Project Hope Portland

We've moved!

2010-10-22T10:41:00.000-07:00

We've incorporated our blog in our newly redesigned website! Please visit us at Project Hope Portland! Please change your bookmarks.

We'll also be adding a live inventory list of our electronic stock.

Our Hi-Tech Mascot

2010-08-18T16:32:00.001-07:00

Our Knight has followed us to our new Fremont location. He's finally gotten a bit more hi-tech.

New iPod Nano's and iTouch!!

2010-08-10T13:07:00.000-07:00

iPod Nano 8 GB (4th/5thGenerations) for $99.00.
And iPod Nano 16 GB (4th Generation) for $130.00.
Free Nano case with each purchase!!!

~~iPod iTouch 8GB (2nd Generation) for $115.00.~~ SOLD!!
~~And iPod iTouch 16GB (2nd Generation) for $150.00~~ SOLD!

And iPod iTouch 32GB (2nd Generation) for $200.00.

No scratches and blemish free and comes in a packaged box!! We only have 1 of each iTouch and there is a limit of one per customer. FREE iTouch case and screen protector with each purchase!!!

Refurbished by BestBuy- like new iPod Nano's and iTouch's!!

* Complete quality and operational tests.
* Battery cycle tested to confirm 80-100% of original life.
* Earphone and USB ports checked and fully operational.
* Complete data wipe and fully restored to factory settings.
* Complete Q/A test prior to packaging.
* NEW earbuds, USB Cable and Startup Guide.

We have lots of electronic and computer items for sale at 50-75% off retail prices!! We accept cash and credit cards.

Our new store is located at 4819 NE Fremont St - look for the Knight wearing headphones! Our hours are TUESDAY to SATURDAY from 10 am to 6 pm. Please note that we are closed on Sunday and Monday. Contact us (503) 287-0096 if you have any questions. We are a non-profit organization and all proceeds from our store sales help fund our mission.

Ask about our August iPod Nano draw!

Please note that there is a protective plastic screen over the cover of every Nano - that's the film that you see.

Please note that there is plastic protective cover on the front of each iTouch - that's the bubble film that you see.

Electronics/Accessories Liquidation Sale!

2010-06-05T12:44:00.000-07:00

New from a liquidation warehouse! Packaging has been opened and retaped but the product is new and unused. All items are DISCOUNTED 60-75% off retail!! Lots more items not mentioned in this post so please come in and take a look.

We are located at 223 NE Russell Street in Portland. Our hours are TUESDAY to SATURDAY from 10 am to 6 pm. Please note that we are closed on Sunday and Monday.

Exchange/Return Policy: We do not provide exchanges or refunds unless the item is defective. If the item is defective, we will provide an exchange or store credit with proof of purchase within 30 days of purchase. Contact us (503) 287-4914 if you have any questions.

This is a SMALL Sampling of what we have:

APPLE/IPOD Accessories
Dynex® - Car Charger for Apple® iPod™ - White $7
Apple® - iPhone Stereo Headset - White $8
Apple® - Mini DVI-to-VGA Adapter $10
Apple Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter MB572Z/A by Apple $12
Dynex® - 3' USB Charging/Sync Cable for Apple® iPod® $7
Apple® - Mini DVI to DVI Display Adapter $10
Dynex® - Mini DVI-to-Video Adapter $8
Dynex® - Car Charger for Apple® iPod™ - White $9
Dynex® - USB Sync/Charging Cable for 2nd-Generation Apple® iPod® shuffle $2
Dynex® - Docking Station with Remote for Apple® iPod® $20
Digital Lifestyle Outfitters DLZ95543,17 Auto Charger for iPod & iPhone $5.00
Apple® - MagSafe 60W Power Adapter for MacBook $30
Insignia® - Water-Resistant Boombox with Apple® iPod® Dock $69.99 $35
Dynex Accessory Kit for iPod devices $15
Rocketfish™ Mobile - Mini Stereo Cable for Apple® iPhone $14.99 $5
Apple® - Dock for Apple® iPhone 3G $15
Griffin iTrip FM Transmitter with SmartScan and App Support for Apple iPod and iPhone, Black $15
Rocketfish™ - Bluetooth Transmitter for Select Apple® iPod® and iPhone Models $10
Dynex Fire Wire 800 cable for Apple $18
Invisible Shield for iPhone $5
AND MORE!

CASES
3G Iphone Swerve - Pink/purple $9
DLO - Jam Jacket Case for Apple® iPhone 3G/3G S - Black $9
Incase CL59152-B Slider Case for iPhone 3G and 3GS, Black $10
Mophie - Juice Pack Air Charging Case for Apple® iPhone 3G and 3G S - Piano Gloss Black $30
Otterbox Defender Case for iPhone 3G, 3G S (Black) $12
Unpackaged cases starting from $1

ROUTER/HUB
Dynex® - 4-Port 10 Mbps Ethernet Hub $10
Dynex® - 4-Port Ethernet Broadband Router $20
Dynex® - 4-Port USB 2.0 Hub $5

PHONE COVERS: Variety of Phone covers from $`1
Rocketfish™ Mobile - Snap-On Holster for Palm Pre Mobile Phones - Black Sale: $5
Rocketfish Carry Case for Blackberry 2 pk $2
Leather case with Belt Clip for BlackBerry$3

HARD DRIVE ENCLOSURE KITS
Rocketfish™ - Hard Drive Enclosure Kit for 2.5" PATA/EIDE Hard Drives $20
Rocketfish™ - Hard Drive Enclosure Kit for 3.5" PATA/EIDE Hard Drives $25
Speck - SkinPro Hard Drive Case for Select Western Digital Portable Hard Drives - Black $5
Rocketfish™ - Hard Drive Enclosure Kit for 3.5" SATA Hard Drives $30
Rocketfish™ - USB 2.0/eSATA Hard Drive Enclosure Kit for 2.5" SATA Hard Drives $25

SURGE PROTECTORS
Rocketfish™ - 7-Outlet Home Theater Surge Protector $10
Rocketfish™ - 12-Outlet Surge Protector $10
Dynex® - 3-Outlet Wall-Mount Surge Protector $2

SPEAKERS
Rocketfish™ Mobile - Convertible Speaker Dock - Black $25.00
Insignia® - 2.0 Stereo Computer Speaker System (2-Piece) - Black $10
Klipsch - ProMedia 2.1 Speaker System (3-Piece) - Black $70
Insignia® - 2.1 Speaker System (3-Piece) - Black $15
Insignia® - 2.0 Stereo Computer Speaker System (2-Piece) - Black $7

Init® - Home Theater Speaker Mounts (2-Pack) - Black $10

PLAYERS
Dynex® - Progressive-Scan DVD Player $12
Dynex® - RF Modulator AV Signal Converter $5

Insignia® - Under-the-Cabinet CD Player with Digital AM/FM Tuner - Silver $15
Insignia® - CD Boombox with AM/FM Tuner - Black $12
Insignia® - DVD Player with MP3 Playback/JPEG Viewer $15
SIRIUS SADV2 Universal Dock-and-Play Vehicle Kit with PowerConnect (Black) $15

Insignia® - AM/FM Dual Alarm Clock Radio for Apple® iPod® and Most MP3 Players - Black Sale: $5
SIRIUS - Speaker Dock for Select Dock & Play SIRIUS Satellite Radios $30
Insignia® - Armband Radio with AM/FM Stereo $8
Insignia® - Portable CD Player $6
Insignia® - Portable CD Player with FM Tuner and MP3 Playback - Black $8
Insignia® - HD Radio Portable Player Sale: $15

GPS MOUNTS
Rocketfish™ Mobile - Dash Mount for Portable GPS Receivers $8
Rocketfish™ Mobile - Windshield Mount for Select Portable GPS Receivers - Black $5
Griffin - Day Tripper Dashboard Gripmat Mount by Griffin $8

MICROPHONE
Dynex® - USB Microphone $10
Dynex® - Voice-Certified PC Desktop Microphone $7
SIMA SDW-150 Digital Wireless Microphone by Sima $20

CARD READERS
Dynex® - External USB 2.0 Multiformat Memory Card Reader $10
RocketFish™ - Internal USB 2.0 All-in-One Media Card Reader $5
Dynex® - 6-in-1 USB 2.0 Memory Card Reader $8
Dynex® - 6-in-1 USB 2.0 Mini Memory Card Reader $6

CHARGERS
Rocketfish™ - AC Wall Charger - Black $10

CAMERA
Dynex® - LED Video Light for Most Cameras and Camcorders $15

BATTERIES
Energizer CHUSBWB-2 Duo Charger W/2 AAA $8
Duracell Value Charger With 2AA Pre Charged Rechargeable NiMH Batteries $8
Sony Black Rechargeable Battery Pack - NPFV50 $30
Sony - InfoLithium Hybrid Rechargeable Battery for Select Sony Camcorders Model: NPFH50 $30
Sony - InfoLITHIUM G Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery Model: NP-FG1 $25
Sony - Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery for Select Sony Digital Cameras $20
Sony - Travel Charger Model: BC-TRN $20

COMPUTER PARTS
Dynex® - 400-Watt ATX CPU Power Supply $20
Rocketfish™ - 900-Watt ATX CPU Power Supply $60
Rocketfish™ - Universal CPU Cooler$10
Rocketfish™ - 120mm Case Fan $3
Rocketfish™ - 5.1-Channel PCI Sound Card $10
Dynex® - Desktop 10/100 PCI Network Card $5
Dynex® - Notebook 10/100 32-Bit PCMCIA Network Card $5
Dynex® - 2-Port USB 2.0 PCMCIA Notebook Card $5

BLANK DISCS
Memorex - 100-Pack 52x CD-R Disc Spindle $10
Sony - 50-Pack 48x CD-R Disc Spindle Sale: 700MB storage capacity; 80-minute recording time $5
Memorex 4.7Gb/16x DVD-R (10-Pack Slim Case) $7
Verbatim 50 pack DVD-R $10
Memorex 4x DVD+RW 25pack $10
Memorex 30 min./1.4 GB Mini DVD-R (5-Pack) $5
Verbatim - Floppy Disks (10-Pack) - Multicolor 1.44MB capacity; 3.5" floppy disks; labels included; IBM (PC) formatted $0.50
Dynex 5 Pack Mini DVD Case DX-JW109 $2
Dynex mini dvd sleeves 25 assorted colors $1

Dynex® - Laser Lens Cleaner for CD/DVD Players $2
HP Multipurpose Copy/Laser/Inkjet Paper, 96 Brightness, 20 lb, Legal Size (8.5 x 14), 500 Sheets $5

CABLES
Dynex® - 6' AC Power Replacement Cable: $3
Dynex® - 6' eSATA Cable $5
Dynex® - 6' Windows Vista Easy-Transfer Cable with Software $5
Dynex® - Mini DVI-to-DVI Adapter $6
Dynex® - 6' FireWire 800 Cable - White $18
Dynex® - 6.5' IEEE 1394 FireWire 6-Pin to 4-Pin Cable $14
Dynex® - 6' FireWire Cable $14
Dynex® - 6' USB-Parallel Printer Cable $15
Dynex® - 6' Optical Digital Audio Cable $5
Dynex® - 6' RCA Audio/Video Cable $10
Dynex® - 6' HDMI A/V Cable $10
Dynex® - 12' S-Video Cable $9
Dynex® - 7' Y Audio Cable $2
Dynex® - 3' 3.5mm Stereo Audio Cable $2
Dynex® - 6' 3.5mm Stereo Extension Cable $5
Dynex® - 6' 3.5mm Stereo Extension Cable - Black $2
Dynex® - 15' Subwoofer Cable $5
Dynex® - 2' Right-Angle Serial ATA 2.0 Cable $5
Dynex® - USB 2.0 File Transfer Adapter for PC and Mac $20
Dynex® - 16" USB PDA/Serial Adapter Cable $10
Dynex® - 6' A/V Cable for Apple® iPod&™ with Video $2
Dynex® - 4' Retractable USB A to Mini B 5-Pin Cable $10

Sima - 4.2' USB Multicable $10
Rocketfish™ - 8' High-Performance SVGA Extension Cable $12
Rocketfish™ - 4' Toslink Optical Cable $10
Rocketfish™ - 12' USB A/A Extension Cable $15
Rocketfish™ - 6' USB Mini B Cable with 5-to-4 Pin Adapter $12
Rocketfish™ - 14' Cat-6 Network Cable $9
Rocketfish™ - 50' Cat-6 Network Cable $20
Rocketfish™ - 4' S-Video Cable $5
Geek Squad® - 8' Elite Dual Link DVI Cable $15
UpBeat Audio - Boostaroo Portable Audio Amplifier and Splitter $5
Rocketfish™ - Speaker Cable Banana Plugs (4-Pack) - Red/Black $5

ADAPTERS
Dynex® - Universal AC/DC Charger for Cameras and Camcorders $9
Rocketfish™ - 90W AC Power Adapter for Most PC Laptops - Black $20
Dynex® - DVI-to-VGA Adapter $2
Rocketfish™ - HDMI-to-DVI Adapter $10
Rocketfish™ - Bluetooth USB Adapter $15
Bluetooth Micro Adapter $10
RCA "Y" adapter $2
Dynex® - FireWire 800 ExpressCard Adapter $10
Rocketfish™ - Travel Wall Charger $7

MANY MODELS OF CAR CHARGERS:
Rocketfish Mobile - Vehicle Charger LG $7
Motorola, BlackBerry and HTC $7
Samsung vehicle charger $7
Apple iPhone models; 6' extended cable $7
Rocketfish - Power adapter - car $5
Rocketfish™ Mobile - Vehicle Charger for Apple® iPhone - Black $11
Dynex® - CD/MD/MP3 Cassette Adapter $5
AND MORE!

HEADPHONES/EARPHONES
Rocketfish™ Mobile - Over-the-Ear Sport Stereo Headset - Black/Red $6
Rocketfish™ Mobile - Hands-Free Stereo Headset - Black/Red $6
Rocketfish™ Mobile - Hands-Free Over-the-Head Headset $5
Dynex® - Stereo Headset with Noise-Canceling Microphone $7
iFrogz epd33-pinkblack EarPollution Plugz Earbud Headphones $4
Gummy Stereoheadphones $3
Skullcandy - Smokin' Bud Ear Bud Headphones $5
Microsoft LifeChat LX-2000 - Headset ( behind-the-neck ) by Microsoft $5
Microsoft LifeChat LX-3000 Headset $10
Dynex® - Earclip Headset with Noise-Canceling Microphone $5
LG - Stereo Headset $4
Rocketfish™ Mobile - Mobile Behind-the-Head Bluetooth Stereo Headphones - Black $20.00

MISC:
Whirlpool - PUR Refrigerator Water Filter $10
BlackBerry Remote Stereo Bluetooth Gateway $60 $25
Memorex CD & DVD LabelMaker Expert $10
Dynex® - Wired 19-Key USB Keypad $3
Rocketfish™ - 4-Way HDMI Switcher $50
Insignia® - Clock Radio with Time Projection Display - White/Black $10
Insignia® - AM/FM Alarm Clock Radio $5
Rocketfish™ - Gaming Mouse Pad - Black $5
VTech V.Smile Motion Active Learning System Cartridges: $5 each
Axxess - Interface for Most 2002-2007 Volkswagen Vehicles $20
Microsoft - USB Sync Cable for Most Zune MP3 Players - Black $5
ZUNE HOME A/V PACK by Zune $15
Dynex® - Self-Loading VHS-C Cassette Adapter $5
Invisible Shields for phones: $3 each
LG - VU CU920 Mobile Phone - Black (AT&T)
Motorola Droid/Milestone Screen
Blackberry Storm 9500, 9530
Init® - Home Theater Speaker Mounts (2-Pack) - Black $10
Init® - Home Theater Speaker Mounts (5-Pack) - Black $30

AND MORE!

Plant sale is back!

2010-02-17T14:24:00.001-08:00

@ 223 NE Russell Street
Portland OR 97212
Call 503-287-4914 for more information.

Moving On: Mashawn's Story

2009-12-26T19:29:00.001-08:00

A little reserved at first, Mashawn reveals a sense of humor and quiet confidence as he interacts with people at Project Hope.

Like many of his friends, he dropped out of school when he was 16, getting involved with a bad crowd. He never did well in school and freely admits he was there for the wrong reasons. “When I went to school, it was for the social life. Things weren’t good at home; I always felt out of place at home.”

“I don’t want to be in Portland all my life. I want to go to College and get a degree. I want to open my own business. I want… to do so much."

Home has always been tumultuous. His mother had Mashawn when she was only 16 and his father, when he wasn’t in and out of jail, was frequently absent.

Nonetheless, Mashawn developed a close bond with his father so, as a 6 year old, it was extremely painful when his father was sentenced to more than 10 years in jail. “When I finally realized how long he was going away for, I kinda shut down. I taught myself to turn my sadness into aggression or anger so I wouldn’t have to deal with it. I thought it was better than being sad at all the time.”

He gravitated towards bad influences and other youths who drank and used drugs. For Mashawn, it was all he had known - growing up, marijuana and alcohol was always present. “I’m 18 with a clean record. Do you know how good that sounds in my family?” he asks.

After failed efforts at various job programs and charter schools, he stopped caring about his future and spent most of his day hanging out with friends on the street –anything that would keep him from going home. “I didn’t get the big picture that it was my fault”.

But he soon realized that without his GED, there wasn’t much hope for a real job. He hated filling out job applications because he knew he wasn’t going to be hired. Without any opportunities, he heard about Project Hope. Unsure at first, Mashawn decided to give the program a try and he’s found that it’s working and helping him get focused.

Mashawn is currently taking prep classes and is about to take his final test for his GED. Beyond that, he’s planning on a marketing degree at PCC and is preparing for the college placement test. At 18, Mashawn is finally seeing that that his future is wide open.

Thanks To The Art Institute of Portland

2009-12-23T14:51:00.001-08:00

In September, Project Hope was asked to participate in one of the graphic design courses at the Art Institute of Portland. This program partners non-profits with senior design students, collaborating on marketing materials, signs, etc.

Having the opportunity to work with skilled design students couldn’t have been more timely. Most of our artwork was several years old and didn’t include some of our new programs, so we were excited at the prospect of updating our collateral. The students created a total package, including a revised logo, artwork, collateral and signage.

We were extremely pleased and impressed with the final product and implemented many of the changes immediately.

Thank you to The Art Institute of Portland and Cynthia Roberts for inviting us to participate in this program.

And a very special thank you to our talented and dedicated graphic design team: Mus, Yasmin, Andrew, Nicholas, Shannon, Meredith and Danni. We would be pleased with work with any of you in the future!

Enrollments Open!

2009-12-18T08:55:00.000-08:00

Do you know of a youth (15-20 years) who has dropped out of school and now is struggling, wanting a second chance to get their life back on track?

Project Hope is now accepting applications. Our mission is to help each student reach their full potential, to give support, encouragement and guidance to make lifelong positive decisions.

Our comprehensive youth program provides educational support (tutors and financial aid) as well as employment in our after-school jobs program. For some of our youths, having a job is necessary to support themselves or their families.

We also provide mentoring and life skills, covering such topics as banking, tax returns, applications (rental, jobs, schools) etc.

If you know of someone who wants to finish their schooling, learn some valuable job skills and improve their lives, please contact Cindy Park at 503-287-4914.

2009 Open House

2009-12-14T08:59:00.001-08:00

Thank you to everyone who came to our Holiday Open House! There was lots of laughter, food and great deals! We really enjoyed meeting everyone, repeat customers and some new faces.

Proceeds from the evening's event will go to enrolling a new youth into our program in the new year. This will provide a young man or woman the opportunity to return to school, gain valuable work experience in our after-school jobs program and participate in our life skills and mentoring program. We wouldn't be able to improve the lives of these youths without your support!

One of the students in our program, Mashawn, was our evening photographer. Here's a photo from his vantage point!

Below is a slideshow of the evening. Once again, thank you to everyone who came out!

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

Project Hope Community Store: December Specials!

2009-12-10T09:14:00.000-08:00

Project Hope's Community Store features a wide variety of furniture, clothing, jewelry, home accessories and hardware. All proceeds from our store go to our non-profit youth programs.

Drop by for some great sales and visit our blog often for more Store updates and specials!

Here are some ideas for your shopping list in our December specials:

We have “over the shoe” rain boots to keep your feet warm and dry – sizes 10-13 for only $10.

Warm and cozy robes for only $12.

Come see our beautiful indoor plants starting from just $5.00. An additional 10% off when you buy 2 or more.

A huge variety of accent pillows for that special chair from $10 - $15

Is your home is not bright enough? Choose from our large selection of lamps big and small to brighten your day.

Dress up your holiday table with table runners in different colors and sizes.

Does your room look like a tornado hit it? We have many different sizes of shelving to fix you right up!

Want your home to feel a little cozier? Select from our area rugs in different colors and sizes.

Have a gardener on your Christmas list? We have a large assortment of tools and outdoor decorations to help support their garden needs.

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

Hours: Tues - Sat from 10 am - 6 pm

223 NE Russell Street
Portland OR 97212
(503) 287-4914

3 Day Plant Sale!

2009-12-04T09:51:00.001-08:00

Plant Sale! All plants marked down 50% (ficus, banana plants, jade, palm, bromelia and more!). Prices range between $5 and $45! Remember all proceeds go back to funding Project Hope and our youth programs.

Dec 4 and 5 from 10 - 6 pm
Dec 6 from 10 - 2 pm

@ 223 NE Russell Street
Portland OR 97212
Call 503-287-4914 for more information.

Plant sale!, originally uploaded by Project Hope.

Project Hope and Portland Rescue Mission

2009-12-03T10:26:00.000-08:00

Portland Rescue Mission’s New Life Recovery ministry transforms the lives of men, women and children as they progress from homelessness to hope. Over 12 to 18 months, the men and women take on increasing responsibility as they acclimate to life off the streets, identify key problem areas and establish plans for employment and ongoing success.

Recently, Project Hope had the opportunity to help the men’s New Life Recovery ministry. During the first two phases of the program, the men live in the downtown Burnside shelter after which, they move to Next Step, which provides a more rural setting. The men commute daily to the Burnside Shelter to continue their program.

There are 30 men living at Next Step which houses a communal kitchen and living area.
According to Holly Hummel, Aesthetic Coordinator at Portland Rescue Mission, “the kitchen was dysfunctional. None of the cabinets worked”. Project Hope was able to help with a donation of kitchen cabinets* for a makeover.

Less than two months later, the new kitchen is up and running and it has helped changed the very environment at Next Step. “Before, meals were prepared downtown and delivered daily. Food is very important to men. They work very hard and they come home at the end of the day and they’re hungry,” explains Holly, “and now, they have a functioning, commercial kitchen. Because of this upgrade, we are now able to cook on-site to provide fresh, nutritious meals.”

Having a kitchen has launched a few other changes at Next Step. Residents have started a compost pile and are planning their communal garden. They’ve taken an active interest in their home. Recently, they’ve buffed the floors in the building and painted the laundry room and want to continue upgrading. Over all, the atmosphere is more home-like.

"We have needed this upgrade for years and never had funds for it.”, says Eric Bauer, Executive Director of Portland Rescue Mission. “We are truly thankful for the opportunity to partner with Project Hope and all that you do for the community. We see these men taking pride in their home, more than they have before. The kitchen is the heart of any home and this has really put the heart into Next Step. They’re really acting like a family.”

For more information about New Life Recovery Ministry and Portland Rescue Mission, please visit their website. For more information about Hope Houses and Project Hope, call Cindy Park at 503-287-4914.

* Donations made possible by Home Depot.

Holiday Shop Night Dec 11th!

2009-11-19T14:59:00.001-08:00

Come meet the kids of Project Hope. There will also be lots of food, door prizes and sales! A great way to round out your Christmas shopping list!

Making a Change: Whitney's Story

2009-11-13T12:59:00.001-08:00

With a cheerful greeting and smile, Whitney is the first person you meet at Project Hope and one of the driving forces in our Community Store. Friendly and outgoing, she manages to remain optimistic despite the challenges in her life.

Whitney: “I want to be a role model for my kids and have a better life. I don’t want them to make the same mistakes I made.”

Whitney’s story is all too common: she dropped out of high school at 17, spent her time at clubs and got caught up with a crowd that was involved with theft and drugs. At 19, she found herself pregnant and left alone to raise the baby. When she was pregnant with her second child that Whitney realized she needed to change her life.

With no education or proper work experience, she found it impossible to find a job that could support her and two children. So, while she was 6 months pregnant, Whitney embarked on getting her GED.

Although she received no support or encouragement from friends and family, she persevered and received her GED before the birth of her second child. When asked about her motivation, Whitney responded, “I wanted to be a role model for my kids.”

With her GED, she went to a local jobs program and was introduced to Project Hope. Whitney was nervous and unsure if she could learn the retail requirements and customer service but she was surprised at how quickly she picked things up. “My confidence level went up, way up. I enjoy waking up early in the morning and coming to work”. These changes have given her the confidence to make changes in her personal life as well.

When Whitney first started at Project Hope, she was supporting 7 family members, all of whom shared her small 2 bedroom apartment. Recently, she moved out on her own with her daughters.

It’s been challenging but she’s pleased with her progress. “It’s very scary, but it’s very exciting and I feel independent. It’s a new learning experience. And I feel more of a connection with my daughters; we’re bonding." Now, she’s thinking about continuing her education and remains hopeful about the future and the promise of a better life.

Hope Houses: Emerson House

2009-11-12T15:27:00.000-08:00

While other youth programs offer education and vocational training, for many youths it is critical that they have immediate employment to support themselves or their families. Project Hope addresses that need by directly employing youths in our after-school job’s program Hope Houses.

Hope Houses provides materials and labor for low-income housing in Portland and teaches students job skills and responsibility. Youths work side by side with licensed contractors, learning everything from framing a house to installing flooring.

The program also donates materials to the community and other non-profits, impressing upon students the importance of charitable giving and being part of a community.

Hope Houses’ mission is twofold:

1. Real application of job training. Our goal is to provide youth with the skills and experience necessary to compete in today’s work place environment and earn a living wage.

2. Provide a means for families to own their home and improve neighborhoods in Portland.

In October 2009, Hope Houses completed their first home for a young family, the Tarka’s. Jason is a worship pastor and Alison is a stay at home mom to their two young children. They were unable to afford a home; Hope Houses assisted by donating materials* and labor that helped offset the cost and helped make their dream of homeownership a reality. Excited and pleased, the Tarka’s couldn’t be happier with their new home. “This house has been the opportunity of our lives and we still can't believe it will become our home.”

Project Hope places importance on all individuals and our goal is to create an environment where everyone feels valued. We strive to promote that message in our own community, starting with the most vulnerable among us. Hope Houses represents the core of our mission: building futures and restoring lives.

Donated items include the following: kitchen and bathroom cabinets, bathtubs, hardwood and vinyl flooring, wire shelving, sinks, light fixtures, ceiling fans and more.

*Donations made possible by Home Depot.

Welcome!

2009-11-12T13:35:00.001-08:00

Welcome to our blog!

Project Hope is a non-profit organization dedicated to working with at-risk youths between the ages of 15-20 in NE Portland. These youths face bleak prospects: no education, low wage work, unstable employment, reliance on social services, and possible involvement in the criminal justice system. We provide a comprehensive solution, focusing on the skills needed to make positive, lifelong changes: educational support, occupational training in our jobs program, and life skills and mentoring.

We'll be posting updates regularly, with success stories, fund-raising events, and photos from our Hope Houses program!