Taking Ownership PDX’s Mid-Year Update

As we mark the halfway point of 2024, Taking Ownership PDX is filled with immense pride and gratitude for the progress we've made! One of our most significant accomplishments this year was addressing $90,000 in liens and fines burdening a homeowner. With our team’s dedication and the support of our partners, we hired a contractor and worked tirelessly over the past year to resolve these issues, relieving the homeowner of this tremendous financial burden!!

Thanks to our volunteers, community support, and partnerships with city programs focused on racial justice such as the Empowered Neighborhoods Program, we successfully closed the compliance case and canceled all liens on this home!! This monumental achievement marks a fresh start for the homeowner, who is now back to baseline.

The team at Works Real Estate volunteer work on Juneteenth was also instrumental in supporting yard cleanup for this home along with another home project. You can read more about this incredible story below in our newsletter or on our blog here.

Nonprofit Transition & Expanding Our Team

The first half of this year was also pivotal for Taking Ownership PDX as we successfully transitioned to a nonprofit organization. With this transition, we built new systems and operations necessary to support our mission more effectively. We’re thrilled to have brought on a new intern to our team, who has already become an integral part of our success!

Thanks to recent funding, we are now poised to focus on what we do best: home improvement projects. Our ambitious goal is to complete 15 to 20 more home improvement projects by the end of the year. Your continued support makes this possible, and we're excited to make a tangible difference in our community. Help us reach our goal by making a financial donation on our website today! Your generosity directly impacts the lives of those in need.

Lake Oswego Juneteenth Event

Last month, we participated in the Lake Oswego Juneteenth event, which coincided with Father’s Day. It was a special day for me as I had the privilege of tabling at the event with my sons. We made valuable connections and shared our mission with many attendees. I’d like to give a big thank you to everyone who supported us there!

New Grants

We're excited to announce that Taking Ownership PDX has received generous grants from three incredible organizations: the Black United Fund of Oregon, Seeding Justice, and OnPoint Community Credit Union. Each has awarded us $10,000, totaling $30,000 in new funding! These grants will significantly bolster our efforts to support home improvement projects and strengthen our community impact.  Thank you to our grantors for their invaluable support!

We have a couple new home improvement projects starting and we look forward to sharing more information soon. Thank you for being an essential part of our mission! Together, we're building stronger communities, one home at a time.

Sincerely,
Randal Wyatt
Founder of Taking Ownership PDX