4 • The Southwest Portland Post
FEATURES
December 2015
Neighborhood House progressive dinner includes food and education
By KC Cowan
The Southwest Portland Post
On a crisp late October evening, a
couple dozen people gathered at the
Neighborhood House Senior Center for
wine and cheese. It was the first stop of
a three-step progressive dinner that was
part “thank you” and part “education”
event for the nonprofit.
“We came up with this idea a number
of years ago,” said Neighborhood
House executive director Rick Nitti,
“and it’s one of the more popular
strategies we have. It’s nice. It’s fun. We
get to feed people, thank people and
educate them.”
For example, a major goal of the
senior center is to reduce social isolation
among seniors. Portland’s Westside has
the fastest growing number of residents
over 60 years old in the city.
According to Janice Jones, aging
s e r v i c e s p ro g r a m m a n a g e r f o r
Neighborhood House, the senior
center provides counseling services,
transportation for shopping or medical
appointments, and general assistance,
from finding caregivers and housing to
legal and insurance issues.
Guests then piled into two of the
Neighborhood House buses for the
next stop, the new Child Care Center
at Stephens Creek Crossing (6650 SW
Capitol Hwy).
First came a tour of the three
classrooms for pre-school Head Start
programs, each brightly decorated with
en-suite bathrooms, cozy reading nooks,
and a small kitchenette to warm meals.
Some 150 three to five-year-old children
are enrolled in classes geared to give
them a good start on their education.
Neighborhood House sponsors
additional youth programs at local
schools to keep roughly 4000 students
on track in school. Mari Yerger,
development director for Neighborhood
House, said it’s more than just helping
with homework.
“Low income kids are at risk of
dropping out and just not being able
to take advantage of their education if
they’re too hungry or too stressed out by
not having a place to live,” Yerger said.
“So, we have a rental assistant program
that focuses on keeping children in place
so they can stay in the same school so
they don’t bounce around from school
to school.”
In the downstairs multi-purpose room
of the Child Care Center, guests got to
know each other over a Mediterranean
style dinner, courtesy of World Foods.
Rob Kass and his wife moved to the
Hillsdale area a year and a half ago, and
were looking for a nonprofit to support.
“This is amazing,” Kass said. “I think
this is something we could get more
involved with, definitely.”
Nina Clippard serves as neighborhood
ministries coordinator at St. Andrew
Presbyterian Church. She and her
pastor, Brett Webb-Mitchell, are strong
supporters.
“We went to Neighborhood House
and asked what we could do. We want
to be sure we do all we can to meet the
needs of the community,” Clippard said.
“Life is really about showing up,”
said Webb-Mitchell. “It’s a matter of
us being present to sustain and
build relationships with our
congregation and Neighborhood
House.”
Over dinner, Nitti explained
Neighborhood House’s
partnership with Home Forward.
The housing authority built 144
apartments in Stephen’s Creek
Crossing. This replaced the
former Hillsdale Terrace housing
project.
Many of the residents are
immigrants and Saalim-Saalim,
from Kenya, gave a speech
thanking Neighborhood
House for their assistance with
everything from food boxes and
utility payments to Headstart
classes for his four sons.
Neal Nyssen said nobody leaves the Neighborhood
“They are all fluent in English House food pantry empty-handed.
now, and they can read and (Post photo by KC Cowan)
write,” he said, proudly.
The last stop was at Southwest Hope,
produce from local residents. A crew
the largest food pantry on the west side.
of dedicated volunteers helps keep the
Over home-baked brownies, foodbox
pantry running smoothly.
coordinator Neal Nyssen said the
The progressive dinner kicks off
charity provides food for 530 families a
Neighborhood Houses’ Partnership
month. Twenty percent come back for
Campaign. The evening was not just
a second box each month—something
a fundraiser, but a “friend-raiser”
most pantries do not provide.
intended to showcase both the need
“It’s a shopping style food pantry,”
in Southwest and how Neighborhood
Nyssen said. “The only requirement
House hopes to meet them.
is that they live in the service area.
Nitti says last year they raised
That being said, if someone (out of
$200,000. They hope to exceed that by
the neighborhood) was really in need,
another $20,000 this year.
we wouldn’t send them home empty-
“We’ve got pretty big goals for our
handed.”
fundraising,” Nitti said. “And it mostly
Donations come from four grocery
comes from individuals. Basically, I’m
stores, the Oregon Food Bank, the
trying to create new business lines for
Hillsdale Farmers Market, and backyard
us that set us for the future.”
Add color
to your
business card ad!
Call Don today
at 503-244-6933
9663 SW Barbur Blvd
Portland, OR 97219
(503) 206-7462
OPEN 10AM-8PM, 7 Days
www.paradisepdx.com
Our knowledgeable and helpful staff
will assist you with both medicinal and
recreational products.
10% OFF Entire Order
(Expires 12/31/15)
LUBE, OIL & FILTER CHANGE
RALEIGH HILLS AUTOMOTIVE
4515 SW Beaverton-Hillsdale Hwy. • Portland, OR 97221
503-292-4904
nly 1 00% Clean
O
G re
st &
r
i
en
s F
ary
ens
sp
D i
• Change oil filter, up to 5 qts. - multi grade
• Check coolant & cooling system
• Check entire brake system, check all lights
• Check condition of battery & charge system
• Check all leaks & heating/air system
• Check exhaust system
• Tire rotation
Most vehicles
T he
N a
tio
n
Only $24.95 reg. $34.95
@calyxes
@greenbodhi
503-889-0682 • 7501 SW Capitol Hwy Suite A, Portland, OR • info@calyxes.com