De La Salle North Catholic High School Leads Positive Change

De La Salle North Catholic High School Leads Positive Change

Portland, OR. Supporters donated $303,595 at the 12th Annual Changing Destinies Luncheon on April 20th. The funds are for financial aid; 85% of the students at De La Salle North Catholic High School receive need-based assistance. (Photo credit, Andrea Lonas)

De La Salle North Catholic High School provides a rigorous academic curriculum coupled with a unique work-study program for low-income students right in the heart of their community. Every student in the school works one day each week at one of 80+ Portland Metro area corporations and organizations to offset more than 50% of the cost of their education. Educators say they prepare young people not only for college, but for life.

Jesuit President, Tom Arndorfer; Principal, Paul Hogan; Julie Arndorfer, Nancy Green and Lisa Creamer

Long-time supporters Cyndy Maletis & Gay Jacobsen raise their cards.

Julie Stott is focused on the program.

Mary Markley, Kris Wilkins and Susan Corey

From De La Salle North Catholic High School:

De La Salle North Catholic High School opened in 2001 to provide a faith-based, college preparatory high school education to underserved students from the Portland area. These families needed and wanted a viable and affordable choice of schools to send their student. Other private high schools in and around Portland were not an option for most of them because of the cost and the distance their student would have to travel to go to school each day. They spoke out and said “put your school right here in our neighborhood.”

De La Salle was the first school to replicate the innovative corporate work study program pioneered by Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Chicago. There are now over 30 schools throughout urban America that model their school after this Cristo Rey model.

De La Salle North Catholic is sponsored by The De La Salle Christian Brothers and is a part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Portland/Western Oregon.  And a nation-wide, independent rating agency has identified De La Salle North Catholic High School as the most diverse private high school in all of Oregon.

Students at De La Salle North Catholic High School attend class four days per week and work for a local company one day each week as part of the Corporate Work Study Program (CWSP). The CWSP provides work experience, business contacts, and helps offset the cost to educate them. This school exists to provide this unique educational opportunity to families who would not be able to afford a private, Catholic education. Our goal is to develop tomorrow’s community leaders by making high-quality education accessible to motivated young people in a learning environment that values cultural, spiritual, and ethnic diversity. We don’t turn away any capable, motivated or interested student because they cannot afford our modest tuition.

Diverse 2017 Rose Festival Court is Out and About

Diverse 2017 Rose Festival Court is Out and About

Portland, OR. Fifteen Portland Rose Festival Princesses are making the rounds at local businesses, special events and celebrations. The 2017 court is a standout for its diversity. At a blessing by Archbishop Alexander Sample, he explained how the group has the opportunity to “honor diversity but celebrate our unity as a wonderful community of love, respect, and peace.” The 2017 Rose Festival court is made up almost entirely of young women of color. Five of the princesses were born outside of the country, representing Kenya, China, the Philippines and Ethiopia.

Court members were at the Delta Park Elmer’s Restaurant to help spread the word about “Rose Meals.” For each Rose Meal purchased at 12 participating restaurants through June 25th, Elmer’s will donate $1 to the Portland Rose Festival Foundation. Since the program began in 2010, Elmer’s has raised $86,907 for the Rose Festival Foundation.

The Rose Festival Court is comprised of up to 15 young women chosen from Portland Metro-area high schools. After their selection court members travel full-time 5 days a week for 5 weeks, visiting community events, business leaders, hospitals, senior living centers, youth organizations and civic groups. Court Members also receive one-on-one mentorship, a $3,500 scholarship provided by The Randall Group, and a complete wardrobe. The Rose Festival Court is presented by Unitus Community Credit Union.

The Rose Festival Queen is chosen from the Court and is crowned at the Queen’s Coronation. The Queen represents Portland and the Rose Festival for one year at appearances throughout the country and abroad. The Coronation will be held just before the Grand Flora Parade on June 10th.

On April 23rd, members of the Rose Festival Court made their first public appearance at the annual Blessing of Festival.

Here’s a rundown of some popular Rose Festival Events:

SATURDAY June 3rd

DRAGON BOAT ART SHOW Antoinette Hatfield Hall – Portland5

SOGETSU IKEBANA EXHIBITION Japanese Garden Cultural Crossing Event Facility

CITYFAIR Tom McCall Waterfront Park
SIR MIX-A-LOT Tom McCall Waterfront Park 7:45 PM
STARLIGHT RUN Lincoln High School SW 16th & Salmon 8:30 PM
STARLIGHT PARADE Downtown Portland

 

SUNDAY 4

COUNTRYFEST Waterfront – RoZone Stage

 

WEDNESDAY 7
FLEET WEEK Tom McCall Waterfront Park
JUNIOR PARADE Hollywood District – NE Sandy and 52nd 1:00 PM

 

THURSDAY 8

SPRING ROSE SHOW Lloyd Center 1:00 PM

 

FRIDAY 9

ROYAL ROSARIAN HONORARY KNIGHTING Washington Park Ampitheater 10:00 AM

 

SATURDAY 10

DRAGON BOAT RACE Tom McCall Waterfront Park – South End 8:00 AM

QUEEN’S CORONATION Memorial Coliseum 9:30 AM

GRAND FLORAL WALK Memorial Coliseum to Downtown Portland 10:00 AM

GRAND FLORAL PARADE Memorial Coliseum to Downtown Portland 11:00 AM

GRAND FLORAL FLOAT SHOWCASE SW Naito Parkway 7:30 PM

 

SUNDAY 11

DRAGON BOAT RACES Tom McCall Waterfront Park – South End 10:00 AM

PORTLAND’S BEST ROSE Washington Park International Test Garden 11:00 AM

There are even more events at http://www.rosefestival.org/event-calendar/2017

 

Here’s more information on members of the 2017 Rose Festival Court.

Anna Smiley

PRINCESS ANNA SMILEY

LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL

BIOGRAPHY | SPEECH

 

Ermina Kariuki

PRINCESS ERMINA KARIUKI

JEFFERSON HIGH SCHOOL

BIOGRAPHY | SPEECH

 

Maggie Beutler

PRINCESS MAGGIE BEUTLER

WILSON HIGH SCHOOL

BIOGRAPHY | SPEECH

 

Korah Vonderahe

PRINCESS KORAH VONDERAHE

ROOSEVELT HIGH SCHOOL

BIOGRAPHY | SPEECH

 

2017-david-douglas

PRINCESS TIFFANY NGUYEN

DAVID DOUGLAS HIGH SCHOOL

BIOGRAPHY | SPEECH

 

Mayranni Cervantes

PRINCESS MAYRANNI CERVANTES

PARKROSE HIGH SCHOOL

BIOGRAPHY | SPEECH

 

Mele Kavapalu

PRINCESS MELE KAVAPALU

MADISON HIGH SCHOOL

BIOGRAPHY | SPEECH

 

Keeley Nguyen

PRINCESS KEELY NGUYEN

FRANKLIN HIGH SCHOOL

BIOGRAPHY | SPEECH

 

Sade Means

PRINCESS SADE MEANS

GRANT HIGH SCHOOL

BIOGRAPHY | SPEECH

 

Mahlet Wondayehu

PRINCESS MAHLET (MAHI) WONDAYEHU

CENTRAL CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL

BIOGRAPHY | SPEECH

 

Biftu Amin

PRINCESS BIFTU AMIN

CLEVELAND HIGH SCHOOL

BIOGRAPHY | SPEECH

 

Lucy Sagoo

PRINCESS LUCHANNA (LUCY) SAGOO

ST. MARY’S ACADEMY

BIOGRAPHY | SPEECH

 

Michaela Canete

PRINCESS MICHAELA CANETE

METRO WEST

BIOGRAPHY | SPEECH

 

Madisyn Montgomery

PRINCESS MADISYN MONTGOMERY

METRO EAST

BIOGRAPHY | SPEECH

 

Krishay Hayes-Motley

PRINCESS KRISHAY HAYES-MOTLEY

BENSON HIGH SCHOOL

BIOGRAPHY | SPEECH

Central City Concern Raises $120,000 to Fight Homelessness

Central City Concern Raises $120,000 to Fight Homelessness

Portland, OR. Central City Concern (CCC) held its annual “We Are Family” fundraising dinner at the Multnomah Athletic Club on May 2nd. Close to 400 supporters, including special guest Jamie and her son Dante, enjoyed the evening and raised over $120,000 for the cause. The event raises money for Central City Concern’s 154 units of family housing and Letty Owings Center. The residential treatment program for pregnant women and those with young children is celebrating 20 years as a CCC program. (Photo credit, Andie Petkus)

Central City Concern Board member Linda Girard, Volunteer Manager & Events Coordinator Eric Reynolds, Executive Director Ed Blackburn

Letty Owings Center Co-Founder Nancy Anderson with E.V. Armitage, Central City Concern Executive Coordinator

Central City Concern Chief Medical Officer Dr. Rachel Solotaroff

Jazz Society of Oregon Hall of Famer Shirley Nanette & Friends entertained supporters.

The mission of Central City Concern is to provide comprehensive solutions to end homelessness and achieve self-sufficiency. Here’s a video about the nonprofit:

Central City Concern meets its mission through innovative outcome based strategies which support personal and community transformation.

  • Direct access to housing which supports lifestyle change.
  • Integrated healthcare services that are highly effective in engaging people who are often alienated from mainstream systems.
  • The development of peer relationships that nurture and support personal transformation and recovery.
  • Attainment of income through employment or accessing benefits.

The success of these four elements results in an transformation of world view and self image from a negative to a positive outlook, enabling people to become productive citizens who want to “give something back” to the community.

Central City Concern (CCC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit agency serving single adults and families in the Portland metro area who are impacted by homelessness, poverty and addictions. Founded in 1979, the agency has developed a comprehensive continuum of affordable housing options integrated with direct social services including healthcare, recovery and employment. CCC currently has a staff of 800+, an annual operating budget of $60 million and serves more than 13,000 individuals annually.

Oregon Food Bank Thanks Big Donors

Oregon Food Bank Thanks Big Donors

Portland, OR.  The Board of Directors and staff of Oregon Food Bank honored almost 100 generous supporters during a special event on May 4th. At the benefit, James Dillard of Oregon Food Bank visited with donors Patty and Greg Mamula.

Charlie and Kyle Fuchs, Oregon Food Bank donors, enjoy the evening at Andina.

Kathy and Tim Mahaffy, Oregon Food Bank donors, chat with Susannah Morgan, Oregon Food Bank CEO, during the event.

Held at Andina Restaurant, the event was hosted by Peter Platt, Andina’s owner and Oregon Food Bank board member. “I enjoy being able to thank everyone personally and let them know the impact their support is making,” said Oregon Food Bank CEO Susannah Morgan. Hunger in Oregon remains high, with nearly 270,000 people seeking food assistance every month. Oregon Food Bank works to provide fresh, nutritious foods for children, families, seniors and the disabled.

From Oregon Food Bank:

At Oregon Food Bank, we believe that hunger starves the human spirit and that communities thrive when people have access to healthy, nourishing food. When you donate to Oregon Food Bank, you are helping the one in five of our neighbors across Oregon and Clark County, Washington who struggle to put enough food on the table.

Oregon Food Bank is effective and efficient – 93% of donations go directly to our hunger-relief activities. With your help, we’re building healthy, hunger-free communities.

Inspiring Women Honored at Dress for Success Oregon Gala

Inspiring Women Honored at Dress for Success Oregon Gala

Portland, OR. Dress for Success Oregon held its most successful fundraiser to date on April 28th at the Portland Art Museum. 540 fun-loving guests raised over $343,000 to help women in the Portland area get jobs, keep jobs and thrive. (Photo credit, Images by Brant)

The “Celebrate Success” benefit showcases women who have made great strides in their path to self-sufficiency and local women from business, philanthropy and government. Those women were honored with The Athena Award for setting an example for other women and men to follow. They are role models that exemplify the best elements of success, compassion and community engagement.

Cindy Larson & Shari Dunn from Dress for Success Oregon with the Athena Award winners: Loretta Mabinton from PGE, Michelle Weisenbach from Key Bank, Kathy Larson from Larson Legacy and Commissioner Loretta Smith.

Long-time supporter Bank of America hosts a table of business and community leaders, and served as the evening’s presenting sponsor.

Angelique Okeke from Nike, Lauren Osbourn from JPMorgan Chase, and Benjamin Okeke, Attorney at Law, enjoying the evening.

Pam Mason, former Program Manager at Dress for Success Oregon with Jan Robertson from Norris Beggs & Simpson and Karen Fishel, co-founder of Dress for Success Oregon, having fun at the reception.

The 2017 Athena Award Winners were:

• Kathy Larson, Vice President and co-founder of The Larson Legacy

• Loretta Mabinton, Managing Attorney and Associate General Counsel at Portland General Electric

• Commissioner Loretta Smith, Multnomah County Commissioner

• Michelle Weisenbach, President of KeyBank Oregon and SW Washington.

The event featured a gala cocktail reception, diamond dig, seated dinner, live auction, and fashion show. Emcee Poison Waters delighted the crowd and Nattalyee Heather Randall amazed with her vocals.

Sponsored by Bank of America, The Standard, Wells Fargo, Arlene Schnitzer, Gerding Edlen, Key Bank, Moda Health, Vernier Software and other generous partners.

About Dress for Success Oregon:

The mission of Dress for Success Oregon is a Workforce Development organization designed to empower women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire and development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. Well-known as an organization that provides professional clothing, it is Dress for Success Oregon’s proven job preparation, retention and mentorship programs that have truly become the heart of the organization.

Since opening their doors in 1999, Dress for Success Oregon has served over 25,000 women in Oregon and SW Washington. In 2016, 1,500 women were helped and 617 women found jobs as a result of the various career development programs provided by Dress for Success Oregon. This affiliate nonprofit receives no tax dollars and is 100% funded by the generosity of donors in the community. All money raised stays in the local community and allows the anti-poverty nonprofit to help even more women.

To learn more about how Dress for Success Oregon helps local women, please visit: oregon.dressforsuccess.org