The Southminster Presbyterian Church Foundation released $10,000 in funds to eight nonprofit organizations in the Westside Portland metro area. The organizations that received funds included:
- Bethel Congregational UCC Mission & Outreach – to provide food for three meals a day during Winter Break for Beaverton High School homeless students either living without parents or in an unstable housing situation. The grant also provides a means to carry their food to their living quarters.
- Care to Share – to upgrade their phone system. Care to Share recently relocated to a new facility in a local food pantry. Their old phone system could not be upgraded to fit the current technical standards at the new location.
- Daytime Enrichment Activities & Recreation (DEAR) – to purchase three Samsung monitors that will be used for both video production and to display DD Community Events. DEAR is the premier day program for individuals with profound developmental and medical disabilities in the region. DEAR’s mission is to create access to rich, integrated life experiences through compassionate care.
- Good Neighbor Center, Tigard – to supplement their fund for assistance to families entering their Housing Stabilization Program and to provide emergency rent/utility assistance to struggling families already in the program.
- Sonrise Church: Homeless Connect Program – to help provide dental care, Tri-Met tickets to help clients with transportation to and from work and nightly shelters, and to purchase food for clients at the shelter. They also provide help on accessing services and resources to help people become self-sufficient.
- Special Church/Community Action Team (SCAT) – to help purchase basic food items that are rarely donated in food drives and are often unavailable at the Oregon Food Bank. SCAT is the longest-running emergency food organization in Washington County. It is operated and staffed solely by volunteers and operates out of St. Matthew Lutheran Church.
- United Church of Christ Forest Grove Overnight Shelter – to purchase sleeping mats, an industrial quality coffee urn, bus tickets, and funding to help wash the blankets that are used. Their goal is to provide compassionate and respectful overnight shelter and two hot meals, two nights a week, for 16 weeks during the coldest months for 15-21 adults and children experiencing homelessness.
- Washington County Veterans Assistance Fund – to support employment activities for veterans needing assistance. This program operates out of the Aloha VFW. They support 30-50 veterans with food, hygiene products, educational support, transportation issues, specialized work clothing, work specific needs, some minor household expenses and possibly with rent and/or moving expenses.
The needs in our community are great. Twenty-eight organizations applied for funding, requesting a total of $70,580. The Southminster Presbyterian Church Foundation seeks to support nonprofit organizations that serve the Westside Portland Metro area in the areas of housing, food, health care, and community development. The Foundation has been awarding grants to the community since 1980 and has awarded more than $400,000 to community organizations. Grant applications are available on line and are due the last day in February. The awards are announced at the end of May.
Southminster Presbyterian Church will be hosting a community fair on Sunday, October 9, that will feature nonprofit organizations serving the Westside Community. Community members will have the opportunity to find out how they can meet the needs in our community through financial contributions or volunteer service. Learn more about the Southminster Foundation here.
