Hats off to our good friend, Dick Stenson, for receiving the Hillsboro Chamber’s Emma C. McKinney Distinguished Citizen Award on May 24th.  

Dick is CEO of Tuality Healthcare and served on our Board of Directors for many years.  As the 2011 recipient of this award, Community Action Executive Director, Jerralynn Ness was on hand to present the 2012 award to Dick.  He is pictured front and center with his wife Doreen, surrounded by family and friends.  

Jerralynn had this to say about Dick at the presentation: 

Once in a blue moon, someone moves into our community and quietly, effectively transforms the way people work together for the greater good.  I couldn’t be happier about the selection of tonight’s award winner.  Dick Stenson has been improving the well-being of Hillsboro for 20 years and truly understands that we are all in this together.   For me, he has been a mentor and a friend and his 18 year involvement with Community Action made us a much stronger and more effective organization, inspiring us to always move forward and overcome challenges.  It is such a privilege to be able to present this award to this exceptional leader.

Congratulations, Dick!!

The Emma C. McKinney Distinguished Citizen Award is given to an individual who lives or works in the greater Hillsboro area and has provided outstanding service to the community.  For a full list of this year’s Hillsboro Chamber of Commerce award recipients, click here.

“When you hear the word home, what do you see?”

Lisa A. Brown, Community Action’s Director of Development & Community Relations, reflects on her own experiences growing up in a low-income family through a personal and heart-warming narrative. 

Leah’s reflection on birthday celebrations at Community Action’s Hillsboro Family Shelter.

“Take my words that I might reach you.”

I’ve been to many fundraising dinners, and with the exception of Community Action’s Celebration of Community Spirit Awards Banquet, Community Partners for Affordable Housing’s HomeWord Bound event is my favorite. Read more…

Good news!  This summer, Community Action Early Head Start teachers will have something extra for the families in our Home Based program – bags of fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables and recipes for preparing them on a budget.

Gov. John Kitzhaber wants sweeping changes in early childhood programs in Oregon to make them better coordinated, easier for the neediest families to access and more focused on preparing youngsters for kindergarten. 

But Oregon Head Start Association’s executive director is concerned about being grouped in with other programs that lack Head Start’s level of success and credibility.

Attending Community Action’s Rent Well class won’t be easy, instructor Saul Chavez-Hernandez told the class. You’ll have to arrange childcare. You’ll have to find a way to Hillsboro every Wednesday.
   
“You’re investing a lot of time and effort and resources to be here,” he said. “What are you hoping to get out of it?”

Read more at OregonLive.com.

On January 27^th, Community Action participated in “Project Homeless Connect”, an annual event that connects homeless individuals and families with a variety of resources. This is the fifth consecutive year that “Project Homeless Connect” has taken place in Washington County, and each year…

With the number of people living in poverty on the rise, homelessness is becoming a larger, more visible issue in Washington County.

Washington County Project Homeless Connect 2012, a one-day, one-stop event where homeless individuals can access a variety of services is scheduled for Friday, Jan. 27, at Sonrise Church, 6701 NE Campus Way, Hillsboro.

In its sixth year, Project Homeless Connect brings together agencies that provide medical, dental and vision care, housing guidance, legal services, counseling, veterans’ services and much more, making them more accessible to individuals and families struggling with homelessness.

“Homelessness is a growing problem in our community,” said Westside Economic Alliance Executive Director Jonathan Schlueter. “We can no longer ignore it or hope it simply goes away. Business and community leaders need to understand the hidden costs of homelessness, and the innovative ways we can lower these costs and reduce these problems.”

The 2011 Washington County Point-in-Time Homeless Count found 1,356 Washington County residents living without permanent shelter, more than 85 percent of these individuals living in cars or on the streets.

School districts in Washington County reported that 2,383 students were homeless during the 2010-11 school year, up from 1,432 in 2007-2008.

This year, Banfield Charitable Trust has awarded a $6,290 grant to provide veterinary care for pet owners who are homeless.

Demand has risen steadily since 2007, the first year veterinary services were available at the event. Organizers hope to serve up to 75 pets this year.

In 2011, Project Homeless Connect served more than 500 individuals. Hundreds of professional and community volunteers came together to provide services and support the event.

Washington County Project Homeless Connect is organized by Sonrise Church in partnership with Vision Action Network, Hands On Greater Portland, Pacific University and numerous other community partners.