My name is Emma Hoyle and I am thrilled to be joining the team as the Development Manager! I come to PHFS with 8 years of nonprofit experience, most recently as the Events Manager for the Center for Child Protection in Austin, TX, a nonprofit providing services to abused and neglected children. I am passionate about contributing to my community and raising money for incredible organizations! Personally, I love to cook, travel and explore all things Portland since I am still new to the area.
I can't wait to meet and get to know all of our amazing donors, friends and supporters! Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions regarding donations, fundraising, or communications:
[email protected] or 503-504-5902.
Best,
Emma
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Valentine's Day makes us think about our loved ones. All of us at PHFS think of our volunteers as part of our family and are definitely people we love and cherish! We THANK YOU for all the love and care you show our families in shelter!
In the spirit of Valentine's Day, what better way to show your love for our families than by volunteering? February has historically been a hard month for PHFS to staff volunteers for Overnight Host shifts. T
he goal of the You Light Up My Life Challenge is to get every single night filled with at least one Overnight Host volunteer in February! For the top two volunteers who fulfill the most Overnight Host shifts, we will be giving out two prizes:
- 1st Place Winner receives a $50 Amazon gift card
- 2nd Place Winner receives a $30 Target gift card
Ready to get started, but are not approved to be an Overnight Host? As long as you are 18+ and can complete a background check form, you can also participate!
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Upcoming Volunteer Orientation:
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6:15-7:15pm
Thirteen Salmon Family Center
Monday, March 14th
5:00-6:00pm
Goose Hollow Family Shelter
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- Hand Sanitizer
- Size 4, 5, and 6 diapers (highest need is size 5)
- Infant and Child Tylenol
- Ora-gel for teething toddlers
- Sippy cups
- New and gently used toys for boys and girls who are 8-10 year olds
- $10 gift cards to Fred Meyer, Target, and/or Starbucks
- $10 gift cards to Regal Cinema
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Remembering Dr. Merritt Linn
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We were deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Dr. Merritt Linn. Merritt and his wife Susan Korey have supported PHFS through volunteering and donating for over a decade. Merritt's involvement made a huge impact in our community and he will be sorely missed.
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THANK YOU!!!
$125,628 Raised!
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WOW! We had an amazing December! We raised a record breaking $103,866 through our holiday appeal - $36,000 over our goal! In addition, we are thrilled to announce that we raised $21,762 through Willamette Week's Give!Guide. We are so grateful to be part of such a generous community that raised more than $3.5M for 143 amazing area nonprofits through Give!Guide!
We can't think of a better way to end our year! Thank you so much to everyone who donated to PHFS through our holiday appeal and Give!Guide. These funds raised will help so many families find (and stay in) permanent housing! |
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The Incredible Years
Parenting Class
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We are excited to offer an evidence-based parenting class to the families at PHFS. The class is called the Incredible Years Class, and it helps moms and dads learn how to be better parents. PHFS' Lead Shelter Coordinator, Steven Kronzer, co-teaches the class with Laura Lirette from Human Solutions. The class is funded by a very generous donor who has a Donor Advised Fund at Oregon Community Foundation.
The class spans 15 weeks and focuses on parents learning three main skills: how to play with their kids in a child-directed way, how to praise & reinforce positive behavior and ignore & eliminate bad behavior, and how to teach kids to solve their own problems before they have a temper tantrum.
Every Wednesday, parents meet at a com
munity room in SE Portland. Parents are able to bring their
kids to class with them. Morrison Child & Family Services provides licenses childcare providers so that the parents can go into the class and know their kids are taken care of. Morrison also provides a healthy lunch for the whole family each w
eek.
PHFS provides incentives designed to help the parents implement the tools they learn in class. We offer incentives like board games, cupcake making kits, educational toys and craft kits, and family outings to the zoo and OMSI. Parents get an incentive every week when they come to class so that they can practice the skills they learned that week. Our goal is to get most of our incentives donated, so if you are interested in helping provide some of our incentive supplies, email [email protected].
The class started on January 20 and ends on April 27. We are thrilled to be able to offer such a rich learning experience to the families we work with. Thanks to our partners Human Solutions, Morrison Child & Family Services, and Joan Taylor.
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 Want to learn more about affordable housing in Portland? PHFS is a proud member of the Welcome Home Coalition, a group of 115 local nonprofits and government agencies dedicated to increasing the availability of affordable housing. The Welcome Home Coalition hosts a monthly Leadership Academy on the last Thursday of the month to educate local community members about this important issue. Listen to personal stories and learn how to take action! |
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Volunteer Spotlight:
Phillip Exline
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How long have you been volunteering with PHFS and what got you involved initially?
I started volunteering in July of 2015. I had been a financial contributor for a couple of years when I got a note in the mail from Brandi asking if I wanted to meet up for coffee. Around the same time I met some new friends who had volunteered at the shelter as well. After chatting with my friends and meeting with Brandi I was hooked by the mission and passion of the organization.
In what position/shift do you typically volunteer and has that changed or evolved over the years (and why)?
For the first couple of months I exclusively volunteered as a Helping Hand. To be honest, I didn't consider myself much of a "kid" expert, and I thought doing the behind-the-scenes job was the best fit with my personality. Also, the Helping Hand shifts were relatively easy to fit into my schedule at the time. Recently, though, I've switched to volunteering mostly for the Overnight Host position. Going back to my conversation with Brandi during the summer, I knew that the Overnight Host role would be more challenging, but also more rewarding. I wanted to stretch my comfort zone, as well as be in solidarity with the residents. That has been a great decision because I've been able to learn so much about myself by completing the overnight stays.
What's your favorite thing about volunteering with PHFS?
It is such a grounding experience for me. PHFS is an excellent servant to the community, and by extension, I feel like I'm now more connected. But on a nightly basis my favorite thing is simply being there with the residents and sharing your life with them as they share with you. You develop a real sense of interconnectedness with humanity.
Tell us about a "mountain top" experience you had while volunteering at PHFS. Was there a particular time that was very moving or meaningful for you?
The first time one of the kids, he was maybe 3 or 4, came running up to me during playtime in the gym, and grabbed my hand to drag me over to the area where he was playing with a ball. A lot of fear and insecurity about "am I doing this volunteer thing right" or "am I making a difference" just shattered.
Can you share any advice (pro tips/best practices) for new volunteers?
It's not about you as a volunteer. Maybe this is obvious to most folks, but I really struggled with that. Just be there, emotionally present, ready to share compassion; but if all you do is fold laundry all night know that you are doing a massive service for the residents and PHFS staff.
Outside of PHFS, what do you do for fun or to unwind?
I'm moderately competitive when it comes to sports and my current favorites are racquetball (because it is not weather dependent), tennis and golf. I try to read on a regular basis, but can get overwhelmed by all the good stuff out there. Visiting the Portland Art Museum and Oregon Symphony make for perfect Sundays. Finally, exploring the food in Portland is never a dull adventure. Doing any of these activities with friends is all the better!
What's a fun fact about you, that few others would know?
I really, really want to take one of those massive hot-air balloon rides to edge of Earth's atmosphere.
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