Janie Marsh - Goodwill's National Graduate of the Year

Every year, Goodwill honors one person who goes through their job training program with the Graduate of the Year honor.  It’s tough to earn.  In fact, the plaque has never even visited the west coast.

That is until now.

Janie Marsh brought the recognition right to Oregon for her years of hard work towards a goal of a better life.

Drinking and drugs started early for Marsh and she quickly found herself in and out of jail, focused only on getting her next fix.  But, when she landed in Coffee Creek correctional institute, she connected with a Goodwill training program.

Once she got her freedom back, she kept and maintained a job and began pursuing an education.  Now, she’s headed for a degree from the UO (with help from merit-based scholarships no less) in Landscape Architecture.

Way to go Janie Marsh!

For more info on the Good Work GoodWill does, go here.

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All of New Cascadia Traditional's goodies are gluten free

As the economy continues to hit the snooze alarm, we here at GNPDX like to highlight businesses that are doing well in Portlandia.  You don’t get much better than New Cascadia Traditional.

It started as a once a week stand at one of the Portland farmer’s markets a few years.  Then, they added a second farmers market.  Then a kiosk in north west PDX.  Now, a full service coffee shop in SE with plans to start wholesale operations soon.

Nifty, huh?

Even cooler, New Cascadia’s products are all gluten free so completely safe for anyone with a wheat allergy (there’s some vegan fare to be had as well).

Not to be biased, the GNPDX has had the chance to sample their treats and believes that the cupcakes served at NCT are better than anyone in town.  Period.

Don’t believe us?  Check it out for yourself at the GRAND OPENING Friday from 8-5.  Details are here.

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Here’s an idea.  Joe is an attorney and has a light work load right now.  But he really could use some personal training.  Sally is a personal trainer with only a half-full client load, but she needs help around her house.  Jackson is a carpenter with some spare time, but wants to update his will.

Would be kinda nifty if this trio could workout a three-way trade, right?

Now they can at Dibspace.  The online barter system uses Dibits as a type of currency.  Users earn and spend dibits helping each other and in just a few months, it’s gathered thousands of users in Seattle.

The system is starting to get a foothold in PDX.  For more info, check out their site.

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The Lincoln Restaurant will donate 10% of proceeds tonight to Race for the Cure

Instead of running, a group of hungry diners will be doing their part in the fight against breast cancer by sitting down at a table for a lovely meal in North Portland.

It’s a fundraiser at the Lincoln Restaurant.  Owner and Maitre D Chris Welch spoke with GNPDX about the effort.  He says a very close friend runs in the Race for the Cure every year and is battling cancer herself.  Rather than make their standard, personal donation, Welch and crew decided to let their customers get in on the act by donating 10% of the take tonight to the race.

He won’t guess how much they’re going to raise but he says they have fingers crossed that it tops the $500 mark.  Reservations are available.  For more info check out their website.

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Wilma McFall grew up around horses

When Wilma McFall was a little girl, she was always riding a horse.  You could say she grew up on a horse.  But at 94-years-old, saddling up isn’t nearly as easy as it used to be.

Enter the Chehalem Springs Assisted Living facility.  That’s where McFall lives and later today, she’ll be saddling up again thanks to the Ageless Dreamers program.

It works like Make A Wish but for adults.  The wishes tend to be about reliving memories from their past like sledding down Mount Hood or going fishing.

There are lots of ways to get involved.  Click here for more info.

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There 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.

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This weekend, you can protect your kids as you do your back to school shopping.  Clackamas Town Center is hosting a safety fair on Saturday which will include Secure Child.

Spear Headed  Johnny Walker with North Star Financial, Secure Child provides a free kit to each parent including:

A photo of your child (which can be age-adjusted once you get a second photo taken)

Hair sample

Finger Prints

Other stats about the child

And it’s all free.

Thousands of families have taken advantage of the free service so stop by the Town Center Saturday.

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After 25 years, the Children’s Gym has decided it’s time to celebrate.

The gymnastics academy in the Hollywood District is hosting a giant block party this weekend as a thank you to all the families who have helped the facility succeed.

It started as a few lessons a week given by Traci Vogel which quickly grew into a self-sustaining learning center, currently at max capacity student-wise (700 kids).  Vogel says they’re eyeing bigger and better things in the near future, including a massive expansion to include dance, martial arts and other activities.

For more info on the party which is open to all, go here.

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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.

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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.

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