The public is invited to come explore 20 exciting, local inventors as they showcase their work at OMSI this Saturday, May 3rd from 10 am to 3 pm. There will also be many speakers and workshops for aspiring inventors! Admission is a suggested $5 donation to the Micro-enterprise Inventor’s Program of Oregon, a 501(c)(3) non-profit program.  For more information about this annual event please visit our website: http://www.mipooregon.org/showcase.html. 

Sarah H. Keefe

Assistant Director of Media & Communications/ AmeriCorps VISTA ONABEN | 11825 SW Greenburg Rd., Suite B-3 | Tigard, OR 97223 | 503.968.1500

Polish the Pearl Polish the Pearl is the hip place to be seen on Saturday May, 10 2008. From 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM it’s cool to wear bright orange vests and carry a sack of trash. Volunteers will meet at Peet’s Coffee ( 1114 NW Couch) at 8:30 AM to get a burst of energy necessary to lug heavy trash bags. It’s also a great way to devise a plan of attack. Gather supplies from the hearty lode and set off with a map in hand to make the Pearl Sparkle. We’ll start at Burnside and work our way through the North Pearl and clean the area bounded by I-405 and Broadway. Bridgeport Brewpub will host volunteer appreciation and an event recap. Why don’t you give it a whirl and Polish the Pearl?

Are you curious about co-housing opportunities in Portland? Columbia Ecovillage is a forming co-housing community in NE Portland with an existing urban permaculture farm managed by the Portland Permaculture Institute. Go to www.columbiaecovillage.com for more information about the community, or come to our upcoming informational meeting:

Date: Sunday, May 4th

Time: 3-5 PM (formal presentation followed by discussion)

Place: Kennedy School, NE 33rd north of Killingsworth

Come meet the members and find out more about this unique opportunity to live your values in a supportive, sustainable community.

COUNCIL FOR THE HOMELESS

VANCOUVER HOUSING AUTHORITY

JOB TITLE:                 HMIS Coordinator                                           

SALARY  RANGE:      $3116 - $4673 per month

STATUS:                     Full time

CLOSING DATE         May 7, 2008

Accepting Resumes and Conducting Interviews for Americorps*VISTA Position: Special Events and Community Relations Specialist

Organization: Step It Up, Inc. Organizational Mission: Our mission is to inspire the belief that all young people deserve a chance to prove their abilities and follow their career dreams. We achieve our mission by engaging low-income high school freshman and sophomores from Portland, Oregon with career exploration workshops and field trips; connecting juniors with a business partner for training and mentoring during a summer internship; and providing older program participants with education and career achievement support until age 25.

Make a difference and gain professional experience! SE Works is looking for a creative and resourceful individual to serve as the Development Specialist for our English as a Second Language (ESL) Program. The preferred candidate will have experience working with ESL adults, strong organizational abilities, excellent interpersonal communication skills, and an interest in developing sustainable resources. This is a full-time AmeriCorps*VISTA position and the individual will serve from August 11, 2008 to August 17, 2009. Learn more about AmeriCorps*VISTA at www.americorps.org.

PEEPs (Portland Environmental Engagement Program) is a summer program for middle school boys and girls, focusing on environmental projects and service experiences.  The counselors will help plan and lead daily activities with the youth, and represent PEEPs and Northwest Service Academy at community events.

  Background in environmental education is required.  Experience with middle school youth, knowledge of Pacific Northwest ecology, and Wilderness First Aid certification are preferred.

  The term for these AmeriCorps positions is June 9 – August 22.  Benefits include a monthly stipend of $979 (before taxes), a $1250 education award, health insurance, and loan forbearance.

Transition Projects, a non-profit agency serving people who are homeless and at-risk of homelessness, seeks an experienced human resource professional to lead its HR program. This position is responsible for employee recruitment, union negotiations, benefits, and coordinating trainings. This is a half-time position. See below for a full job description.

Please have at least two years HR experience; experience working in a union environment; excellent organizational and communication skills; and desire to work in an agency that serves homeless adults. To apply, send cover letter and resume to [email protected]. For phone inquiries, call 503 823 4930, ext. 205. Position closes May 9, 2008.

A special reminder from the Portland Schools Foundation to consider and apply for Round 2 of the Schools-Families-Housing Community Grants (deadline: noon, May 15th), designed to attract and keep young people in public schools. Please forward to your networks. Smaller, community-based nonprofits and schools are encouraged to apply.

Key dates: *Before May 15th: call for technical assistance. *May 15th, noon: deadline. *Awards out early July, 2008. Go to www.thinkschools.org for more information.

Do you know your way around a children’s play?  Love to regale children with stories, music or art?  Are you an expert in dance, comedy or woodworking? Help us enliven the summer for kids at our Community Center!  The Vancouver Housing Authority, RISE & STARS Community Center is seeking proposals from experienced members of the community for after-school and summer workshops, activities or classes to enrich the lives of children (ages 5-19) residing in Vancouver public housing.

Proposed activities must be appropriate for small groups, and will be conducted on-site at the Community Center.  Preference will be given to those candidates offering activities that engage youth in healthy movements and are creative and cooperative.

Sunshine Division is an 85-year-old emergency food and clothing nonprofit organization in unique partnership with the Portland Police Bureau. Sunshine provides Portlanders in need with food and clothing services 24 hours a day and 365 days per year. Each year Sunshine Division collects and distributes to those in need, 1.5 million pounds of food.

We are calling on all friends of Sunshine Division to help us meet an urgent and growing need for emergency food in our community.

Help adolescent girls get a solid start!  We are looking for responsible adults with sound judgment to provide safe, temporary homes for youth (ages 16-24) enrolled in our independent living/transitional programs.  Youth Progress Association's Mariposa Program provides gender specific support and the opportunity for female youth to grow into productive young women by building self-confidence, encouraging empowerment, and emphasizing independent living skills.  YPA is looking for individuals with the desire to teach life skills to adolescent females who can:

Successfully pass a criminal background check 

Museum of Contemporary Craft is Seeking Volunteers!

Unpacking: Celebrate a Year of Rediscovery Annual Gala

On Saturday, July 12th, the streets around the Museum will be closed for a benefit gala: an evening of fine dining, auction, and live music. Volunteers are needed to assist with all levels of the festivities, including, but not limited to: check-in, auction, gallery security, hosting, and Museum information. Join the Museum’s staff and board in celebration of the first anniversary of the Museum’s move to its new location and the release of the first publication about the Museum’s collection, titled Unpacking the Collection.

Date: Saturday, July 12, 5-9 PM Shifts: 10:00 AM-2:00 PM (set-up), 4:30-9:30 PM & 7:30 PM-12:00 AM