The second of the three meetings for the Portland Development Commission’s Parkrose Neighborhood Prosperity Initiative is tonight, at 7 p.m. in the Religious Education Building behind St. Rita Catholic Church, 10029 N.E. Prescott St.

An article in the Mid-county Memo on the formation of the six new mini urban renewal areas was published in December 2011 edition.

To meet the emergency needs of homeless families in the community this winter, 60 shelter beds were opened for homeless families with children in November by the Family Shelter-to-Housing Partnership, a group of faith-based and non-profit agencies. However, before November was over, the Homeless Family Winter Shelter exceeded its 60-person capacity.

On any night this winter, dozens of homeless families spend the night at Eastminster Presbyterian Church in east Portland. Dozens of kids fill the hallways including, from left, nine-year-old Marley McFallo, five-year-old Daniel, and his seven-year-old brother Elisha Smith, six-year-old Jeremiah Moreno and eight-year-old Dante McFallo. The Human Solutions run shelter needs volunteer overnight hosts. Mid-county Memo photos/Tim Curran

In the 18th century, author, poet and philosopher David Everett wrote “… Large streams from little mountains flow, Tall oaks from little acorns grow.” The tall oak that is the annual Festival of Lights at The Grotto began as a small, 10-day, acorn of an event that has grown into the largest Christmas choral festival in the world. The tree continues to emerge from the acorn planted 24 years ago. Its message carries further and becomes more beautiful with each passing year.

Now in its third season, the Parkrose Heights Community Garden, in addition to growing flowers, fruits and vegetables, has seeded the growth of community in its soil. The once empty 5,400 square foot plot houses 22 raised beds farmed by neighbors both within the church’s many faith communities and beyond. Gardeners have grown squash, peppers, spinach, sunflowers, okra, fennel, corn, and an abundance of tomatoes. This year, the garden donated 600 pounds of tomatoes to the SnowCap charities thanks to efforts from tomato-grower extraordinaire Clay Osburn.

The 24th annual Christmas Festival of Lights at The Grotto begins this month. It runs 35 nights from Nov. 25 through Dec. 30, excluding Christmas Day.

Up to 70 volunteers are needed each night to make the event a success.  A variety of volunteer positions are needed, including greeters, gift shop helpers, petting zoo attendants, ticket takers, parking attendants, church greeters, food booth helpers and more.

The Grotto's Christmas Festival of Lights needs volunteers. Photo by Larry Kirby

Click here to read the December 2009 story about two Festival of Light volunteers, brothers Brett and Kevin Hilberg.

Editor’s note: Welcome to Perlman’s Potpourri, news items from across the Gateway and Parkrose neighborhoods of mid-Multnomah County from veteran Beat Reporter Lee Perlman.

Portland Immigrant Statue dedication
As Joe Rossi and friends dedicated the long-anticipated Portland Immigrant Statue at the traffic island at the intersection of Northeast 99th Avenue, Sandy Boulevard and Killingsworth Street Oct. 1, the message was that it symbolized not the Rossi clan (some have speculated it is a statue of Rossi’s great-grandfather, which Rossi has consistently denied), but our common heritage.

It was not just Parkrose celebrating a birthday last month. The Gateway Center for Domestic Violence Services marked a year of operations at East Burnside Street and 102nd Avenue.

In a report to the Multnomah County Commission last month, Executive Director Martha Strawn Morris reported that more than 2,000 adults and 750 children had paid 7,000 visits to the facility.

One of its main offerings is enabling domestic violence victims to obtain restraining orders against abusers, and last year visitors obtained 557 such orders, nearly a quarter of all obtained in the county. This represented 90 percent of those who sought such orders at the center, as compared to 85 percent at the downtown county courthouse.

Tomorrow morning, in the Southeast corner of Ed Benedict Park, help prepare the Portland Memory Garden for another season of meaningful outdoor experience for individuals and caregivers coping with memory loss disorders, and make your own memories, too.

The Portland Memory Garden is in the Southeast corner of Ed Benedict Park in outer southeast Portland.

This is a great family friendly project. Garden tasks include weeding, grooming, sweeping and general cleanup. Most tools provided. Optional: bring your own pruners or other sharps. Rain or shine, please dress for the weather.

SnowCap Community Charities celebrated the annual end-of-summer garden party last month at its facility with an extra boost this year with the help of a $10,000 grant from the Grainger Foundation presented by a volunteer whose connection with the organization goes back to her years as a Bluebird volunteer.

The grant, presented by Lori Gilinsky, of the Illinois-based W.W. Grainger Co., will be used to continue SnowCap’s Food 2 You program, which delivers food boxes to seniors and shut-ins

Chris Sullivan, an English Language Learner teacher at Sacramento Elementary School in the Parkrose School District, has created the Sacrament Market for all Sacramento families.

Every Friday afternoon from 3 to 4 p.m. the market is set up in a breeze way outside his second grade classroom. Sacramento families are encouraged to bring an empty grocery bag to the school, 11400 N.E. Sacramento St., and fill it with free fresh fruit, vegetables and whole grain bread.

While picking up her grandson Timmy after school, Kareny Phomauhanh, with granddaughter Lyla, picks up fresh vegetables from Sacramento Market for tonight’s dinner.