COVID-19 Special Actions
On May 26, Social Action gave an update on RCPPC’s participation in the Presbytery Save Our Neighbors challenge. The challenge will be active until July 1, 2020.
Several Community Organizations that Need Our Support During the COVID-19 Crisis
Northeast Emergency Food Program (NEFP). The NEFP, located at 4800 NE 72nd Ave in the Cully neighborhood, provides food to the most vulnerable among us. To support the NEFP, send checks to: Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, 0245 SW Bancroft St., Suite B, Portland, OR 97239. Or, donate via their web page. Select “Northeast Emergency Food Program” in the designation section.
Living Cully The Living Cully coalition unites four non-profit community development organizations in a collaborative, long-term, community-led effort to improve the quality of life for people of color and low-income people in Northeast Portland’s Cully neighborhood — and ensure that Cully will always be a place where people of color and low-income people can live and thrive.
Portland Homeless Family Solutions has been helping families for twelve years. The organization offers apartment living for 30 families with children who were in danger of living on the streets, or actually were living on the streets. To learn more, you may watch Brandi Tucker’s TedX talk.To make a donation, send to: Portland Homeless Family Solutions 6220 SE 92nd Ave, Portland, OR 97266
Mother and Child Education Center Mother & Child Education Center (MCEC) offers hope, support, education and guidance to families during their parenting journey to help build a community of competent, confident parents. Established in Portland in 1971, MCEC offers a judgment-free space for anyone who is parenting including expectant women, single fathers, and families facing challenges such as lack of housing, poverty, fleeing domestic violence, refugee or immigration status, DHS involvement, substance abuse, or trauma.
Habitat for Humanity is vital to the network of Portland organizations helping to permanently house individuals and families. Now, in addition to moving families into recently completed homes, purchasing new building sites, and beginning new projects, Habitat is helping to pay mortgages of Habitat families experiencing job furloughs or layoffs. Habitat’s annual fundraiser was cancelled because of the virusIt leading to a funding gap of $250,000. Currently, Habitat has a matching grant opportunity– visit their website for details and to contribute.
STONE SOUP PDX. Stone Soup PDX (SSP) is (a) a non-profit restaurant in NW, (b) a food service training enterprise providing hands on culinary expertise to people at risk of homelessness. SSP is currently coordinating breakfast, lunch and dinner preparations and deliveries from up to 21 restaurants to 7 emergency homeless shelters set up and funded by Multnomah County, resulting in 7980 meals per week.
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In Ordinary Times
A concern about social justice and social action is a vibrant part of the caring community at Rose City Park Presbyterian. In the past several years we have supported Habitat for Humanity by participating in builds in north and southeast Portland. Drives for household goods to support the Community Warehouse help provide support to families facing housing instability and help our members to recycle unneeded home goods. Donations of food with the help of Take Action, Inc. created a Food Back Pack program at Marysville School while they were temporarily housed in the Rose City Neighborhood. Food drives benefit Mainspring Portland and SnowCap Community Charities. Our congregation prepares and serves six meals a year with HOMEpdx–a helping organization whose goal is to “love people face-to-face”.
We are active with the Village Support Network to support families over a six-month period during their transition from homelessness to housing. Adult Education sessions featuring guest speakers on sex trafficking and gun violence in Portland and on other local issues have led members to individually donate their time and resources to organizations that work to make our communities better and safer for all Portlanders. Groups from RCPPC have walked to support ALS, marched in the Portland Pride Parade, harvested excess food for a local food pantry at a local garden, and participated in SOLV (Stop Oregon Litter and Vandalism) beach cleanups. At our coffee fellowship, we serve Equal Exchange fair trade coffee as part of our commitment to supporting workers and the environment beyond the Pacific Northwest.