Voz Workers' Rights Education Project opened their new long-term office space and worker center, located at 3575 NE Broadway Street in Portland, in February! The facility is a significant transition to a more safe and accessible location for the employers, workers, and staff members they support.

The Black Food Sovereignty Coalition is about to host Back to the Root in Tacoma, Washington from March 17-20– a PNW regional conference led by and for African and Black-identified farmers, food producers, and others working in food justice and ecologies. Participants at this annual event gather to network, dig into shared history, discuss experiences, learn about opportunities, and build strategies. This is a Black-centered event, and BRSC welcome all POC community members to join!

Congratulations to past Impact Partner Adelante Mujeres’ staff member, Itzel Chávez Gómez, who was awarded the Give!Guide’s Skidmore Prize! The prize is an annual award from the Willamette Week that honors four young Portlanders who work every day to make Portland a better place. Check out the Give!Guide for more information on Itzel and the other awesome recipients of the Skidmore Prize, as well as the many organizations seeking your support this holiday season! You can check out a list of past impact partners and finalists featured in the Give!Guide here! 

BRAVO Youth Orchestra had their first choir performance December 9 at PSU for their Community Sing event. They reported that their students did a fantastic job that garnered a standing ovation! BRAVO’s in-school Preschool Program is up and running at Clarendon Learning Center, and going well. The organization is serving around 60 preschool-aged children by teaching them general music education. Up next is the BRAVO Community Orchestra concert at University of Portland's Buckley Auditorium TODAY, Friday, December 16th at 7PM (ninety-nine girlfriends Liaison, Anne Castleton has joined their ranks and will be performing with them!).

Beginning December 11th, The Oregonian is doing a four-part series on our partner POIC+RAHS and its students, who are finding a safe space from gun violence at their school. Tragically, each school year many students lose their lives to guns – you can learn more and experience community stories through the Oregonian series here.

One of our 2017 Impact Partners, Urban Gleaners, is seeking a new Executive Director! In their own words, “​​Urban Gleaners has a 16-year history of feeding children and families who are food-insecure in Multnomah and Washington Counties. Our mission is to collect delicious, fresh food before it can go to waste and get it to food-insecure children and families. Pure and simple. We see healthy food as a fundamental right in a just society.” They prefer to receive applications by 5p on Wednesday, November 30, 2022, and will start
scheduling interviews soon after that (position will remain open until filled). Learn More

Bradley Angle created a set of videos that delve into their programs for Domestic Violence Awareness Month – check out their YouTube channel! They also just started accepting cryptocurrency donation–for more information, visit their website.

To learn more about our Impact Partners’ accomplishments, challenges, and other insights, remember to check out their recently-completed reports to ninety-nine girlfriends!

BRAVO is expanding to its fifth site and is recruiting volunteers 2 or 3 days a week after school for tasks like setting up/breaking down classrooms, classroom management, and light admin duties. Volunteers would need to have a background check with Portland Public Schools (BRAVO will facilitate this), have the patience to work with kids, be flexible and be committed for at least a school term however they don't need any musical experience. If this feels like you, sign up here.

Recently, KGW did a feature on the work that Trash for Peace is doing through their Ground Score Association initiative!

To learn more about our Impact Partners’ accomplishments, challenges, and other insights, remember to check out their recently-completed reports to ninety-nine girlfriends!

In July, the organization was a recipient of a large grant from the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund in support of Building Equity: Clean Energy Careers through Construction Pre-Apprenticeship Training.

• On October 6, Constructing Hope will be hosting their 15th Anniversary Celebration & Awards Happy Hour!

• Constructing Hope was recently featured in a construction industry news site, Construction Dive–with a profile on the organization's work.

POIC+RAHS' annual gala is coming up around the corner on November 3 at 6pm, taking place at the Hyatt Regency Portland at the Oregon Convention Center. The POIC + RAHS Gala is the organization's biggest fundraiser of the year, drawing a diverse array of business and community support.

• POIC was featured on OPB for their collaboration w/ PSU to support BIPOC students and college graduates entering the workforce.

• They are also hiring for various positions on their team.

A Friday morning with Trash for Peace

Francie Royce, liaison to Trash for Peace

On a Friday morning I arrived at the Trash for Peace warehouse on SE Water Avenue in Portland's Central Eastside, a bit before 9:00 am to look for Mo. A man greeted me and introduced himself as Mo, the day coordinator for Trash for Peace. Two other men entered the warehouse and Mo made introductions. Jim and Dave are hired to clean up the Central Eastside neighborhood. I followed Jim out the door as he rolled a custodian cart on our way to gather trash.