Real Stories of Real People

Family Exiled to Rockwood
One mother is reeling from the effect of having to move out of the neighborhood around the Portland Kids office to the Rockwood area of Gresham. This is a dangerous place to raise a 12 year old daughter, but it is the only choice she has been given by the county social services. She called recently to seek help. Her daughter's anger issues flared up and the new school setting has been unsettling. Her request for support has helped her work through some of the emotional and safety issue snow facing her family. Her daughter is in our Jr. Counselor mentoring program to gain added support.

Disney Trip Program Update
The families who are in our Disney Trip program... those who are learning the skills of financial freedom... are fully engaged in helping raise money, continue with their family savings program, working in the community service arena, and helping their community look better. They receive monthly updates on their progress and have begun signing up for our December fund-raiser, wrapping books at Barnes and Noble in Clackamas, to help raise money for this exciting trip.

Catalyst for Transformation
One family who has been in our program for two years now continually struggles with the father's emotional collapses. Just as things seem to be getting better, this father acts inappropriately, he loses his job, and the family recoils from the uncertainty created by living in a sheltered world where they let no one else inside. This father called Dr. Bretsch on the telephone in July and asked for help. Since that time and after numerous counseling sessions, he has begun to grasp his own significance and has begun to build his own self-confidence and self-esteem. The family is thriving. The daughter is on her middle school volleyball team and is actively inviting (a new occurrence) people to come and watch her play. This amazing transformation has given them the courage to join with a church and allow other support systems to help build their family strength.

Imago Dea Partners with Portland Kids
Imago Dea, a community church in S.E. Portland, has partnered with Portland Kids to provide service outlets for individuals wishing to make a difference in people's lives. This church is active in seeking financial justice for the poor living in our communities and is asking us to join them in helping these families learn job skills and secure jobs in order to avoid being displaced into increasingly dangerous centers of poverty and crime in east county. We are working closely with their vision to help the families we serve.

Thank You Volunteers!
Volunteers are the lifeblood of any non-profit organization. This summer we had volunteers from Payette, Idaho Nazarene and Portland First Nazarene come to paint and upgrade our facility. We've had ladies making Barbie Dolls and sewing clothes for each doll to give our girls at Christmas, and we've had volunteers come to cook and prepare food for our various activities! Thanks so very much for your incredible help.