Greetings! 

Now is the time to make our mark in history!  As recent articles in the Oregonian and Portland Tribune and leading research from the Economic Policy Institute indicate, the situation for Blacks in Oregon remains dire and is progressively worsening. The sad truth still remains - when America has a cough; Black people, especially those in Portland or Multnomah County, have the flu. We don't need more research to highlight the problem; we must act, and act now!

This economy provides us with an amazing opportunity to focus on the least amongst us, as they are hurting the most. What kind of community are we when our neighbors are homeless and we do nothing? What kind of community are we when the achievement numbers of Black children mirror those of the 1960's and we do nothing? What kind of community are we when we lack the fortitude to change the direction in which we are heading when we are certain it leads to despair? I pose these questions to you because I know we can do better and it takes more than research to tackle these challenges.

Here at BPI our steadfastness is to change the course of our community.  We know that nothing can stand in the way of determined people. Since April we have worked with nearly 1,000 families. We've helped 10 of our most vulnerable families find work with companies such as US Bank, OAME, and DePaul, we've helped save nearly 50 families from entering foster care and we have a caseload of almost 60 fathers who take part in our Male & Father Engagement program. We remain committed to helping our community thrive, but we aren't doing it alone and we cannot do it alone! We are partnering with individuals and established organizations to bring transformation to our community.  

I want to personally invite you to join us in our movement to alter the life course of Black children in our county. Join us as we provide habilitative classes through our Early Intervention & Prevention Services, transformative education through our Parent University, and encourage economic participation by way of our Resource Center. Change doesn't occur without the support of the community, so please donate your time or resources to the cause.

Sincerely,

Charles McGee

President & CEO

I have to admit, I never been the type of person to seek out help in finding employment; not because I didn't need help.  But because I just knew I had it together.  So when a family member told me to go talk to Stephanie at the BPI office, I thought 'why not, the more job leads the better.'  I thought I would go in and get a few job leads, I didn't need the computers because I have one at home; I assumed the existence of the help would be merely job leads.  How little did I know, it was not just a simple, 'go here, they have jobs' or 'try this place, they need employees.' It was hands on, in your face, take it or leave it advice and support through the whole process.
 
At first (I can be honest) I was not receptive to the help, I felt as though if I just apply to as many jobs as I could I would get something sooner or later. So I would blow off classes and not return phone calls. My change of heart came when I landed an interview at US Bank. Stephanie made the connection with some of the hiring managers at the call center.  I applied and they called me in for a face to face interview.  I said, 'Ok now I'm on my own'. I didn't even bother to call and tell Stephanie that I had a meeting with them.  After the interview, I got a call from Stephanie saying she had feedback from my interview and she wanted to go over it with me.  I went to BPI the next day thinking, 'wow, she must have called Stephanie to tell her how great I was!'  Total opposite, Stephanie sat me down and explained that the interviewer thought that I was shaken and nervous.  I'm not going to lie, I got defensive, but I could not deny that I needed more help.
 
That is when I started to utilize Stephanie more. She helped me update and fix my cover letter and resume. She spent literally hours going over interview questions and doing mock interviews with me. When I lost my flash drive with my cover letter and resume on it, she had them both saved on her computer.  Stephanie made an effort to remember when my interviews were and she would call me after to ask how they went. When I didn't have childcare, she insisted that I bring my daughters in with me and provided coloring books and activities to keep them busy while I job searched. And I can without a doubt say that I would not be employed today if not for the support, dedication, experience and care of the BPI Staff! With their help I was prepared for my interview, my resume and cover letter were stellar, and I am now employed with an excellent organization that is making a difference in the community just like BPI.   

Naimah Johnson