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Pacific Power announces new grants focused on community enhancement and the environment
Funding helps local community organizations working to strengthen livability
in the greater Portland area
PORTLAND, Ore. (Feb. 2, 2023) — Every day, organizations across the greater Portland area are putting their hearts into projects and programs to nurture our local communities and care for the environment. These efforts weave together to create a stronger, more resilient future for the region.
The Pacific Power Foundation, a nonprofit arm of Pacific Power, is donating more than $164,000 in new grant funding across the three states it serves to support organizations committed to community enhancement and environmental respect. From improving access to affordable housing and workforce training to restoring watersheds and caring for neighborhood trees that bring environmental benefits to urban areas, this round of grants will underwrite a wide range of efforts that meet critical needs and improve local livability.
“We are inspired by these organizations, in towns large and small, that are working hard to lift up people in their communities and take care of the environment,” said Bob Gravely, Pacific Power regional business manager. “It is an honor to support this indispensable work, while helping to boost the growth and vitality of the communities we serve.”
This round of grants, focused on community enhancement and environmental respect, is one of the four grant cycles offered by the foundation annually.
The following 12 grants totaling $33,500 were given to Portland-area organizations:
1000 Friends of Oregon to support efforts to prioritize affordable housing in proximity to transit, walkable and bikeable neighborhoods through the Housing for Oregonians Made Easy (HOME) initiative.
Alder Commons for supplies and labor to build shelving and expand inventory for the community center’s multicultural and multigenerational library.
Columbia Insight for an educational series about recognizing and protecting biodiversity in the Columbia River Gorge.
Constructing Hope to support the pre-apprenticeship program that provides construction training and support for 100 unemployed Oregonians who are predominately people of color.
Free Geek for programs that collect, reuse and recycle computers and other technology devices and provide them to low-income people in the Portland area.
Friends of Trees to support projects that bring community members together with volunteer leaders to learn how to prune young street trees to help them thrive and provide environmental benefits to Northeast Portland neighborhoods for years to come.
Junior Achievement of Oregon & SW Washington to provide students from low-to-moderate income homes across Oregon with Junior Achievement in-class programs that help build financial and career skills.
Lloyd EcoDistrict for emergency preparedness workshops, training and supplies to help create a more resilient neighborhood.
Oregon Tradeswomen to support training, job placement and career support to help women build careers in skilled trades.
Proud Ground for education and counseling to help low-income homebuyers purchase their first home.
ReBuilding Center to help fund 30 free, home-repair classes serving over 300 low-income homeowners, helping them retain their homes and remain in their neighborhood.
Taking Ownership PDX for renovating and reviving black-owned homes, enabling homeowners to age in place, generate wealth and deflect neighborhood gentrification.
About the Pacific Power Foundation:
The Pacific Power Foundation is part of the PacifiCorp Foundation, one of the largest utility-endowed foundations in the United States. The foundation was created by PacifiCorp, an electric utility serving
2 million customers in six Western states as Rocky Mountain Power (Utah, Wyoming, and Idaho) and Pacific Power (Oregon, Washington, and California). The foundation’s mission, through charitable investments, is to support the growth and vitality of the communities served by Rocky Mountain Power and Pacific Power. Since it started in 1988, the PacifiCorp Foundation has awarded more than $60 million to nonprofit organizations. For more information, visit www.pacificpower.net/foundation.
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