This month, read about a program that inspires students to be leaders, a first look at new design elements for our new home and how to keep your New Year's Resolution to volunteer more.

Our resolution is to carry out our mission every day: connect neighbors, build community and improve lives.

Like many children, Jayden had trouble adjusting to being in school after the pandemic. She was incredibly quiet and shy. She didn’t answer questions or engage during class. She never had a chance to shine.  

The Student Leadership Project changed all that.

Modeled after a real-life job search scenario, the Project helped Jayden and many other elementary school students in our School Age program feel confident and secure returning to the classroom in an uncertain, post-pandemic world.  

Buoyed by her bravery and new sense of responsibility, Jayden “really came out of her shell,” according to the caring Program Coordinator who developed the Project, Jessica Hart.

As you may know, Neighborhood House is planning to move into a new home on Barbur Boulevard, less than a mile from our current administrative building in Multnomah Village. The planning is going strong with development of the design and architectural elements. Seeing updated artist rendering of the design concepts makes this move an exciting reality.

If you haven't seen the new space, come join us for a tour of our new home! You'll see where the much larger space will house our Free Food Market, Senior Center and the Housing and Community Health programs.

For more information about the plan and the capital campaign supporting it, please visit the Growing Our Village Campaign page of our website.

See below for the first look at the new design concepts!

Please note these are artist renderings, not an exact picture of what the spaces will look like.

Meet Abril!

Abril was a summer intern with the Development Department, and we were thrilled to be able to bring her on full time with this job opening.

Abril’s favorite part of her job is getting to connect with different people in the community.

“Many people do so much good for their community, and through this job, I get to meet them and learn about them and their experiences. I love hearing about their different experiences and stories,” said Abril.

Abril helps find the right position for people looking to volunteer. She loves connecting people to the programs that could best make use of their skills — and she’s always on the lookout for more help!

Abril is from the Dominican Republic. She lived there for 11 years before moving to Louisiana and eventually ended up in Oregon. She graduated from Oregon State University in Corvallis, then relocated to Portland for this job. She loves ramen — Miyagi in Bend, Oregon is her current favorite. In her spare time, she prunes her bonsai tree to unwind.

A huge thanks to everyone who has helped us make amazing strides in this year's Partnership Campaign.

We are so close to our goal! Every gift helps because, together, we can do more.

To make a pledge now and pay later, please email Mari Yerger

Neighborhood House programs like the Senior Center rely on the generous work of our volunteers. The Resale Shop is entirely run by volunteer work! Everyone benefits from the thousands of hours our amazing volunteers put in every year, including the volunteers themselves!

We were happy to host a Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon in December to celebrate those who do so much. Thank you!

Happy New Year! We had a very busy but successful holiday season here at Neighborhood House.

December saw the beginning of the Winter Wishes campaign, which was a huge success. Together we were able to provide over 130 families with holiday gifts and winter essentials.  It was especially wonderful seeing families come in together to introduce the idea of giving to younger generations. Thank you for supporting your neighbors with much-needed Wish items this year!

The Multnomah Village Holiday Gala kicked off the holiday season with live music, the annual Tree lighting, and even an appearance by Santa and the Grinch! Our lobby was open for all to share mulled wine, hot chocolate, and an arts and crafts station. It was a delightful chance to connect with our neighbors and enjoy the warmth of the season together.

Lastly, our second-annual SnowCon saw people dressed up in holiday costumes for a food and pub crawl through the village. SnowCon fun-lovers got passports for discounts at shops, restaurants, and pubs. Participation more than doubled and raised 800% more in donations than last year – both fun and fruitful!

As we move into 2024, we wish you the best and hope to see you at future events!