LiftUP Newsletter, Summer 2013

Summer 2013

An Interfaith Community of Volunteers

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Come to the Lift Urban Portland Garden Party!

The Lift Urban Portland Summer Garden Party, our major fundraising event, takes place this year on Tuesday, August 27. The party celebrates our love of gardens and their role in providing fresh vegetables to our food pantry, the enjoyment gardening brings to our volun-teers, and our alignment with city and state gardening initiatives.

The dinner and program We’ll be under a big white tent at the

World Forestry Center in Washington Park and the atmosphere will be festive, with colorful decor and twinkling lights. The Bloozers will provide a musical spectrum of blues and jazz for everyone’s enjoyment, while folks enjoy a no-host bar and check out the items at our silent auction.

Chefs from The Stockpot Broiler will pre-pare dinner, with a choice of entrees: prime rib of beef, herb-crusted filet of salmon, or Napoleon of Portobello mushroom. Baker & Spice Bakery will provide a variety of its fabu-lous cakes for dessert.

Metro Councilor Sam Chase will talk about the regional government’s support of our community gardens.

We’ll screen a video about our programs, and of course everyone will have the opportu-nity to pledge financial support for Lift Urban Portland. Emcee for the evening is KC Cowan.

During the evening, we are honoring Eve and Alan Rosenfeld with our Spotlight Award.

Eve was one of the founders of Lift Urban Portland (formerly Northwest Portland Minis-tries) and has been instrumental in the devel-opment of our programs. Alan has organized delivery of Christmas dinners for decades and both Eve and Alan are enthusiastic and valu-able volunteers in our Adopt-a-Highrise, Back-packs for Kids, and Food Pantry programs.

The silent auctionWe have some really nice items for party-goers to bid on, including:• Tickets to a Portland Timbers game and a gift

certificate from On Deck Sports Bar & Grill• Tickets to Artists Repertory Theatre and

dinner at a nearby restaurant• A chocolate-making party, paired with wines• Accommodations at two homes on the

Oregon coast• A snazzy bicycle that folds for easy transport • Tickets to a Portland Trailblazers game, along

with dinner and a parking pass• Tickets to a performance of Chamber Music

Northwest and dinner before the concert• A stay at Timberline Lodge, with lift tickets

and meals• Golf at The Reserve Vineyards and Golf Club • Dinner at Higgins Restaurant and a

limousine to take you there

The patron partyGuests who buy tickets at the patron level will be treated to a hosted cocktail party, where the witty and entertaining Dan Heims will share

stories about the world of plants. Dan is a world-renowned horticulturalist

who has been featured in USA Today and the Martha Stewart TV show.

Each patron will also receive a beautiful tote bag made espe-cially for us by Terri Warren and Cathy Hendrix.

Tickets are $75 ($85 after August 10) and Patron tickets are $125. Order on our website or call the office ar 503-221-1224, ext. 103.

Major sponsors for the event are Legacy Health Good Samaritan Medical Center and Westover Heights Clinic. l

Board of Directors

PresidentDesi ShubinLegacy Good Samaritan Medical Center

Vice PresidentSusan MilsteinCongregation Beth Israel

SecretaryNikki DirectorNational Council of Jewish Women, Portland Section

TreasurerDave RichardsonTrinity Episcopal Cathedral

Past PresidentFred JeibmannTrinity Episcopal Cathedral

Members

Lynne BartensteinCongregation Beth Israel

Gustavo CruzSt. Mary’s Cathedral

Kristine JurgensonFirst Immanuel Lutheran Church

Sandy KurthTerwiliger Plaza

Caryn MayNational Council of Jewish Women, Portland Section

Bruce StradeZion Lutheran Church

Jon WildHome Forward

Volunteer SpotlightSummer 2013 Lift Urban Portland

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Waldo celebrates 100th birthday!

Students from Cathedral School are collecting food for Lift Urban Portland

Waldo Johnson, a Tuesday volunteer at our Meals on Wheels lunch program at First Immanuel Lutheran Church, turned 100 years old in July. Even after turning triple digits, he continues to serve his community.

Waldo has been volunteering since our lunch program began eight years ago. He prepares salads and desserts and helps serve them. He has attended services at First Immanuel for 74 years, and says he started volunteering for the meals at the church because he enjoys helping and there’s always a need for it.

On Thursdays, Waldo volunteers with Habitat for Humanity, where he helps clean the work spaces. In addition to volunteering,

Waldo also spends time taking care of his house and doing woodwork. The trademark wooden hat he wears is one of his creations.

Waldo’s favorite thing about volunteering with Lift Urban Portland is the relationships he’s developed. He notes that the fact people volunteer because they want to help, not because they have to, adds to the great atmosphere. “The people are so nice. We have a lot of fun,” Waldo said about his fellow volunteers.

If you happen to see Waldo, whether he’s volunteering with Lift Urban Portland or with another organization, make sure to wish him a belated happy birthday and thank him for all the work he continues to do. l

Hail to our new communications/special events coordinator, Stephen Alexander. His friendly smile and outgoing personality will quickly welcome you when you meet. He has a strong background in communications and events, with great ideas and technical skills to back him up. Stephen told us, “I awake each day with a passion and an applied faith that social involvement can truly change our world. It’s time for me to really ‘make a difference,’ and I am ready for it. “

Hail to our new program director Bethany Wofford, who holds a master’s degree in social work and has experience with a variety of social-service programs. Most recently she was in charge of a grant-funded program at Impact NW that provided conservatorship for financially exploited elders. As a young college graduate, she served as an AmeriCorps VISTA project coordinator for the Family Empowerment Project in Salem, which focused on prevention of child abuse and neglect. She then went on to manage planning and outreach for state-wide anti-hunger programs in Texas.

Farewell to Juliet Hyams, our community outreach coordinator under two-year grants from Meyer Memorial Trust and Oregon Community Foundation. We wish Juliet well in her new position with Harsch Investment Properties.

Farwell to Kelly Caldwell. Kelly left us after more than six years as our volunteer coordinator. Kelly leaves behind a legacy of passion for gardens. It was her inspiration and dedication to healthy food that started us on the path to having our own organic gardens. Kelly will be missed by the many volunteers she inspired. l

Hail and farewell

Stephen Alexander

Bethany Wofford

Juliet Hyams

Kelly Caldwell

Lift Urban Portland Summer 2013

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May food drive: our community “can do”Lift Urban Portland’s May Food Drive

brought in $5,014 in cash and 7,135.5 pounds of donated food, valued at $1.67 per pound or $11.916.28. This was our most successful food drive yet, and filled our pantry with enough to provide a month’s worth of food boxes.

The community supported our food drive in a big way. Food barrels and cash-donation

Cindy Evans with some of the thousands of pounds of donated food.

Food Barrel LocationsAscension Episcopal ParishBCD TravelBill Naito CompanyCinema 21Class AcademyColdwell Banker Seal —NWColdwell Banker—Portland WestCongregation Beth IsraelEllington Handbags—NWEllington Handbags —BridgeportESCO Essex HouseFirst Immanuel Lutheran ChurchHavurah ShalomLegacy Good Samaritan Medical CenterLift Urban PortlandLincoln High SchoolLinfield College of Nursing The MetropolitanNorthwest Women’s Fitness ClubNW Children’s Theater & SchoolOn Deck Sports Bar & GrillPortland City SanctuaryRenaissance School of Arts & SciencesSalt and Straw —NESalt and Straw —NWSloan BoutiqueSt. Mary’s CathedralTrinity Episcopal CathedralUS BankWyatt ApartmentsZen Center of PortlandZion Lutheran Church

boxes were all over the neighborhood, and many businesses had special food-drive promotions, offering discounts and gifts to people who donated.

Thanks to all the businesses, congregations, donors, and volunteers who made this happen. A special thank-you to Nikki Director, who spent more hours than you can imagine coordinating everything. l

Cash Box LocationsChild’s Play*Cinema 21*Havurah Shalom Hip HoundKobos Coffee*Pearl HardwareZelda’s Shoe Bar*Zucari Home and Garden

Special Promotions & SupportBesaw’sBlush Beauty BarCinema 21Ellington HandbagsFood Front Cooperative Grocery Legacy Good Samaritan Medical CenterNob Hill Business AssociationOn Deck Sports Bar & GrillSalt and Straw

* These businesses are continuing to host cash boxes.

Summer 2013 Lift Urban Portland

Gardens get a face lift

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Lift Urban Portland’s garden projects continue to grow. We built five new garden beds and multiple new garden mounds at Northwest Tower, the largest Home Forward residential complex in the northwest neighborhood. The wood was donated by The Rebuilding Center and some of the beds were built by Congregation Beth Israel volunteers on their Mitzvah Day in May. These have been planted with squash, toma-toes, beans, and other goodies.

At our White Shield and First Immanuel Lutheran gardens, we in-stalled drip irrigation to reduce water consumption and streamline our efforts. We received a grant for the project from Metro, and Nick Bezzerides of Sense of Place Permaculture, LLC, led the installation. We also had financial and consulting support from Weston Miller, Urban Horticulturist for Oregon State University Extension Service for the tri-county Portland metro area and board member of Grow Portland. West Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District also helped offset costs.

This season we’ve made huge progress with wood chips, compost, and planting and weeding, with the help of volunteers from Gilkey Middle School, St. Mary’s Academy, De La Salle High School, Portland Adventist Academy, Wells Fargo, Liberty Mutual, and a youth service group from Grace Lutheran Church of Ellensburg, Washington.

We still need folks to help water those areas without irrigation and assist with weeding and harvesting, so please let us know if you would like to be on the list of garden volunteers by sending an email to [email protected]. l

Volunteers built and planted new garden beds at Northwest Tower

We are proud to announce the start of our wellness programs at several Home Forward low-income apartment buildings. Starting in August, volunteer nurses from Legacy Good Samaritan Hospital will provide education and blood-pressure monitoring on rotating Thursdays at Gallagher Plaza, Williams Plaza, NW Tower, and Medallion. Healthy-living topics will include “Meal Planning from the Garden Harvest,” “Signs and Symptoms of Stroke and Risk Factors,” “ABCs of Medication,” and more.

Later in the year, the National College of Natural Medicine will partner with us and Home Forward to establish a clinic at NW Tower, offering interns an opportunity to work with elderly and disabled residents while providing residents access to health care.

And there’s more! In support of these wellness programs Lift Urban Portland received two-year grants from the Maybelle Clark Macdonald Fund and the Collins Foundation and additional funding from the PGE Foundation. Future activities will include healthy-cooking classes and exercise programs.

If you are interested in volunteering for these wellness programs, please contact our office. Training will be provided. l

Wellness programs launched

Lift Urban Portland Summer 2013

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Summer is picnic time

Shop at Whole Foods and benefit Lift Urban Portland!Lift Urban Portland has been chosen as a beneficiary of Whole

Foods Market’s bag donation program at its Pearl District store.

Part of the Whole Foods Community Giving initiative, the program helps limit the proliferation of single-use bags and benefits nonprofits by providing a 10-cent credit to customers who bring their own reusable bags.

Through September 29, customers can choose to donate this credit to Lift Urban Portland. Bring your own bags to the Whole Foods Pearl District store at 1210 NW Couch St. and donate your 10-cent-per-bag credits to Lift Urban Portland.

Those dimes add up and help us carry out our mission!

For the tenth summer, Congregation Beth Israel’s social acion committee sponsored a barbecue for the residents of Northwest Tower and Annex, as part of Lift Urban Portland’s Adopt-a-Highrise program. Volunteers from Beth Israel and the community cooked and served the food and the building’s “house band” provided music. There were a lot of nice door prizes, and volunteer Jane Vereschagin took digital photos of residents and printed them on the spot. Volunteer Munira Doctor helped residents make frames for their photos.

Lorraine and Cleo were among those who flocked to the lovely garden grounds and fellowship hall of First Immanuel Lutheran Church for a summer picnic for elders sponsored by Lift Urban Portland, Friendly House, and First Immanuel Lutheran Church.

Donors: April 1–June 30, 2013

Summer 2013 Lift Urban Portland

Cash GiftsAnonymousBarbara BallweberCarole Barkley and David LoftusTerese Barkley and Darrol Olson Stuart and Jacqueline BartholdJudith BeckChita BeckerAnne A. Berni FoundationValerie BlumBlush Beauty BarLorene BridgemanBarbara BriodyMargaret A. ButlerBarbara Ching-HoskinsRick ChristmanGerald CoganThe Collins FoundationCongregation Beth IsraelDavid and Candice DaltonDateline Exports, Inc.Delanie Delimont and Carl PaascheAaron and David DouglasDragonfly Coffee HouseElephant’s DelicatessenCindy EvansFaith In ActionFirst United Methodist Church, United Methodist WomenFood Front Cooperative GroceryJanet and Tim GallagherArlene GarrisonDawn and Adam GonnsenElka GrishamBonny GroshongHavurah ShalomNeysa HebbardMatthew Warren HollowayAnn and Jim HoltzZikri and Pinar Pakkan InceJames and Kay IrwinSabrina KingKobos Coffee CompanyAnjani Devi KodaliCraig and Linda Langley

Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center NursesLegacy Health SystemNancy and Jack MacDonaldChristine Laray MaierLouise and Richard MarshTom MattoxCaryn MayOscar and Mary MayerTony Melaragno, MD and Karen ImmermanMRH Supply, Inc.Nathan Family Trust at the Oregon Community FoundationNational Council of Jewish Women Portland SectionOperation Night WatchFr. Steve and Sandy NorcrossThe Parish of St. MarkKris and Angela ParkerJohn ParksCrystal PayzantPearl HardwarePGE FoundationMarilyn and Richard PortwoodWarren and Sheryl Rosenfeld Fund at the Oregon Jewish Community FoundationRose RustinHarold & Arlene Schnitzer CARE FoundationJennie SchoenSeams to FitKristen SiemonDerik and Sarah SpiresSt. Mary’s CathedralStar Industrial Supply, Inc.Erin TimminsTrinity Episcopal ChurchMarilyn ValdezKay Van PattenCarolyn VandersliceSuzanne WeberTamara and Mark WestBrenda Jo WillisWindermere FoundationZelda’s Shoe BarZen Center of PortlandZion Lutheran Church

Thank you to the people and organizations that contributed to Lift Urban Portland between April 1 and June 30, 2013.

Every effort was made to ensure the accuracy of these lists. If you see an error, please contact us at 503-221-1224, ext. 103.

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Lift Urban Portland Summer 2013

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Tribute Giftsin Honor of Nikki Director

Aaron and David Douglas

in Honor of Dean RothenfluchStuart and Jacqueline Barthold

In Memory of Kathy BlakeWilliam and Cornelia Stevens

in Memory of Brian BoothGwyneth Gamble Booth

in Memory of Bernard La RossaJanet La Rossa

in Memory of Mary PennicookeRobert and Marilyn Schuberg

The Legacy SocietyIndividuals who support Lift Urban Portland with a planned gift

Carole Barkley Verlena OrrTerese Barkley Elizabeth SchwartzDarrol Olson

In-kind GiftsArtists Repertory TheatreAscension Episcopal ParishBCD TravelBill Naito CompanyClass AcademyColdwell BankerColdwell Banker SealCongregation Beth IsraelCongregation Kessler IsraelBarbara and Robert CrookeDave’s Killer BreadDarr DurhamEllington HandbagsESCO CorporationEssex HouseFergusonFranz BreadHanu PilatesJanine and Hiroshi IwayaKol Shalom Community for Humanistic JudaismLegacy Good Samaritan Medical Center NursesLegacy Good Samaritan Medical Center Oncology UnitLegacy Good Samaritan Medical Center Systems OfficeLinfield School of NursingAndrea MerrillThe MetropolitanNorthwest Children’s Theater and SchoolNorthwest Women’s Fitness ClubOn Deck Sports Bar and GrillThe Parish of St. MarkPenzey’s SpicesP’nai Or of PortlandPortland City SanctuaryPortland NurseryJennifer and Sid ReedRenaissance School of Arts and SciencesSafeway—PearlSalt and StrawTiffany and Matthew SchusterLynda ShapiroSloan BoutiqueSt. Mary’s CathedralStarbucksLinda Ross SwansonTrader Joe’sUrban GleanersUS BankThe WyattZen Center of PortlandZion Lutheran Church

Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery hosted a lovely event on June 11 for Lift Urban Portland donors of $100 or more.

Chefs demonstrated the capabilities of kitchen appliances on display—and guests sampled the delicious results.

Donors enjoy special treat

Lift Urban Portland2701 NW Vaughn, Suite 102Portland, OR 07210

www.LiftUrbanPortland.org

Return service requested

NONPROFIT ORGU.S. Postage

PAIDPortland OR

Permit No. 1572

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Rose SponsorOrchid Sponsor

Lift Urban Portland Summer Garden Party Tuesday, August 27, 2013 at 6:15 p.m.

Patron party at 5:00 p.m. World Forestry Center

Tickets: $75 ($85 after August 10) Patron tickets: $125

Purchase tickets online at www.LiftUrbanPortland.org

or call 503-221-1224, ext. 103.