Pacific Power announces new grants focused on community enhancement and the environment
PORTLAND, Ore. — Every day, local organizations are putting their hearts into projects and programs to nurture our communities and care for the environment. These efforts weave together to create a stronger, more resilient future for the region.
The Pacific Power Foundation, a nonprofit arm of Pacific Power, is donating more than $164,000 in new grant funding across the three states it serves to support organizations committed to community enhancement and environmental respect. From improving access to affordable housing and workforce training to restoring watersheds and caring for neighborhood trees that bring environmental benefits to urban areas, this round of grants will underwrite a wide range of efforts that meet critical needs and improve local livability.
“We are inspired by these organizations, in towns large and small, that are working hard to lift up people in their communities and take care of the environment,” said Stefan Bird, president and CEO, Pacific Power. “It is an honor to support this indispensable work, while helping to boost the growth and vitality of the communities we serve.”
This round of grants, focused on community enhancement and environmental respect, is one of the four grant cycles offered by the foundation annually.
The following 42 grants were given to local organizations supporting communities in Oregon, Washington and Northern California:
Oregon
Greater Portland Area
1000 Friends of Oregon to support efforts to prioritize affordable housing in proximity to transit, walkable and bikeable neighborhoods through the Housing for Oregonians Made Easy (HOME) initiative.
Alder Commons for supplies and labor to build shelving and expand inventory for the community center’s multicultural and multigenerational library.
Columbia Insight for an educational series about recognizing and protecting biodiversity in the Columbia River Gorge.
Constructing Hope to support the pre-apprenticeship program that provides construction training and support for 100 unemployed Oregonians who are predominately people of color.
Free Geek for programs that collect, reuse and recycle computers and other technology devices and provide them to low-income people in the Portland area.
Friends of Trees to support projects that bring community members together with volunteer leaders to learn how to prune young street trees to help them thrive and provide environmental benefits to Northeast Portland neighborhoods for years to come.
Junior Achievement of Oregon & SW Washington to provide students from low-to-moderate income homes across Oregon with Junior Achievement in-class programs that help build financial and career skills.
Lloyd EcoDistrict for emergency preparedness workshops, training and supplies to help create a more resilient neighborhood.
Oregon Tradeswomen to support training, job placement and career support to help women build careers in skilled trades.
Proud Ground for education and counseling to help low-income homebuyers purchase their first home.
ReBuilding Center to help fund 30 free, home-repair classes serving over 300 low-income homeowners, helping them retain their homes and remain in their neighborhood.
Taking Ownership PDX for renovating and reviving black-owned homes, enabling homeowners to age in place, generate wealth and deflect neighborhood gentrification.
Willamette Valley
Canyon Senior Center to support scholarships and grants for youth programs in the North Santiam Canyon.
City of Aumsville to create a service memorial next to city hall that honors all service members past, present and future.
Hunters of Color for support a mentorship program to increase BIPOC participation in outdoor activities through culturally inclusive hunting opportunities and community building.
Rural Development Initiatives to help foster Main Street Economic Vitality Hubs in Southern Oregon through training workshops, technical assistance and coaching.
Young Roots Oregon for the ParentingRoots Development Program that offers culturally specific, essential parenting, health and life-skill courses to young and teen parents.
Northern Oregon Coast
Sunset Park and Recreation Foundation to support childcare offerings by installing sensory paths in the recreation center to help young children learn their alphabet, numbers, shapes and colors through movement.
Wildlife Center of the North Coast to help renovate facilities and attend to maintenance that was delayed by the COVID pandemic.
Central Oregon
350Deschutes to help promote green job opportunities in the skilled trades field to underserved students and families.
The Environmental Center to support the Garden for Every School Program that improves science education resources, student nutrition and environmental literacy outcomes.
City Club of Central Oregon for The Civility Project that facilitates discussions on difficult topics including race, gender, sexuality, the environment, rural/urban divide and health.
Envision Bend to support a 16-month community visioning project, including whole-community conversations and an action plan for the path forward.
Kindred Connections of J Bar J Youth Services to create a safe, temporary housing space for at-risk children of families in crisis.
Umpqua Valley
Glide Revitalization to help monitor and maintain replanting sites during the local reforestation process as seedlings grow into saplings.
Phoenix School of Roseburg to support a project where at-risk students get hands-on experience restoring the Rocky Rim trail in the Rogue Umpqua Divide Wilderness.
Saving Grace Pet Adoption Center for veterinary equipment to provide care for the growing number of animals at the only animal shelter in Douglas County.
Rogue Valley
Illinois Valley Wellness Resources for the Adopt-A-Senior program that uses community volunteers to assist low-income seniors and residents with disabilities in need of food, socialization, transportation and home assistance.
Jackson County Community Long-Term Recovery Group to support ongoing recovery work in the wake of wildfires that caused catastrophic damage to 2,600 households in Jackson County.
Prospect Community Club to help renovate and make ADA safety improvements to the community center that serves as a hub for essential services and programs.
Rogue Valley Family YMCA to develop the Eagle Point School District fitness and wellness center that will be accessible to school district employees and the larger community.
Klamath Falls Area
Assistance League of Klamath Basin for Operation School Bell which provides new jackets and clothing for school children in need.
Town of Lakeview for a large art mural installation at the town park.
Washington
Columbia County for supplies to complete the third phase of an underground sprinkler installation that will serve the Touchet Valley Golf Course and the Columbia County Fairgrounds.
Northwest Harvest to support a new distribution center project in Yakima, Washington’s agricultural heartland, that will quadruple the amount of fresh produce available for food-insecure families statewide.
Perry Technical Foundation for new audio/visual equipment for the renovation of the Perry Technical Institute, which will improve services for students.
Retired Senior Volunteer Program of Yakima County for supplies and other support of Project Warm-Up, which donates hand-knit hats, blankets and other items to people in need.
Skyline Adventures to help marginalized citizens in Columbia County learn how to ski or snowboard.
Sustainable Living Center to build five ADA accessible, raised garden beds in Walla Walla’s Jefferson Park, which will help supply fresh produce for the nearby senior center.
Washington Water Trust for projects to help restore water to salmon-bearing rivers in the Walla Walla, Yakima and Klickitat watersheds.
Northern California
Del Norte County Library District for exterior maintenance and beautification of the Crescent City branch, including pressure washing, landscaping and grounds cleanup.
Fire Safe Council of Siskiyou County for the creation of wildfire evacuation go-bags, including first aid kits, flashlights and other emergency supplies, for at-risk residents.