By Rachel Richards | CNA Media Team

The Northeast Emergency Food Program (NEFP) provides not just food to those in need. It also has a clothing closet which provides free clothing to men, women and children, and it distributes nearly 50,000 items of clothing annually.

Other donations – bedding, kitchen items and toys – are also distributed quickly to those in need. There’s no space for furniture donations.

NEFP is recognized as one of the first Model Healthy Pantries in the state, and empowers those in need, through a shopping-style experience, to choose what they need, from both the clothing closet and the food pantry.

Serving 800 families per month, NEFP can provide four items of clothing per person per visit and 25 to 30 pounds of food up to three times in a six-month period.

There are no residential restrictions, and visitors to the pantry can provide proof of household members who aren’t present to obtain items the others need.

According to Travis Niemann, program manager, a fear currently exists across Portland that – because of the requirement to enter names into Oregon Food Bank’s Link to Feed database – undocumented immigrants are not accessing needed services.

“Our goal is to feed you, not to report you” he said. “Most of the families we serve have someone who is working,” he added. “They have resources, just not enough.”

NEFP program assistant Cecilia Estraviz said donated children’s costumes were set aside until Halloween season, to the delight of children.

Currently in the clothing closet sorting room, a few bins of toys are awaiting the holiday season, but a noticeable lack of men’s clothing exists. NEFP is currently in need of men’s job interview clothes and men’s work wear, as well as all types of winter clothing, rain gear and socks.

NEFP serves working families, seniors, people with disabilities, immigrants and refugees, people experiencing homelessness and you, if you need it.

Located at Luther Memorial Lutheran Church, 4800 N.E. 72nd Ave., NEFP is part of the Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon and a partner agency of the Oregon Food Bank. It’s open 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Donations are also accepted during these hours and NEFP is always open to new volunteers.

Donations will be accepted at the Concordia Neighborhood Association Holiday Party. Needs include rice, soup, proteins, personal hygiene items, pet food, winter clothing and work clothing.

Monetary donations are also welcome, and NEFP is participating in the Willamette Week’s 2017 Give!Guide. To donate, visit GiveGuide.org/#neemergencyfoodprogram.

Rachel is a 16-year Concordia resident who loves her community. She has a background in counseling/education and uses her passion for helping others in her work as a real estate broker. Contact Rachel or learn more about her at RachelRichardsRealtor.com.

By Ben Earle | Secretary, CNA LUTC

The Land Use & Transportation Committee last month welcomed some news on the Concordia development front.

Henry Point Development and Edge Development last month announced they are partnering to acquire and transform the languishing J’s Food Mart property at Killingsworth Street and 33rd Avenue into a 4,850-square-foot Mud Bay pet store.

Designed by Michael Flowers Architects and WDY Engineers, principle project lead Travis Henry said the goal for the development is to breathe life into this long under-utilized site.

They will expand the existing 2,700-square-foot convenience shop into a modern, attractive, one-story store.

It will be Mud Bay’s 44th store in Oregon and Washington, its 10th in the Portland area, and it will be the company’s first to introduce a new self-serve pet washing service.

According to its website, Seattle-based Mud Bay is the Pacific Northwest’s premier independent pet retail chain, with natural, solution-based and competitively-priced foods and supplies for dogs and cats.

Started as a family business in 1988, Mud Bay has garnered praise across the years, including Pet Business magazine’s 2015 Retailer of the Year.

Mud Bay also is known for providing a supportive and engaging work environment, and recently extended company ownership to its 400 employees.

In addition to the appealing new building profile, site improvements include:

• Reworked frontage with space for eight cars and a new parking area for bicycles
• Pedestrian- and wheelchair-friendly connection from Killingsworth to the store’s entrance
• Tasteful landscaping

Construction is anticipated to start by year’s end, with opening targeted for next spring. “Mud Bay Concordia will be a high-quality retail development located in the heart of one of Portland’s most popular residential neighborhoods,” reported developer Henry.

“We are excited to be developing a project compatible with the scale and needs of the surrounding area by bringing a strong local retailer to a new audience of pet owners.”

He is a Portland native, who returned to Oregon in 2008 after college and post-graduate studies to work in environmentally-friendly agriculture and watershed restoration. He then transitioned into urban planning, and more recently into commercial and retail development.

He said his firm is committed to community-oriented projects that respect and enhance the unique character of Portland’s distinctive neighborhoods.

By Karen Wells | CNA Media Team

Bedtime is the best time for toddlers and parents. After a long, exciting day of exploring and learning new fine motor skills, rest is best for growing toddlers. Back in the day, bedtime meant pulling out a favorite book, turning down the household distractions, and finding a comfy place and lap.

Bedtime was a time for bonding, unwinding and marveling as the story unfolded with the soothing voice of a parent. Has bedtime reading changed in the digital age of iPads and other smart devices?

A 2015 Pew Research Center report, “Parenting in America,” found, “About eight in 10 parents with children younger than six say their children have screen time on a typical day.”

A bit of screen time before bed? Here are some things to consider before handing that smart device to your toddler before bed.

They’ve just discovered their index fingers can point, at everything. They point to get attention and to things that have gotten their attention. Toddlers are developing their fine hand skills: grasping cups, holding spoons, pulling up their pants. Although, these seem like simple tasks to adults, they are important stepping stones on the path to self care and independence.

Holding a book supports important hand and learning skills that toddlers build upon. Touching a book and turning pages while the story is read helps a child learn language, meaning, and how to read.

Many “learning” applications targeted at the very young have not been proven to be effective. Many are poorly designed, too sophisticated for young children or only “teach” rote rudimentary skills. Skills are best learned by active interaction with the environment, peers and family.

Screen time before bed, with its bright light, the “bells and whistles” of the app, and potential for frustrations – on the part of parent and/or child – distract from the goals of bonding, relaxing and falling asleep.

Multnomah County Library youth librarians and Concordia University’s George R. White Library & Learning Center can help with advice on ageappropriate digital device applications, children’s book titles and/or materials.

Concordia University’s six reference librarians are available weekdays to answer questions. Multnomah County Library’s youth librarian at the Hollywood Branch, Natasha Forrester Campbell, recommends good bedtime reads like “Lola Loves Stories,” by Anna McQuinn, “Go to Bed, Monster!” by Natasha Wing, and “Goodnight Moon” by Margaret Wise Brown.

So, get the house quiet, pull out a favorite book and find a comfy place. It’s bedtime. Sweet dreams.

Editors’ note: There’s a wealth of information on the web about the effect of screen time on young children. Karen provides many sites for your use at ConcordiaPDX.org/screen-time-research.

By Logan Wilmoth | Concordia University student

Every Thursday night, rain or shine, willing volunteers and homeless alike gather under the Burnside Bridge for Night Strike, an evening of care and companionship.

Concordia University (CU) students, faculty and staff work with local nonprofit Because People Matter Inc. to provide relief, mobilization and transformation.

This service opportunity, Night Strike, was born both from the university’s Christian mission and the need and necessity to love and care for those impacted by food and housing insecurity in the Portland area, according to Scott Ferguson, associate dean of student engagement & student affairs.

Night Strike is not only an opportunity for any member of the homeless community to enjoy a hot meal, receive a free haircut, replace clothing and enjoy company. It is an ideal occasion for volunteers to join in relationship with some incredibly resilient individuals, he added.

The university sends 200 volunteers each semester to experience this evening mission. One of them, Cecilia Magistrale, Concordia student and Night Strike coordinator, explained, “Night Strike develops relationships, and offers a unique experience for volunteers to break free of biases by stepping out of one’s comfort zone.” She also helps lead CU’s Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week events Nov. 11-19. For details on that event, visit HHWeek.org. For more information on Night Strike, visit bpmpdx.org.

For Cecilia, the Night Strike experience is a powerful one. “This organization holds such a huge piece of my heart because of how it challenges me every time I am there to recognize who I am serving, why I am serving and why I love it.”

Scott explains the lasting impact the experience has given him, and others at CU, “I have never been more humbled and blessed to assist another human being – by washing their road weary feet and having the opportunity to hear their journey – to better understand not only the struggles they have overcome, but still face.”

He likens the experience to a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson, “The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.”

Logan is a Portland native and a junior at Concordia University studying psychology and fine art.

By Karen Wells | CNA Media Team

Marie M. is a talkative, friendly elder and longtime resident of Humboldt Gardens Apartments in nearby Humboldt neighborhood.

She’s one of about 20 residents who gather in the community room for the weekly Mobile Market hosted by Humboldt Gardens/ Home Forward and sponsored by Urban Gleaners.

It’s one of five Urban Gleaners Mobile Markets in north and northeast Portland. The others are at Charles Jordan Community Center, Cathedral Gardens Apartments, Hacienda CDC and Peninsula Park Community Center.

Mobile Market is a program sponsored by Urban Gleaners (UG), which was founded in 2006 with the mission of reducing food waste and alleviating hunger in the Portland area.

The Mobile Market is a drop-off site for a variety of foodstuffs for distribution to families with children, elders and/or neighbors in need of additional food. Items available for selection are arranged attractively by site staff to support the dignity of recipients. No questions are asked. If a person is in need of food, he or she is welcome to participate.

Neighborhood Gleaners (NG) is a partnership between Hollywood Senior Center and Hollywood Farmer’s Market. It grew out of a special project started at the Northeast Community Center. In 2010, NG moved to the Hollywood Senior Center (HSC) to continue its work of distributing “leftover” produce from the Hollywood Farmers Market (HFM) to seniors in need of food.

Volunteers clad in black aprons collect HFM vendor food/produce donations. Monday mornings, starting at 8:30, the HSC is abuzz with food distribution.

Seniors bring bags, and share stories about cooking, with some participants polishing their English language skills. NG, like all nutrition organizations, serves a diverse population. It partners with Kitchen Share Northeast to offer an annual Thanksgiving Dinner at HSC. NG cooks, serves, decorates and cleans up.

The Thanksgiving dinner is the highlight of NG’s season – and a holiday highlight for 70 seniors, who go home with leftovers.

Karen is a retired early childhood community educator, health and safety trainer. Reach her at 619.244.7892.

By Karen Wells | CNA Media Team

Thanksgiving season is here, and many people are making plans for the traditional meal and/or family gatherings which warm the heart and feed the spirit.

Sept. 2, however, the communities and neighbors of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area experienced the devastation caused by the Eagle Creek Fire. Many families were evacuated to keep out of harm’s way. Neighbors helped neighbors as the fire raged, ever advancing on their communities, homes and schools.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving and neighbors helping miles-away neighbors, below is a short list – doubtless incomplete, but representative of the relief efforts and local agencies that are helping – that would put your donations to good use this Thanksgiving.

• American Red Cross: 1.800.REDCROSS
• Cascade Locks Elementary School: HoodRiver.K12.or.us/Domain/712, Amy Moreland @ 541.3748467, 300 Wa Na Pa, CascadeLocks, OR 97014
• Cascade Locks/EmergencyMedical Services
• Cascade Locks Strong – online purchases of merchandise and gift cards from businesses affected by the fire
• FISH Food Bank (Friendly Instant Sympathetic Help) Hood River, Cascade Locks and surrounding communities
• Go Fund Me – several Cascade Locks and surrounding communities
• Harvest Christian Church Red Cross Evacuation Shelter: P.O. Box 745, Troutdale, OR 97060, 503.492.9800
• Hood River County Sheriff’s Office: 541.387.6911
• National Forest Foundation Eagle Creek Fire Restoration
• The Next Door social services organization: 965 Tucker Rd, Hood River, OR 97031, 541.386-6665,