Good neighbors: How a SW Portland church is building homes and hope
Last month, members of Greater Portland Bible Church (GPBC) spent a day at Gooseberry Trails — helping to frame some of the 52 affordable homes rising just steps from the church’s own front door. As they worked alongside Habitat staff to form walls and install joists for building 14, GPBC members traded stories of the land. Some could remember parking their cars decades ago in the very place they now stood. Others recalled helping at Habitat’s earlier Trillium Court community. […]
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Habitat Portland Region appoints three new board members
Habitat for Humanity Portland Region proudly announces the appointment of three new members to the board of directors. This brings the total number of board members to 23. Joining the board of directors are Amy Malagamba (The Standard), Gabriela Mann (The GM Group), and Youtheary Sim (Sweet T Bakery). Nancy Lee continues to serve as […]
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Framing is in full swing at Gooseberry Trails!
The first homes are rising at Gooseberry Trails, Habitat Portland Region’s largest community yet! After months of site development, this neighborhood is buzzing with activity as trades and volunteers begin framing the first of the future 52 homes. Framing is in full swing “It’s really exciting to see future homes finally go up. It really […]
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Sarah’s ReStore story: finding joy and strength
On a recent sunny Saturday in Gresham, Sarah Cox helped represent Habitat at a community event. She’s been volunteering for nearly a year, mostly at the Gresham ReStore and occasionally on the construction side. Sarah describes the volunteer experience by drawing an infinity symbol in the air with her finger. “I’m able to give into something that’s bringing some spirit back into my […]
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One Habitat Family
It only took a few days for new connections to start feeling like old friends. Last month, Habitat for Humanity Portland Region staff welcomed three members of Habitat El Salvador’s Resource Development team, Vanessa Albanez, Hazel Bolanos, and Roberto Vasquez, to Portland. As staff gathered to meet them, we shared pupusas, El Salvador’s national dish, […]
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Construction update: summer build season is heating up!
From breaking ground to finishing punch-lists, our sites across the Portland region are buzzing with activity. Have a look at where things stand this summer and what’s on the horizon. Myrtlewood Way — Gresham After more than two years of development, Myrtlewood Way is in its home stretch. Twelve of the twenty homes in the […]
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Celebrating our volunteers and the Brauner Circle of Volunteer Excellence
Every summer, we get to do one of our favorite things: gather with the volunteers who make this work possible and say thank you. On a sunny afternoon at Willamette Park, volunteers from our construction sites and ReStores filled the picnic shelter. People played cornhole, shared sandwiches and sweets, and enjoyed a perfect summer day […]
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Giving back is a way of life for Ambassador Council Chair Claire Leipzig
Claire remembers the satisfaction she felt serving meals at Grace Church with her mother as a child. In high school, she volunteered with Bike First, a Portland organization that teaches people with intellectual and developmental disabilities how to ride bikes independently. When she went to college in New Orleans, she volunteered with an organization in the Ninth Ward that put on musical productions for children with […]
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Preparing to welcome homeowners at West Lake Grove
One year after volunteers raised the first wall with the construction crew, all 23 homes in West Lake Grove are framed. March was packed with progress, bringing this serene, green community closer to welcoming homeowners. Volunteers made a major impact on this community, building 10 of 23 homes and contributing 13,378 hours in the last year. West Lake Grove milestones: “It’s an […]
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Metal with meaning: one volunteer’s impact
Written by volunteer Wendi Frith Samuel Rugi is a scrappy guy with some serious mettle. And metal. When most people think of Habitat for Humanity, construction comes to mind. But Samuel, a regular volunteer at Habitat Portland Region ReStores, focuses on something a bit different: deconstruction. “Around Thanksgiving, I dismantled a Maytag Electric Wall Oven Microwave Combo,” […]
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