Portland Impact
Encyclopedia
Portland Impact is the former name of a nonprofit social service agency based in Portland, Oregon
. It now conducts business as Impact NW.
Their mission is to help people achieve and maintain self-sufficiency and to prevent and alleviate the effects of poverty.
They were founded in 1966 as Portland Action Communities Together, Inc. (PACT). The four neighborhoods of Brooklyn
, Sunnyside
, Richmond
and Buckman
came together and created the agency to address the growing poverty in Southeast Portland. In 1986 PACT changed their name to Portland Impact, to prevent any confusion with the political lobbying groups known as “PACS.” More recently, their name was changed to Impact NW to reflect the broader geographical region they now serve.
Groups served by Impact NW include families, children, seniors and adults with disabilities. Their main programs include: “Housing and Safety Net Services,” encompassing transitional housing and rental assistance, utility assistance, referrals and access to food and clothing for homeless families; “Early Childhood & Family Services,” which provide educational and supportive services to low-income families with children 0-5 years of age; "Youth & Family Services,) which include mentoring at-risk youth, extended-day programming at area public schools, the Urban Opportunities job readiness program, and the Kids on the Block Awareness Project; and “Seniors and Adults with Disabilities Services,” including advocacy/case management, meal provision, money management, and transportation assistance.
Impact NW operates in Multnomah, Clackamas and Washington County, Oregon and Clark County, Washington through these regional centers:
Impact NW also provides services and case management for families, seniors and adults with disabilities at certain housing facilities in partnership with Home Forward (formerly known as the Housing Authority of Portland) including:
Additionally, Impact NW's Schools Uniting Neighborhoods (SUN)Community Schools provide access points for many anti-poverty services. They include Buckman Arts Magnet Elementary School, Woodmere Elementary, Kelly Elementary, Harvey Scott K-8, Harrison Park School, Marysville School, Whitman Elementary, and Franklin High School. They also provide services as SHINE at Barnes Elementary in Beaverton, OR.
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. It now conducts business as Impact NW.
Their mission is to help people achieve and maintain self-sufficiency and to prevent and alleviate the effects of poverty.
They were founded in 1966 as Portland Action Communities Together, Inc. (PACT). The four neighborhoods of Brooklyn
Brooklyn, Portland, Oregon
Brooklyn is a mostly residential neighborhood in southeast Portland, Oregon. It sits along the east side of the Willamette River in the vicinity of Reed College...
, Sunnyside
Sunnyside, Portland, Oregon
Sunnyside is a neighborhood in the south east section of Portland, between SE Stark St. and SE Hawthorne Blvd. and from SE 28th Ave. to SE 49th Ave....
, Richmond
Richmond, Portland, Oregon
Richmond is a neighborhood in the Southeast section of Portland, Oregon. It borders Sunnyside on the north, Mt. Tabor and South Tabor on the east, Creston-Kenilworth on the south, and Hosford-Abernethy on the west....
and Buckman
Buckman, Portland, Oregon
Buckman is a neighborhood in the Southeast section of Portland, Oregon. The neighborhood is bounded by the Willamette River on the west, E Burnside St. on the north , SE 28th Ave. on the east, and SE Hawthorne Blvd...
came together and created the agency to address the growing poverty in Southeast Portland. In 1986 PACT changed their name to Portland Impact, to prevent any confusion with the political lobbying groups known as “PACS.” More recently, their name was changed to Impact NW to reflect the broader geographical region they now serve.
Groups served by Impact NW include families, children, seniors and adults with disabilities. Their main programs include: “Housing and Safety Net Services,” encompassing transitional housing and rental assistance, utility assistance, referrals and access to food and clothing for homeless families; “Early Childhood & Family Services,” which provide educational and supportive services to low-income families with children 0-5 years of age; "Youth & Family Services,) which include mentoring at-risk youth, extended-day programming at area public schools, the Urban Opportunities job readiness program, and the Kids on the Block Awareness Project; and “Seniors and Adults with Disabilities Services,” including advocacy/case management, meal provision, money management, and transportation assistance.
Impact NW operates in Multnomah, Clackamas and Washington County, Oregon and Clark County, Washington through these regional centers:
- Brentwood-Darlington Community Center, 7211 SE 62nd Avenue
- SE Multicultural Service Center, 4610 SE Belmont
- Dancing Tree Family Center, 10055 E Burnside
Impact NW also provides services and case management for families, seniors and adults with disabilities at certain housing facilities in partnership with Home Forward (formerly known as the Housing Authority of Portland) including:
- Richmond Place, 4141 SE Division
- Dahlke Manor, 915 NE Schuyler
- Holgate House, 4601 SE 39th
- Northwest Towers, 335 NW 19th
- Unthank Plaza, 2500 N Williams
Additionally, Impact NW's Schools Uniting Neighborhoods (SUN)Community Schools provide access points for many anti-poverty services. They include Buckman Arts Magnet Elementary School, Woodmere Elementary, Kelly Elementary, Harvey Scott K-8, Harrison Park School, Marysville School, Whitman Elementary, and Franklin High School. They also provide services as SHINE at Barnes Elementary in Beaverton, OR.
In 2010-11, the agency’s annual operating budget exceeded $8.5 million. Operating with a staff of 160, and 2,600 volunteers they report serving over 60,000 residents of the Portland Metro area yearly.
As of January 1, 2009, the agency is known as Impact Northwest, and more recently Impact NW.
External links
- Official site
- Grant to increase AmeriCorps presence in SUN communities, East County News
- Former meth addict unable to work, but she’s building a life for her son, The Oregonian
- City honors those who help their neighbors, The Oregonian
- Portland Impact offers housing benefits to employees, The Homestreet Bank