United Way at TriMet Picnic

On Sept. 12, United Way of the Columbia-Willamette had the wonderful opportunity to meet TriMet staff at an organizational picnic held at Blue Lake Park in Fairview, Oregon. The event drew more than 100 people, including members of the local chapter of the Amalgamated Transit Union.

One of the best things about the event was winning new champions for the community campaign. Timothy Everett (pictured above, standing left) talked to United Way's Zeno Latin (right) and Jeff Zawada, and decided to sign on to become an employee campaign coordinator for the organization.

Special thanks for the ongoing support of leaders like Jon Hunt, ATU Local 757 president (featured in the poster below).

Community Spirit at Gaylord Industries

Thanks to employees of Tualatin-based Gaylord Industries for taking the time to hear about the work of United Way in our community. Gaylord Industries manufactures custom-engineered commercial kitchen equipment, specializing in exhaust hoods.

About 80 employees gathered at three meetings -- a wonderful turnout. Pictured below is Mike McNeel, Gaylord Director of Business Development; Joan Corella, United Way Community Speaker; and Denice Arnold, Human Resources Manager at Gaylord Industries.



According to Russ Albertson, United Way Community Account Manager, "It was touching to hear the story shared by Mike McNeel, about how he and his family had used 211Info to get services for a relative. We appreciate his powerful support of our United Way."



211Info is Oregon and Southwest Washington’s comprehensive support hub for 2-1-1: a social services helpline. Each year, 211Info helps more than 100,000 people by providing referrals to food, shelter, financial assistance, health care and other health and human services throughout the four-county region.

Photos by Russ Albertson

Engaging Workplaces in Giving

On Sept. 23, United Way welcomed 32 campaign coordinators from 24 companies who are intent on learning about running a successful workplace campaign. Participants heard from United Way staff and volunteers about ways to engage their employees and co-workers in community.



Many thanks go out to these organizations for allotting staff time for their campaign coordinators to attend the training: Beaverton School District; Bemis; Chubb Group of Insurance Companies; Dunn Carney Allen Higgins & Tongue LLP; ESI, Inc.; Fed Ex Tree Network; FEI; Geffen Mesher & Co.; Incight; Leupold and Stevens; LifeWorks NW; Linfield College- Portland Campus; Microchip Technology, Inc.; Neil Kelly Company; Northrup Corporation; Northwest Pipe Company; Owens Illinois; Pacific Natural Foods; Parametrix; Pendleton Woolen Mills; Portland General Electric; RadiSys; Ron Tonkin; and Stoel Rives.

Norm Thompson Serves Up a Winner

Matt Mishler takes the trophy at the second annual Norm Thompson Outfitters Ping Pong Tournament, benefiting the company's United Way community giving campaign.

Employees also participated in a silent auction featuring a great range of items from sports tickets and workout classes to wine, knitting baskets, and spa/massage stuff.

Mucho thanks to Norm Thompson's community campaign coordinator Chris Moore for going the extra mile to put the "fun" in fund-raising.

Photo by Laurie Dahla

Wells Fargo Lives United

Thanks to Wells Fargo for the opportunity to share what it means to LIVE UNITED at a recent company picnic. Many employees stopped by to learn about United Way programs like 211Info and the Community Relief Fund. Pictured (above) from left is Wells Fargo Campaign Coordinator Samantha Itkin, with United Way community speakers and account managers Elizabeth Knake, Nia Gray and Lana Sappa.


From left are: United Way's Insil Kang and Elizabeth Knake; Samantha Itkin from Wells Fargo; and Lana Sappa

Working Toward a Great Campaign

Community Account Managers and Speakers are vital to the success of the annual United Way community campaign. Working with campaign coordinators at area workplaces, their knowledge and expertise help campaigns run smoothly.

Pictured from left, back row are: Paul Solomon, Katie Wilkes, Eliza Harper, Joan Corella, Casey Farm, Steve Papp, Matt Wold, Russ Albertson, Jayne Shaw, Nia Gray, Carol Young, Kate Clinton, Heather Wilson, and Julie Suedmeyer.

In the front row are: Insil Kang, Mikala Cunningham, Elizabeth Knake, Katie Baum, Amanda Miller, Jeanette Griffin, Pamela Bates, Lana Sappa, Steven “Dream” Weaver, and Zeno Latin.

Photo by Laura O'Brien, United Way Graphics Designer

HSBC Employees Volunteer in Tigard

Matthew Storer was among seven HSBC employees who volunteered to do yard maintenance and general cleanup work at the Good Neighbor Center in Tigard. The volunteer activity was organized through a strategic partnership between United Way of the Columbia-Willamette and Hands On Greater Portland

The Good Neighbor Center is a residence facility for homeless people who can stay for up to six weeks. The program is designed for those families who are suffering temporary financial issues and are currently homeless.

Nine rooms are available in the facility. Residents have access to a remodeled central kitchen area that has donated food, a new commercial refrigerator and freezer, and a dining area that seats up to 36 people. Local church groups sign up to come in and prepare meals as volunteer projects, but families can also choose to make their own meals as well.

Photo by Jeff Zawada, United Way Account Executive

Nordstrom Lloyd Center Day of Caring

Special thanks go out to employees of Nordstrom Lloyd Center who came out to help with at a Portland Impact cleanup project. Exemplifying corporate social responsibility, Nordstrom provides opportunities for employees to participate in volunteer projects through annual Days of Caring.

Nordstrom volunteers helped clean walkways and common areas of Richmond Place, transitional housing units located in southeast Portland. Portland Impact operates the drug- and alcohol-free transitional housing facil­ity where families receive on-site family support, employment training, parenting and other skill-building services.

Becca Johnson scrubbing the walkway on the third floor of Richmond Place

Volunteers Jaime Friswold, Stacy Reilly and Janae Coffman spent their afternoon helping out. Portland Impact staff say that this was the first time a volunteer group has been organized to clean the facility.

Glenn Medack cleaning the walls at the transitional housing facility. Portland Impact's goal is to provide basic needs, while offering linkages to programs and services that are designed to support independence and economic self-sufficiency.

Nordstrom volunteers Anne Hass and Beth Whitton.

United Way of the Columbia Willamette's Volunteer Engagement partnership with Hands On Greater Portland makes it easy for volunteers to lend talent and energy to local nonprofit organizations and get directly involved in improving the community by connecting individuals and employee teams to year-round, flexible volunteer opportunities throughout the Portland/Vancouver metro.

Learn more about planning a volunteer event or project. You may also contact Colin McCormack, Community Investment Manager, or call 503-226-9543.

Photos by Maileen Hamto, United Way Communications Manager

Garlington Center Grand Reopening

United Way of the Columbia-Willamette congratulates community leaders, organizers, and health advocates who celebrated the re-opening of Cascadia Behavioral Heath's Garlington Center. The center provides mental health and addictions services to low-income folks in North Portland.

The building caught fire in October 2008 and was rendered uninhabitable. Staff and volunteers continued to provide much-needed services in the facility's parking lot while the building was being repaired, said center director Tasha Wheatt-Delancey.


Garlington Center staff members at the ribbon-cutting ceremony.


Howard Klink, United Way's Vice President of Community Impact, with Garlington Center Director Tasha Wheatt-Delancey



From left: Derald Walker, Cascadia CEO; Rev. Matt Hennessee, Vancouver Avenue First Baptist Church; Rev. W.G. Hardy Jr., Highlnad Christian Center; Roy Jay, President, African-American Chamber of Commerce of Oregon; Peggy Ross, Director, Office of Affirmative Action; and Kathleen Saadat, Director of Diversity, Cascade AIDS Project. In the front is Sharon Gary-Smith, Cascadia Director of Special Projects.

The Garlington Center now shares the building with two new tenants: the North by Northeast Community Health Center and the Sexual Minority Youth Resource Center. United Way was honored to be a major sponsor of the center's grand re-opening festivities, held Sept. 11 and 12.

The ribbon-cutting drew community activists, elected officials, as well as business and civic leaders. Thanks to Sharon Gary-Smith, Cascadia's Director of Special Programs, for organizing the wonderful event.

Project Access Now

The number of Americans without health insurance reached 46.3 million in 2008, up from 45.7 million a year earlier, according to figures released today by the U.S. Census Bureau.

In the Portland-Vancouver area, United Way supports Project Access Now, a strategic initiative that organizes charity care in the region, making health care accessible to those who are most vulnerable in our community.

Project Access NOW has a growing regional network of primary care and specialty physicians and health care professionals to volunteer their services at no charge. Access to health care is of primary importance in our area, where some 314,000 people are uninsured.

Learn more about Project Access Now. More info on the strategic partnership is detailed in this article.

Latino Leadership Program

Kudos go out to Stefanny Caballero, one of United Way’s very own. She will be participating in the Latino Leadership Program, organized by the Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce.

Now in its third year, the Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber (Hispanic Chamber) Latino Leadership Program is going strong. The purpose of the program is to identify Latino leaders in the public and private sector to develop their leadership and management skills. Seminars with seasoned professionals help create opportunities for program participants to interact with other community leaders, create opportunities for mentor/mentee relationships, and create a network of resources for emerging Latino leaders.

The ultimate goal of the Latino Leadership Program is develop a pool of Latino candidates from the public and private sector for effective leadership and service on public and private policy-making bodies.

Here at United Way, Stefanny provides support for the Community Investment team, which is responsible for administering United Way’s competitive grants system, as well as strategic initiatives. In addition to her full-time job, she is studying Finance and General Management at Portland State University.

As part of the latest roster of Latino Leadership Program participants, Stefanny joins other up-and-coming Latino professionals representing a wide range of companies and industries. “I am very excited about being part of the Leadership program; I look forward to learning and acquiring more skills that will allow me to gain some insights as to how to better serve the growing Latino population in the Portland Metropolitan area,” says Stefanny.

Oregon Latinos are one of the fastest growing Latino populations in the United States. The 2004 census estimated that there are over 379,034 Latinos in Oregon that represent 10.2% of the state’s population. Latinos are the largest ethnic minority in the state that grew 236% percent between 1990- 2006.

Workplace Campaigns Off to a Great Start

In August, campaign coordinators from local companies came to United Way to get useful tips on running a successful United Way campaign.

Volunteers who attended the campaign training came from a wide variety of organizations, including AT&T Mobility, Bank of America, Clean Water Services, Far West Fibers, JCPenney, Nationwide, Norm Thompson Outfitters, Tuality Healthcare Foundation, and more. About 30 businesses and nonprofits were represented at the training.

Many thanks to more than 40 volunteers who took time to learn about running a successful campaign. Your leadership and support are truly valuable in kicking off our community campaign to a great start. By giving your time and talent, spreading the word, and bringing your unique strengths and skills to the campaign, you are helping to advance the common good. We can't thank you enough for all that you do.