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December 7, 2005
NFL Star Challenges Local Kids to Help Classmates
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Jefferson High student Rosaunda Jackson is battling a life
threatening illness.
Ex-NY Jet player Emanuel
McNeil came to Jefferson High
School Friday and challenged
students to help their classmate
Rosaunda Jackson who is bat
tling a life threatening illness
and is a patient at Legacy
Emanuel Children’s Hospital.
The e ffo rt was th rough
Sparrow Clubs USA, a new
photos by I saiah
B ouif TT he P ortland O bserver
Ex-New York Jet Emanuel McNeil challenges Jefferson High School students to adopt a classmate in need.
school-based “kids-helping-
kids” organization that is ex
panding into Portland area
schools and assists children in
medical crisis.
M c N e il’s ow n d au g h ter
Moriah experienced awesome
support through the Oregon-
based group before she died in
April 2004. McNeil traveled
from Virginia to share his family
story and lend support to
Jefferson students in participat
ing in the organization.
Sparrow Clubs is unique in
Local Energy Assistance Needed
N orthw est N atural with the help
o f contributions by donors is help
ing less fortunate m em bers o f the
com m unity keep warm this winter.
The com pany’s Gas Assistance
P rogram prov id es m uch-n eed ed
helptom ore than l.OOOfamilies when
o th e r a s s is ta n c e p ro g ra m s are
stretched too thin, according to
Steve Feltz, treasurer and controller
for the utility.
G A P funds are collected by U nited
W ay and distributed through local
com m unity agencies.
Fam ilies and individuals in need of
low -incom e energy assistance this
w inter should contact one o f the fol
lowing groups for more inform ation:
Y W CA H ousing & Enrichm ent
Resources at 503-721-6760, A lbina
Ministerial Alliance at 503-285-0493,
Im m igrant and Refugee Com m unity
O rganization Asian Family Center at
503-235-9396, the Salvation Arm y at
503-239-1264, Catholic Charities at503-
234-9074, Human Solutions at 503-
548-0200, Portland Impact at 503-988-
6000, St. V incent DePaul at 503-235-
8431 and Native American Rehabilita
tion A ssociation at 503-274-4251.
that it’s the nation’s only youth-
based charity.
F or m ore in fo rm a tio n ,
call 541-312-8630 or visit
w w w .sparrow clubs.org.
Free Haircuts
The Salvation Army is again partnering with vol
unteer hair stylists for free holiday haircuts for kids
through age 16 at its Moore Street Com m unity
Center, 5325 N. W illiams Ave. on M onday, Dec. 19
from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For many of the youngsters this will be their only
haircut for the year.
To volunteer, call 503-493-3925 or 3927.
Chip Shields
Switching
Gears
O regon T rad esw o m en . Inc., is
e n lis tin g n o rth an d n o rth e a s t
P o rtland S tate Rep. C hip S h ield s
as its em p lo y m en t and d e v e lo p
m ent specialist.
The organization headquarterd
on Northeast Alberta Street pro
m otes success for w om en in the
trades through education, leader
ship and mentorship.
Sheilds was the founding execu
tive director o f Better People, a
northeast P ortland em ploym ent
and counseling program for ex-of-
fenders. He has also worked as an
em ploym ent specialist w ith the
Youth Em ploym ent Institute.
Shields just com pleted his first
legislative session in the O regon
House o f Representatives w here
he served on the House Business,
Labor and C onsum er A ffairs C om
mittee.
Gulf
Relief
The local Red Cross is thanking
all the organizations, businesses
and individuals w ho stepped for
ward with helpfor Hurricane Katrina
victims.
More than 900 evacuees to the
Portland area have received finan
cial support from the Red Cross
with on-going relief efforts in G ulf
Coast states still underway.
So far, local kids, adults, organi
zations and businesses have raised
$10.2 million for Red C ross relief
efforts, which am ounts to more than
the Sept. 11,2001 terrorist attacks
and the 2004 South Asia tsunam i
and hurricane season com bined.
Some 4,000 local participants
have trained to help the Red Cross,
com pared to 700 individuals in an
average year.
Locally, 14,814 meals were served
at the form er W ashington High
School in Portland for evacuees
and volunteers o f the disaster. Red
C ross volunteers also provided up
to 989 health screenings and 2,867
m ental health visits.
Some 304 local Red Cross volun
teers left the Portland area to help
with hurricane relief efforts in the
G u lf and 460 volunteered at W ash
ington High School.
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