HISTORY OF NORTHWEST PORTLAND MINISTRIES

Northwest Portland Ministries (NWPM) was founded in 1979 by a group of lay people from churches and synagogues in Northwest Portland, as a way of providing assistance to neighborhood residents through coordinated volunteer efforts.

Northwest Portland is an urban area with a higher-than-average percentage of elderly and disabled persons, many of whom live in subsidized apartment buildings. The neighborhood also has a large number of faith-based organizations, whose members share an interest in improving the quality of life for all people in need. They had the vision to see that combining their efforts would make the best use of their resources.

Over the years, the original founders have been joined by additional religious and social service organizations. Today they form a unique interfaith organization whose efforts enhance the greater Portland community.

Initial activities included conducting food drives and distributing government food commodities, helping people connect with existing social services, and providing opportunities for neighborhood residents to socialize.

As volunteers became involved in the community, they saw the need to provide services unavailable through traditional sources. NWPM obtained a contract from Ride Connection, a division of Portland's public transit system, to provide transportation for those elderly and disabled persons who do not have their own cars and/or who are unable to manage public transit. NWPM successfully operates this transportation program through a combination of paid staff and volunteers.

Several years ago, NWPM entered a partnership with the Housing Authority of Portland (HAP) to provide socialization and other services to residents of HAP apartment buildings through an Adopt a High Rise program. Volunteers from churches and synagogues provide community-building and enrichment activities, including social events and classes. Volunteers observed, however, that organized group activities do not meet the needs of some people. There are many who do not participate in group activities, but who clearly could benefit from interaction with others.

In the course of their activities with NWPM, volunteers and staff have reported one-on-one connections made with the people with whom they come into contact. In the process of driving an elder to a doctor's appointment, for example, a volunteer learns that the elder is about to undergo surgery and will need assistance at home afterward. Our volunteers have also reported that many of the people they meet seem very lonely, and the social-service-agency members of the NWPM board have shared many stories of individuals whose isolation has resulted in disastrous situations that could have been avoided, if only someone had known what was happening. A recurring theme at meetings of the NWPM Board of Directors was a desire to add another, more personal element to the transportation and the adopt-a-highrise programs. Accordingly, NWPM applied for and received a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to establish a Faith in Action program that matches volunteers one-on-one with elderly and disabled persons in the community.

For almost 30 years, NWPM has shown its capacity for implementing and executing community programs. NWPM is a unique example of the strength and effectiveness of interfaith cooperation and dedication to the principle of neighbors helping neighbors.