click here.

July 8, 2009

Free personal training for the Portland Marathon

Category: Charity, Community, Health — admin @ 1:00 am

Get FREE training for the Portland Marathon by supporting ACS

Get FREE training for the Portland Marathon by supporting ACS

Here’s an obvious statement: you cannot wake up on an average Tuesday and say “I want to run over 26 miles today.”  Well, if you’re in really good shape, maybe.  But for the average Joe, completing a marathon requires some prep (and for the GNPDX staff, it would help to spread the mileage over several days).

If it’s your first marathon, it can also be a huge boost to have some experienced help in your training regiment.  While most of us would LIKE to complete the marathon course, the time it takes to train and the ability to pay someone to work with us can be a hurdle.

The American Cancer Society and Fit Right Northwest have cleared one of those hurdles.  For everybody.

If you sign up for the Portland Marathon and agree to raise money for the ACS, you’ll get free, personal training all the way up to race day. 

GNPDX spoke with Bonnie Ell with ACS about the program which kickstarted in the 90’s in Chicago.  That race now raises about a million bucks a year and has 800 people signed up.  Locally, the first year for the program has 16 people on board already (guaranteeing $8,000-16,000 for ACS) with the hopes to push that number over 25 by the cut off in early August.

You do have to comitt to run in order to get the free training, but if you’ve ever wanted to run a marathon, there’s never been a better time to train.  For sign up info go here.

July 6, 2009

Forty years of addiction gets kicked to the curb

Category: Charity — admin @ 1:06 am

The Portland Rescue Mission offers help to countless men and women every year.

The Portland Rescue Mission offers help to countless men and women every year.

Randy Ankele has lived nearly half a century.  He’s seen cable TV, the Internet, several presidents and the cell phone come into prominence.  And almost all of that time was through a haze of booze and drugs.

“I started drinking when I was nine” says Ankele.  “My folks drank so it was easy to sneak beers.”  The fight cost Ankele family, friends and his home.

“I didn’t know how to quit,” he explains in an exclusive chat with GNPDX.  But he finally hit bottom and reached for help.

By working with the Portland Rescue Mission, Ankele went from the streets into his own place with a job and a savings account.  He’s spent 18 months working through his personal demons and is looking at a brighter future, including plans to go to school and volunteer with the Mission’s men’s program.

“I feel so blessed that I can show people there is a better life,” he adds.  “When I got to the Mission I was broken.”

To volunteer or donate and help others like Randy, click here.