It wasn’t that long ago that Lam Hoang felt isolated and alone, having moved to Multnomah County from her home in Vietnam. Since then she's emerged as a parent leader in the community, sharing her experience and voice to ensure children of color have every opportunity to thrive in kindergarten and beyond.
Two years ago, Stephanie, a single parent, found herself in an unimaginable situation. Despite having a full time job Stephanie couldn’t afford rent in Washington County, and she and her six year old daughter, Teja, became homeless.
April is National Volunteer Month! Hands On Greater Portland, United Way's volunteer program, is lucky to claim the support of thousands of dedicated local volunteers. We sat down with longtime volunteer leader Larry Kotan to hear about what motivates him to give back.
Part of our work at United Way has been understanding the ways systems (educational; economic; health) do or don’t meet the needs of today’s kids and families. A close and honest look quickly reveals an uncomfortable truth: virtually all of our modern systems have been shaped by a history of structural racism and disenfranchisement.
Three years ago Katrina was desperate to find a place to live for her and her son, Adan. She was determined to turn her life around after suffering years of abuse, trauma and addiction, but had no credit and was facing a mountain of debt. Three years later she’s working full time, studying accounting and Adan is thriving.
Poverty is complicated and we know we can’t fix it on our own. That's why we're launching United for Impact, which aims to showcase the collective work to invest in our region’s kids so they are free from poverty in order to be free to reach their potential.
Thinking small can indeed be the start of something big.
That’s the potential that longtime United Way partner Wells Fargo saw in our Catalyst Fund Grants.
In recent days, we have seen how changing politics can turn a child’s world upside down. At United Way, we are working toward a community where kids can reach their potential. All kids. Kids who are newcomers here; kids who were born here; kids who see their future here.
“It’s important to me to give back to a community that provided so much to me while growing up here. I grew up in a single parent household of limited means. My mom often had to choose between paying utilities and the mortgage,” he remembered. “I’m grateful that our community then helped with utility bills and provided meals for us during the most difficult times.”
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