Vulnerable People and Places Blog

The annual Stride for Seniors charity walk on Sunday, April 22, 2018, at Portland International Raceway is a success. Tons of excitement while raising awareness and support for Meals on Wheels and vulnerable people. Folks from all ages attended along with volunteers. Generous support from local businesses like Wilsonville Subaru and New Seasons Market, Hoffman Construction company, who sponsored the kid's zone. Media sponsors included KOIN 6, 106.7 The Eagle, 1190 KEX news radio. These are just a few sponsors that helped support the community event. For a complete list of sponsors refer to links below. Throughout the three-hour event attendance estimates are 1,700 people. I estimated the line of walkers stretched a 1/2 mile when the 2 mile walk started about 11:45am. The free event hosted live music, bounce house, free snow cones and vendor booths from local companies along with a free pancake breakfast. Prizes for fundraising individuals and teams were also awarded. It is hea

Our society is made up of a diverse group of people and every one of them goes through their own personal struggles. A specific group that is often overlooked within our community are the vulnerable populations. The people who make up this group consist of those in lower socio-economic standing, racial and ethnic minorities, those without insurance, senior citizens, the homeless, and many more. These groups deal with a variety of issues because of their status and these issues are also often overlooked. However, there are organizations out there that try to help and support people in these vulnerables place. An example would be Meals on Wheels, which is an organization that caters to senior citizens. Their mission is to prevent seniors from going hungry or feeling isolated within society. They provide more than just food though because they also provide support and positive human interactions for their clients. This wonderfully ambitious group strives to give back and help the vuln

             Portland has become one of the top places to live in the country. The glaring issues we see daily are an influx of traffic, people without places to live, and housing prices rising rapidly. It’s pretty easy to complain about these problems because it helps to ignore another problem that has been growing quietly over the last decade. The rising population of homeless in Portland is apparent when driving through any part of the city. “Tent-Cities” have popped up along major thoroughfares, under overpasses, and along the rivers. Every few months, Portland Police will crack down and get rid of one, and two more will pop up somewhere else. But the underlying issue isn’t the homeless population setting up in city areas; it is the lack of resources and care that many of these people need.    In a recent article by KGW News, a survey states “41 percent (of Portland citizens) have a friend or family member who has been homeless and 21 percent have personally be