Portland, April, 25th, 2015. More than 2,000 local Comcast NBC Universal employees and their families, friends and community partnered across Oregon and SW Washington joined forces to “make change happen.” There were several projects including the region’s flagship effort at Glenfair Elementary School in NE Portland with more than 315 volunteers. Other Portland projects were held with Binky Patrol, Friends of Zenger Farm, Children’s Book Bank, Hacienda CDC, Oregon Food Bank, and Native American Youth and Family Center.
More than 315 volunteers help Glenfair Elementary on Comcast Cares Day. Projects included outdoor gardening and landscaping.
Meaghan Heupel, among more than 90 volunteers, gardens at Native American Youth and Family Center on Comcast Cares Day. (Photo by Kim Hansen.)
Comcast Cares Day volunteers Leo Harbo, Tiana Sablan, and Louanne Mendiola garden at Glenfair Elementary. Photo by Aaron Hockley.
Comcast Cares Day, which takes place each April during National Volunteer Month, is Comcast NBCUniversal’s companywide celebration of its year-round commitment to service and the nation’s largest single-day corporate volunteer effort in the country. This year, more than 90,000 Comcast and NBCUniversal volunteers participated in more than 750 projects across the country and around the globe. To date, volunteers have contributed more than 3.7 million service hours to improve nearly 6,000 projects in the U.S. and around the world since Comcast Cares Day started in 2001.
“Comcast Cares Day was a huge success with more than 2,000 volunteers in Oregon & SW Washington. I am grateful for everyone who made change happen in our schools and communities,” said Rodrigo Lopez, regional senior vice president for Comcast. “Not only did our employees come out, but so did volunteers from the project sites and community partner groups such as United Way of the Columbia-Willamette, Hands On Greater Portland, SOLVE, Urban League of Portland, Adelante Mujeres, Big Brothers Big Sisters Columbia Northwest, Friends of Trees, and Girls Inc. of Northwest Oregon. It is heartwarming to see the significant impact we can make together in just one day, and it is inspiring to see and hear how volunteers make a difference all year long.”
The Comcast Foundation will also provide grants to local community partner organizations across the country on behalf of everyone who volunteers on Comcast Cares Day. The grants will help Comcast’s community partners continue their mission of serving the community throughout the year. To date, the Comcast Foundation has awarded more than $16 million in grants to local non-profit organizations who have partnered with us on Comcast Cares Day. Comcast has been committed to serving local communities since our founding more than 50 years ago. For more information on Comcast’s volunteer and community investment initiatives, visit www.comcast.com/community.
About Comcast Corporation
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) is a global media and technology company with two primary businesses, Comcast Cable and NBCUniversal. Comcast Cable is the nation’s largest video, high-speed Internet and phone provider to residential customers under the XFINITY brand and also provides these services to businesses. NBCUniversal operates news, entertainment and sports cable networks, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, television production operations, television station groups, Universal Pictures and Universal Parks and Resorts. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information.
About the Comcast Foundation
The Comcast Foundation was founded by Comcast Corporation in June 1999 to provide charitable support to qualified nonprofit organizations. The Foundation primarily invests in programs intended to have a positive, sustainable impact on their communities. The Foundation has three community investment priorities—promoting community service, expanding digital literacy, and building tomorrow’s leaders. Since its inception, the Comcast Foundation has donated nearly $158 million to organizations in the communities nationwide that Comcast serves. More information about the Foundation and its programs is available at www.comcast.com/community.
Portland, April 26th, 2015. After six years of service to the community, 22 high school seniors from The National Charity League, Inc. Portland Chapter were honored at a special celebration at the Sentinel Hotel. Most of the young women, including Natalie Kinsel, Isabel Klein and Adele English began volunteering with their mothers during seventh grade and in total, the seniors worked 3,069 hours.
NCL Seniors include: Front row: Manoy Arnold, Morgan Johnson, Madeline Chew, Audriana Bolton, Anna Dickson, and Elayna Caron. Second row: Michelle Tennant, Natalie Nielsen, Marie VanRysselberghe, Adele English, Isabel Klein, Claire Mersereau, Alexandra Ulmer, Madeline Cook, and Michaela Mueller. Third row Emily Angell, Elizabeth Keeney, Lizzie Allcock, Abigail Diess, Eleanor Valentine, Natalie Kinsel and Maria Bocci.
The theme for the event was “Walking on Sunshine” and the class chose to support Habitat for Humanity for their senor project by rolling up their sleeves and pouring in some sweat equity.
Madeline Chew and her mother, NCL Portland Chapter President, Laura Martin.
Kristen, Morgan and Jeffrey Johnson.
Lara and Michelle Tennant & Audriana and Nancy Bolton.
Adele English and her mother Elizabeth English
Sisters Genevieve Klein, Isabel Klein and Mariel Klein
From The Portland Chapter of National Charity League, Inc.: This chapter was chartered in April 1995 and was the first National Charity League chapter formed in the State of Oregon. Our chapter currently has 119 Patronesses and 140 Ticktockers. National Charity League, Inc. (NCL) is a non-profit national organization of mothers and daughters who join together in community involvement within local chapters throughout the United States. Our goal is to foster a sense of community responsibility and strengthen the mother-daughter relationship. Daughters participate in a six-year program of philanthropic work, educational activities and cultural events. Portland Chapter Mailing address: P.O. Box 25108 Portland, Oregon 97298
Portland, April 10th, 2015. Award-winning NW authors and Oregon’s sixth Poet Laureate headlined the 17th annual HomeWord Bound, an evening to benefit local affordable housing. A generous crowd of 230 attended the event and raised more than $70,000 for Community Partners for Affordable Housing. Master of Ceremonies Dan Murphy of The Broadway Rose Theatre Co., and authors Lois Leveen, Paulann Petersen, and Smith Henderson entertained the crowd at the Oregon Zoo.
CPAH’s Friend of Affordable Housing Award 2015 winner, Washington County Commissioner Dick Schouten (right), receives the award from 2015 recipient Metro Councilor Craig Dirksen, as CPAH Board Treasurer Doug Plambeck (left) looks on, at CPAH’s HomeWord Bound 2015, April 10, at the Oregon Zoo. Photo by Angela Bohlke.
Close to 230 CPAH supporters enjoy the evening at “HomeWord Bound: An Event of Literary Proportions,” the 17th annual fundraiser for Community Partners for Affordable Housing on April 10 at the Oregon Zoo. Photo by Angela Bohlke.
Generous CPAH supporters raised their paddles for a record amount at “HomeWord Bound: An Event of Literary Proportions,” the 17th annual fundraiser for Community Partners for Affordable Housing on April 10 at the Oregon Zoo. Photo by Angela Bohlke.
Additional guest authors in attendance were: Brian Benson, Rene Denfeld, Kate Gray, Dana Haynes, April Henry, Bart King, Shawn Levy, Mark Pomeroy, David Shafer and Susan Winkler. Also, special guest Dan Murphy of The Broadway Rose Theatre Company in Tigard, performed as Master of Ceremonies.
Community Partners for Affordable Housing (CPAH), provides safe and sustainable affordable housing along with support and skill-building services for individuals and families in Tigard, Beaverton and SW Portland.
HomeWord Bound 2015’s generous event sponsors included: Presenting Sponsor Chase; Key Sponsors Carleton Hart Architecture, HomeStreet Bank, LMC Construction and National Equity Fund; Major Sponsors Bateman Seidel, BC Group, Cascade Management, Inc., Income Property Management, JD Fulwiler & Co. Insurance, Markusen & Schwing CPAs, and Metro; Community Sponsors Alder Geotechnical Services, Banner Bank, Enterprise, Kantor Taylor Nelson Evatt & Decina PC, Network for Oregon Affordable Housing, Romano P.C., McDonald Jacobs, P.C., Umpqua Bank and U.S. Bank.
For more information about CPAH, visit the website: www.cpahinc.org
Portland, April 11th, 2015. Human Solutions’ auction and gala raised more than $80,000 for the agency’s programs and services for low-income and homeless individuals and families. About 230 guests attended the event at the Melody Ballroom in Portland. This year’s kite-filled theme was “Soar With Us.” The event featured silent and live auctions, a buffet dinner, and dancing to live East Coast jazz, swing and pop by Portland’s Shanghai Woolies. Guests had a great time bidding for auction items via their smart phones.
Multnomah County Commissioner Jules Bailey, right, enjoys the Human Solutions auction with State Rep. Jeff Reardon. Bailey represents District 1, which includes areas west of the Willamette River and the inner eastside south of Interstate 84. Reardon represents East Portland and Happy Valley
Bess Wills, General Manager at Gresham Ford, and Jean DeMaster, Executive Director at Human Solutions, get ready for the live auction.
Sona K. Andrews, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Portland State University, raises her bid card high at the Human Solutions auction.
Guests at the Human Solutions auction included Terry Wilson, Director of Affordable Housing, and Rich Miller, President/Owner of Affinity Property Management.
The Melody Ballroom was the site of this year’s “Soar With Us” auction.
About Human Solutions
Human Solutions promotes self-sufficiency for homeless and low-income families and individuals in outer East Portland and East Multnomah County. The agency’s four primary program areas are direct services to homeless families, affordable housing, employment and economic development, and safety net services to prevent homelessness, such as rent assistance and utility assistance. For more information, visit www.humansolutions.org.
Portland, April 18th, 2015. The Links, Inc. is a nonprofit established in 1946.It’s made up of 12,000 professional women of color in 274 chapters around the country. It’s one of the nation’s oldest and largest volunteer service organizations committed to enriching, sustaining and ensuring the culture and economic survival of African Americans. The Portland (OR) Chapter of The Links, Inc. and the White Rose Educational Fund, Inc. hosted a special event at the Benson Hotel to raise funds for programs and scholarships. Platinum Members of The Portland (OR)Links : Rosemary Anderson, Addie Jean Haynes, Geneva Jones and Freddye Prophet were honored and Michael “Chappie” Grice Western Area Meritorious Recipient Award 2014. Seven deserving high school seniors also received scholarships at the Gala.
Sandra McFerrin, Rosemary Anderson, Platinum Member & Nona Patrick.
Geneva Jones, Platinum Member
Matthew Prophet, Freddye Prophet, Platinum Member & Carla Penn-Hopson (standing)
Michael “Chappie” Grice & Linda Harris
From The Links, Incorporated:
The members of The Links, Incorporated are influential decision makers and opinion leaders. The Links, Inc. has attracted many distinguished women who are individual achievers and have made a difference in their communities and the world. They are business and civic leaders, role models, mentors, activists and volunteers who work towards a common vision by engaging like-minded organizations and individuals for partnership. Links members contribute more than 500,000 documented hours of community service annually – strengthening their communities and enhancing the nation.
The organization is the recipient of awards from the UN Association of New York and the Leon H. Sullivan Foundation for its premier programs.
Portland, April 7th, 2015. All Classical 89.9 FM, KQAC, continues a collaboration with Metro Arts Inc. by broadcasting the 21st annual Young Artists Debut! Concert LIVE from the Newmark Theatre. The performance featured the winners of the 2015 Van Buren Concerto Competition who range in age from 12 to 18 years old and consist of three pianists, two violinists, and a cellist. (photo credit, John Rudoff)
Annie Zhang
John Fawcett
Backstage
Metro Arts artistic director Niel DePonte conducts the orchestra whose members are drawn from the ranks of the Oregon Symphony and Oregon Ballet Theatre orchestras. The full media experience and live broadcast, hosted by All Classical radio personalities Christa Wessel and Robert McBride, enjoyed its fourth consecutive year and is an annual highlight for the station. Wessel says, “Over the last six weeks it’s been a joy to profile these artists on our program On Deck with Young Musicians. Their stories serve to inspire music lovers both young and old. All Classical Portland’s live broadcast gives these kids a worldwide stage upon which to share their remarkable talent.”
All Classical Portland is Portland, Oregon’s classical radio station. Established in 1983, our mission is to advance knowledge of and appreciation for classical music; to build and sustain culturally vibrant local and global communities around this art form; to reflect the spirit of the Pacific Northwest; and to foster integrity, quality, and innovation in all that we do. For more information, visit www.allclassical.org<http://www.allclassical.org>.
Portland, April 9th, 2015. More than 240 guests attended Camp Fire Columbia’s 5th Annual Celebrity & Youth Talent Show and raised over $90,000 in support of inspiring youth to achieve their aspirations, graduate on time, and love the outdoors. The event, sponsored by Comcast and Fred Meyer, was hosted by returning MC Dale Johannes and auctioneer Ian Lindsay.
Youth acts included a dance to “Footloose” by students from Gilbert Heights Elementary, an outstanding performance by Menlo Park’s marimba band, “Ubuntu,” and an original spoken word performance by a Cesar Chavez Middle School student.
Supporters of Camp Fire and other local celebrities also supported the event: Camp Fire staff Ramiyah Baker-Blunt and Kate Westfall, Camp Namanu alum Maggie Cech, and KOIN news anchor Jenny Hansson engaged in a Jimmy Fallon-style lip sync contest, with guests donating to vote for their favorite performer.
Special guests at the event included Sarahi Mejia, an alumna of Camp Fire’s high school program, who spoke about Camp Fire’s impact on her life and career, and Alana Eckert, who was given Camp Fire’s Volunteer Award for outstanding dedication to Camp Fire and Camp Namanu over several decades.
Other generous sponsors of the event included The Standard, Think AV, NW Natural, Matisse Funds, Mattecheck & Associates, Wieden + Kennedy, Stoel Rives LLP, and the Boeing Company. The event was produced in partnership with Swaim Strategies.
Supporters of Camp Fire raise their paddles to bid on exciting Camp Namanu rental packages.
Camp Fire alum Sarahi Mejia: “Every gift you make tonight will help more kids like me find their spark.”
KOIN news anchor Jenny Hansson, winner of the lip sync battle, performed “What Does the Fox Say?” in her first round.
Portland, April 11th, 2015. More than 700 guests joined St. Mary’s Academy for A Moment to Sparkle, the school’s 27th Annual Auction held at the Oregon Convention Center’s Portland Ballroom. Cathy Marshall of KGW served as the mistress of ceremonies for the evening, keeping the crowd excited and engaged. The event was a sparkling success as St. Mary’s Academy raised $1,070,000 thanks to the generosity and support of the school’s dedicated community. This extraordinary amount is the largest in the history of the event and $170,000 over last year.
St. Mary’s Academy benefactor Mary Mathews Stevens ’80 raises her paddle for the school
“We are so grateful to our generous community members who attended and participated in our annual auction. The magnitude of the auction’s success is a testament to the strong belief our parents, alumnae and benefactors have in the value of a St. Mary’s Academy education. The funds raised at the auction will allow St. Mary’s to continue to provide a premier college-preparatory Catholic education to young women,” said St. Mary’s Academy President Christina Friedhoff.
Highlights from the event included exciting raffles for the chance to win a $5,000 trip voucher or a 2015 MINI Cooper S Countryman, packages for trips to Italy, Paris and Belize, and the school’s highly anticipated Bids for Kids paddle raise. Bids for Kids is an opportunity for auction guests to contribute to the school’s tuition assistance program. Auction guests showed their support of and belief in St. Mary’s by raising a record-breaking total of more than $300,000.
The success of the auction is attributed, in part, to auction co-chairs, Molly Mathews Bjorklund ’85 and Marilyn Whitaker, both parents of current St. Mary’s students. Sparkling examples of volunteer leadership, these women inspired participation and altruism leading up to and on the night of the event.
The auction is St. Mary’s largest annual fundraising event. Proceeds from the auction benefit the 700 students who attend St. Mary’s Academy.
Portland, March 7th, 2015. The Portland Community Reinvestment Initiatives, Inc., or PCRI, held its fourth annual Dancing with the Stars Portland Gala at the Hilton. Only one dance couple could be named champion and while Judges Jesse Beason, Karin Edwards and Nancy Hales had a tough decision, they unanimously named Pamela Weatherspoon, Pamela is responsible for Community Relations for Randall Children’s Hospital at Legacy Emanuel and Legacy Emanuel Medical. (Photo credit, Cameron Browne)
PCRI’s 2015 Dancing with the Stars Gala will feature four prominent Portland community members (clockwise from top left): Pamela Weatherspoon, Gunther Oakey, Jenelle Isaacson, and Ian Parker, each trained by and dancing with professionals from Fred Astaire Dance Studio.
Not only did dancers deliver an amazing show, the event’s sponsors, volunteers and guests raised over $85,000 to support the affordable housing and services PCRI residents depend on to achieve stability and self-sufficiency. Mistress of Ceremonies Margaret Carter delivered a seamless program for the evening. Trained by and paired with professional dancers from Portland’s Fred Astaire Dance Studio, each dancing couple put on a great show.
Resident Jean Paul and his family described how, with the benefit of affordable housing and their own dedication, families can grow roots, dream big, and achieve amazing goals.
Margaret Carter and PCRI Executive Director Maxine Fitzpatrick celebrated the successes achieved by PCRI residents while underscoring the work that is still needed to ensure all families have access to the benefits of stable, affordable housing in Portland’s opportunity-rich close-in neighborhoods. Led by auctioneer Kelly Russell, the gala’s live auction and special appeal were the most successful yet.
About PCRI:
For 20 years, Portland Community Reinvestment Initiatives has reinvested in Portland’s neighborhoods, preserved their diversity and provided tools to help low-income Portland families achieve stability and self-sufficiency.
From our original task of helping people who were unknowingly swindled out of their homes, PCRI has come a long way. Still, the challenges are constant—as is our presence as an anchor of stable, diverse and livable Portland neighborhoods.
With over 700 units of affordable housing, PCRI’s unique mix of single-family homes, small multi-plexes and community apartments represents one of the last stable opportunities for low-income households to remain in their vibrant Portland neighborhoods. These homes and apartments are woven into the fabric of their neighborhoods and are a model for eliminating concentrations of poverty.
At the most basic level, PCRI’s affordable rentals help residents achieve family stability. Building on this stability, PCRI’s award winning services give families culturally-specific skills and support necessary to achieve self-sufficiency, begin the process of wealth creation and, in many cases, become—and remain—successful homeowners.
Portland, April 10th, 2015. The gala, themed ‘An Evening for Opportunity, Lunar Landing: A Space Age Gala,’ raised funds for student scholarships and success programs. Portland Community College Foundation Board President Kimberly Cooper, president and CEO of the Fortuna Group, had a chance to catch up with Congressman Earl Blumenauer and the Executive Director of The Oregon Historical Society Kerry Tymchuk at the annual event. (Photo credit, James Hill.) The gala at Pure Space in the Pearl District raised a record $425,000. It featured 1960s space exploration as its theme and attracted more than 500 guests. Junki and Linda Yoshida, founders of locally based Yoshida Foods International, served as the honorary co-chairs.
A highlight of the gala was the celebration of the PCC Patron Award. This year’s recipients (in their Star Trek costumes) were Stephanie Fowler and Irving Levin of The Renaissance Foundation, a private philanthropic organization that creates educational opportunities, in part for first-generation, low-income students. (Photo credit, Matt O’Brien)
The Patron Award honors a person or organization that has made a significant contribution to PCC to ensure access to education for students. Through The Renaissance Foundation, Levin and Fowler support PCC’s Future Connect Scholarship Program by providing nearly 30 students with scholarships, mentoring and other supports essential to college success. They have also just launched a new mentoring program, the Cascade African Men’s Scholars Project, at the Cascade Campus in North Portland that matches 10 mentors with 30 students.
About Portland Community College: PCC is the largest post-secondary institution in Oregon and 19th largest in the nation, serving approximately 90,000 full- and part-time students. PCC, which is roughly the size of Rhode Island, has four comprehensive campuses, eight workforce training and education centers, and 200 community locations in the Portland metropolitan area. The PCC district encompasses a 1,500-square-mile area in northwest Oregon and offers two-year degrees, one-year certificate programs, short-term training, alternative education, pre-college courses and life-long learning.
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