News
Students a Standing Ovation at
POIC Work Opportunities Breakfast
Equity Reception
By Helen Silvis
Of The Skanner News
P
ortland Opportunities Industrial Cen-
ter drew a crowd of supporters to
Portland’s MAC club April 5, for its
annual Work Connections Breakfast. It was
an opportunity for the high school and
career mentoring nonprofit to showcase its
work.
Business leaders, including contingents
from Intel, Nike and Oregon Live turned
out in force and gave a standing ovation to
two students receiving CARE Role model
awards.
POIC also recognized two community
advocates: Janine Clayton of the Gifford
Pinchot Forest Service and Portland Mayor
Sam Adams.
The Emcee for the event was former
NBA point guard and coach Michael
Holton. Holton said he had learned about
the school and its innovative programs
through his friendship with Joe McFerrin,
POIC’s President and CEO.
“When he started explaining to me his
passion for creating opportunities for youth
I knew I wanted to be part of that,” Holton
said. Holton said when he was in third
grade, his own parents divorced. His moth-
er told him she was happy because the judge
had “awarded” him to her. While he didn’t
know what that meant, the very next day he
approached two business owners and asked
for work.
“If my dad was not going to be there I
thought I should have a job,” he said. Those
business owners, Ms. Johnson and Mr. Fri-
day, gave him small tasks, spare change and
a huge dose of encouragement.
“When I reached out to those business
owners, they were there,” Holton said. “I
knew I could be a business owner from third
grade on. And what I am challenging you to
do is to give that gift of encouragement to
another life. The gift of encouragement is
the most important gift we can give one
another.”
Multnomah County Chair, Jeff Cogen,
said POIC has helped more than 800 youth
through the Rosemary Anderson High
School, college prep and mentoring pro-
grams. Many of those students have
dropped out of school by the time they
reach POIC, and all of them have an uphill
climb to graduate. POIC helps its students
through the age of 25.
“POIC doesn’t give up on any of our
young men and women,” Cogen said. POIC
helps hundreds of our community’s children
on a daily basis.”
More than 90 percent of students at the
school are from low-income families and
get free or reduced school meals.
Joe McFerrin, CEO and president of the
nonprofit, said the students are talented and
have a wide range of interests. What they
don’t have is the extended family and
friend’s connections that can help them
launch careers.
“Eighty percent of jobs are not adver-
tised,” he said. “Businesses are relying
Page 8 The Portland and Seattle Skanner April 11, 2012
PHOTO BY LISA LOVING
Business leaders offer support at MAC club
Portland’s new director of the Bureau of Equity, Dante James, at right, was
celebrated at a City Hall reception last Friday afternoon. James, who hails
from Colorado, now faces the job of building the bureau itself, from its
operations base to its staff and City Hall relationships.
more and more on their workforce connec-
tions when they hire.
“A kid with parents who are working
poor, with no extended family connections
has no place to start, and no chance. At
POIC we are that extended family network.
We’re the life skills coaches, the mentors;
we’re the ones who pick them up when they
fall.”
Four people received CARE awards:
Janine Clayton of the Gifford Pinchot
National Forest was recognized with a
CARE Advocate award, for hiring and men-
toring students. Receiving the award on
behalf of her staff, Clayton said I was a
privilege to be involved with POIC and
quoted Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “Life’s
most persistent and urgent question is
‘What are you doing for others?’”
Mayor Sam Adams also was recognized
with a CARE Advocate award.
Read the rest of this story online at
www.theskanner.com