This month we meet Welcome Home speaker Liliia Bielousova, practice Tai Chi for better health, travel sensory hallways in Head Start and say thank you to the Oregon Community Fund!

Head Start program introduced their new sensory hallways at The Ramona and Stephens Creek Crossing children's centers in May.

As students walk through the main hallways, they can interact with mounted objects, toys, pictures and more - all designed to help children explore and develop their five senses: touch, sight, sound, taste, and smell.

The sensory hallways offer calming activities that support self-regulation, along with a special bookshelf filled with stories about how people experience the world through their senses. This thoughtful project creates a holistic environment where children can learn, engage, and grow every day.

We are grateful for The Oregon Head Start Association Charitable Kick Off Grant, which funded this program.

Twice a week at the Senior Center, you’ll find Robert Ewing leading a group through gentle, flowing movements—inviting participants to slow down, breathe, and move with intention.

Robert first encountered Tai Chi in 1969 and has been practicing more seriously since the '90s, when he studied under his longtime teacher, Lily Qin, in Seattle. Now, he brings those decades of experience to Neighborhood House, where his classes are welcoming, adaptive, and full of encouragement.

“Most of us, me included, are seniors, and we all bring a lifetime of injuries. Tai Chi will find those injuries—and then help you work through them.”

People often come to the class for help with stability. They stay for the confidence it brings.

Robert says Tai Chi offers so much more than just balance. It’s a healing art, a meditative practice, and yes, even a martial art.

He recalls one student, an 80-year-old woman at a crowded rally, who instinctively used the Tai Chi move Repelling the Monkey when someone bumped into her.

"She stayed on her feet, and I didn’t," Robert said.

That kind of muscle memory and self-trust is what keeps students coming back.

Whether you’re curious, recovering, or just looking to try something new, Robert’s class is a welcoming and supportive place to begin. All levels and abilities are welcome.

“You’re more than capable of it—and you’ll love it.”

– Robert Ewing, Tai Chi instructor and longtime practitioner

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us in Multnomah Village for Sunday Parkways and the Scattered Garden Plant Start Giveaway! It was a joy to connect with so many neighbors—whether you stopped by to say hello, took home a plant start, or just wanted to learn more about what’s growing in the garden and in our community.

Thanks to the generous folks who provided plant starts, we were able to share over 500 plants the first weekend. The response was so enthusiastic, we came back May 31 with 250 more—and once again, we gave them all away. From curious first-time gardeners to seasoned growers, the turnout showed how much this community values learning, sharing, and growing together.

We always welcome more hands into the garden. Want to get involved with the Scattered Garden? Click the button below to learn more or sign up—we’d love to grow with you.

Planting seeds of community through gardening! Scattered Garden supports neighbors in need of food help through the Free Food Market Click on the image to learn more.

Connecting with community at Sunday Parkways! We enjoyed talking with everyone who stopped by to learn more about Neighborhood House programs.

We’re thrilled to share that our Welcome Home fundraiser brought in over $182,000 for Neighborhood House programs that connect neighbors, build community, and improve lives.

One of the most powerful moments of the evening came from Liliia Bielousova, a client in our Child Care Improvement and Parenting programs. Liliia fled Ukraine with her children and mother in early 2022, seeking safety after the first bombs fell. With help from a Portland sponsor and support from Neighborhood House, she began rebuilding her life—and her career.

Liliia is now opening Oregon’s first Ukrainian-language child care center, offering vital support to Ukrainian families and beyond. Her strength, resilience, and commitment to others left the entire room inspired.

🎥 Click below to hear Liliia’s moving story in her own words.

A HUGE thank you goes to the Oregon Community Foundation for major financial support of Neighborhood House's Oregon Child Care Alliance program (OCCA).

OCCA helps small business child care providers to improve their business practices so they can focus on children, not paperwork.

The five-year grant will fund the backbone work that goes into OCCA: developing new business trainings, software licenses, digital literacy education and resources, and salaries of four key employees, according to Program Manager Lisa Tynan.

We are so grateful to the Betty Gray Endowment - Early Childhood Development Fund of Oregon Community Foundation, who gave $300,000 and Child Care Shared Services Fund of Oregon Community Foundation, who gave $275,000.

If you know someone who should know about the work Neighborhood House is doing in your community, please forward this newsletter to them. We love sharing stories about the work we do!