5th Annual Poverty Summit

Poverty continues to grow in East Multnomah County, as more of the poor move into the low income housing. 16 percent of our county live under the poverty line. We see violence, hunger, homelessness and general lack on the rise in our area.

There is also hope. Many organizations and churches have stepped up to meet the challenge of poverty in East County.

But they can't do it alone. Every group helping the poor, feel overwhelmed and are facing limited
resources.

Come to the poverty summit in November, to see how your church can help.

Highlighted Organizations

• Zaraphath Kitchen and Pantry
• The Chapel
• Anawim Christian Community
• School Partnership Network
• No One Left Behind
• Human Solutions
• St. Vincent DePaul

KEY Conversation Poverty Summit

10-12 pm Summit

Lunch provided 12-1pm

November 17, 2012

Mountainview Christian Church

1890 Northeast Cleveland Avenue 

Gresham, OR 97030

To register for the Summit,

Go to: mvcclive.org

Or call: 503-907-2918

For more information or to request a pdf of our poverty summit flyer and brochure contact:
keyconversation@gmail.com

17th Annual Thanksgiving Dinner

The Blazers are serving their 17th annual Thanksgiving meal at the Rose Quarter, on Oct 29 from 2 to 7pm. 

They will have a free Thanksgiving meal, free haircuts, free pet care and free leftovers to take with you!

School Partnership

Our public schools are in a crisis, with education being more expensive, but the school budgets shrinking.

Many churches are supporting their local schools with landscape care, faculty care, back to school supplies, clothes closets and more.

If you are a congregation that helps your local school, or wants to help your local school, please join the School Partnership Network.

This organization was begun by the Luis Palau Association that spearheaded the school partnership movement.  They have a site and a community that supports and informs churches and schools about how such partnerships could work for both parties.

If you'd like more information, please visit their website, http://schoolpartnershipnetwork.com/resources/

You can email them at info@schoolpartnershipnetwork.com, or call them at 503-614-1593

Free Emergency Phone from Assurance

If you have someone who needs an emergency cell phone, Assurance wireless is currently offering free wireless service.

Right now, you can get a free cell phone plus 250 voice minutes.

This is with no contract, no obligation to do anything else.

You can sign up or get more information at:
www.assurancewireless.com
or call 800-898-4888

Free Winter Clinics for The Uninsured

Good News Community Health Center and Compassion Connect will be providing medical appointments, free vaccines, haircuts, Some resourcing/stress management planning, dental appointment lists. 

This clinic is available for the uninsured only.

Dates this year will be: 

November 21, 

December 19, 

January 16, 

and February 27.

Free winter clinics will be located in Gresham, at Trinity Lutheran Church basement

on Powell and Eastman Parkway at 2pm.

A Cold Chair

"Hello Pastors
     I'm personally requesting you, the leaders of your local church, to help be The Church. We have an opportunity that I believe God has put in our laps related to "widows and orphans"

    Did you know there are 315 kids a year in Multnomah County (6-7 a week) who have to enter the foster care system because their living situation is unhealthy/unsafe. The average child, when removed from their living situation, sits in one of these county DHS offices for 3 hours in a cold chair waiting while a case worker tries to find a foster family. I can't even imagine the fear, confusion, hurt of that child sitting in that chair. All of these offices have broken furniture, drab colors, etc due to lack of funding and capacity to do anything different....

Faithfully Serving WITH You in Christ, 
Milan Homola
Executive Director-- Compassion Connect INC."


Here is our Opportunity
   The East Portland office of Multnomah County DHS (and all offices in the tri-county region) is open to having local churches partner with it to shine a light in all these very dark situations.
   This is an opportunity to be The Church. God is building a collaboration of churches to be the light of Christ in these hurting kids lives all over the metro area. Milan is asking you to join him in exploring what that might look like at the East Portland Office.

   1. Please join Milan on a tour of the office (122nd and Powell). He is targeting the week of Sept 24th. he only needs an hour of your time. (Please contact Milan if you are a pastor/leader who would join him for that tour)
   

   2. Consider taking another small step and help with a small beautification project at the East Portland Office Nov 10th. This will be The Church serving (not Compassion Connect or any one church) so it can't be done if they don't get 5-6 churches to send about 5-10 people.

Please call Milan at, 507-313-3771 or email him at milan@compassionconnect.com and let him know when you could possibly make a tour and if you would be interested in getting a small group to come work as The Church cleaning, painting, decorating on Nov 10th.

Harvest Share in Gresham

The Harvest Share program is based out of the Oregon Food Bank and provides free and ample produce to the poor.  In East Multnomah County, there are two main locations for Harvest Share: the Rockwood Seventh Day Adventist Church and the Salvation Army, Gresham Corps.  






Here is a description of the Harvest Share program by the Salvation Army:

They come from all walks of life, some who are coming for their first time and some who have been coming for more than 8 years. They come for comradery, for conversation, a warm smile, and of course, their food. The first Wednesday of every month, the family services at The Salvation Army Gresham Corps puts together a Harvest Share program where those struggling financially and in need of food can come and receive food. Harvest Share is actually a service sponsored by Oregon Food Bank and their Fresh Alliance program where fresh produce from local stores is donated and provided to the participating agencies. In addition to the fresh produce like meat, dairy, vegetables and fruit, Salvation Army workers and volunteers gather donated non-perishable food items throughout the course of the month to add to the selection. 

Please read the whole article on the Salvation Army site.

Participate in the Harvest Share program at 

Rockwood Seventh Day Adventist

1910 SE 182nd Ave Gresham

9am 4th Tuesday of every month

       First come first serve

Salvation Army Gresham Corps

473 SE 194th Ave Gresham

9:30am  1st Wednesday of every month

       First come first serve