Impact through community

Olivia Bartruff

Om Thrive Event on the NCC Terrace

Oregon

Advocacy & events, Storytelling

Since 2008, we’ve offered nonprofits with limited means the opportunity to apply for free use of our event spaces. We are proud to announce the recipients of the 2018 Community Grant program.

From its early days, Ecotrust’s Natural Capital Center was envisioned as a true living building, modeled after natural systems that rely on diversity, adaptability, and connectedness. With an open atrium and several event spaces, the building was designed to support the power of convening communities and inspiring fresh ideas.

In support of that vision, we developed a Community Grant program in 2008 to share our event venues with other nonprofits and fairly address the number of requests we receive for donated event space. Grants are primarily awarded to regional organizations whose work aligns with our mission to advance social equity, economic opportunity, and environmental well-being.

The Community Grant program is one of our favorite ways to celebrate the communities in this place we call home. Over the years, we recognized that we could more equitably serve our region by intentionally bringing in historically underrepresented and underserved communities. In 2017, we updated the program to benefit those applicants who demonstrate an explicit commitment to inclusivity around race, gender, class, and ability in their organizational mission, event audience, and beneficiaries.

We see this as an opportunity to create a richer building environment, share our resources more equitably, and learn from the voices of members of our region. We’re thrilled to introduce the recipients of the 2018 Community Grants.

Om Thrive’s Yoga, Views, and Brews Rooftop Fundraiser

Om Thrive held their fundraiser on the rooftop terrace in June, melding the storytelling power of trap music with the healing power of yoga in Trap Vinyasa™. A project of CascadiaNow!, Om Thrive provides free yoga classes at domestic violence shelters for adults and teens, and collaborates with yoga studios to make sustained yoga practice available to survivors and individuals directly affected by domestic violence.

Schoolyard Farms Happy Hour

Schoolyard Farms hosted a rooftop happy hour to help fund their mission to create healthier communities by teaching kids how to grow nutritious food that goes from the schoolyard farm to the plate. The funds raised at the event will be used for Schoolyard Farms’ target school farms, ongoing programs, and new programs at Candy Lane Elementary School and New Urban High School, two Title 1 schools in underserved communities. Their new Schoolyard Community Builders program, an initiative to strengthen student and family food resiliency health through program enhancements like social support building and skills-training events, improved hands-on curriculum, and Next Generation Science Standards. Learn more about Schoolyard Farms or purchase a CSA to help fund their mission.

Native American Youth And Family Center’s Native Professionals and Friends Night

The mission of NAYA Family Center is to enhance the diverse strengths of youth and families in partnership with the community through cultural identity and education. Native Professionals and Friends Night is a quarterly networking event that seeks to bring community members together with leaders in all areas for an evening of conversation, complemented by delicious appetizers and refreshments. This event is open to everyone, Native and non-Native, interested in strengthening ties and forging new relationships within our diverse Portland-area community. Native Professionals and Friends Night will be held on August 16 and is open to the public.

Philippine American Chamber of Commerce of Oregon Summer Rooftop Event

The Philippine American Chamber of Commerce of Oregon (PACCO) promotes economic activities and goodwill among the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities in the Pacific Northwest. PACCO serves as a clearinghouse for Philippine-American trade, tourism, and economic information, and acts as liaison for government agencies, providing PACCO members and the community with access to opportunities. The August 23 rooftop event is a fun, positive summer outdoor experience to gather the public and PACCO members to discover, dream, and grow their connections with PACCO and other communities of color.

Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon’s Second Home Gala

Second Home is a statewide program of Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon that provides effective and comprehensive services to unaccompanied students experiencing homelessness. Second Home works to provide long-term, stable housing, as well as long-term care and nurturing, so kids can focus on their education, explore their gifts and talents, graduate from high school, and go on to pursue their dreams and goals for the future. The September gala celebrating students success and raising funds for the future will be held at the Billy Frank, Jr., Conference Center in September. Be part of the event.

Hand2Mouth Theatre — The Jewish Project

Hand2Mouth is a group of artists who make plays and places that celebrate the potential of the live encounter and investigate the passions of our hearts and times. Morgan Street Theater is a dessert pop-up specializing in ice cream and storytelling. Their theatrical events bring people together for a meaningful and memorable evening of delicious food and interesting people. Together they are bringing The Jewish Project to Ecotrust. This performance combines storytelling and ice cream, and explores themes of Jewish identity, history, and spiritualism. Each story is a personal narrative about a moment that shaped the storyteller’s Jewish identity, and is woven with tales of history and culture. Stories are paired with a handmade ice cream dessert that is inspired by the themes and flavors of the story. At a time when anti-Semitism is again on rise, The Jewish Project is an important and memorable experience. Stay tuned for more info.