Each day members of our community quietly celebrate milestones, achievements and accomplishments – big and small. This department is meant to showcase these triumphs to the greater community.
When you send submissions, please include all details that apply: full names of any individuals mentioned, details of the milestone and everyone impacted by the event, and a contact name and phone number or email address. Send a photo if you have one. Please identify each individual from left to right (large group shots can simply be identified by the group name) and provide the name of the photographer so we can give proper credit. Memo Pad submissions for the February issue are due Thursday, Jan. 15. For best results, e-mail Darlene Vinson at editor@midcountymemo.com. Or mail submissions to 3510 N.E. 134th Ave., Portland, OR 97230. To leave a phone message, call 503-287-8904. The Mid-county Memo fax number is 503-249-7672.
The awards keep coming
A handful of area high school athletes have been named to the 5A all state teams.
David Douglas junior Osa Odighizuwa was named to the football first team. Parkrose starters Jonathan Boland, Vincent Vy and Andre Johnson earned honorable mention. Boland has announced that he is taking his talents to Portland State University next year.
In boys’ soccer, Hernan Hermosillo, a junior at David Douglas earned a spot on the first team. Landing on the second team were Kingsley Arman and Carlos Bravo, both DDHS seniors.
Parkrose junior Jada Krening was named to the second team all state in girls’ soccer.
Clothes closet gets boost from Daimler
The Parkrose Educational Foundation received a $1,000 donation from Daimler Trucks North America in support of the Parkrose School District clothes closet. This time of year, the need is especially great for warm coats, shoes and necessities. Each of the district’s six schools received an equal portion of the donation.
Daimler Trucks North America, based in Portland for more than 70 years, is the leading commercial truck manufacturer in North America. Duane Watari, Corporate Human Resources, said, “Daimler Trucks believes in supporting the communities in which its employees live and work. In addition to our major giving campaign, which gave over $250,000 to schools in the Portland metro area this year, we look for these additional opportunities to lend a hand.”
The mission of the PEF is to raise and distribute funds to enhance the educational experiences of students enrolled in Parkrose School District schools. As a 501(c)3 non-profit, the PEF is in a position to receive donations and welcomes requests from students, teachers and staff year round.
Its biggest fundraiser is an annual dinner/auction held in the spring. This year’s event, “Escape to Paradise,” is set for April 11, 2015 at the Portland Airport Sheraton. Tickets are on sale now. Find more information at parkroseedfdn.org
Shelter moves, asks for donations
Human Solutions is seeking donations of food, bedding and warm clothing for homeless families seeking refuge at its emergency Family Winter Shelter, which is serving about 30 homeless families each night.
Any homeless family with no safe place to sleep can stay at the Family Winter Shelter, located at 16141 E. Burnside St. Human Solutions relies on donations from the community to feed dinner and breakfast and also to ensure a steady supply of blankets, pillows and warm clothing. Families take blankets with them when they leave the shelter, so a constant supply is necessary to meet the need. New or gently used bedding and pillows are acceptable. With the cold, wet weather, homeless children and parents also need winter jackets, mittens or gloves and hats and scarves. Personal hygiene items, towels and diapers of all sizes are also in very short supply.
As many as 111 homeless parents and children have sought shelter on any given night since the Winter Shelter opened Nov. 1, straining limited resources and prompting the call for donations. Human Solutions is fortunate to have the partnership of the Centennial School District, which is providing meals for children during the week. However, community support is needed to provide parent meals and meals on weekends. The shelter serves an evening meal to homeless families each night when doors open at 7 p.m., and also provides families with individually wrapped breakfast items when they leave shelter in the morning at 7 a.m. Individuals or groups interested in donating a dinner are asked to contact Adam Lyons at 503-256-2280. The shelter also needs a microwave oven so that families can heat up donations of nutritious canned food.
Human Solutions operates a second emergency shelter, the Daybreak Shelter, year-round out of Peace Church of the Brethren at 12727 S.E. Market St. The Daybreak Shelter needs the same type of donations as the Family Winter Shelter. Donations for both shelters may be dropped off at Daybreak Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. financial contributions are also needed and can be made at www.humansolutions.org or mailed to 12350 S.E. Powell Blvd., Portland, OR 97236.
The 100-bed Family Winter Shelter moved to a new location this year to better accommodate homeless families, according to Jean DeMaster, executive director at Human Solutions. The new building has additional individual rooms for families’ added privacy while sleeping and caring for children. Multnomah County funds the majority of costs associated with the Winter Shelter from Nov. 1 through March 31, but Human Solutions is responsible for providing food to homeless families. Dennis’ 7 Dees Landscaping and Garden Centers raised money to keep the Winter Shelter open through April 2015 to ease the plight of homeless families while the weather is still cold and wet. The Family Winter Shelter was formerly located at Parkrose Community United Church of Christ on Northeast 125th Avenue and Halsey Street.
To access winter shelter, a homeless family simply needs to come to the Family Winter Shelter, 16141 East Burnside St. The shelter is located on the MAX and bus lines. Doors open every night at 7 p.m. Alternatively, a homeless family can call 211Info for shelter or housing options. In the event that the Winter Shelter reaches capacity, an overflow night shelter will be available at Highland Christian Center, 7600 N.E. Glisan St. No homeless family will be turned away from the Family Winter Shelter during its six months of operation.
Advisory Committees Chosen for Beech, Gateway Parks
Portland Parks & Recreation recently selected volunteers—many veteran volunteers—for Project Advisory Committees for two proposed parks that will soon add much-needed green space to east Portland.
These volunteers will help guide PP&R staff, as well as designers, of Gateway Park & Urban Plaza, planned for Northeast 106th and Halsey Street and Beech Park, on 15.7 acres of former farmland next to Shaver Elementary School on Northeast 131st Ave.
To find interested volunteers, PP&R circulated an application form that explained the project and the required responsibilities, including asking questions about applicants’ interests and background. The volunteers are community members and will be future users of the parks. “The interest application was also emailed to past participants and anyone involved in the two parks, using information from our database,” said Mark Ross, PP&R Media Relations Spet. “We also met with diverse community organizations and leaders who gave us leads to best reach relevant, interested community members.”
The committee members for both parks will seek to hear from residents in the two neighborhoods and will attend a series of meetings over the next year, as well as community forums about the parks’ design. All meetings are open to the public.
Gateway Urban Park & Plaza Committee members are Linda Robinson and Bob Earnest, Hazelwood Neighborhood Association; Thuy Tran, Parkrose School District Board of Education; Nidal Kahl, Halsey-Weidler Group; Abudi Said, African Youth & Community Organization; Karen Justice, principal of Sacramento Elementary; Xochil Springer, United Cerebral Palsy Of Oregon; Cody Goldberg, Harper’s Playground and at-large members Clifford Robinson, Jessa Sweany, and Andrew Long.
Beech Park Committee members are Karen Fischer Gray, superintendent of Parkrose School District; Laura Goodman, principal of Shaver Elementary School; Bill Lindekugel, Argay Neighborhood Association; Meryl Redisch, Portland Parks Board, and at-large members Sandra Murrillo, Cherlynn Olopuy, Nina Palacio, Peter Phan, Silvia Infante, Courtney Bearhaut, Fred Colley, Jamari Gilbert and Russell George.