This time of year at Pride Foundation is all about celebrating the meaningful work of our dedicated grantees!
In Oregon we had two celebrations in Portland and Eugene to do just that. Last year’s theme was so special we decided to keep it around–“Watering the Seeds of Change.” We hope all of our grantees will water the seeds of change for many more years to come!
Our first celebration kicked off in Portland at the locally owned Local Lounge. The owner – Randy, a member of the LGBTQ community himself – was happy to host our grantees and made a specialty cocktail just for us, benefiting Pride Foundation. At the event, our Portland grantees were able to meet one another and talk about the work they’re doing, the needs of the movement, and possible points of collaboration. We are so proud of our grantees based in the Portland—CAUSA, Friendly House’s Gay and Grey, Oregon Safe Schools and Communities Coalition, PFLAG Black Chapter, TransActive, Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, Educate Ya, and Strength for the Journey.
Our Eugene event was hosted for the second year in a row at the inventive and locally owned Pizza Research Institute. Former and present grantees, community leaders, and volunteers were all on hand to help us celebrate our Mid-Willamette Valley, Coastal, and Southern Oregon grantees: Klamath Basin Lamdas, Lotus Rising Project, Pride Day Equality Project, and PFLAG Oregon Central Coast.
It was a lovely time of fellowship, laughter, and a reiteration of the impactful work our grantees are doing for the LGBTQ and allied community in Eugene and Oregon at large. Together, they are making each day a little better than the last.
While we are so proud of our 2013 grantees, we realize that those most vulnerable in our community still need access to basic support and services in the areas of employment, education, housing, and health care. At Pride Foundation, we will not stop until everyone can live freely, safely, and with full dignity and protection. We’re so glad to have you on board to help us in our collective pursuit of equality for our community. Thank you to everyone in Oregon who has made our work a reality—donors, volunteers, scholars, and grantees; here’s to you.
If you have additional questions or would like to get more involved with Pride Foundation in Oregon, contact Jett, Regional Development Organizer in Oregon at jett@pridefoundation.org.