The COVID-19 epidemic has caused disproportionate devastation for communities of color. Bahia Overton, Executive Director of Black Parent Initiative, recently shared a personal story about her cousin who was diagnosed with COVID-19… and the insufferable process that her family experienced to receive the care that was readily offered to white patients.  Read More »

Our Community Partners are on the front lines addressing the challenges brought on by COVID-19, as well as the anguish spurred by the killing of George Floyd. We recently had the opportunity to hear directly from two of them: the Executive Directors of Portland Children’s Museum and Black Parent Initiative (BPI). Learning from the expertise and wisdom of community leaders was incredibly powerful. Read More »

The COVID-19 pandemic has made clear the critical need for a quality preschool system. As the economic crisis deepens and closures have threatened the supply of child care and preschool providers, our families, community, and economy need Preschool for All now more than ever. SVP Partner and Preschool for All Co-Chair Mark Holloway offers an update on Multnomah County's Preschool for All initiative. Read More »

For so many organizations across the country, coronavirus has shifted business as usual. But “business as usual” takes on a different meaning when you’re serving the families and communities in which you belong. That was the case for SVP Portland’s (SVP) Community Partner, Latino Network, which works to positively transform the lives of Latinx youth, families, and communities. Read More »

We are living in a time of outrage and unrest, as George Floyd’s murder reminds us of the deep and systemic racial inequities in our country. As the white stepmother of a mixed-race child, Sarah Cohen-Doherty, Community Impact Manager, reflects on her personal equity journey and how she is responding to the current tensions of today. Read More »

Almost five years after our investment with Adelante Mujeres ended, we are thrilled to announce the opening of their new Early Childhood Education classrooms in Forest Grove! Their early childhood education program has more than doubled in size and the organization itself has grown significantly. Adelante is providing direct services to more than 9,000 people, serving close to 10% of the Latinx population in Washington County. Read More »