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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (May 22, 2024)
Page 4 May 22, 2024 PCC And Partners Abuse Victim Creates Nonprofit... Break Ground! Continued from Front Continued from Front the 2018 Metro Housing Bond and other sources, this project aligns with regional goals for housing affordability and ac- cessibility. PCC’s new Opportunity Cen- ter at 42nd Avenue (located at 4299 NE Killingsworth St.) opened last fall to the communi- ty. It is a collaborative endeavor supported by the Department of Human Services, NAYA and Home Forward, offering a com- prehensive array of services, ed- ucational resources, and work- force development initiatives. This center’s primary mis- sion is to address racial and economic disparities by pro- viding residents with access to education and career-track em- ployment opportunities. The services offered include career exploration, coaching, skills development, and comprehen- sive support systems to help individuals achieve their goals. Funded by the 2017 PCC bond measure, the 50,000-square-foot Opportuni- ty Center at 42nd Avenue is a state-of-the-art structure aim- ing for LEED Gold certification for integrating Cross Laminated Timber (CLT). This is a sustain- able and eco-friendly construc- tion material that contributes to the building’s warmth and inviting atmosphere. Advertise with diversity in The Portland Observer BUSINESS GUIDE Call 503-288-0033 ads@portlandobserver.com But a visit to her own grand- mother changed her outlook and eventually became the basis of a nonprofit she started in Septem- ber, Inner Beauty in U. “I cried to her that I’m not pretty, I don’t matter and no- body thinks I’m special,” but her grandmother came back with wise words. “She said, ‘At the end of the day, the only thing that matters is your heart. You are not responsible for how somebody else treats you, and your beauty comes from within.’” That’s the message Merri- weather brings to other troubled young women at The Inner Beau- ty in U, according to its website: “We are actively involved in domestic violence prevention and Education. We provider food resources, clothing resources, housing assistance, resume and job search, credit repair and business start-up.” Merriweather wants to help any young, at risk women, even- tually to include young men, to learn to deal with the difficult and sometime unfair situations they find them in preventing them from having healthy, happy and productive lives. When she decided to leave Las Vegas, by which time she had her mother had healed their relationship, she stayed with her for the next year as she began to turn her life around. “Women need to understand there is nothing so terrible or so bad that you can’t find a way out of it,” she said. “There is noth- ing you’ve done that you don’t deserve to be loved.” That’s the basis of Inner Beauty in U’s philosophy, Mer- riweather said. “Inner Beauty in U is a real story about real women who know there is more out there,” she said. “Anyone can change their life and be more than they thought they can be.” Real change is never easy, but Merriweather hopes to make oth- er women’s lives better because they will have an organization that is on their side and will do whatever it takes to help another woman overcome the obstacles that may be holding her back. “We don’t want to turn any- one away,” she said. “And at the end of the day if I only able to reach one person, I go to sleep knowing someone’s life has been changed. That’s all I care about at the end of the day.” In short, Merriweather wants to give struggling young women the support she didn’t have when she needed it most. It took a while for Merriweath- er, 50, to get back on her feet and to help other young women, and she gives a lot of credit to Ka- londra Porter-Wright of the non- profit Porter House Resources, who became a mentor and helped her through the ins and outs of becoming a 501(3)c nonprofit as she was getting Inner Beauty in U off the ground. “I’ve often thought what would have happened if Kalon- dra had been there when I was 17,” she said. But it’s her staff, particularly Bri Williams, with a master’s in social worker, and Chan- dra Haynes, who has a mental health certificate in African/ American health. They work with clients individually and also train mentor volunteers, Merriweather said. “So, Kolandra helped with the financial aspect and Bri and Chandra have been with me, en- couraging me, wouldn’t let me quit, from the very beginning,” she said. To learn more about Inner Beauty in U, go to https://in- nerbeautyinu.org. Call 360- 723-2344 or send an email to Innerbeautyinyou11@gmail. com. More volunteers are need- ed and donations and sponsors are encouraged. Health care resources for you Get help with appointments, getting coverage, mobile showers and more MAY 27 JUNE 6 JUNE 17 Mobile Showers 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. 4244 SE 91st Ave, Portland Equitable Giving Circle 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 4212 NE Prescott St, Portland Doreen’s Place (for residents only) 12-2:30 p.m. 610 NW Broadway St, Portland JUNE 10 JUNE 18 MAY 28 P:ear (for youth only) 9-11 a.m. 338 NW 6th Ave, Portland MAY 30 Hacienda CDC (for residents only) 9:30-11 a.m. 6735 NE Killingsworth St, Portland Mobile Showers 12-2 p.m. 247 SE 82nd Ave, Portland JUNE 3 Doreen’s Place (for residents only) 12-2:30 p.m. 610 NW Broadway St, Portland JUNE 4 Jean’s Place (for residents only) 1:30-3:30 p.m. 18 NE 11th Ave, Portland Union Gospel Mission 2-3 p.m. 3 NW 3rd Ave, Portland careoregon.org/connect-to-care Clark Center (for residents only) 9-10:30 a.m. 1437 SE MLK Blvd, Portland Mobile Showers 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. 4244 SE 91st Ave, Portland JUNE 11 P:ear (for youth only) 9-11 a.m. 338 NW 6th Ave, Portland JUNE 13 Hacienda CDC (for residents only) 9:30-11 a.m. 6735 NE Killingsworth St, Portland Mobile Showers 12-2 p.m. 247 SE 82nd Ave, Portland Union Gospel Mission 2-3 p.m. 3 NW 3rd Ave, Portland JUNE 24 Mobile Showers 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. 4244 SE 91st Ave, Portland JUNE 25 P:ear (for youth only) 9-11 a.m. 338 NW 6th Ave, Portland JUNE 27 Hacienda CDC (for residents only) 9:30-11 a.m. 6735 NE Killingsworth St, Portland Mobile Showers 12-2 p.m. 247 SE 82nd Ave, Portland connect to care
