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Portland Children's Levy Newsletter
JANUARY 2019
Mayor Ted Wheeler, Allocation Committee Chair
Lisa Pellegrino, PCL Director
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PCL Welcomes Mayor Wheeler as chair of Allocation Committee
Levy staff welcomes Mayor Ted Wheeler as the new chair of the Portland Children's Levy Allocation Committee with last month's retirement of City Commissioner Dan Saltzman. The mayor is very familiar with the Levy, having served as an AC member while he was Multnomah County chair, and he is an enthusiastic supporter of the Levy's mission and goals.
"I want to thank Mayor Wheeler for his continued stewardship of the Levy," Commissioner Saltzman said before he left office. "I know he will be an inspired and dedicated leader."
The mayor said he is looking forward to his involvement with the Levy and its efforts to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in the community, and in its support of historically underserved children and families reaching their full potential.
"In these challenging times, the Levy stands firm in its belief that all children have an inherent right to thrive and prosper in our city -- and that includes refugees, immigrants, people of color and the most vulnerable of our population," the mayor said. "The programs that the Levy support will continue to reach out and serve the disenfranchised so all Portland residents have the opportunity to thrive and prosper."
Thank you to outgoing Commissioner Dan Saltzman
PCL thanks all of our community members, partners and friends who dropped by City Hall Monday, Dec. 10th to bid best wishes to Commissioner Saltzman, who led the PCL Allocation Committee since the Levy's was approved by voters in 2002.
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Bravo Youth Orchestras |
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| Wilkes Elementary Puentes Ballet Folklorico |
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The City of Portland's 2018-19 Fix-it Fairs
Fairs are scheduled for the following Saturdays:
*Jan. 26, 2019
Ockley Green Middle School
6031 N Montana Ave., Portland
*Feb. 23, 2019
Floyd Light Middle School
10800 SE Washington St., Portland
The fairs are a free event where people can learn simple ways to save money and connect with community resources, with many workshops available in Spanish. Go here for more info.
The Levy has several tables at the fairs: if your organization is interested in attending any or all of the fairs to spread the word about your services, please contact
marygay.broderick@portlandoregon.gov
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Camp Fire Columbia & Miss Lopez Media Takeover
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In recognition of National Mentoring Month, a local artist, Renée Lopez, and teens from Camp Fire Columbia will be taking over our social media channels.
Armed with a few instant cameras, Renée and a group from Camp Fire's Levy-supported mentoring program for middle school youth stopped by Open Signal for a photography workshop and discussion about mentorship.
Following a conversation about photography, making it as an artist, and mentorship, the mentees and mentors decided to split up to take photos of each other. All next week, Renée will takeover our social media channels to share a selection of portraits and thoughts the youth have about what mentorship means to them.
Follow @PDXKidsLevy on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to check out some of the awesome shots they took.
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PCL Programs Making a Difference:
Janus Youth Programs/Insights, SEEDS |
Laura was 19 with two children and expecting her third when SEEDS home visitor Gianna Solomon met her. Laura and her partner Brandon were looking for housing and sleeping on the living room floor of her grandmother's apartment. They were hiding from the landlord during the day and afraid they would be evicted, which was why the curtains were often closed and the lights turned off when Gianna came.
Through weekly home visits, Gianna worked with the family to set goals and look into housing resources.
Laura soon began to share concerns around her children Emily and Tara's social-emotional development as they were often sad and cried and screamed for long periods. Gianna immediately focused home-visit activities and information around Laura's concerns while focusing on developmental stages, attachment and parenting support. In addition, Gianna referred the family to an Infant Mental Health (IMH) specialist through LifeWorks NW.
During the next six months, Laura and Brandon received weekly home visits from the IMH specialist and the SEEDS Home Visitor. Gianna supported the family in navigating community resources like the Meals on Wheels Meals 4 Kids program to meet the family's basic needs. Soon Laura and Brandon began to share observations of the children being better able to regulate their emotions and less episodes of screaming and crying. Gianna also noticed the parents beginning to use a developmental lens when talking about the children and being more confident in their ability to meet not only Emily and Tara's needs, but also their newborn Molly.
However they experienced a setback when an eviction from the apartment left them homeless.
Gianna supported the family in accessing the Human Solutions Family Center as Laura was now open to going into an emergency shelter. Gianna continued to provide weekly visits at a park near the shelter often bringing formula, diapers and food boxes, and ultimately help with rental assistance which allowed Laura and the children to move into their own apartment. Laura was grateful to have stability and a home for her family, and happy that the apartment was across the street from where Brandon was staying with family members.
Laura and Brandon have now been in the SEEDS program for two years and continue to meet with Gianna every other week. Laura is taking GED courses at Portland Community College, Brandon is employed, and the family is hoping to get into an affordable housing unit.
Through the SEEDS Parent Satisfaction Survey, the family shared that what has been most helpful for them: "Helping me as a parent to be better for my children."
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Free citizen ESL Classes Starting Now
Lutheran Community Services is offering a free 12-week program to help people become U.S. citizens, as well as help prepare for the exam and file the N-400 application. Call 503-731-9585 for more info or go here for info in English; here for info in Spanish; here for info in Russian and here for info in Vietnamese.
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| Allocation Committee News |
Two upcoming AC meetings scheduled for February and March
--Monday, Feb. 4th from 2:30 - 4:30 p.m.
--Monday, March 18th from 3 - 5 p.m.
Meetings are in City Hall Council Chambers, 1221 SW 4th Ave. Agendas are posted on the Levy website and sent to the Levy mailing list.
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Click
here to check out PCL's website!
Go
here to read the 2018 PCL Community Report!
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PCL helps nonprofits recruit volunteers
- A link: either to your website where volunteer information can be found, or the email and/or phone number of the name of the person responsible for volunteers.
- A short blurb about what you are looking for from volunteers.
- If you would like to include any specific wording about outreach to older and/or retired potential volunteers.
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Director, After School & Hunger grants:
Assistant Director and Early Childhood & Mentoring grants:
Child Abuse Prevention/Intervention & Foster Care Grants Manager:
Communications Director:
Communications and Outreach Coordinator
Fiscal Specialist:
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Who We Are
The Portland Children's Levy was created by city voters in 2002 and overwhelmingly renewed for the third time by the electorate in May 2018. Funding for the new five-year Levy begins July 1, 2019 and runs through June 30, 2024.
The Levy is supported through a property tax paid by City of Portland homeowners that generates $21 million toward investments in proven programs in areas of Early Childhood, After School, Mentoring, Child Abuse Prevention/Intervention, Foster Care and Hunger Relief. The Levy reaches over 8,000 children and their families annually; in addition, Levy-funded hunger relief services provide food to over 11,000 children and 9,167 parents/caregivers annually.
The Levy is annually audited and administrative costs do not exceed 5 percent.
Questions? Contact: Call Mary Gay Broderick at 503-823-2947 or e-mail
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