Community Matters: June 2022
Welcome to NECC's Community Matters Newsletter and Happy Pride! This month's edition includes information on health disparities for the transgender community, a job announcement for a new position, info about our next Art in the Lobby installation, and a call for volunteer opportunities. Check it out!
Upcoming Community Events and Resources
Learn about LGBTQ+ Health Disparities this Pride Month
As you may have seen on our street reader board or the colorful display on our bulletin board, it’s Pride Month!

But as we enjoy bright rainbow displays of solidarity this June, it’s important to acknowledge the ongoing inequities members of the LBGTQ+ community experience—especially the barriers many endure trying to access health services.
 
In a 2020 survey conducted by the Center for American Progress, nearly 1 in 2 transgender respondents reported experiencing some form of discrimination or mistreatment at the hands of a health provider in the last year. Some of the discrimination experienced included care refusal, misgendering, and verbal or physical abuse.

Local organizations like Basic Rights Oregon work to reduce these disparities by advocating for transgender health care improvements, such as health insurance coverage for gender-affirming surgery and cancer screenings. You can learn more about their work here.
Organization Spotlight: Buzzy's Bees
This July and August, the NECC’s Art in the Lobby program will host a special exhibit from Buzzy's Bees, a local nonprofit that supports families who have lost a child. The art displayed will be part of the organization’s Give Grief a Voice Project which pairs families with professional writers and artists to capture stories of their child. Those stories in turn become a permanent artistic representation of their child’s life.
 
Previous displays of the project’s work have been held exclusively for the grieving families and invited guests. This opportunity for a public exhibition works to further the organization's mission to change grief culture and teach everyone how to better support grieving people in their own lives.
 
The exhibit of high-quality reproductions of the original art and excerpts from family stories will be at NECC during July and August. Please take some time to experience the Lobby exhibit when you visit the Center this summer.
 
You can learn more about Buzzy's Bees and the Give Grief a Voice Project here.
We Want Your Expertise!

The Board of Directors has recently reorganized its working committees to open them up for public participation. With this change we hope to increase community engagement, develop a stronger organization, and build on our commitment to equity as part of our Strategic Plan.

If you are looking for a place to apply your skills or learn new ones, all while helping build community, please consider volunteering for one of our three committees: Internal Affairs, External Affairs and Governance. Click here to read each group's description and learn how to get involved.
New Position Announcement:
Community Program & Partnerships Manager

If you are interested in joining a collaborative leadership team that is making a difference in our community, we’ve got a position for you!

The Community Program and Partnerships Manager is a new role in the NECC that will develop, manage, and evaluate NECC’s broader community engagement and programming with a focus on expanding access to low-income, BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and other marginalized people, groups and organizations.

We seek a colleague who is committed to racial and social justice, and who will be a positive role model within a learning organization. Take a peek at the full job description here.
Follow us on Social!
Northeast Community Center
Website | frontdesk@necommunitycenter.org | 5503.284.3377