Portland, OR. You can show your community spirit by decorating your front porch or creating a mini float at home. “Bringing Community Together While Staying Home” is the idea behind this year’s The Portland Rose Festival celebration. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Rose Festival is modifying traditions in an effort to celebrate community spirit and resilience, and inspire hope. The concept is to be “Parading in Place!” Organizers invite you to join the festivities by submitting your entries for the Porch Parade in May, or the Grand Petite Parade in June.
Here’s all the information you need for the Porch Parade:
Rose Festival has always been a celebration of people, events, and traditions; bridging communities in the City of Roses and beyond. This spring we are asking members of the community to celebrate with us by decorating their front porches. Choose one of our themes as inspiration, or go wild with your own ideas. The purpose of decorating is to unleash your creativity and bring a smile to your friends and neighbors.
The Rose Festival will produce a virtual map with the locations of all our registered Porches, so you can plan a walk or drive around your neighborhood to see and share in the celebration.
Saturday, May 23 and Saturday, May 30 will each see a Rose Festival VIP Procession drive through select Porch Parade neighborhoods.
As a special thank you, the first 100 Porches in the Portland Metro Area that register will receive a FREE Rose Festival Porch Parade lawn sign that will magically appear in your lawn, no need to touch it or interact with anyone.
The more registered Porches in your neighborhood, the better your chances are for having the Rose Festival VIP Procession to come by, so get your neighbors involved too!
If you have a rose garden out front that’s visible from the street or sidewalk, we’d love to have you be a part of our Porch Parade Map! Use the Porch Parade registration form to register your rose garden.
Step 2: Decorate Your Porch
Choose one of our themes as inspiration, or go wild with your own ideas. The point of decorating is to unleash your creativity and inspire hope for your friends and neighbors.
Porches must be fully decorated by 12 noon on Saturday, May 16, and able to stay up until midnight Saturday, May 30.
Porches must be appropriate for a family-friendly audience.
Don’t have a porch? No problem! Feel free to decorate your lawn, the sidewalk, a window, or something else visible from the street or sidewalk.
Step 3: Explore, Celebrate, Share
Check the Porch Parade Map often to see how the celebration is growing!
Go for a walk around your neighborhood, take pictures of the Porches you find, and tag us on social to help share the joy! @pdxrosefestival #paradinginplace #RFporchparade #rosesforhope
The more people who take part, the more celebration there is to share, so get your friends and neighbors involved!
Rules & Regulations:
Displays must be fully decorated by 12 noon on Saturday, May 16, and able to stay up until Saturday, May 30, and must be appropriate for a family audience.
Displays should not focus on religious, political, ideological, or controversial themes or issues. Use of any political sign, social or political material is not permitted.
Portland Rose Festival reserves the right to exclude any displays that do not meet our guidelines or that feature content not aligned with our mission.
Registration for the Porch Parade or Grand Petite Parade and/or tagging @pdxrosefestival or using #paradinginplace, #RFporchparade, #grandpetiteparade, #grandfloralfun, #juniormakers, #starlightporchbright or #rosesforhope with related photos or videos on social media, grants the Portland Rose Festival permission to use your images and footage on any platform.
Here’s information on the Grand Petite Parade:
The Grand Petite Parade will premiere on Facebook Live on Saturday, June 6. This virtual parade will feature shoebox floats from community members, a celebration of marching bands, and other Rose Festival parade favorites. Just like the early Rose Festival parades that used Portlanders’ own roses to decorate the floats, participants are invited to use materials from home to build shoebox parade floats and submit photos to be included in the live stream.
Have you always wanted to see a float that features a unicorn? Can you imagine a float that is fit for the Rose Festival Queen? Do you have a favorite Rose Festival float from the past that you’d like to recreate (or improve upon) with materials from home? Create your own shoebox float and send in your photos and videos to be a part of the parade.
Don’t have any craft supplies at home? No problem! Does your family have a particular parade talent that you’ve always wanted to share? Forego the float and send in photos and videos of your family marching band, drill team, or synchronized baton routine!
Now is your chance to showcase your creativity and talents, and maybe win some fun Rose Festival swag in the process! Grand Petite Parade “Rosette Award” winners will be chosen from eligible entries and revealed during the live stream.
Step 1 – Create:
Grab a “shoebox” – Start with a base like a recently delivered online order box, or grandma’s hatbox, or your skateboard, or even an RC car to build on. It doesn’t have to roll, but it does need to meet the minimum size requirements.
Find your materials – Entries should be made from things you already have at home. You could use flowers from your yard, craft supplies, construction paper, dolls/action figures, paper mache, clay, paint, markers, sequins, seeds, or anything else you can find to bring your float to life!
Pick a theme and start building – floats can showcase an original design, recreate (or improve upon) a historical parade float, or tell a story about your vision for future Rose Festival parades!
Step 2 – Share:
Show us your progress – document the steps you take as you build your Grand Petite Parade float. Are you making marching band uniforms for your action figures – show us how! Are you making a butterfly float that flaps its wings – let us see how it works! Post progress pictures, tips and tricks, fun teases of your theme, or even bloopers on your social media and tag us @pdxrosefestival #paradinginplace #GrandPetiteParade for a chance to be featured on the Rose Festival’s social media prior to parade day.
Submit your entry – fill out the Registration Form and send us photos of your finished creation.
Step 3 – Celebrate:
Watch the parade – See your float featured in the the Grand Petite Parade on Facebook Live at 11am, Saturday, June 6, 2020.
Share your participation – All participants will receive a digital certificate acknowledging their participation in the first ever Grand Petite Parade!
Win Rose Festival swag – “Rosette Award” certificates will be given in several categories! Winners will receive souvenir 2020 Rose Vision lapel pins, and the Sweepstakes winner will be invited to attend a future Grand Floral Parade as guests of the Portland Rose Festival!
Rules and Regulations:
Completed floats should measure a minimum of 12” long by 10” high – there are no maximum dimensions.
Entries and themes must be appropriate for a family audience. Entry should not focus on religious, political, ideological, or controversial themes or issues. Use of any political sign, social or political material is not permitted.
All submissions must be received by 5:00 p.m., PST, June 1, 2020.
Portland Rose Festival reserves the right to edit photos and videos as needed.
Registration for the Grand Petite Parade or Porch Parade and/or tagging @pdxrosefestival or using #paradinginplace, #RFporchparade, #grandpetiteparade, or #rosesforhope with related photos or videos on social media, grants the Portland Rose Festival permission to use your images and footage on any platform.
Portland Rose Festival reserves the right to exclude any submissions that do not meet our guidelines or that feature content not aligned with our mission.
“Rosette Award” winners will be chosen from eligible entries and decided at the sole discretion of the Portland Rose Festival Foundation. Winners will receive prize notifications via email and any physical awards will be sent via standard US post.
Join the parade! Complete our online Registration Form to submit your entry for the Grand Petite Parade. Eligible entries include shoebox floats, family marching bands, and other parade-style acts of showmanship! Share progress pictures, tips and tricks, fun teases of your theme, or even bloopers on your social media and tag us @pdxrosefestival #paradinginplace #GrandPetiteParade for a chance to be featured on the Rose Festival’s social media prior to parade day.
All entries must include 1-3 photos of the float or group. Shoebox floats wishing to be eligible for Rosette Awards must include a photo featuring the completed float from the front right side, “traveling” in the direction from left to right of the image frame. Videos are not required, but 1 video, up to 15 seconds in length, may be submitted in addition to photos.
All entries must be received by 5pm, June 1, 2020, in order to qualify for the Grand Petite Parade. If you have questions or need additional information, please send us an email with the subject line: Grand Petite Parade.
Helpful Tips and Award Information
You don’t need a shoebox to put your best foot forward! As long as your float meets the minimum size requirement and meets the rules for theme and content – it can be made from anything you already have at home. Floats are not required to roll or move, but extra creativity points may be awarded for motion, automation, or animation. You can begin with a theme or idea and collect materials to bring that float to life, or you can look around your home to find items you’d like to feature and build your float to suit your materials.
Get the whole family involved! Choose a design you can all get behind and work together. Are you the competitive sort…then why not pick a theme and let everyone build their own masterpiece?
Do you need help getting the creative juices flowing? Maybe the Rosette Award categories will help to inspire you! These awards for shoebox floats are based on the real awards given to all floral covered floats in the Grand Floral Parade each year. Grand Petite Parade Rosette Awards will be announced on Saturday, June 6, 2020.
Sweepstakes Rosette (Most outstanding float in the Parade)
Queens Rosette (Most creative float in the Parade)
Grab your snacks, gather the family, and watch the Grand Petite Parade on Facebook Live, 11 am on Saturday, June 6, at the Portland Rose Festival page. Follow us at @pdxrosefestival and on the Rose Festival Facebook Page to get updates and notifications.
The virtual parade will feature shoebox floats and creative entries from community members, a celebration of marching bands, and other Rose Festival parade favorites.
Portland, OR. With stay-at-home orders in place in Oregon and Southwest Washington, and bans on large social gatherings due to the COVID-19 outbreak, many charitable organizations have had to move their spring benefits online.
Tucker Maxon School faced one such situation. With less than two weeks to make a pivot from a traditional live benefit auction, Tucker Maxon held a live virtual gala on April 3rd. The event (pictured above) raised $176,000.
OES’s state-of-the-art design center was the site of its 34th annual auction, the first virtual event in the school’s history.
Samantha Swaim from Swaim Strategies has helped many of her clients pivot. She explains, “If an organization has a dedicated donor base, online virtual engagement is absolutely a powerful way to keep donors invested. Originally when the restrictions on gatherings occurred, we were still able to gather in small groups, so we saw a lot of opportunities to really leverage table hosts to still host small gatherings and to conduct a studio-recorded version. Now that the stay at home orders are in place, we have seen organizations very effectively migrate to broadcast from home.
Swaim says virtual benefit like the Mt. Hood Kiwanis Camp online event raised $214,000, Community Action raised $205,000
Bridges Middle School raised approximately $120,000.
Below are some of Swain’s suggestions for going virtual:
When pivoting to a virtual event, you can utilize all of your in-person event elements (auction, videos, script) and arrange them into a much shorter event format and engage your key constituents in some immediate and valuable fundraising.
While you may not raise as much as with your in-person event, you will be able to capitalize on the moment and let donors continue to be heroes creating impact and funding your work. Canceling an event means no fundraising, but going virtual can help you continue to bring in funds.
Your event’s special appeal holds the largest fundraising potential at your event. So, without an event, consider ways to build an even-more imperative case for your work with an e-appeal to your donors.
Watch the video here and get point-by-point instruction with illustrative examples, and start to create your own impactful e-appeal communications now.
Relationship Cultivation + Management
On a larger level, the truth is that this may become a climate where it becomes harder to fundraise. But something that is always good for fundraisers to spend time doing is cultivate donors.
Run a GoFundMe Campaign
If you have a specific need you’re funding, especially if it is in response to the outbreak, put together a contained GoFundMeCampaign on a fixed timeline to gather your community around a cause they can immediately impact.
For nonprofit organizations, Facebook goes a step beyond simple social distancing and provides easy-to-use tools to help you fundraise online. Facebook’s Charitable Giving Toolsprovide a simple way for you to raise money through Facebook—and 100% of the donations go directly to your work.
Convert Your Live + Silent Auctions into an Online Auction
You’ve already done all the procurement for your event, so use those items to fundraise now by converting your auctions into an online auction. Communicate often with donors to let them know where to find the auction and to create buzz around some of the packages. But, most importantly, build the case that their purchase of auction items will fund your important work at this very crucial time. Use countdowns to the auction closure in your communications to prompt action on deadline.
Greater Giving occasionally offers discounts to activate the mobile bidding platform to facilitate online auctions.
Portland, OR. Have you been looking for a way to volunteer your time to help alleviate suffering during the COVID-19 crisis? Well, we’ve got some great ideas to share. You can learn about both remote and on-site volunteer options at the website: VolunteerMatch. Get involved in our community from the safety of your own home
The site offers thousands of volunteer options. There is both a local need and you can also help remotely across the country, in some of the hardest-hit areas by offering assistance with things like tutoring kids who are struggling to learn at home.
Independent Sector
Volunteerism is an essential part of our country’s social fabric and is perhaps most vital during times of crisis. And unlike familiar crises, the COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally changed the very nature of how people can connect with and help each other.
Writing a quick card or letter with a positive message will brighten the day of clients who receive grocery deliveries! If you do not wish to write a message, that is okay! Artwork will also be accepted (photographs, drawings, paintings).
Feel free to be creative and have fun. Bonus points if you can incorporate food into your work!
This is also a great project for kids.
Please keep the cards secular and avoid mentioning any specific holidays.
For more details contact [email protected]
Please mail your finished cards to: Lift UP 2701 NW Vaughn Street Suite 102
Portland, OR 97210
Portland, OR. The Oregon Humane Society has launched a state-wide effort to distribute pet food to shelters, rescue organizations, and food pantries. On April 22nd, three OHS trucks were packed with dog food, cat food, and litter. They headed to Hood River, Pendleton, and Eugene. Deliveries will continue each Tuesday and Thursday for the next month with the goal of providing assistance to all 36 counties throughout Oregon. More than 50,000 pounds of pet food is expected to be distributed and GreaterGood.org donated about 27,000 pounds of pet food.
“The Oregon Humane Society is here to serve the entire state, especially during this difficult time,” says Sharon Harmon, OHS President and CEO. “We are very thankful to our partners who have supported OHS and made this donation possible,” added Harmon.
Recipients on April 22nd included Greenhill Humane Society in Eugene, FISH Food Bank in Hood River and PAWS in Pendleton. On April 24th, teams from OHS head to Humane Society of Central Oregon and Josephine County.
From the Oregon Humane Society:
The Oregon Humane Society is the Northwest’s oldest and largest humane society, with one of the highest adoption rates in the nation. OHS receives no government funds for its adoption, education and animal cruelty investigation programs. Visit oregonhumane.org for more information.
Portland, OR. Every spring, DoveLewis Veterinary Emergency Hospital sees an increase in injured stray animal and wildlife cases. The nonprofit is encouraging good Samaritans who find healthy stray animals to keep them safe and contact their county’s animal services agency directly. DoveLewis President Ron Morgan explained, “Strays are more likely to be reunited with their families in their home shelter, and that helps us focus our team’s resources on the animals in need of medical care.”
Springtime is dubbed “Kitten Season” because of the boom of stray kittens inevitably born each spring, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. “Last year we treated nearly 1,200 stray or wild animals, and we’ve started seeing an influx of baby birds already. We’re ready, but we could use some extra help from the community,” said Morgan. DoveLewis can provide emergency stabilization and care for hundreds of strays and wildlife each year through its donor-funded Stray Animal & Wildlife Program, but with agencies and veterinary clinics adjusting their services and protocols to accommodate COVID-19 precautions, capacity is limited. “We’re here to help always, but everyone can do their part to make sure care is going to the animals who need it most.”
If you find an injured wild animal or bird during regular business hours, call Portland Audubon. If you come across an injured animal in the evening or on the weekends, use your best judgment on whether the animal can be rescued and delivered to DoveLewis safely. Here’s a link to the Portland Audubon Society: http://www.audubonportland.org
Here’s what you can do if you find an injured or stray animal:
Determine if the animal is actually injured. Often times, stray domestic animals appear injured but are actually just fearful. If you see no obvious injuries or unhealthy behavior, contact your county’s animal services agency.
Uninjured wildlife should never be touched. Baby animals, especially birds, may appear abandoned, but they are likely being cared for by their parents even if it’s not immediately obvious. Some bird species leave the nest and spend as many as two to five days on the ground before they can fly. During this time, the birds are learning vital life skills. Unless an injury is visible and obvious, leaving them alone will give them the best chance of survival.
Assess the safety of the situation. Make sure you are protected from the environment, like moving cars and running water, as well as the animal. If an animal is in pain and fearful, you never know how it will react. If you have any reservations about rescuing or handling a domestic stray animal, call your local county animal services.
Cover and contain. If the animal is obviously injured and can be transported safely, find a towel, blanket or thick gloves to use while handling the animal to put a barrier between you and the animal. Place the animal in any available safe container – a carrier or a box is ideal. Make sure the animal is as comfortable as possible and secure in the container. Many animals, especially small ones, are stunned when injured and will fly or scurry away when they are more alert. Please remember, it is illegal (and unsafe for you and the injured animal) to attempt to rehabilitate a wild animal on your own.
About DoveLewis Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Hospital:
DoveLewis Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Hospital, established in 1973 and based in Portland, Oregon, is the only nonprofit, 24-hour emergency and intensive care unit in the region. With over 46 years of service to the community, DoveLewis has treated more than 500,000 animals. DoveLewis also has seven donor-supported community programs that serve animals in need and the animal-loving community. For more information, please visit dovelewis.org.
Portland, OR. Pittock Mansion’s current exhibit, Mount Hood Perspectives, is now available to view online. The exhibit is a juried community art show featuring the artistic interpretations of Portland’s most famous natural focal point by local photographers and artists. The gallery features photographs, like Joe Whittington‘s The Pearly Gates, which can be purchased through the site’s secure web store.
You can also take an interesting and educational virtual tour of the Pittock Mansion, which includes some “off-limit” staff areas. Check out this link: Pittock Mansion Virtual Tour.
Supporters hope the tour will whet your appetite for an in-person visit when the historic mansion reopens.
Pittock Mansion’s Mount Hood Perspectives was created by curators to draw visitors. Outreach for the exhibit includes this explanation: Mount Hood is a key part of Portland’s skyline, seated atop the Cascade Range to the east of the city. Residents and visitors alike look forward to when the clouds part and the mountain is visible, admiring how its snowy slopes vary from hour to hour, season to season. Discover artistic interpretations of this Portland icon by local artists. Click through the artists’ names below for more information and to view their online portfolios.
“It was particularly hard to close the Mansion during this exhibit because the art show features the work of local artists,” Curator Patti Larkin explains. “So we are excited that this exhibit is now available online for people to enjoy, while also providing an opportunity for individuals to support a section of our community that has been hit hard by the current situation.”
All the artwork is on display at the mansion, but the COVID19 closure has made viewing impossible right now.
Jarred Decker’s “St. Johns Fog” is an Aluminum chromaprint.
Harley Talkington’s “Bloom With A View” was created with Soft Pastels.
The exhibit is scheduled to be on view both online and when the Pittock Mansion reopens. Any artwork that is purchased will be available for pick-up after the exhibit closes. Shipping options are also available.
From Pittock Mansion:
With picture-perfect views of rivers, forests, bridges, and mountaintops – and 23 treasure-filled rooms – no other place in town offers a more breathtaking view and more revealing glimpse of Portland’s past. Portland pioneers Henry and Georgiana Pittock built Pittock Mansion in 1914 and it now stands as a living memorial of the family’s contributions to the blossoming city of Portland and its people. Situated on 46 acres of land almost 1,000 feet atop downtown Portland, the Pittock celebrated its centennial year in 2014.
Portland, OR. For the month of April, the Nonprofit Professionals Now (NPN) job board is free for all paid and volunteer positions. The organization is trying to help nonprofits in need of employees, and people who need jobs, by opening access to the information.
The job of Development Manager is available at the Community Cycling Center.
Here’s a sample from the Nonprofit Professionals Now Job Board:
Job: St. Mary’s Academy Director of Annual Giving:
Full-time, salaried, exempt, 12-month position. The Director of Annual Giving is an integral part of the St. Mary’s Academy development department and reports to the Director of Major Gifts. This position is responsible for the strategic leadership and implementation of all aspects of the annual giving program. Additional responsibilities include: foundation and corporate grant management and writing, maintaining a portfolio of leadership gift prospects, facilitating all annual fund campaigns.
Job: Program Director at Morrison Child and Family Services
Our shelter residential facility is seeking to hire a Bilingual Program Director to provide leadership to their program. The Program Director is responsible for the overall management of the programmatic, administrative, financial, and operational systems related to the provision of care and services for youth; provision of regular and timely reports to Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) regarding operations, services, and finances; establishing a respective and supportive workplace environment; and elevating any issues or concerns to the Morrison Division Director and ORR Project Officer. This position works out of Portland, Oregon in a residential facility for immigrant youth services.!
Portland, OR. The 16th Annual Wine and Golf Ball raised over $210,000 for The Children’s Course/The First Tee of Greater Portland. Originally, the event was scheduled for the same night and was to include a live auction, dinner and wine tasting at the Downtown Hilton. Due to the COVID 19 outbreak and subsequent “Stay at Home” order, the April 15th benefit became a virtual gala. It was live-streamed using Vimeo and broadcast on YouTube.
The Children’s Course is a non-profit and is funded by private donations from foundations, corporations, and individuals. The golf course is home to the First Tee of Greater Portland, which provides young people with character-building and life skills lessons using golf as the platform.
The Children’s Course is nestled between the Clackamas and Willamette Rivers in Gladstone. It originally opened for play as Rivergreens Golf Course in 1961 as an 18-hole, par 3 course. In 1989, following the development of apartments on the perimeter, the course was redesigned into a 9-hole, par 3 course.
Here’s more from The Children’s Course:
If you missed your chance during the virtual event, we welcome any donation. There are opportunities still available on our website, wineandgolfball.com. You can still help support our participants and our programs directly through purchasing a Club Fitting for a Child, Supply Nutritious Snacks or Fill-er Up to buy gas for our van to transport the kids.
We are overjoyed and thankful for youth like Griffin who started First Tee classes at eight years of age, and found it challenging to interact with other kids his age or adults in his day to day activities. Now 15 and a volunteer junior coach, Griffin credits the life skills he learned at The Children’s Course / First Tee of Greater Portland with developing the respectful and charismatic individual he is today. Thank you for your generosity as it will help continue to make dreams come true for youth at The Children’s Course, where we coach the THRIVE Mentor Program, Girls Golf, and First Tee of Greater Portland, and our seven additional First Tee sites throughout Portland and Eugene.
Construction continues on our new Learning Center that opens this fall. We will double the number of youth and provide year-round programming and mentorship. The future looks bright, and because of your kindness, we will continue to impact children positively year-round at The Children’s Course and throughout Portland and Eugene.
The mailing address for The Children’s Course is 19825 River Road, Gladstone, OR 97027.
Portland, OR. Due to the health impacts from COVID-19 (coronavirus) in our community, and in line with Governor Kate Brown’s direction on large gatherings, Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare’s Culture of Caring Gala, which was scheduled for April 2nd, has been POSTPONED. Cascadia has rescheduled the Gala for Thursday, October 8th. (At the 2018 gala, John Washington, Cupid Alexander, Christina Hawkins posed for the photo above.)
Cascadia is working in cooperation with Multnomah County and the Oregon Health Authority, as well as following CDC (Centers for Disease Control & Prevention) and WHO (World Health Organization) guidelines. Organizational leaders say they take this outbreak very seriously and released the following statement:
“While we are disappointed to be losing the opportunity to come together, putting the health of our community first is critical at this time. We hope that by pushing the event back, our community will be able to stay healthy and then come back together for an impactful night of rising together in support of whole health care.
We appreciate your continued partnership and support of Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare. We will keep you updated with next steps. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact [email protected].”
Last year, Lisa Oyler, Chiki Nussbaumer, Gayathrai Ramprasad, Toc Soneoulay-Gillespie and Tamara Pedrojetti were among the hundreds who enjoyed the night.
Below are all the new details:
DATE
Thursday, October 8, 2020
LOCATION
The Redd on Salmon
TIME
5:30 Cocktail, Reception & Art Viewing, 7:00 Dinner, Awards & Special Program
Multnomah County, Mental Health & Addiction Services Division
Pacific Office Automation
PayCom
Providence Health
Radler White Parks & Alexander LLP
USI
Vendor partners and contributions
Special thanks to Apolloni Vineyards, Breakside Brewery, Ecliptic Brewing, Tito’s Vodka, and Widmer Brothers Brewery.
Production and printing services provided by StevensIS.
Portland’s premier 360° photo booth company, Limelight Photo Booth will be on-site to capture the night’s memories providing a custom photo booth with prints, props, email sharing, and fun!
Portland, OR. Do you have an old computer you’re not using? You can donate it to a nonprofit called Free Geek to help meet a 4,000% increase in the number of requests for computers so low-income people can get online. A good portion of requests come from students who suddenly need to get online in order to participate in K-12 education or college. Many people are reaching out on behalf of aging parents who are no longer able to visit their doctors and others are desperate for access to mental health or addiction treatment services.
If you donate, rest assured, your data will be secure. “Data security is our top concern when receiving donations – and we will thoroughly wipe (or physically destroy) any hard drives that we receive,” explains the organization. In the first weeks of the pandemic, the organization saw the demand for used laptops spike from about 300 requests per month to 3,000 per week. “Folks need the internet to be able to see a doctor, to pay their bills, do work so they can continue to get a paycheck or get an education,” said Hilary Shohoney, director of community development for Portland nonprofit Free Geek. “It touches every area of our life right now.” But an estimated 17% of Portlanders aren’t connected to the internet. In rural parts of the Northwest, that number balloons to nearly 40%. With the coronavirus pandemic all but canceling face-to-face interactions, the internet is no longer a luxury — it’s a necessity. “For us, the numbers changed exponentially,” Shohoney said. Here’s a link with info on donating: https://www.freegeek.org/get-involved/donate-technology
Free Geek accepts donations of computers and other electronics at its Portland facility. It offers a donation receipt you can use for tax purposes. (Photo credit, OPB)
On April 1st, Free Geek sold its first round of machines to students at PSU who didn’t have laptops for remote studying through its Low Cost Tech Community Program.
From Free Geek:
Free Geek continues to provide computers to those in need and we need your reusable laptops.
Our current focus is on receiving Macbooks and laptops with i-series processors. Secondarily we have a need for desktop computers, LCD monitors, mice, webcams and headsets. This is the aspect of our work that is essential at this time and we hope that most other hardware donations can wait until safety concerns and our capacity improve.
For hardware donations we offer the following options:
Public Drop offs (limited hours and quantity) In the parking lot on the northeast side of our building. We will have collection bins set outside the warehouse entrance. Please be prepared to unload your own vehicle and form a line if needed. For the safety of our community, we ask that you wear a face covering and maintain a 6 foot distance from staff and other donors at all times. If you don’t see John at the warehouse door when you arrive during one of the following times: please call the Warehouse Desk at (503) 232-9350 x 124. Receipts will be available by request, this can be expedited by attaching your name and email address to your donation.
Friday April 24, between 10:30am and 1pm
Saturday April 25, between 3pm and 5pm.
Thursday April 30, between 10:30am and 1pm,
Friday May 1, between 10:30am and 1pm
Saturday May 2, 2020 between 3pm and 5pm.
Drop off by appointment for 10 or more computers, or large loads of other equipment.
Please email [email protected] to let us know what you have and when you would like to bring it by.
Availability may be limited but we will work to accommodate your needs.
You can mail your donation to
Free Geek: Hardware Donation, 1731 SE 10th Ave, Portland, OR 97214.
We can pickup your equipment (limited availability, fees apply)
Currently this works best if can arrange for your items can be brought outside and, for larger volumes, secured onto pallets.
We can wait this out together, and be there for you in the future.
Free Geek’s mission is to sustainably reuse technology, enable digital access, and provide education to create a community that empowers people to realize their potential. Here’s more info on our donations: https://www.freegeek.org/get-involved/donate-technology
NONPROFIT BENEFIT TICKET GIVEAWAYS!
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Look for another ticket giveaway soon! Are you a nonprofit looking to bolster your publicity with facebook and tweets? Email us and we'll run a contest with tickets to your event! [email protected]
