February 23, 2009

A “Success” ful ten years

Category: Charity — admin @ 9:33 am

Picture your average morning.  You wake up, shower, brush your teeth and reach into the closet.  We bet that on a “good morning” you have your favorite outfit, freshly washed and hanging right up front.  It’s the professional, presentable, perfect fit pairing of a top and bottom.  

And on a “bad morning” you’re stuck stuffing into the uncomfortable old pants and wrinkled shirt that you hide in the back of your closet for emergencies only.  Sound about right?

Now imagine you’re heading for a job interview, but you don’t have that “good morning” outfit.  In fact, you may not have the “back up” either.  Might hit your confidence just a bit, huh?

That’s why we at GoodNewsPDX love Dress for Success so much.  Women who are looking for work can visit and pick out an entire outfit, assisted by a personal shopper to make sure they leave looking like a million bucks.

Once they land the new gig, each shopper can come back for a second trip through the aisles of jackets, pants and skirts.  

But while the new clothes are nice, it’s the sense of confidence that seems to be the biggest value the store offers.  Some customers say they’ve searched for jobs for months with no success . . . only to find employment a couple weeks after visiting the Northeast PDX shop.

Despite the spike in need, organizers say supply is hanging in there but they can always use more donations.  There’s a huge piece in The Oregonian about their tenth anniversary if you’d like details on how to help out.

February 10, 2009

Intel writes a check with LOTS of zeros

Category: Charity — admin @ 6:00 pm

First Intel announced that it plans to sink $7 Billion (yeah, Billion with a B) into producing these new 32 nanometer wafers (kinda like vanilla wafers except fewer calories).  Then came even BETTER news for the people of the Rose City (or Silicon Forest as it’s known in the tech world).

$1.5 Billion of that cash is coming right to Oregon (on top of another Billion Intel slipped our way over the last year).  That massive bankroll means countless saved jobs, PLUS the creation of 1,500 new jobs.

Even better, these nifty nanometer wafers supposedly are the building blocks of the digital world’s future, offering a smaller, more energy efficient model.

Anyone else feel like mom and dad just stopped by the apartment and said “You remember that $20 you borrowed?  Keep it.  Oh, and here’s next month’s rent as a bonus.  And that clunker car you drive?  this weekend we’re going to take you to upgrade to a new Prius.”