This month we try to keep each other safe in the heat, keep food cold, explore on a fire truck and help create hundreds of desperately-needed child care slots.

In response to the extreme heat conditions this month, the Neighborhood House Community Health Department distributed 25 portable air conditioning units to families in need of respite from the searing temperatures.

"Yesterday all I had was a fan," said one woman. "You guys have no idea how helpful these a/c units are for us. Thank you!"

Families from our Housing, Head Start

and Senior Services programs received the free cooling units. They had to meet requirements such as being enrolled in the Oregon Health Plan and age guidelines for family members living in the household.

This is the second summer we've been able to provide the a/c unit distribution program, spearheaded by Director of Community Health Christine Sanders. Thank you to the staff who helped identified families with the qualification procedure and coordinated the a/c distribution on a short timeline.

You can help support community health programs that provide your neighbors with simple help like a cool night's rest by donating today.

The Free Food Market installed three brand new coolers this month in advance of the heat wave, thanks to a grant from the Oregon Food Bank.

It's a huge priority to keep food we distribute at the right temperature, for the health and safety of the people we serve. With these new food coolers, we can maintain that correct temperature and avoid food waste.

Thanks to the Market staff who worked quickly to get the coolers installed in the middle of a food distribution day. We are a nimble work force!

The Portland Fire Department visited the Ramona Child Development Center in the Pearl District to talk to the Head Start students about fire safety. The children were thrilled to climb aboard a fire truck and see the equipment up close.

Hundreds of desperately-needed child care slots will open for Portland-area families through the Small Business Development Class held by our Child Care Improvement Program (CCIP).

The classes are language-specific for providers to start and run their small business child care program to support immigrant communities in particular.

There were 15 graduates in the Somali/Swahili language class and 9 in the Ukranian/Russian language class. A Spanish language class will be held in the Fall.

CCIP staff train child care providers on everything from applying for a license to accounting and banking advice. Once their child care business is up and running, CCIP continues to give providers support to grow and streamline their business so they can concentrate on providing excellent care. 

Each child care provider will start with around 10 available slots, with a goal of growing to care for 16 children and beyond.

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