The Metro Central Enhancement Committee announced its decision to fund 11 local improvement projects totaling $377,406. Metro's grants range from $6,500 for classroom education and field trips for 200 third graders to $100,000 for tree plantings, with money also earmarked to provide hot meals for homebound seniors, capital improvements at community centers and more.
For more than 20 years, Metro’s Solid Waste Community Enhancement Program has supported neighborhoods in Northwest Portland and in the area surrounding the Metro Central Transfer Station.
Funding for the 2016 slate of awards is more than double the amount granted last year. The boost comes from increasing the fee collected – from $0.50 to $1 a ton – on waste brought to the Metro Central transfer station. Metro's committee also opted to dip into the fund balance in order to provide higher levels of funding than in the past.
Grant applications are reviewed and funding decisions are made by the Metro Central Enhancement Committee, comprised of representatives nominated by five neighborhood associations and one representative of environmental groups with an interest in the target area. Metro Councilor Sam Chase, whose district includes Northwest Portland, chairs the committee.
“Because we adjusted our collection rate for inflation and significantly reduced administrative costs, we have more than doubled resources available to the community,” Chase said. “When we support our communities doing this work, the results are often tremendous,” he said.
Projects selected seek to make the community a better place for residents by improving the environmental quality of the community, reducing waste and increasing recycling, improving property owned by nonprofit organizations, or by creating recreational opportunities or benefitting youth, seniors, low-income and other underserved communities.
Friendly House, a nonprofit neighborhood center and social service agency founded in 1930, is the recipient of two grants. The building itself, which has been in operation for more than 20 years, serves as a childcare center before and after school and through the summer and also as a space for community recreation and education.
“We have exercise classes, we have art classes, we have educational classes that we call Lifelong Learning,” said executive director Vaune Albanese. “The point is to bring the community in, to interact, to learn from one another and to build community."
Friendly House launched its health and wellness initiative in the spring of 2014 providing classes and workshops in strength training, karate and more. One grant, of $29,300, will go toward supporting that initiative for the next two years.
The grant will fund instructors and provide 100 memberships scholarships to low-income or disabled adults, older adults and youth, 200 scholarships for classes and workshops, engage 25 participants monthly in strength training classes and provide 25 youth with classes as Shotokan Karate Dojo.
“We have to charge for these classes because we have to keep our doors open,” she said. But with a grant like this, opportunities to take the classes open to many more people.
“These classes are relevant to people no matter what their income,” Albanese said.
The other grant, for $30,686, will bring much-needed repairs to the community center, built in the early 1990s, specifically the second-floor classrooms and bathrooms, Albanese explained, which have been “enthusiastically used” for 25 years, and show it. Additionally, an LED sign will be purchased for the building to inform the public of its many opportunities.
Linnton Community Center receives $64,344 in funds to construct a community teaching kitchen in the building. Dan Faccinetti, the center’s executive director, said the kitchen will serve as a community space and more.
“The space itself will have four different range ovens in it so it can be used by an entire class at the same time,” he said. The center will host classes and cooking demonstrations so people know how to prepare the food they receive from the center’s emergency food pantry.
“What we’ve done is put together a nutrition education program that focuses on teaching people how to use the fresh produce that we get here,” he said. “Empowering them to feed their families in a healthy way.” The center served more than 13,000 people last year.
“Everybody who uses the community center is going to benefit from this,” Faccinetti said. Until now the community center has not had a kitchen, besides the preschool’s, which is not accessible to anyone outside the preschool.
“Metro had more funds this year. The kitchen project is a big project, so we thought, this is a great opportunity for us to do this, which otherwise wouldn’t be available,” he said.
Faccinetti said one of the center’s goals is to connect more deeply with local farms.
“This will serve as a home base for that,” he said.
A full list of selected projects can be found below. Grant funds support year-long projects, unless otherwise noted.
Chapman Elementary School PTA $13,200
Funding supports creation of a memorial at Wallace Park in Northwest Portland to honor the life of Olivia Spencer, who attended Chapman Elementary School from 2009 until she passed away suddenly in December 2014.
Forest Park Conservancy $73,700
Two-year grant to implement restoration projects that enhance and restore Forest Park in areas adjacent to the Nothwest Industrial District in partnership with ten area businesses.
Friendly House two grants totaling $59,986
Provides two grants to replace cabinets and fixtures in after school program classrooms, install a readerboard sign to announce classes and events open to the public, and sponsor a health and wellness initiative with 100 membership scholarships to low-income or disabled adults, older adults, and youth, 200 scholarships for classes and workshops, and provide karate classes for 25 youth. The grant toward the health and wellness initiative is a two-year grant.
Friends of Trees $100,000
Two-year grant to plant and care for 400 trees in the Northwest Industrial District in partnership with City of Portland’s Bureau of Environmental Services and hold community presentations about the connections between human health and the environment.
Linnton Community Center $64,344
Linnton Community Center will construct a community teaching kitchen to provide cooking classes and demonstrations for how to prepare fresh food for the more than 13,000 community members who utilize the LCC’s emergency food pantry.
Meals on Wheels People $10,000
Supports the Elm Court Center, located in Southwest Portland, which serves and delivers more than 100,000 hot meals every year including to residents within the Metro Central target area.
Neighbors for Clean Air $28,500
Two-year grant for Understanding Air Pollution in NW Portland, a partnership between Neighbors for Clean Air and Portland State University faculty and students to study the spatial distribution of diesel particulate matter, hazardous air pollutant, in Northwest Portland and to identify pollution reduction priorities and develop engagement methods for pollution prevention.
Portland Harbor Community Advisory Group $11,173
Supports public outreach and engagement about the decision to select cleanup options for the Willamette River Portland Harbor Superfund site.
Sauvie Island Center $6,503
Funding will support classroom education and field trips to Sauvie Island Center and organic farm for 200 third grade students who attend James John and Chapman Elementary Schools.
Store to Door $10,000
Funding supports a volunteer-based grocery shopping and delivery service for homebound seniors and people with disabilities; 15 percent of the all Store to Door’s deliveries are in the Metro Central grant target area.