Innovating and Investing in Oregon since 1974
Dear friends,

We usually begin our newsletters with a message reminding you, our neighbors, of how deeply tied Intel is to our Oregon community. Our children learn alongside your children, we cheer side by side at Hillsboro Hops games, and we make small talk in line at local coffee shops.

Our connection looks a little different in the current environment, but now, more than ever, we are coming together. It is our hope that Intel’s contributions will make a meaningful impact alongside the nonprofits, small business funds, and community support networks that have been mobilized across Oregon.

Enjoy this quick video message sharing my personal thanks, then read on to learn about our community partners’ recent efforts to care for our communities. If you'd like to join our team in thanking these organizations, messages submitted to the link below will be shared with our partners.
Courtney Martin
Oregon Public Affairs Director, Intel

Thank you, Free Geek, for keeping our community connected, and for playing a vital role in protecting the right to an education for all.
If you’re one of the many parents with a child in school, you’re familiar with the critical need for digital learning access as education transitions online. You’re also familiar with the challenges (and, sometimes, rewards) of homeschooling in the interim, which merits a massive cheer from us to you.

As schools begin their virtual classes, Free Geek has ramped up their operations to provide equipment to students and teachers, as well as displaced workers and aging populations. We’re already hearing stories of students who, thanks to Free Geek (and your product donations—check out the overflowing bins at Intel’s donation drive), are able to join their peers online and stay on track.

Free Geek has also provided 100 Portland State University students on student visas with the technology they need to continue school. Without that access, they could face deportation. 
"There's a huge need for technology
in our communities right now, and the team at Free Geek
has been instrumental in helping us all to adapt. Thank you!"

—Donna Maleki, Community Engagement Manager
Thank you, MakerForce, for building and donating personal protective equipment for our local health-care heroes. 
"To Kaiser... Who will be, in the next few days, delivering our daughter. Thank you for all you're doing for my family and our community."

—Courtney Martin, Public Affairs Director
Necessity is the mother of invention, and we’re lucky to live in a community full of innovators. Reports of shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) motivated a local group of 3D printing enthusiasts to form a coalition to design and create face shields and other gear to supply Northwest hospitals.

The project, called MakerForce and led by Connor Weller and Intel employee Shashi Jain, has about 300 volunteers and raised over $12,000 in just a few short weeks to fund their efforts. Providence, Kaiser and the Veterans Administration all received equipment in the first week, and the project has expanded to deliver 1,000 face shields to Legacy Health and 5,000+ pieces of PPE for PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver, Washington (in partnership with FIRST Robotics Team 2471 —yet another example of local groups lifting one another up at a time of crisis).

This action-oriented team has put thousands of hours into this project to ensure that health-care employees working around the clock remain safe. 
Thank you, educators, for protecting learning—and a sense of belonging—for the next generation.
Students spend most of their time during the week with their teachers, so it’s no wonder that the bonds formed in a classroom are hard to break. We saw proof of that when Elmonica Elementary put on a “ teacher parade ," allowing kids to wave and cheer as school staff members drove through neighborhoods. As classrooms move online, teachers have been getting creative with ways to keep students engaged: Second-grade teacher Kristina Chou has been bringing her dog (who made a welcome appearance in the parade) into Zoom sessions, reading to him as she would to a carpet full of cross-legged kids.

There’s also been an uptick in industry professionals wanting to share their knowledge and skills with students via virtual presentations. Oregon Connections is providing educators and students with sessions ranging from why the 2020 census matters, to real-world applications of 3D modeling/animation. We can’t wait for the day we get to interview the student who took Intro to Scratch Programming and ran with it!
"As the mom of an elementary school student, I want to thank teachers for their patience and providing an anchor for our kids."

—Erin Adams, External Affairs Manager
Thank you, Adelante Mujeres, for the innovative and genuine care you provide for Latina women and families.
"When people truly care about a cause, they'll fight tooth and nail to keep doing their work. No surprise that the women at Adelante Mujeres are forging ahead! "
 
—Addison Mercer, Strategic Programs Manager
We’re feeling particularly inspired and grateful for the nonprofits that have been able to revamp their operations to meet the needs of the community they serve. Adelante Mujeres , which focuses primarily on supporting and empowering Latina women and their families, has closed their center’s doors—but that hasn’t stopped them from taking action and going virtual .

They’ve checked in with nearly all their participants to provide resources, they’re continuing their Chicas program with DIY projects and college application assistance, and they’re actively working with elected officials to protect the immigrant community at a time of particular vulnerability.

Underscoring that we’re all in this together, Portland Community College is partnering with Adelante Mujeres to help their workshop teachers learn how to use video conferencing for educational classes (and Zumba, which we can all agree is needed now more than ever). 

Intel's Oregon Public Affairs Team
Courtney Martin, Public Affairs Director

Bridget Bash, External Affairs Manager

Carly Riter, Government Affairs Manager

Donna Maleki, Community Engagement Manager

Addison Mercer, Strategic Programs Manager

Erin Adams, External Affairs Manager

Eleonora Akopyan, Communications Manager

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