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To close out 2022 giving, CareOregon awarded $245,568 in community giving grants to 13 nonprofit organizations across the Portland metropolitan region. These organizations fill critical gaps in housing, food access and other social supports, offering important services such as year-round shelter, rapid rehousing, warm and nutritious meals and much more.

“Our goal in providing grant funding is looking at the needs of the community, like shelter services, housing assistance and access to food, and investing in organizations that support those needs,” said Shawn DeCarlo, CareOregon Director of Community Benefit. “We are proud to partner with these incredible nonprofits who push to fill the gaps and improve the health of our community.”

Among the grants awarded, CareOregon is investing $20,000 in Just Compassion of East Washington County to support unhoused adults obtain shelter, resources and services.  

“Houselessness is a complex national crisis that is impacting Portland significantly,” said Ifeoma Muoto, Director of Community Health Partnerships. “Organizations like Just Compassion that provide shelter, food and healthcare services to unhoused individuals and families fill a critical gap, and we are committed to working alongside these partners to support housing needs and build healthy communities.”

Just Compassion operates a Resource Center, located in Tigard, that provides meals, year-round shelter, case management, rapid rehousing, outreach coordinator assistance, health insurance enrollment support, among other resources. Additionally, they assist clients in finding physical and mental health care and addiction services. The grant will help fund operating costs for the daytime resource center including salaries, food for meals, general supplies and services.

CareOregon is also investing $20,000 in CityTeam Ministries to expand staff capacity to support individuals suffering from chronic houselessness and substance use disorders. Their residential programs offer a safe space that meets the basic needs for each client, including housing, food, clothing and hygiene supplies while also providing mental health counseling and services.

“The services we provide are crucial to fostering enduring change for individuals struggling with chronic homelessness and substance use disorder in the Portland Metro area,” said Lance Orton, CityTeam Ministries Executive Director. “We are so grateful for our continued partnership with CareOregon and look forward to working together to support our communities for years to come.”

Grant recipients include:

Housing

Just Compassion of East Washington County ($20,000): Funds will support operating costs for the daytime resource center, including salaries, food for meals, general supplies and utilities and expand access to houseless shelters, resources and services.

Oregon Spinal Cord Injury Connection ($20,000): Funds will go toward housing and social support for people with disabilities, including hiring an additional Community Health Worker to support approximately 130 residents in five apartment buildings across the Portland-metro area.

Bradley Angle ($20,000): The grant will be used to fund general operating costs needed for BIPOC & LGBTQ+ domestic violence survivors to obtain emergency shelter services, youth and family support, housing assistance and more.

City Team Ministries ($20,000): Funding will help expand staff needed to support individuals suffering from chronic houselessness and substance use disorders.

Union Gospel Mission ($10,000): The funds from this grant will support the ongoing operations of the Search + Rescue who go out to homeless camps all over the city providing people blankets, food, clothing, cold weather resources and connection to transitional services provided by Union Gospel Mission and partner organizations.

Food Access

Growing Gardens ($25,000): Funding will support access to food, providing 350 existing families (roughly 1500 individuals) with in home gardening; recruiting 75-80 new families; building new garden beds; providing seeds, plants and other materials to participants; and teaching gardening, cooking and medicinal herb workshops to help families develop healthy habits and cook culturally nourishing food.

Meals on Us PDX ($25,000): Funds will go toward the cost of packaging for meals distributed to individuals experiencing hunger and food insecurity.

Stone Soup ($10,000): Funding will support the Workforce Development Program, a program that creates employment opportunities for people at risk of homelessness and experiencing additional barriers to employment. The grant will support general operations costs including housing and employment services for program graduates.

Store to Door ($20,000): Funds will support food access to homebound seniors and adults living with disabilities

Other Social Supports

Profile Theatre ($10,000): The grant will fund direct costs associated with producing the public presentation of the Traditional Health Workers writing cohort. Profile Theatre is a partner of CareOregon, running a "Community Profile" program that uses the practice of writing to create networks of mutual support among Traditional Health Workers in the CareOregon network. 

Write Around Portland ($15,568): Funds will cover the costs of one 10-week youth workshop, held in partnership with New Avenues for Youth. New Avenues for Youth provides temporary and emergency shelter options, including short term host homes and emergency beds for kids in crisis.

Community Action Organization ($25,000): The grant will be used to fund general operating costs needed to support Healthy Families Washington County, a free voluntary home visiting program that offers assistance and education to low-income families who are expecting or parenting newborns.

College Possible ($25,000): Funds will support the development of a new comprehensive curriculum and resource toolkit to support students struggling with diagnosed and undiagnosed mental health challenges.