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2012 Metro Central enhancement grant awards

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Read about the grants awarded in the 2012 cycle to help residents of Northwest Portland enjoy vibrant, accessible and physically distinct places to live, work and play.

Metro Council sends Northwest Portland $69,900 to address community needs

Members of community organizations in Northwest and North Portland had their dreams come true last week, as the Metro Council approved $69,900 in grants for community projects.

The 15 improvement projects will benefit residents with after-school programming to bolster creativity, health and fitness; hot meals, a community garden and a food pantry to feed the hungry; training and equipment for volunteer rangers in the city’s largest park and more.

"Our schools, support services for families, infrastructure and a healthy environment have been essential to the quality of life that attracted us to our neighborhoods in the first place," said Metro Councilor Rex Burkholder, chair of the Metro Central grant selection committee and whose district includes Northwest and North Portland. "These grants support an intricate system that keeps our community strong and will fuel a good business climate."

The 2012 grant cycle marks the 18th year Metro has invested funds in the community through the Metro Central enhancement program. Since then, close to $3.2 million has been awarded to help fund 330 local improvement projects.

2012 slate of Metro Central enhancement grant awards

Chess for Success 
$2,000 – After-school chess club at James John Elementary School for 75 students

Children’s Relief Nursery   
$5,000 – Child-parent psychotherapy project serving 28 families and 20 foster care children and biological parents

Forest Park Neighborhood Association 
$5,500 – Training, equipment for 30 volunteers in Forest Park volunteer rangers’ park watch program

Friendly House, Inc. 
$7,410 – Scholarship support for after-school children’s programming and annual membership for disabled adults and low-income seniors

Girls on the Run 
$1,175 – Twelve-week self-esteem, life-skills after-school program for 15 third to fifth graders

Linnton Community Center  
$6,000 – Food items for emergency food pantry serving more than 5,500 residents

Loaves and Fishes 
$5,000 – Two Rivers onsite dining program serving 50 low-income seniors every weekday for 12 months

Northwest Portland Ministries
$5,345 – Support for a community garden for a food pantry serving 855 people each month and raised planters at a home for teenaged mothers serving approximately 100 residents a year

Open Meadow Alternative School 
$2,500 – Fitness and health program for 135 students four times a week

Pathfinders of Oregon 
$7,900 – Construction of outdoor play area for children and their teen parents completing high school education

Rebuilding Together Portland 
$5,500 – Free home repairs, rehabilitation services for up to three low-income elderly or disabled homeowners

St. Andrews Episcopal Pantry 
$501 – Tires and gasoline for van used to pick up 8,000 pounds of items donated monthly for 10,000 people served a year

Sauvie Island Center 
$7,126 – Two full-day field trips for farm-based educational program and two classroom visits for 214 third and fourth grade students

Store to Door of Oregon 
$5,000 – Weekly grocery shopping and delivery service for 60 low-income seniors or disabled people

Tears of Joy Theatre 
$3,902 – After-school art performance art and crafts program for 75 youth

Highlights of past grants awarded

During the 2011 funding cycle, Metro invested $68,500 into 12 local neighborhood improvement projects. Download the 2011 Grant Project Highlights report

During the 2010 funding cycle, Metro invested $105,000 into 27 local neighborhood improvement projects.  Download the 2010 outcomes summary

related documents

• 2011 Metro Central Outcomes Summary 279K Adobe Acrobat PDF
• 2010 Metro Central Outcomes Summary 242K Adobe Acrobat PDF