PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Timbers today announced the awarding of $43,400 in grants to eight family and youth-focused, nonprofit organizations throughout the Portland area through the Portland Timbers Community Fund (PTCF). The eight fall grant recipients were selected by the Portland Timbers Community Fund Advisory Board.
Supported by founding partners JELD-WEN Windows & Doors, Alaska Airlines, adidas, PGE and Burgerville, the PTCF presented grants to AC Portland, Big Brothers Big Sisters Columbia Northwest, Lower Columbia River Estuary Partnership, Parrot Creek Child and Family Services, p:ear, Portland Reading Foundation, Trillium Family Services and Young Entrepreneurs Business Week.
The PTCF set an aggressive goal of donating $180,000 in grants to local nonprofits and field projects in 2012. The fall grants are the third and final round of three grant cycles over the course of the year. For more on the PTCF, visit www.portlandtimbers.com/community/fund.
AC Portland will use its grant money toward its spring and fall soccer camps, special programs such as a Poetry Slam and SHOUT and youth coach training. AC Portland supplies necessary tools to empower students to lead healthy lives, succeed academically and inspire positive community engagement. To learn more about AC Portland, visit www.acportland.org.
The grant awarded to Big Brothers Big SistersColumbia Northwest will go to the Sports Buddies Program, which enhances physical, social and emotional well-being of children by providing opportunities for at-risk youth to learn and participate in a variety of sports. Big Brothers Big Sisters Columbia Northwest works to help children reach their full potential through professionally supported, one-to-one relationships. More on Big Brother Big Sisters Columbia Northwest can be found at www.bbbsnorthwest.org.
Lower Columbia River Estuary Partnership (LCREP) will apply its grant money to its Outdoor Education Program during the 2012-13 school year. The program has two components – science-based classroom lessons and outdoor fieldtrips. LCREP works to protect and restore the lower Columbia River with on-the-ground improvements and informative programs. For more info on the LCREP, visit www.lcrep.org.
The funding given to Parrot Creek Child and Family Services will be used specifically to renovate its current outdoor basketball court into a multiuse sport court for activities such as basketball, pickle ball, badminton and volleyball. Since 1968, Parrot Creek Child and Family Services has assisted troubled teens with skills training and emotional support. Learn more about Parrot Creek Child and Family Services at www.pcreek.org.
The grant awarded to p:ear, a mentorship organization, will be used to support field trips, educational materials, food and gear supplies for fall and winter recreation experiences. Trips include hiking, rock climbing, sea kayaking and cross-country skiing, amongst other activities. Each year, p:ear programs serve almost 900 homeless and transitional youth between the ages of 15-24. Additional information about p:ear can be found at www.pearmentor.org.
Portland Reading Foundation received funding to help implement its reading team model, which helps train two parents from each participating school community with the skills needed to teach students to read. Since 2005, Portland Reading Foundation has partnered with local schools and helped more than 1,000 elementary and middle school students learn to read. For more information on Portland Reading Foundation, visit www.portlandreading.org.
The grant given to Trillium Family Services will be used to equip a newly constructed soccer field with new goal posts and nets, covered viewing areas and team benches, and a weatherproof storage shed for sports equipment. Trillium Family Services is among Oregon’s leaders in providing mental and behavioral healthcare for families and children. Learn more at www.trilliumfamily.org.
Funds awarded to Young Entrepreneurs Business Week (YEBW) will go toward student outreach efforts targeting underrepresented groups across Oregon. The goal of YEBW is to build the next generation of business leaders by providing Oregon high school students with immersive programs in the areas of entrepreneurship, business fundamentals, financial investments and leadership development. More on YEBW can be found at www.yebw.org.
The PTCF, an advised fund of the Oregon Community Foundation, supports charitable, nonprofit organizations that are registered as a 501(c)(3), with a tax-exempt status from the IRS and are located within one of the four surrounding counties of the Portland metro area: Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas, and Clark County in Southwest Washington. Grant-seeking organizations must fall under one of the following areas of focus: youth education; youth sports; youth health and fitness; environmental awareness and activism with youth and families.
Through the club’s community outreach platform, Stand Together, the Timbers’ community mission is to harness the power of sport to improve the lives of children and families in the region through targeted programs, deep partnerships and philanthropic giving. For more on the Timbers community outreach programs and partners, visit www.portlandtimbers.com/stand-together.
