In honor of Black History Month, we have chosen two organizations dedicated to the needs of Black Portland area residents. Dropoff will be on Saturday, Feb 27. You may sign up here.
The first organization is the North by Northeast Community Health Center:
North by Northeast Community Health Center is the only medical clinic in Oregon devoted to African American/Black health. We exist to improve health outcomes and advance health equity by offering primary care services and health education and promotion focused on the African American/Black community.
The items we need most are personal, feminine and dental hygiene supplies to stock our free bin. We anticipate we may be doing some large vaccine distribution days in the next few months, and we’d love to be able to give little care packages to folks when they get a vaccine. Here’s a specific list of things we could use:
Shampoo and conditioner
Liquid or bar soap
Hand or body lotion
Chapstick
Toothbrushes
Toothpaste
Dental Floss
Pads and tampons
Condoms
Cough drops
The second organization is Self Enhancement, Inc:
SEI is a comprehensive, one-stop resource for youth and families, primarily African Americans and others living in poverty or seeking culturally responsive services. It is also one of the city’s leading multi-service organizations, providing thousands of youth, families, and adults with a wide array of education and social services on an annual basis. SEI’s strength is in its ability to meet the complex needs of the children and families it serves, including helping people to overcome cultural, educational and economic barriers.
SEI is committed to helping youth and families realize their full potential. SEI believes that every child has a gift and that it is our shared responsibility to help every child find that gift. By expanding learning opportunities and teaching every child that “Life Has Options,” SEI is seeing amazing results proving that SEI is the solution.
SEI is seeking gift cards in any denomination and in a wide array of stores. They send them to their students to celebrate milestones, as well as using gift cards to supplement groceries for the food insecure. They recommend $10-25 cards for students, such as Amazon, Visa, or Starbucks; $50 and up for groceries with cards for Safeway, Fred Meyer, Target, or Visa.