It was a powerful experience where our eyes were opened to the horrific realities that these boys have lived. St. Mary's cares for Oregon's most damaged young men. Their license calls for them to treat adjudicated male offenders between the ages of 10-18. Typically, the boys have failed at a dozen places before they get to St. Mary’s. Most of the boys have low I.Q.’s because mom used so many drugs while pregnant, and most of the boys have endured terrible abuse. They have not succeeded at, or in some cases even attended, school. Lynda says, “I think it is a miracle how they can get up each and every morning and move through another day of treatment and work with such grace and pure courage”.
In our Partner’s words:
I told someone else that the stories of these kids were something the sane mind cannot grasp, but the redemption of their spirits through this school overfilled my heart. It left me with two lessons: 1) there is always hope 2) prevention is free. Thanks for arranging this.
That was a truly profound experience. I had the sense that I was floating through, not totally grasping the reality of those boys' former lives in contrast to what is offered to them now. Later today I remarked to Larry how they all seem so well-adjusted and "together." This is especially noticeable when we know what incredible obstacles they are overcoming. It speaks to the value of structure and set, defined boundaries in making us all feel safe. When we know the rules, we can comply and be comfortable in our own skins and in wider social settings.
I'm so impressed. The statistics were amazing, too: 83% success rate. Wow!
Thanks for offering us this wonderful opportunity to visit a program that's working well.
I don't really know how to express my reaction to our visit. It was truly a moving experience that I have shared with friends and that I find myself thinking about. The life experiences of those boys go beyond comprehension and understanding. The program and the teachers/ counselors/administrators that are involved at St. Mary's Home deserve our utmost admiration and support. They were a very dedicated and impressive group of people.
It was an experience that I wish more people could have participated in.To further support St. Mary’s and thank everyone there for hosting us so warmly we’d like to help out by sending some needed items. They would like ping pong paddles and balls, as well as frizbees. And if anyone has any foosball tables to donate, the boys would cheer!
When I first started working with Jennifer Talbot and Listen To Kids, I asked her why she chose to dedicate herself to this effort. Her answer was simple: Kids can’t take care of themselves. They have a right to be safe from child abuse, sexual abuse, and domestic violence. This is what motivates Jennifer and her team from their hearts. It is the simple idea that has drawn me into their effort.
to participating schools where they help children to understand that they have a right to be “safe, strong and free.” After each classroom workshop, children have the opportunity to talk one-to-one with a caring, respectful adult. Listen To Kids also works to reduce the risk of child abuse in single-parent households who are rebuilding their lives after leaving an abusive relationship. It is critical that during this time parents are supported in responding effectively to the needs of their children.
SVP Portland invested in The Shadow Project two years ago with the goal of expanding and replicating a program with proven success. During the first two years, we implemented a new inventory management system for Shadow’s incentive warehouse, sponsored and participated in a marketing video, increased the number of students served by 40%, expanded into the Hillsboro school district, and held several 
During our 2009 renewal cycle, we designated $10,000 of The Shadow Project’s $30,000 renewal grant to hire a development consultant to help build long-term financial stability. Over the next several months we’re working with Shadow to help develop the organization’s Board by identifying the skills and resources needed for this more challenging financial environment. And SVPP Partners will help develop a new strategic plan to help lay out goals and a roadmap to achieve them.
From being a member of the original bootstrap committee meeting almost weekly to create Social Venture Partners Portland in 1999, through two recent terms on the Board, 
She attended DePauw University in Indiana, earning her degree in Sociology/Anthropology. After college she worked as a Vista Volunteer in Indianapolis with the Governor's office. After moving to Oregon, she was the Executive Director with the Oregon Hunger Relief Task Force, then as Policy Director for Washington Association of Churches focusing on social justice issues and anti-poverty work. Sara’s consulting firm worked with the Oregon Food Bank, Oregon Center for Public Policy and the Oregon Department of Human Services to develop policies and programs around issues that impact low income Oregonians.
says it is a natural fit, a way to leverage their investment and broaden their circle of friends and networks. The Desbrows are presently embracing a number of life changes. In the last two years, they have married, Jess earned her doctorate and started her Chiropractic practice, and Mark started Green Light Cooperative with SVPP Partner 
n June.
classroom model for age-appropriate instruction to prevent physical, sexual and emotional abuse or to get help if abuse occurs. It also teaches the adults in the kids’ lives to prevent, detect and deal with abuse. This Kids Can™ program currently serves approximately 5,000 kids. In 2006, Listen to Kids also began serving non-abusive parents fleeing domestic violence to support their children in recovering from the stress and trauma of domestic abuse. This Parent Child Involvement Project has been supported by the Portland Children's Investment Fund and is one of 15 sites chosen nationally to participate in a SafeStart research project conducted by RAND. Long term, Listen to Kids expects to support programs around the state and nation to replicate the model in their communities.
investment in Portland Reading Foundation. This important program identifies children most at risk of failing to read and intervenes with evidence-based, multi-sensory reading instruction to ensure that each child has the opportunity to enjoy what you are doing right now. In this work, they have piloted a new program model of training and compensating parent tutors to perform the literacy training in schools. SVPP could play a critical role in developing this innovative, cost-efficient, “win-win” model into a sustainable, replicable solution for any economically disadvantaged child in the Portland area who could benefit from proven literacy instruction.
Conducting an intensive six-week assessment in the kindergarten classes of eight Portland neighborhoods characterized by poverty and crime, Friends of the Children specifically identifies youth in our community who face significant challenges. Ryan, a fifteen year-old adolescent in the Friends of the Children – Portland program, shares what his relationship with Darren, his Friend, has brought into his life since entering the program as a kindergartener in 1999. 
that I’ve lost count. When I was younger, he used to get me involved in the Saturday activities at PSU. He has also gotten me into Friday night programs through Friends of the Children where they take a bunch of kids in the program out to do something fun. They also have programs on Wednesday afternoons that help kids with their homework or just provide a hang out spot. There are so many opportunities out there and my mentor has helped me find them.
assumed ownership of three facilities that they had previously been leasing. SVPP is helping to develop a comprehensive facilities maintenance plan for the successful management of these assets over the long term, led by Partner 
Larry and Judy joined SVPP in February. Larry comes from 27 years as Finance Controller at Intel, after teaching as a graduate student and earlier, doing trail maintenance and firefighting for the Forest Service. His B.A. is in Political Science from UC Santa Barbara, followed by an ABD and MBA from UC Berkeley. He brings his background in operational finance and leadership development to SVPP. He jumped right in to serve on the 2009 Capacity Building Investment team. He says SVPP is his first venture into philanthropy and enters with “no specific focus, just a liberal’s interest in a healthy and fair society.” His interests include history, history of ideas, backpacking, fitness and leadership mentoring. He speaks French, Portuguese and Spanish.
Len and Janine are pleased to join SVPP as Partners. Janine is a Portland native; Len was raised in Southern California. They met in Boston while at Harvard Business School where both earned MBAs.
Kris Moore is a native Portlander with a lifelong love for volunteering. He graduated from the University of Oregon, worked with Outdoor School for four years, graduated from San Francisco Theological Seminary, worked with small urban churches for four years, and has focused on teaching middle school and developing grassroots non-profit organizations since then. Currently, Kris is Development Director at Fruit & Flower Child Care Center. His interests include cooking dinners with improvised menus, reading, sea kayaking, sending postcards, solving crossword puzzles and spending time with friends and family. He and Ryan Wilcoxen have been partners for 3½ years and live in Northwest Portland.
our best new Partners come from referrals by current Partners and friends of SVPP. This comes as no surprise since SVPP attracts people with like-minded desires to give back to our community in a unique and high-impact way. If you know of a person who might like to learn more about SVPP, contact 
Northwest together created a parental engagement model to be leveraged at other schools in Portland and beyond. This model employs AmeriCorps volunteers and site coordinators of the Schools Uniting Neighborhoods (SUN) programs and services. So far, PEP has been replicated at eleven other Portland schools where Impact Northwest administers SUN programs.
December, after getting to know us over several months. They are enthusiastic and enjoy the option of being investor Partners, able to decide on their level of involvement based on their abilities and availability over time.
disenfranchised in sixth grade, where she led a student walkout to protest the imminent unjust incarceration of a stray dog on her school’s campus. Only upon receiving documented assurance that the dog would be adopted did she agree to return to class. That successful action led to many more years of involvement in community-based social justice organizations, including work with the Portland Central America Solidarity Committee, ACT UP! Portland and the Coalition for Human Dignity.
High-Impact Community Investment. Since choosing our first Investee in 2001, Morrison Child & Family Services, SVPP Partners have been deeply engaged in delivering help and value to nonprofits and the community at large. There has been great impact and experience to build upon for SVPP's future, but we also want to best utilize our unique model and resources to meet the greatest needs of the Portland area.
Deep Partner Value and Engagement. SVPP is deepening its knowledge of Partner interests, expertise and value to build a more responsive and energized Partnership community. Our Partnership demographic is changing – we now have an equal number of Partners over 50 as under, a growing number of Partners with children at home and a strong desire for integrated learning, giving and leading in community efforts.
Our goal of introducing our children to thinking philanthropically is to build a base at an early age so that their awareness will increase and will encourage them to take active part in our community. Since the concept of philanthropy is an abstract term, children will be introduced to it through opportunities that demonstrate caring and giving.
At SVPP's 2007 Annual Meeting, Dr. Donna Beegle spoke movingly about the experience of being in generational poverty and the mentors who helped her carve a career and path to economic security. She urged each of us at the time to become a mentor to someone experiencing the desperation of poverty. Now you can!