Summer 2008 - "I’m a family physician. I found that there are lots of problems among Asians that aren’t being taken care of. In the early 1980s, assistance for immigrants — especially women, the elderly, and those with mental-health issues — was practically nonexistent."

Twenty-five years ago, Dr. Erik Szeto, a family physician, laid the groundwork for the establishment of the Asian Health and Service Center (AHSC) in Portland.

What began as a social service center for Chinese immigrants and ethnic Chinese has expanded its scope to offer health and wellness services and resources for diverse Asian communities in multiple locations. more

Spring 2008 - The Black United Fund of Oregon is a philanthropic and community development institution committed to the social and economic empowerment of Oregon's low-income communities.

"While the Black United Fund continues our fund-raising in the workplace, we also want to encourage individuals to create funds to benefit the community. Ultimately, we want to be a quasi-foundation for people of color. We’re looking for partners who may want to serve communities of color, using our infrastructure. We want to continue to be a thriving and sustainable pillar in this community," says Adrienne Livingston, executive director. read more

Big Brothers, Big Sisters Connects Children with Mentors, Positive Role Models

Spring 2008 - Pamela Weatherspoon is spearheading the effort to recruit more African-American men to mentor children who need positive role models in their lives. She serves as the African American Mentoring Programs Director, Big Brothers Big Sisters Columbia Northwest, and has been instrumental in raising awareness about the need for more mentors in the Black community. read more

Spring 2008 - Brent A. Stewart Sr. led the United Way of the Columbia-Willamette over the last four years. He is credited for revitalizing the organization's fund-raising capacity and credibility in the community.

Starting April 1, he will take on the reins as CEO and President of the United Way of Greater Kansas City.With his reputation as a change agent throughout the United Way system, Brent bested 70+ candidates for the coveted position. He brings more than 20 years' experience in leading United Ways through transitions. read more

Jung Fitzpatrick focuses on the public good

Winter 2008 - The common thread that runs through Jung Fitzpatrick'’s experiences is her passion for work that enables communities of color to enhance their lives. Currently, Jung works on helping professionals working in nonprofits advance their careers through graduate school programs that focus on social responsibility and the public good. read more

Winter 2008 - "We provide services in a place where people feel comfortable. We recognize and embrace that culture is important. Too often services are designed around how to help people become mainstream or how to assimilate. We’re not interested in that. We’ve had 300 years of being forced to assimilate and it has not been successful. The more we teach kids about who they are, why their culture is important and why they should proud of who they are, the stronger they are in every area of their life." read more

Summer 2007 - "Our agency promotes wealth creation in terms of providing homeownership for all, including people of color. We also provide financial literacy within communities of color: to get people to understand the importance of creating wealth within their own communities. We serve all different communities and make sure that we provide culturally competent services." read more

Africa House brings much-needed services to growing immigrant community

Summer 2007 - "It’s really important to advocate for your own community. My experience as a student was different from the way many Africans were coming into the country. People who come to this country as refugees are not here by their own choice. They are thrown out of their country for political reasons. They end up in a refugee camps." read more

Pictured: Karifa received the Multnomah County Health Department's Public Health Hero Award in 2004.

Summer 2007 - "The local system of governance in Portland is really inclusive, especially with the neighborhood system. The access that citizens have to their leaders is impressive. Mayor Tom Potter and the various commissioners make an effort to schedules regular neighborhood meetings.

The city has a frontier, creative spirit. There’s a huge streak of independence in alternative media in all the creative arts. There’s been a very strong sense of creativity, innovation and civic engagement." read more

Spring 2007 - With her experience in health systems administration, Vanetta Abdellatif is at the helm of creating lasting and sustainable change in delivering care to communities of color and underserved segments in Multnomah County.

As the Director of Integrated Clinical Services at the Multnomah County Health Department, Vanetta oversees medical, dental, school-based health centers, as well as ancillary services such as radiology, laboratory, WIC and more. read more

RN Leads ¡Salud! Services to Serve Ag Workers in Wine Industry

Spring 2007 - Leda Garside, RN, is leading an innovative program that addresses the health care needs of agricultural workers in Oregon’s burgeoning wine industry. Marking her 10 th year as manager of Tuality Healthcare’s ¡Salud! Services – a program that educates workers on preventive care and provides support and advocacy for accessing health care – Garside is focused on continuing to improve health care access for agricultural workers. read more

Maria Loredo Shares Her Journey from Working at Migrant Camps to CFO

Winter 2007 - "As health care workers, there are still a lot of things for us to do. Health care isn’t available to everyone in Oregon who needs it: from children to pregnant women. There are a lot of people who are uninsured. There are a lot of people who don’t have access to basic health care. There isn’t enough health education available." read more