Portland Children’s Levy Newsletter June 2015
Monday, June 1, 2015
PCL makes allocations to new and current programs
The PCL Allocation Committee earlier this week approved $1.9 million in two-year allocations to nine current grantees and six new programs, with nearly $600,000 going to fund three new hunger relief programs. Metropolitan Family Service, Janus Youth Programs and the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization will join ranks with previously funded Oregon Food Bank and Meals on Wheels to expand access to healthy and nutritious food for hungry children in the Levy’s new hunger relief funding area. Other new programs receiving funding include three child abuse prevention/intervention programs operated by Impact NW, Portland OIC and Self Enhancement, Inc.
The AC also voted to reduce by half the previously approved $1 million earmarked for quality improvement, professional development, training and technical assistance for grantees over the remaining four years of the Levy, with members saying they favor the money going toward direct services. The AC will allocate the remaining $509,000 at a meeting to be scheduled in the near future. AC members will again consider those who applied in the 2014 funding process, as well as current grantees in allocating the remaining revenues. PCL staff will provide data around racial, ethnic and income disparities and how applicants and current grantees could best meet those needs.
You can read recap of AC meetings here or view meetings at Portland Online here.
Pass it On
New Avenues for Youth’s June 25th art auction, “Avenues of Art: Billions and Billions of People,” will feature art from the memorable installation that lined Park Avenues West tower while constructed halted. For more info, go here.
IRCO’s Africa House will celebrate “Growing Strong Together” at the Ambridge Event Center today, Friday, June 5th. More details are here.
Scholarships available for kindergarten readiness program at Friendly Housethis summer. New, engaging themes each week, lots of outside play and focus on the social and academic skills needed to start kindergarten. The preschool summer program for 5-year-olds entering kindergarten in fall 2015 is Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to noon, June 22 – July 31. Children who qualify for scholarships must attend all six weeks of the program. For more information and for registration and scholarship forms, go here. Friendly House is located at 1737 NW 26th Ave. Inquiries? Contact ilombardozzi@
The YWCA offers high-quality and engaging social change trainings. All of the info can be found here.
El Programa Hispano invites all community members to become a part of UNICA’s second annual Voces de la comunidad Conference on July 30th and 31st for conversation and education about domestic violence in the Latino community. The conference will include presentations and workshops that acknowledge opportunities and barriers for service providers, community partners, domestic violence advocates and survivors. For additional information visit: http://www.
or contact malvarez@
Meals 4 Kids, a PCL-funded program through Meals on Wheels People that delivers meals to children and their caregivers throughout Portland, is looking for volunteer drivers. Interested? Contact lynette.vicens@
PCL Sponsorship Opportunities
The Levy will annually award 10 $500 sponsorships for events related to its funding areas. As five sponsorships were recently awarded for events from July to December 2015, no new requests will be taken until Dec. 1, 2015 for events occurring in the January to June 2016 timeframe. For more information, go here for details.
In the News:
PCL makes Head Start/Early Oregon Pre-K funding; read it here in The Oregonian.
Oregon on the whole ranks low for available preschool slots for those who need them. Read it here in The Oregonian.
PCL Programs Making a Difference: Human Solutions
A group of Mill Park Elementary students who live in the Lincoln Woods housing complex became entrepreneurs this spring as they created lemonade stands as part of a “Lemonade Day” curriculum that involves hands-on math planning and language arts to market their business. The kids are enrolled in Human Solutions after-school Learn Links program supported by PCL.
PCL Allocation Committee meeting news
There are currently no Allocation Committee meetings scheduled. Agendas are sent to the database before the meeting and posted on the PCL website here. Questions? Email marygay.broderick@portlandoregon.gov
In other news, two reports are now available: an audit of PCL completed by the City of Portland Auditor’s Office here and the PCL 2013-14 annual services and outcomes data report here.
“Like” us on our new FB page
The Portland Children’s Levy has a new, more dynamic FB page. Click on the link above to “like” it and please pass along to your colleagues, clients and board members as well.
Check out the new 2015 PCL Progress Report!
Take a look at the PCL 2015 Progress Report featuring “A Day in the Life” for grantees serving Portland’s children! Click here to view the PDF online. Also, hard copies will be available at all Allocation Committee meetings or by contacting
marygay.broderick@
Contact PCL Staff for the Following Areas
*Director, After School & Hunger grants:
lisa.pellegrino@portlandoregon.gov
*Assistant Director and Early Childhood & Mentoring grants:
meg.mcelroy@portlandoregon.gov
*Child Abuse Prevention/Intervention & Foster Care Grants Manager:
lisa.hansell@portlandoregon.gov
*Communications Director:
marygay.broderick@portlandoregon.gov
*Fiscal Specialist:
john.kelly@portlandoregon.gov
Who We Are
The Portland Children’s Levy was created by city voters in 2002 and overwhelmingly renewed by the electorate in Fall 2008 and Spring 2013. Funding for the new five-year Levy began July 1, 2014 and includes hunger relief as a new focus area.
The Levy is supported through a property tax paid by City of Portland homeowners that generates $12 million toward investments in proven programs serving 10,000 Portland children and their families in areas of Early Childhood, After School, Mentoring, Child Abuse Prevention/Intervention, Foster Care and Hunger Relief.
The Levy is annually audited and administrative costs do not exceed 5 percent.
Questions? Contact: Call Mary Gay Broderick at 503-823-2947 or e-mailmarygay.broderick@portlandoregon.gov
See our website at www.portlandchildrenslevy.org
