This content was published: December 10, 2003. Phone numbers, email addresses, and other information may have changed.
PCC awarded $400,000 by HUD
Photos and story by James Hill
PORTLAND, Ore. – Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced that Portland Community College has won a $399,880, three-year grant to bring employment and education skills to the Portsmouth neighborhood in north Portland.The PCC award, termed a Community Outreach Partnership Center grant, is part of $6.87 million in HUD grants to 20 colleges and universities in Arizona, California, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas and Washington."The recipients of these grants are key members of their communities, and this support will further enable them to support innovative community partnerships that strengthen the economic and social infrastructure of nearby distressed neighborhoods,"said Mel Martinez, HUD secretary.The Portsmouth Partnership involves a wide variety of PCC programs and community partners. Portsmouth’s public housing residents will be linked with college opportunities, and English as a Second Language courses will be offered in the community at the Goalpost One Stop, located at 8932 N. Woolsey Ave. Additionally, PCC’s Healthcare Interpreter Training program will conduct outreach in the community and develop student practicum placements in north Portland health clinics. The College’s Small Business Development Center will also provide community-based small business counseling and small business start-up classes. PCC-trained leadership mentors will assist community groups to establish ways for effective community organizing. Also, PCC’s service-learning program, which connects students and their coursework with volunteer opportunities in the community, will partner with neighborhood organizations. Plus, the college will partner with the Housing Authority of Portland, One Economy Corporation (a national nonprofit organization that uses technology to help low-income people build assets and raise their standard of living) and other service providers to assist residents to access housing and support services. The Portsmouth Neighborhood is located in an Enterprise Community and is traditionally one of Portland’s poorest neighborhoods, consisting of roughly 8,300 people.
About James Hill
James G. Hill, an award-winning journalist and public relations writer, is the Director of Public Relations at Portland Community College. A graduate of Portland State University, James has worked as a section editor for the Newberg Graphic... more »