Urban Mamas

Start cleaning your houses, basements, and garages of unwanted items and hard to recycle (non-curbside) recyclables so you can bring them to the annual Richmond Neighborhood Clean-up!

Did you know that the Richmond Cleanup is a win-win event for everyone involved? Not only do YOU get an affordable, centrally located location to get rid of unwanted items such as obsolete electronics or bulky block Styrofoam, but the Richmond Neighborhood also gets the opportunity to fundraise and support the neighborhood events you enjoy throughout the year!  Every car (or bike trailer!) that comes to the parking lot that day helps raise funds to support events such as Movies in the Park!

Don’t have any stuff to get rid of? Well you should still plan to drop by because back again this year are the ever-popular Plant Sale/Swap and U-Price it Sale!  The Plant Sale/Swap gets bigger each year and is a great opportunity to get affordable plants for your yard. The U-price is sale is an enormous neighborhood garage sale that overflows with usable household items that need a new home! Both are not to be missed!

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED. This event is only possible thanks to the fabulous support of our neighbors who give their time on Clean-up day to help divert people and stuff to their appropriate locations. We are always looking for enthusiastic folks who want to help out so please get in touch so we can add you to our list! (We’ll provide tasty food and beverages for your time!)

 

The details:

When: June 9,  2012    9:00 am – 1:00 pm

Where: Central Christian Church Parking Lot - 1844 SE Cesar Chavez Blvd, Portland

Items Collected: Bulky waste, metal, wood, non-curbside plastics, yard debris, styrofoam, computer monitors & accessories, televisions, small appliances, electronics, reusable household items, carpet pad, bicycles, & reusable remodeling materials.

For more information or to get on volunteer list: Email richmondcleanup@gmail.com or call Sabrina at 541-753-1027

ABSOLUTELY NO hazardous materials, paint, sod, or concrete

No curbside recyclables either please! (Take your cardboard, plastic plant pots, kittly litter buckets and paper out to the curb each week please!)

 

Socially-Conscious Fundraising Opportunities for your School or Community Group
Fundraise With a Purpose: Make Money for Your Organization While Supporting Fair Trade!

AWAZ Voice for Empowerment, a Portland-based social enterprise, is offering a unique way for your organization to fundraise with your values by connecting you with artisan run enterprises in India that produce handmade, Fair Trade products for your every day use.

Your PTA, school, church or other organization can raise money by selling fairly traded, everyday use items that are sourced ethically and help consumers shop responsibly. Whether you invite us to have a sale at one of your events or get your supporters to shop online, you earn money for your organization with every purchase.

These are some of the many ways we can partner to raise money for you

and support Fair Trade:

• Fundraiser Sale - we will come to  you at your school, office, congregation, home or other organization with our products and 15-20% of sales will benefit your organization or cause
• Our online referral program- we’ll track all the sales over a specific period of time from customers who enter your unique coupon code and give you 15% of the proceeds.
• Individual product fundraising
• Donating to a silent auction
• Holiday events/parties/sales - great for this upcoming Christmas Holiday!
• Co-sponsored educational events/talks with AWAZ and the Northwest Fair Trade Coalition

After spending years in India, AWAZ Founder and native Oregonian, Sarah Mitts, set up AWAZ Voice for Empowerment to raise awareness about global economic justice issues and create an outlet for responsible consumerism. We trade directly with small artisan run enterprises from India to bring you high quality, eco-friendly fashionable products that are sourced ethically and provide living wages for women and low income families in need. The artisans are organized into democratically-run cooperatives composed of women, disabled and marginalized groups who are able to earn a fair income through ethical channels and preserve traditional craft work. No Sweatshops. No Child Labor. Pure Goodness.

We offer a unique collection of functional, every day use items rich in India’s craft traditions that feature hand woven linens, block-printed fabrics and beautiful, intricate embroidery. With nearly 100 products to choose from, there is something for everyone!

We provide you all the support and materials to make your sale a success!

Let us know how we can help you set up a fundraiser that supports your organization through responsible shopping!

Check out AWAZ’s website and online shop to learn more:

http://www.voiceforempowerment.com/

http://www.voiceforempowerment.com/get-involved

 

Contact Details:

Sarah Mitts

Owner, AWAZ Voice for Empowerment

sarah@voiceforempowerment.com

503-970-5847

This weekend is going to be exciting! Children First for Oregon - an advocacy organization that has been speaking up for kids since 1991 - will begin filming our 20th Anniversary video this Saturday - and we want you to join us! The video will be an essential element of our 20th Anniversary celebration this fall, and will help to ensure that we can spend another 20 years advocating for policies that keep children healthy and safe, and strengthen families. (Learn more about Children First here: http://www.cffo.org/)

We will be filming this Saturday morning, the 13th of August, at Peninsula Park in North Portland. It's a beautiful location, with an extensive rose garden, a lovely fountain, a large stand of Douglas firs and play park. How can you help? Bring your kids! Bring yourself! Invite your friends!

Filming begins at 9:00 am and will go for about 3 hours, and we are more than happy to include you where we can if your schedule does not allow for that length of time. If you are available, please email Liz Harris at lizlux6@mac.com or Heather Zinger at hzinger1@gmail.com.

Our lovely film team, Liz and Heather, is looking to shoot children of all ages simply being themselves. The shoot is simple, with a few short statements to say (if your child is comfortable with it), a treasure hunt, and other activities. We also need a few adults in suits, in order to look serious and important, of course. There will be bottled water and fruit for refreshments, and the knowledge that you have helped Children First for Oregon speak up for kids for another 20 years.

Won't you join us? This is an entirely volunteer effort, representing the diversity and drive of our Oregon families. Together, we can make a create a better world for all Oregon's children and families.

Please join us on Friday, July 29th for a huge sale from 9 AM to 5 PM (EVERYTHING HALF PRICE AFTER 3 PM!!!) The sale will be located in the basement of the Village Free School which is at 8660 SE Foster Rd in Portland.

We have furniture, appliances, books, videos, fabric and crafting supplies, electronics, exercise and outdoor equipment, toys and games, clothing and shoes, and thousands of baby and children's items! If you have kids you don't want to miss this sale! CHILDCARE will be available on a donation basis for part of the day. We will also have baked goods, drinks and coffee!

This sale is a benefit for a local mom who needs to raise money for lawyer fees. She left an abusive relationship and was granted a restraining order, but now the ex has hired a lawyer to try to contest it and get unsupervised access to their son. Please come out and support this worthy cause!

-BIG LATCH ON

-AUGUST 6^TH 2011 AT 10:30AM

-VENUE- A. LINDAHL CREATIONS PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIO

 

On Saturday 6th August 2011 at 10:30am thousands of nursing women and their babies across the United States will gather in their own communities to take part in the Big Latch On, America’s first synchronized nursing event in multiple locations. Our local Big Latch On will take place at A. Lindahl Creations Photography studio located in SE Portland.  Call Amanda, the photographer, to get directions 503-828-8773. Come join us for coffee, muffins and a wonderful opportunity to spend time with other mother's to have a lot of fun.  For the month of August A. Lindahl Creations will promote and support breastfeeding by offering coupons to mom’s with breastfeeding babies.

 

The first record for a single location was from Berkeley, CA USA in 2002 where 1,130 mothers breastfed simultaneously. The international record for one location is 3,738 mothers held by the Philippines in 2006.  Since then, there have been several coordinated international events and in October 2010, 9,826 nursing mothers were recorded at 325 sites in 16 countries.

 

The Big Latch On is originally from New Zealand.  It was introduced to Portland, Oregon in 2010 by Joanne Edwards as a celebration for World Breastfeeding Week. During the same week Annie Brown, a La Leche League Leader from Connecticut organized a simultaneous breastfeeding event in her home state. For World Breastfeeding Week 2011, they are working collaboratively and with the support of La Leche League USA to bring the event across the country.

 

World Breastfeeding Week, August 1-7, is celebrated in 120 countries and marks the signing of the WHO/UNICEF document Innocenti Declaration, which lists the benefits of breastfeeding, plus global and governmental goals. 

 

Breastfeeding contributes to the normal growth and development of babies, and babies who are not breastfed are at increased risk of infant morbidity and mortality, adult obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and premenopausal breast cancer and ovarian cancer (both mom and baby.) The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding exclusively for the first six months of a baby's life to optimize these benefits, continuing to breastfeed for 2 years and as long thereafter as is mutually desired by mother and baby.

 

For more information:

Amanda Lindahl-Lemke

Http://www.alindahlcreations.com

503-828-8773

alindahlcreations@yahoo.com

www.lllusa.org/wbw/BigLatchOn.php

http://www.biglatchon.org

Imagine an Oregon where every child can read and is empowered to succeed.  Join more than 6,000 Oregon volunteers to read one-on-one with two K-3^rd grade children for 30 minutes each.  Help the SMART children you read with to select and take home new books every month to keep and read with their families.  The same hour every week, from NOW through May – that’s all it takes to make a difference and help Start Making A Reader Today! 

 For more information and to apply go to www.getsmartoregon.org or call Staci Sutton at 971-634-1616.

 Applications will be accepted year-round.

The Portland Bureau of Transportation announced that it is seeking new members for the Pedestrian Advisory Committee (PAC). The PAC advises the City of Portland – particularly the Bureau of Transportation – on matters that encourage and enhance walking as a means of transportation, recreation, wellness and environmental enhancement. The PAC is a 9- to 13-person committee that represents a cross-section of Portlanders, including walking and mobility advocates, neighborhood activists, environmental design professionals and citizens-at-large.

“With more than 160 cleanup and watershed projects scheduled throughout the state, this is a fantastic opportunity for all Oregonians to get involved in their community, and teach the next generation to care for the health of our local watershed and the beaches we all enjoy,” explains SOLV Executive Director Melisa McDonald.  Every year in September, SOLV volunteers join more than half-a-million people in 100 countries to remove millions of pounds of trash from beaches and waterways all over the world.  

 “Removing trash before it flows to the ocean from inland waterways, streets, and storm drains greatly benefits local communities, fish and wildlife,” says Program Coordinator Rachael Pecore. “Wildlife are particularly susceptible to the small bits of plastic trash which upon ingestion can accumulate and lead to starvation,” adds Pecore.  Last year, on Oregon’s beaches alone, 3,700 volunteers removed an estimated 54,460 pounds of trash. 

            Volunteers can find a cleanup project near them at www.solv.org or call 503-844-9571. Volunteers should dress for the weather, bring a reusable container for drinking water, a reusable bag or bucket for collecting trash, and a colander for sifting small pieces of plastic from sand along the beach or river shorelines.

Portland Sunday Parkways is a festival that brings the entire community together for 5 hours of car-free streets.  Over 125,000 people will walk, jog, bike, and stroll together on routes in NE, N, SE, E and NW Portland.  In each of these five events, our parks play a central role in hosting musicians, food vendors, picnics and fun activities.  Our first event is on Sunday, May 16 in NE Portland. 

In order to succeed in this huge event, we need the support of the entire community.  Over 300 volunteers assist in all aspects of the event, from park set up, to roving bike mechanics.  Our greatest need is for Intersection Superheros.  Every single intersection along the course must be monitored  by a volunteer.  The job is simple, but important - keeping event participants and local traffic living happily together.  In all, we need over 700 intersection shifts covered.

If you support Sunday Parkways and if this sounds like a fun idea, please click on the link above.

Thanks in advance from the Volunteer Team at Good Sport Promotion and the Options Group at the City of Portland's Bureau of Transportation.

HipMama, the alternative parenting magazine published here in Portland is hosting a Mother's Day Party on May 9th at the Q Center in Portland between 4-6pm.  Cost: kids free, adults $5-15 sliding scale.  There will be live music, arts/crafts/games for kids, vegan food, a silent auction and delicious homebrewed beer.  Please let us know if you are able to add this event to your calendar!  We would love it!

Additionally, we are looking for volunteers who could help with this event.  Interested folks can email volunteer@hipmamazine.com and we'll be in touch with them!  They can also call 503-956-2980.