Our 2011 Holiday Giving Campaign was a great success thanks to you, our generous readers! We decided to run two campaigns this past year, one through JOIN to help a local homeless family move into stable housing, and one through Mercy Corps to help alleviate the devastating, ongoing suffering in the Horn of Africa. More…

Category: Charitable Giving, Metro Parent // Posted on January 23, 2012 // Leave a Comment

Our holiday giving campaign is in full swing, with two wonderful ways to contribute, and to sweeten the deal we’re giving away five $20 gift cards to John’s Incredible Pizza to the first five readers who donate $25 or more to one (or both!) of them. More…

Category: Charitable Giving // Posted on December 7, 2011 // Leave a Comment

You’ve probably heard the expression, “Think globally. Act locally.” We think that’s a wonderful way of approaching life, but this holiday season, we’d like to take it to the next level by saying, “Think globally AND locally, then act on both fronts as well!”

That’s why our 2011 Holiday Giving Campaign has two components -– one focused on local families in need, the other on starving families living on the Horn of Africa. Here’s the scoop: More…

Category: Charitable Giving, Metro Parent // Posted on November 7, 2011 // Leave a Comment

A few weeks ago we asked readers to help us support Mercy Corps’ efforts in Somalia, where over 30,000 children have died in the past several months because of the country’s worst drought in 60 years. Metro Parent and our sister publication, Portland Woman, have pledged to match your donations up to $1,500, for a total contribution of $3,000. So far, our generous readers have donated over $1,000, but we’re eager to meet our goal as soon as possible.

To offer some incentive, we’re giving away two $20 gift cards from John’s Incredible Pizza! More…

Category: Charitable Giving, Contests // Posted on September 19, 2011 // 1 Comment

We’re matching donations to Mercy Corps

Nearly everyone we know has been impacted by the current recession. Friends, neighbors, relatives and acquaintances have been laid off or taken pay cuts. Our 401(k) plans have tanked. We worry about whether our children will be able to go to college. We agonize over the very future of our country.

But none of us has endured what the women of Somalia are experiencing. More…

Category: Charitable Giving // Posted on August 22, 2011 // Leave a Comment

It’s that time again — time to shop for school supplies. While you’re at it, why not pick up some extra supplies to donate to a teacher or a student in need?

Teachers often spend their own money for classroom supplies, and many schools and organizations collect supplies for students who can’t afford them. Where to donate you ask? The choice is yours: More…

Category: Charitable Giving // Posted on August 15, 2011 // Leave a Comment

Like many others who attended public school in Multnomah County, McKenzie Fletcher has fond memories of Outdoor School. But it’s more than just memories of good times spent in the woods with friends. McKenzie, a recent Wilson High graduate, says Outdoor School had a significant, positive impact on her life, and on the lives of many of her peers.

“When kids get to use their senses to learn about things it sparks their curiosity and it makes them want to learn,” she says. “That’s not something you can get in a classroom. More…

Category: Charitable Giving, Education, Events/Performances // Posted on July 11, 2011 // 1 Comment

In the wake of the catastrophic earthquake and tsunami in Japan, most international relief efforts are focused on getting basic necessities to the country’s survivors. Now Mercy Corps is adding another essential relief program to the mix, providing post-trauma assistance to Japanese children using Comfort for Kids, a program that builds local communities’ ability to help children recover from the emotional effects of a large-scale disaster. More…

Category: Charitable Giving // Posted on March 28, 2011 // Leave a Comment

For our December issue, we spoke with Craig Kielburger, a passionate and compassionate young man who founded the international nonprofit Free the Children when he was 12 years old.

If you want to raise kids who care and contribute, Kielburger — who recently co-authored the book The World Needs Your Kid: Raising Children Who Care and Contribute (Me to We Books, 2010) — recommends you More…

Category: Charitable Giving // Posted on December 13, 2010 // 2 Comments

Three years ago, Metro Parent started a holiday tradition of partnering with our generous readers to raise enough money to get one local homeless family off the streets and into stable housing through local nonprofit JOIN. (In 2008 we raised enough money to get TWO families into stable housing!)

Will you help us? More…

Category: Charitable Giving // Posted on November 22, 2010 // Leave a Comment

RUN FOR THE ARTS

On Friday my husband and I are looking forward to a rare early evening date, thanks to a package we purchased at the school auction in March. The fourth grade teachers at my son’s school are hosting an arcade-movie-pizza outing for eight fourth graders. Cost for each student was $50. It was basically a donation to the school Foundation (which pays for our full-time librarian, among other staff positions), with the added bonus of a great experience for our son and a date night for Mom and Dad.

Last Thursday my son’s school participated in Run for the Arts. On Saturday we ate at Laughing Planet on SE Belmont, where they generously donated 20 percent of sales for the day to our school. On Sunday, we bought some books on Amazon.com, with a portion of the sale going More…

Category: Charitable Giving // Posted on April 21, 2010 // 3 Comments

GSP and FAIS students practice for their benefit concert on March 4.

When students at the German American School of Portland (GSP) heard about January’s devastating earthquake in Haiti, they asked themselves and their Head of School, “What can we do to help?” Brainstorming with students from the French American International School (FAIS), and music teachers Nathan Conant and David Olson, they decided to hold a joint benefit concert.

That concert is scheduled for Thursday, March 4 at 1:20 pm.

Both schools strive to teach cross cultural awareness and make students aware of global issues. “Our kids are More…

Category: Charitable Giving, Events/Performances // Posted on March 3, 2010 // Leave a Comment