Please Join Us In Celebrating The 2020 Grant Recipients!
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SE Uplift Neighborhood Coalition Awards $27,165.00 in Community & Civic Engagement Small Grants to Over 17 Community Projects for 2020!
Now in its 13th year, the Community & Civic Engagement Small Grants program funds small but powerful community efforts aimed at increasing the number and diversity of people engaged in the community, strengthening community capacity to create social change, and increasing community impact on public decisions and community life.
We were happy to fund 17 projects, as well as select 5 additional project proposals for funding with our partner Neighborhood Coalition, the East Portland Community Office.
A huge thank you to all 37 grant applicants and our Small Grants Review Committee – Amy Bader, Lindsey Johnson, Nancy Oberschmidt, Jamie Nash, Dan Shramek and Kari Koch– for their careful consideration and funding recommendations.
For more information about our 2020 grant recipient projects, go to:
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2020 Grant Recipients Include:
Sensory Integration Festival
Ethnic Art Designs
Queer Lives Archive
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If you live in SE Portland, you must have heard the name Linda Nettekoven. Linda has been involved in community organizing for over 20 years and amazingly always has a glowing smile on her face. We know that if SE Uplift staff ask Linda to support us in any way, she will be there even with a full schedule. Linda attends Portland United Against Hate Quarterly Gatherings and trainings, hangs out with staff at fundraisers, and has a big sense of humor every time we meet.
Linda Nettekoven
is a community organizer with a background in public health. Linda’s choice of work, both paid and volunteer, reflects a long-time commitment to helping groups and individuals “find their voice” whether in the workplace, the neighborhood, or the public policy arena. Linda has a Masters degree in Organizational, Community and Health Psychology from the University of Oregon. She has done community development work focused on health and housing in a variety of settings from urban inner cities to small towns and rural areas.
Linda has a lifetime of work and volunteerism that cannot be quantified by at list, and also, the list would be too long for our meek monthly newsletter. Linda participated in
Civic Life 3.96 Code Committee, PDX Main Streets (formerly the Division Design Initiative)
Craft3 Board Member, Portland Comprehensive Plan Community Advisory Committee,
co-founder of Sustainable Southeast, and served on the Southeast Uplift Neighborhood Coalition Board as Co-Chair, officer, member, 2001-2008 and currently member of Land Use and Transportation Committee.
SE Uplift is so honored to learn from Linda Nettekoven and we celebrate her contributions.
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Laquida Lanford is a mover and a shaker organizing communities on the environment, housing and homelessness, and cultural awareness.
Laquida is currently working with Portland State University students and City Repair Project to create an Afro Village. Her project for Green in The Hood Project received a 2020 Community & Civic Engagement Grant from East Portland Community Office to do Census work in marginalized communities.
Her 93 year old grandmother is her biggest inspiration and her largest accomplishment has been overcoming obstacles when she was diagnosed in 2010 with Muscular Sclerosis.
Her advice to young women working in their community is to let go of fear. Step into uncharted territories bravely and find people who will support your vision for change.
Laquida is a problem solver and we celebrate her creative work.
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Kathy Coleman was an exceptional disability activist, an artist, a dancer, and the longest serving Executive Director of Disability Art and Culture Project. Kathy was also a great teacher that led workshops for all communities and helped SE Uplift create a more accessible working space.
Kathy worked in the non-profit and social service area for over 25 years. This work includes Disability Rights Oregon, benefits planner; Multnomah County Health Department Healthy Birth Initiative, community health worker; Director of Community Works! an HIV and substance abuse outreach program and Counseling Coordinator at the Women’s Center of San Joaquin County, as well as serving the Portland Commission on Disability (PCOD).
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Saving the World One Can at a Time
By Sandra Stevens
In a recent issue of the New Yorker, staff reporter Elizabeth Kolbert stated that if we as global citizens do not wake up to climate change in 10 years, island nations will be lost and mass flooding, forest fires, and unprecedented heatwaves will be the norm.
I thought about my carbon footprint while I interviewed people returning cans at bottle drop locations. I pick cans off the sidewalk and pluck them from garbage cans. It’s dismaying how often people throw cans in the trash where they’ll eventually reach a landfill instead of a recycling facility. Many people don’t realize recycling cans reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and if we don’t
reduce those, the Earth’s temperatures will continue to spiral out of control.
My first stop was New Seasons Market on SE Hawthorne. New Seasons Market is, in my opinion, the best place to take cans. Their machine rarely breaks down, but when it does, an employee comes to repair it lickety-split. I wasn’t able to interview anyone at this spot because there were no canners. New Seasons can’t stay a bottle drop secret forever.
My next stop was the Fred Meyer at SE Hawthorne and Cesar Chavez. There I met a man named Pete and a young woman named Janay.
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How long have you lived in Portland, Pete?
Nine years
What motivated you to start collecting cans as a form of revenue?
I was broke. I couldn’t get a job because I was obviously homeless. When employers find out you’re homeless, they won’t give you a chance.
Have you found it more difficult to find cans since deposits went from a nickel to a dime?
Yes, definitely. More money means more competition. It’s definitely a lot more competitive these days.
How much can you expect to earn in a month?
$150 or more
Is Fred Meyer your favorite bottle return location?
No, I’ve been waiting here 20 minutes, waiting for them to fix the machine. No, my favorite bottle return place is Whole Foods.
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Janay, how long have you lived in Portland?
20 years What motivated you to start collecting cans as a form of revenue? I have a baby and need money for diapers. When you have kids, you always need extra money.
Where do you find your cans?
I mostly return what I buy for myself.
Have you found it more difficult to find cans since deposits jumped from a nickel to a dime?
Like I said, I mostly return my own cans, but yes, finding cans is a lot harder than it used to be.
How much can you expect to earn in a month?
$200
Is Fred Meyer your favorite bottle drop location?
No way. I’ve been waiting here 20 minutes! The machines are always broken and the employees don’t care because it’s not their livelihood at stake.
Do you have any advice for people doing this type of work?
Go to the lesser known areas and neighborhoods because it’s very competitive out there.
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Ground Score is an association of informal recyclers, dumpster divers and other environmental workers who create and fill low barrier waste management jobs.
Ground Score is collectively-organized and seeks to be radically inclusive, prioritizing work opportunities for those facing work and housing insecurity. Ground Score seeks to build a more environmentally and socially aware community, while also changing society’s perceptions of what and who is considered valuable. Learn more about how to partner with Ground Score at
trashforpeace.org
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Help Solve Portland's Housing Crisis With Backyard Tiny House
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The Backyard Tiny House Program allows Portland homeowners to use a piece of their yard for housing. Backyard Tiny House preps the space, provides the living structure, and manages the tenants.
A few
FAQS
from Backyard Tiny House:
Are tiny houses legal in Portland?
The City of Portland has provided guidelines for parking tiny houses on private property (which we comply with) as they work to develop a permanent policy for this new type of housing. We take great care to promote safe and habitable living in tiny houses by investing in high quality homes that are industry certified and match or exceed national "stick built" housing standards.
How exactly does this work?
Backyard Tiny House will sign a land lease guaranteeing you payment every month to host a tiny house in your backyard. After inspecting your property, we'll create a gravel pad for the tiny house and set up utility connections (plumbing and electrical). Once utilities are ready, our tiny house will be secured on the pad with stabilizer jacks designed for safe long-term placements. In addition to managing tenants and collecting rent, we'll handle any maintenance required for the tiny house. You won't pay for anything.
How long is the process?
We can place a tiny house in under a week from when we start work on your property. Our tiny houses are built off-site by our partners at their certified factories. They are ready to be placed as soon as the site is ready. Delivery and setup of the home only takes a few hours.
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Staying Healthy 2020: SE Uplift, What we are doing about the Coronavirus
Our team at SE Uplift is watching the development of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation carefully to see how we can implement easy and efficient approaches to prevention to support the well-being of our community. We understand that our space is especially vulnerable to unwelcome germs as we are a community space and we are doing everything we can to mitigate any potential issues.
We will be following the lead on prevention from the CDC and the state of Oregon. Their webpage details everything you may need to know about the virus and can be found here:
SE Uplift has developed a regular sanitization process for communal areas in our building. We will be wiping our tables, doorknobs and laptops with anti-bacterial sprays and wipes after each group meets in our conference rooms. Shall the situation escalate, SE Uplift will increase our regular office cleaning from weekly to twice a week. If matters escalate further, we will potentially close for the time that is recommended and reconfigure our programs to reflect the needs of the community.
We ask that you please do not come in for appointments, questions or concerns if you do not feel well. You can find all staff contact information on our website
here
. We encourage everyone to stay at home and take good care of yourself as well as helping prevent the spread of illness to others.
In this time of global health crises, it is also important that we remain aware of our own privilege, and biases around health and well-being. Be kind and respectful to your neighbors.
We wish you health and well-being,
Do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns.
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Get Your Ladybug Nature Walk On!
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Ladybug Nature Walks in Portland parks for children ages 0-6
Join us for a drop-in Ladybug Walk on a Thursday or Friday morning, mid-February through mid-November!
Ladybug Walks are perfect for toddlers and preschoolers (along with a grown-up) who want to investigate nature in Portland’s parks! While exploring with a trained environmental educator, children borrow a small Ladybug backpack that contains a few simple tools that makes exploring nature easy and fun! Walks help connect children to plants, creeks, insects, birds, and animals.
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All walks last about an hour and are geared for children ages 2-6 (but babies and waddlers are welcome too!) No pre-registration necessary - just arrive at the meeting spot at 10:00am, rain or shine!
Cost is on a sliding scale ($3, $5, or $8 per participating child), no charge for adults – choose what works best for your family!
The next Ladybug Walk in SE Portland is on Friday, March 13th at Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge at the north parking lot near SE Milwaukie Ave & 99E (across from 5040 SE Milwaukie).
For more info, call
To see what the walks are like (and get a glimpse of that ladybug backpack available to borrow),
click here
!
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City Repair Project 2019-20 Urban Permaculture Design Course
March 7th, 2020
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Free Native Plants Workshop
March 18th, 2020 -
6 PM – 8:30 PM
Leach Botanical Garden
6704 SE 122nd Ave, Portland, Oregon 97236
For More Info:
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Free Store
Community Resource Share!
March 8th, 2020 -
12 PM – 4 PM
SEIU Hall
6401 SE Foster Rd, Portland, OR 97206
For More Info:
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This Is My East Portland - Mural Unveiling
March 14, 2020 at 12 PM – 2 PM
1427 SE 122nd Ave, Portland, Oregon 97233
For More Info:
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SE Uplift
| www.seuplift.org
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