Family affair (Jack Bog's Blog)

One of the real good guys on the Portland scene is Central City Concern, which (among other things) helps addicted people try to start better lives. CCC does everything from scooping inebriated people up off downtown streets (in the Chiers van) to providing alcohol- and drug-free housing for families in need. And it doesn't waste a lot of money doing these things -- CCC's always impressed me as a no-frills, strictly business kind of place.

They've got a special project going at the moment: They're asking people who can afford it to "adopt" one of their families for the holidays. The goal is for each donor to put together, for one of CCC's 97 resident families, the makings of a holiday meal and some modest gifts for the childen. An alternative option is just to provide the gifts, leaving out the food part.

You can read all about it here. It will take some time and money, but it will make you feel better than another designer whatever. I'm sure there's no rule against an office full of people teaming up to make a CCC family their own. So help them out if you can.

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Jack: Tried to send this by email, but got kicked back.

Here is our kudos to Central City Concern - from the College of Urban and Public Affairs at PSU.

CENTRAL CITY CONCERN
HONORED AS �URBAN PIONEER�

Portland State University � Central City Concern, a downtown Portland-based organization that focuses its work on helping people who are homeless and those with addictions improve their lives; will receive the 2005 Community Organization Urban Pioneer Award from the College of Urban and Public Affairs at Portland State University.

�Receiving the Urban Pioneer Award is confirmation of our commitment to help others,� said Richard Harris, Executive Director. �Most of the people who work for us are former clients or are in recovery, so it�s great for them to receive this recognition outside the organization.�

Central City Concern provides housing, counseling and needed support services to people who are dealing with the affects of addiction, mental illness or homelessness. For over 25 years, Central City Concern has managed housing, provided counseling services and given job counseling to thousands of clients. Recently, Central City Concern rehabilitated the Biltmore Hotel which has 76 rooms for residents.

�Central City Concern deserves this recognition for its many years of working to restore human dignity,� said Lawrence Wallack, Dean of the College of Urban and Public Affairs. �We are honoring an organization with a history of helping people improve troubled lives; an organization that continues to make counseling and housing available to people in recovery.�

Central City Concern has received national recognition for its recovery and housing programs, including an award from the Secretaries of Housing and Urban Development and Health and Human Services for its outstanding services to people who are homeless.

Central City Concern will be honored with retiring Portland Mayor Vera Katz, Volunteers of America � Oregon President and CEO Kay Toran in receiving the Urban Pioneer Awards at the 4th annual dinner and banquet April 13, 2005 at the Portland Hilton Hotel.

###

The Urban Pioneer Award was created to honor state and community leaders who exhibit many of the values taught to students, and held dear by its faculty and community partners. The College of Urban and Public Affairs trains and educates the next generation of leaders who will address government, health, and urban issues.

2004 Urban Pioneers:
Nohad A. Toulan Urban Pioneer for Public Service � Don Clark,
Civic Leadership � Barbara Farrow Walker
Community Organization � REACH Community Development, Inc.

Posted by John Ray | December 9, 2004 1:37 PM

I have also long admired CCC for sponsoring Recovery Association Project when they were getting started. The idea of trained, recovered addicts treating those trying to kick seems effective and has been. Willy Week did a great story on them a while back:

http://www.wweek.com/html2/leada120500.html

Matt

Posted by Matt | December 9, 2004 4:44 PM

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Tuesday, December 7, 2004

Family affair

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