This content was published: December 19, 2005. Phone numbers, email addresses, and other information may have changed.
PCC proves it has plenty of holiday cheer
Photos and story by James Hill
PCC staff and students were out in full force this holiday season, donating gifts, clothes and money to help those less fortunate.
Every year the college encourages staff to donate to selected agencies in the PCC community that need help as part of the annual Charitable Giving Campaign. Through this effort PCC staff and faculty opt to make deductions from their paycheck throughout the year. Last year, the college raised $10,000 for the selected charities and has garnered more than $14,000 in pledges for 2006.
The charities include Black United Fund of Oregon, Children’s Trust Fund of Oregon, Oregon Food Bank, Portland Women’s Crisis Line, Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, and United Way of the Columbia-Willamette.
“We only have to revisit Oregon’s budget difficulties of the past year to understand how much local agencies need the support of the PCC family,” said Randy McEwen, Vice President of Administrative Services. “Larger and larger numbers of Oregonians live in hunger; violence against vulnerable persons increases as basic services diminish. We are grateful for the support we receive from our community and we can be assured that these agencies will be grateful for whatever support we each are able to provide them now.”
On the campus scale, the giving is no less important. At the Rock Creek Campus, staff and faculty contributed gifts for Rock Creek student families, collecting presents for 35 children from 13 families. Also, through the campus’ holiday party, the Teaching Learning Center collected 232 pounds of food and raised $101 last year for the Oregon Food Bank. This year, the goal is to gather more than 200 pounds and $100.
The Sylvania Campus sponsored 30 families of PCC students this holiday drive, the sixth straight year this has happened. They also collected nearly $1,500 per holiday drive over the years that benefit those in need.
At the Cascade Campus the Women’s Resource Center raffled off nine baskets containing prizes with proceeds going toward adopting needy families for the holidays. Also, the Women’s Resource Center hosted a coat and hat drive for the homeless while the campus chapter of Phi Theta Kappa has to benefit the Sally McCracken House, local half-way house for recovering drug and alcohol addicts. Also, Cascade student government regularly collects clothing and food for migrant farm workers and American Red Cross.
Top Image: Sherry Dugan (executive assistant to the campus president), Becky Hughes (administrative assistant for the dean of instruction at Rock Creek), Kelly Marks (education program coordinator), Chris Edwards (speech instructor) and Anna Tannehill (administrative assistant for enrollment services) show off the food that staff donated at the Rock Creek Campus holiday party. They raised a record 365 pounds of foodand $180 for the Oregon Food Bank!
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 »