8 • The Southwest Portland Post
FEATURES
December 2016
Southwest charity raises funds for food bank, safety net services
By Jack Rubinger
The Southwest Portland Post
Jen Wills was struggling about a
decade ago. She was in the process of
going through a divorce and trying
to finish her undergraduate degree at
Portland State while working full-time
to support her children.
Wills had been a stay-at-home mom
for about 12 years and had never
finished her degree which impacted
her earning potential. While she was
managing her education, she was
worried about her twins, Jack and Lola.
Fortunately, she was able to enroll
the youngsters in the Head Start
program at Neighborhood House.
This program offered a high-quality
pre-school and enabled Wills to attend
classes at Portland State University
without worrying about childcare.
Jack and Lola developed much-
needed social and academic skills
which prepared them for kindergarten.
Head Start gave Wills the freedom
to focus on work and school and have
the time to be with her kids after school
and care for her home while finishing
her undergraduate degree.
The kids made friends in the
program that continued on with them
to Maplewood Elementary School.
Now they are in their last year at
Maplewood before going off to middle
school.
Both children are doing well in
school. Lola was just invited to join
the talented and gifted program at
Maplewood School.
All these benefits would not have
been possible without the financial
support offered by Neighborhood
House which has been helping families
and neighbors in Southwest Portland
for more than 100 years.
The support of the organization
contributed significantly to Wills
getting to where she is now, as
the human resources director of
Neighborhood House with a master’s
in business administration and two
human resources certifications.
She was thrilled to be able to come
back to work for an organization that
had contributed so significantly to the
wellness and success of her family.
Today, Oregonians are more likely to
live in poverty than they were during
the peak of the Great Recession.
F o r t y - e i g h t p e rc e n t o f s i n g l e
mothers and their families in Oregon
experience hunger, compared to 35
percent nationally. But there are ways
community members can help make
a difference in the lives of struggling
neighbors.
For many like Wills, Neighborhood
House was been a lifesaver.
Now Neighborhood House is asking
for help through its annual Partnership
Campaign, asking the community to
consider neighbors who are struggling
at this time amidst ongoing poor
economic conditions and the local
affordable housing crisis.
The agency is the primary
organization working to assist low-
income children, families and seniors in
Southwest Portland, and contributions
are needed to help
raise $215,000 to
sustain the agency
and its many safety
net services.
Among these
services are the
emergency food
box programs,
transitional
housing for
homeless families,
and the new SOS
re s o u rc e c e n t e r
which helps people
get connected with A client family that Neighborhood House helped to find affordable
needed services.
housing and access to nutritious meals. (courtesy photo)
The Partnership
16 percent in the years 2011-2015).
Campaign is Neighborhood House’s
Neighborhood House is encouraging
annual year-end fundraising effort
supporters to become “PowerHouse”
aimed at raising funds needed to
donors by signing up to give
support the agency’s work in the
monthly, or quarterly, to extend their
coming year.
support throughout the coming year.
A p p ro x i m a t e l y $ 1 m i l l i o n o f
Community members may also support
Neighborhood House’s $7 million
the Partnership Campaign by attending
annual budget must be raised through
the annual “Sing Your Own Messiah”
private, non-governmental support.
concert at St. Mark’s Presbyterian
The increased demand for assistance
Church at 9750 SW Terwilliger Blvd.
is most apparent in Neighborhood
The event, scheduled for Monday,
House’s emergency food box program,
Dec.19, 7-9 p.m., will collect food and
which is the largest pantry on
cash contributions for Neighborhood
Portland’s west side and the Southwest
House. The Hillsdale Food Front
distribution site for the Oregon Food
market will also be collecting cash
Bank.
donations for Neighborhood House
Currently, the program serves
throughout the month of December.
approximately 700 adults and children
For more information about Neighborhood
every month. Oregon is the only state
House, or the Partnership Campaign,
in the nation to experience an actual
contact Development Director Mari Yerger
increase in hunger in the years after
at 503-246-1663 x2119, or myerger@
the Great Recession (increasing from
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