Celebrating
‘City
of
Roses’
BLACK
HISTORY
MONTH
Volume XLVIII • Number 7
www.portlandobserver.com
Wednesday • February 13, 2019
Established in 1970
Committed to Cultural Diversity
photo by D anny p eterson /t he p ortlanD o bserver
Miracles Club Program Director Maleka Taylor (right) and Wellness within Reach Administrative Coordinator Makda Berhane oversee programs focused on improving
health outcomes in the African American community, from the nonprofit club’s Miracles Central location at 1306 N.E. Second Ave.
Keeping the Focus on Health
Community steps up
to continue programs
by D anny p eterson
t he p ortlanD o bserver
The Miracles Club, a Portland
non-profit dedicated to substance abuse
recovery services and permanent hous-
ing of recovering addicts, most from the
African American community, is now
managing health initiatives for the black
community at large that were previously
run by the African American Health Coa-
lition, which dissolved last year.
“Obviously the programs were perti-
nent to the African American communi-
ty,” said Miracles Club Program Director
Maleka Taylor. “And so we got together
behind closed doors and did a bunch of
legal stuff so that when they dissolved
we were able to take on their programs.”
The efforts include Wellness within
Reach which distributes affordable ex-
ercise passes to the Charles Jordan and
Matt Dishman Community Centers—
Portland Parks & Recreation facilities in
north and northeast Portland respective-
ly—and a Diabetes Prevention initiative.
The exercise passes promote good
health practices and are being distributed
from the club’s second location, Mira-
cles Central at 1306 N.E. Second Ave. to
self-identifying African American resi-
C ontinueD on p age 4