From Our Investees

(From the March 2005 Newsletter)

Kids Cafe - Boys & Girls Club of Portland
The Wattles Kids Café is now fully operational and the kitchen is feeding an average of 200 kids per day plus snacks for an average of 75 more kids. This is up from zero last year! Nutritional education classes are held three times per week to teach members how to cook healthy meals and help design menus for the Club. These classes are called "The Power of Choice". An average of 50 youths participate each month in the nutrition programs. The Kids Café also works with the Athletics Coordinator to promote the importance of being active and showing how food and exercise work hand in hand.

Detailed plans for the construction of the Kids Café at Blazers, which will replace a current and outmoded operation, have been completed and will be out for bid this month. Construction is expected to begin shortly thereafter and the completion and grand opening is planned for July. The third Kids Café in Hillsboro, will be completed in conjunction with a significant expansion of the B&GC in that location. BGCP management and the Board are currently undergoing a fund raising effort for this project and hope to commence construction in late 2005.

Free Clinic of SW Washington
The new Executive Director, Paul Bollinger, was hired and he started on October 4, 2004. The focus in Q4 was integrating the new ED into the Free Clinic organizations and the Board of Directors. The Strategic Plan was completed and reviewed with the Board and its various subcommittees.

The redesign of the Free Clinic website is under way. We will also work with the staff to complete the marketing plan to improve education of the community on Free Clinic services and benefits. The Free Clinic will be holding a golf event fundraiser in June. Tee time anyone? If interested, please email Ed Mueller.

Metropolitan Family Service
SVPP has been instrumental in the success of the program "Make Parenting a Pleasure". The MPAP class is now offered in three languages and consists of a series of classes that focus on the basics of parenting. In addition, SVPP completed the development of a curriculum and activities program for young children whose parents are in MPAP.

SVPP has helped MFS determine appropriate technology for adding on-line donation capabilities to their website. We are also assisting MFS with their technology infrastructure assessment which will be followed by a formal implementation plan.

SVPP has assisted MFS in the interview process to hire an individual responsible for running the new "Ways to Work" Program. This Program helps low-income individuals maintain or own a car enabling them to drive to work. The program will offer low-interest loans for car repairs and purchases.

Morrison Child and Family Services
As part of the "Connections for Children" Information Technology project, all site upgrades have been completed as planned, merging databases for the School Based Services were completed and we are currently working on the Intakes database project.

Children Relief Nursery
After a three-year engagement with CRN, we have come to the end of our participation in further projects with this organization. Thanks to all the partners who volunteered their time with CRN projects over these last three years.