Stories

Volunteerism

Volunteer during MLK Weekend of Service

Friday, Dec. 18, 2015

We know firsthand that nonprofits in our region rely on volunteers to meet their missions. What better way to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s legacy than to join more than 1,500 of your friends and neighbors and volunteer during United Way's MLK Weekend of Service.

Early Learning

Successful Families 2020 to Improve Graduation Rates for Kids of Color

Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2015

Dozens of community leaders gathered on November 9 to officially launch Successful Families 2020, a community partnership designed to improve graduation rates and college preparedness for kids of color in our region.

Housing Stability

Five Ways We Can Work Together to Reduce Poverty in Our Region

Friday, Oct. 16, 2015

Over 100,000 kids live in poverty, right here, in our region. It's an issue we can't afford to ignore. That’s why we set an audacious goal - cut poverty in our four counties in half by 2025.

Early Learning

Community Collaboration Delivers Mobile Libraries to Child Care Providers

Thursday, Oct. 8, 2015

The evidence is resounding - early exposure to books is critical to a child’s long-term educational success. When kids start school behind, they rarely catch up. A unique partnership between Washington County Cooperative Library Services, Community Action and Early Learning Washington County - an initiative co-led by United Way - is working to close the gap.

Corporate Partner Spotlight: Wells Fargo

Tuesday, Sep. 29, 2015

You may see a bank. We see a philanthropic community superhero. For six years in a row, Wells Fargo has led the largest United Way workplace giving campaign in the United States. In 2014, employees donated a whopping $97.7 million to 30,000 nonprofits and schools across the nation.

Meet Petrona

Friday, Aug. 28, 2015

This fall Petrona will be the first member of her family to attend college, a future that she hadn’t considered until she received mentorship and support from Adelante Mujeres, a United Way Community Strengthening partner that provides education and empowerment opportunities to low-income Latina women and their families.

United Way Partners Transform the Sugar Shack into Community Space

Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2015

A neighborhood rallies to buy a derelict strip club, then turns it into community space. It’s not a movie plot - yet. It’s real life, and it’s happening in Portland.

United Way Organizes Nonprofit Partners into Powerful Regional Cohort

Friday, Jul. 31, 2015

When you fill a room with nonprofits who achieve outsized outcomes, the air takes on a special electricity. This scenario plays out regularly here at United Way of the Columbia-Willamette, and we’ve been working hard to harness the transformative energy.

Donor Spotlight: Laveta Moles

Monday, Jul. 6, 2015

The longtime United Way supporter and 20-year veteran team member at Far West Recycling is determined to pay it forward.

Financial Education Classes Provided for Somali Bantu Refugee Families

Thursday, Jun. 11, 2015

On a warm June morning, a small community room in Beaverton is alive with chatter. A group of Somali Bantu women in vibrant dresses are pouring tea and coffee for one another, doling out small pastries and carrying on spirited conversation, laughing and speaking with waving hands and animated expressions. 

Volunteerism

Volunteers Transform Glenfair Elementary on Comcast Cares Day

Friday, May. 29, 2015

On April 25, over 350 volunteers applied a formidable amount of elbow grease to dozens of projects at Glenfair Elementary, one of 11 elementary schools in the Reynolds School District.

Is Breaking The Cycle of Childhood Poverty Really Possible?

Wednesday, May. 13, 2015

Before you read another word, let me confess that I don’t have the answer to the title of this post. You’re not going to find a magical silver bullet in these words that will heal a complex and systemic, yet very personal challenge, facing our community. There are those with far more expertise who can attempt to address that subject.

Early Learning

United Way of the Columbia-Willamette Launches "Infant at Work" Program

Monday, Apr. 27, 2015

Early Learning

Early Literacy Kits Help Prepare Kids for Kindergarten

Monday, Apr. 27, 2015

Studies show that the development of early literacy skills through early experiences with books and stories is directly linked to a child's success in learning to read. But in low income neighborhoods, there’s an average of just one book for every 300 children.