Mardi Gras Dinner and Fundraiser to support Zaraphath

Trinity Lutheran Church is hosting a Mardi Gras Dinner and Fundraiser, for Zaraphath Ministries, on Sunday, February 19th, from 6 to 8pm. They will serving a Gumbo, Fresh Salad and Desert. Cajun style! Enjoy the sounds of live Jazz throughout the evening.

Tickets are $20 or reserve a table for $125 (seats 8).

Contact Lisa Alibabi or Diane Davis for ticket information.

Trinity Lutheran Church

507 W. Powell Blvd

Gresham, OR 97030-7046

503-665-3197

Two Free Dental Fairs in East County

"In these tough economic times, dental care can land at the bottom of the health care to-do list.
With that in mind the Multnomah Dental Society and Sleep Dentistry of Portland are hosting two events in February designed to help those who are uninsured get the dental work they need.

The first event is the dental society’s annual free children’s health fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, at Lynch View Elementary School, 1546 S.E. 169th Place.

A week later, Sleep Dentistry of Portland hosts its local Dentistry from the Heart event from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 10, at its Gresham office, 19265 S.E. Stark St."

full article at the Gresham Outlook
http://www.theoutlookonline.com/news/story.php?story_id=132771311834317900

Multnomah County Health Clinics

East County now has three Multnomah County Clinics for health and dental needs. Anyone on the Oregon Health Plan or those who are eligible to sign up for the Oregon Health Plan can visit them. The Rockwood Clinic is brand new and available for the population in the north Gresham area.

Most of the clinics are open for appointments. Please call ahead of time to see if you should visit one of these services or another health center.

If you have not signed up for the Oregon Health Plan, you can visit a clinic and find someone who will assist you.

East County Health Center
600 NE 8th Street, 3rd Floor
Gresham, OR 97030-7318
Phone: (503) 988-5558
Fax: (503) 988-6960
Buses: #1, #4, #9, #25, #26, #80, Max Blue Line to the Gresham Central Transit Center

Rockwood Community Health Center
2020 SE 182nd Ave, Gresham, OR 97233
Phone: 503-988-5400
Fax: 503-988-5668
Hours: Monday – Friday, 8am to 5pm
Bus: #4

Mid-County Health Center
12710 SE Division Street
Portland, OR 97236-3134
Phone: (503) 988-5558
Fax: (503) 988-6960
Buses: #4, #71

To get more information about Multnomah County Clinics, please visit http://www.coalitionclinics.org/mchd1.html

To read an article about the need for the Rockwood Clinic, please visit http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2010/03/rockwood_health_center.html

Why is Rockwood the Poorest Community In the County?

Below is a portion of an article from the Oregonian that discusses how Rockwood became the poorest community in the Multnomah County:

Jean DeMaster has run Human Solutions, a nonprofit social services agency, since 1988 in east county. She said the population shift occurred in four surges. The first began with the renovation of the public housing project Columbia Villa, which forced many residents to find cheap housing out east. More came as Alberta and other inner Northeast neighborhoods such as Boise, Eliot and King gentrified, and another rush came with the Interstate MAX. Rental homes were sold, rents driven up, and many low-income renters couldn’t find anything affordable within the inner city. The recession drove the fourth wave.

“We’re seeing a much higher demand for services than we’ve seen before,” DeMaster said. “But there aren’t enough services for low-income people, and we are getting pushback from people in the community who say we’ve been here a long time and we need help and it’s not fair that the new people are moving in.”

Last month, 900 people came to Human Solutions seeking emergency money to avoid eviction. The agency had 40 vouchers to divvy up.

Every type of service is stretched, DeMaster said: homeless services, rental assistance, youth gang prevention, alcohol and drug treatment.
 
But the greatest need, she says, is for health care. Many people she sees have lost jobs because they got sick and were unable to get care. That wreaks havoc on every part of their lives: their health, their ability to keep a roof over their family and their ability to support themselves.

To read the whole article, click this link:  http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2010/03/rockwood_health_center.html 

Join the KEY Conversation!

Do you have a vision for the poor and needy of East County?  Do you want to assist in the struggle to fight poverty in Gresham, Troutdale, Fairview and Wood Village?  Then we invite you to the KEY Conversation on Poverty!

Once a month, leaders of our community gather together to speak about practical ways we can help the poor and needy in East Multnomah County.  We meet on the last Monday of each month at First Baptist Church, 224 W Powell in Gresham at 7pm.

Please join us this next Monday and be a part of the solution!

An invitation to participate in the KEY Blog

Are you reading this blog and thinking, "Hey, I'd like to get my service or ministry on the blog".  We'd love to have you!  This blog is supposed to be a service to all of those who are assisting the needy in East County-- and we want to make sure as many groups get their services on the blog as possible!

If you provide a service to the poor in East Multnomah County (East of 82nd Ave), then please write out a description of what you do, including specific place and times, and also the kinds of things you need donated (e.g. food, volunteer time, finances).  Also please give contact information.

Then send it to anawimcc@gmail.com and we'll get it on the blog!

Overnight Shelter Training

This week there is training for those wanting to assist in overnight shelters.
  
This training is led by the City of Gresham, and it is preparation for warming centers held at Anawim Christian Community, First Baptist of Gresham and St, Henry's Catholic Church.  These shelters are church led and staffed by volunteers from local churches.

The next training is Thursday, January 26 from 6 to 8:30pm. This will be the last opportunity for a volunteer training this season. It will be held at Anawim, 19626 NE Glisan, Gresham.

If you have any further questions, please contact Steve Kimes at 503-888-4453. 

Free Meals in East Multnomah County

Twenty six years ago Zarephath Kitchen began serving to the hungry in East County.  Since then, they keep their doors open for meals six days a week and many other local ministries also serve meals to those in need.

If you need a meal, there are places to go in East County seven days a week, sometimes two or three meals a day.  If you want to volunteer, there are a lot of opportunites to do so-- The Chapel is especially looking for people to serve food Tuesday through Thursday afternoons.  And if you'd like to donate finances or food, any of these ministries would appreciate the help.  

Below are the list of meal sites and times.  Contact information is also given, if you'd like to donate or serve.

Mondays:
Zarephath Kitchen
 507 W Powell Ave. Gresham
 The house behind Trinity Lutheran Church
 11am-1pm
  Contact: 503-667-2692 10am-2pm M-F
  http://www.trinitylutherangresham.org/Trinity_Lutheran_Church_-_Gresham/TLC____Zarephath.html

Tuesdays:
Zarephath Kitchen
11am-1pm

The Chapel
27132 SE Stark Ave, Troutdale
11am-1pm
  Contact: 503-661-2475
  http://www.thechapelonline.org/

Wednesdays:
 Zarephath Kitchen
 11am-1pm

The Chapel
  11am-1pm AND 6pm

Rockwood Seventh Day Adventist
6pm
1910 SE 182nd Ave, Gresham
  Contact: 503-661-4100
  http://rockwoodadventist.com/

Thursdays:
Zarephath Kitchen
11am-1pm

The Chapel
11am-1pm

Fridays:
Zarephath Kitchen
11am-1pm

Saturdays:
Anawim Christian Community
11am-3pm
19626 NE Glisan, Gresham
  Contact: 503-888-4453
  www.NowhereToLayHisHead.org

Sundays:
Zarephath Kitchen
2-3pm

Special Meals:
Anawim Christian Community has three special meals a month.  On the first Friday of each month, The Chapel serves a meal at 4:30.  On the second Wednesday of each month, Anawim holds a community BBQ (yes, even in the middle of winter!) at 5pm.  And on the fourth Wednesday of each month, Portland Mennonite serves a meal at 5pm at Anawim.

Good News Community Health Center

Dr. Bob showing how happy he is to see his patients!

The Good News Clinic was established in Rockwood to offer to local uninsured people a regular family doctor that is affordable.  New patients have a two week waiting period after the initial paper work is filled out, and after that appointments can be made Tuesday through Friday.  They make referrals for patients with dental needs.

Their mission is to work with local churches, network community resources, educate caregivers and treat the whole person in community; addressing physical, mental, and spiritual needs with a multidisciplinary community health center that promotes healthy individuals and a healthy community, enabling these, to in turn help others.

They work with local churches and the broader community to meet the health needs of the poor in Gresham.  Their vision is to be a Christ-centered, Christ-sustained model of excellence for community clinics in underserved areas.  They also provide the clinics once a month at Lutheran Trinity Church.

If you would like to be a patient, or would like to volunteer at their office or their clinic, please contact them.

18000 SE Stark Street, Portland, OR 97233

(Corner of 181st and Stark)

Appointments: 503-489-0567

Fax: 503-489-0568

Mailing Address

Good News Community Health Center

POB 3113

Gresham, OR 97030