Portland News and Events for Feb. 25-March 2016

Mayoral Candidates to Speak at Social Justice Forum March 10

Join activists and candidates for mayor of Portland at 6:30 p.m. March 10 for a public conversation about the social justice issues in Portland.

• Jules Bailey - candidate for mayor
•  Israel Bayer - Street Roots
• Jo Ann Hardesty - NAACP - Portland Branch
• Jason Renaud - Mental Health Association of Portland
• Ted Wheeler - candidate for mayor

Maranatha Church - 4222 Northeast 12th Ave.

March 10 - Doors open at 6 p.m.. Program begins at 6:30 p.m.

Event co-sponsors include The Skanner News, KBOO Community Radio 90.7, First Unitarian Church, McKenzie River Gathering, Mental Health Association of Portland, NAACP - Portland Branch, Maranatha Church, Street Roots, Portland Women's Crisis Line, ACLU of Oregon, In Other Words Feminist Community Center.

March 1 deadline for Oregon Promise and OSAC scholarship application 

Applications are due on March 1 for the Oregon Promise program and over 500 private scholarships administered by the Higher Education Coordinating Commission, Office of Student Access and Completion (OSAC). OSAC awards more than $80 million dollars each year in grants and privately funded scholarships to help students meet their college expenses. Students can go to www.OregonStudentAid.gov to learn more about these financial aid opportunities.

Oregon Promise: The Oregon Promise offers graduating Oregon high school seniors and eligible GED recipients an opportunity to have some or all of their community college tuition covered. Students can learn more and apply at www.OregonPromise.org. This program is available to high school students graduating in spring 2016. Students must have at least a 2.5 cumulative GPA, have resided in Oregon for at least 12 months prior to community college enrollment, and enroll at least half time in community college in fall 2016. To apply, students must complete the Oregon Promise application by 5 p.m. March 1, submit their transcript, and complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the Oregon State Aid Application (ORSAA). Students must accept all state and federal grants they are awarded to qualify for the Oregon Promise.

Scholarship Opportunities: More than 500 privately funded scholarship opportunities are available to Oregon students with a wide range of interests and needs. Students should apply online at OregonStudentAid.gov and complete the OSAC scholarship application by March 1 at 5:00 p.m. Students may apply for multiple scholarships with one application and there is no cost to apply.

Students are also strongly encouraged to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the Oregon Student Aid Application (ORSAA) as soon as possible. Information from the FAFSA or the ORSAA is used to determine eligibility for the Oregon Promise and the Oregon Opportunity Grant. Information from the FAFSA is also used to determine eligibility for federal aid, such as the Pell Grant.

Inclusive Dance Education Training Coming to Portland

Instructor Alito Alessi, founder of the DanceAbility inclusive dance teaching method, will bring a five-day DanceAbility Teacher Orientation course to Portland. It will be held March 21 until March 25 at the Cascade campus at Portland Community College. The course equips participants with the skills to teach dance and movement to groups that integrate people across the full spectrum of abilities and disabilities. Participants learn how to create a foundation of equality and respect among students while building connections and community through dance.

The course is supported in part by grants from the Oregon Community Foundation and Oregon Cultural Trust. These allow reduced-tuition scholarships to be offered, especially to those outside the I-5 corridor. The courses will also be offered in Eugene and Ashland later in 2016, on a weekends-only schedule.
DanceAbility Teacher Orientation, Portland, Oregon, March 21 – 25, PCC Cascade Campus Gym Info/Register: www.danceability.com or (541) 357-4982.
For more information or to interview founder Alito Alessi, please contact Kathryn Gaines at (541) 731-1643 or email her at kathryn@danceability.com.

SBA Disaster Assistance Available to Oregon Private Nonprofit Organizations

Low-interest federal disaster loans are now available to certain private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in Oregon following President Obama’s federal disaster declaration for Public Assistance as a result of severe winter storms, straight-line winds, flooding, landslides and mudslides that occurred December 6-23, 2015, announced Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). PNPs that provide essential services of a governmental nature are eligible for assistance.

SBA disaster assistance is now available in Clatsop, Columbia, Coos, Curry, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Multnomah, Polk, Tillamook, Washington and Yamhill counties.

“PNP organizations should contact Oregon Office of Emergency Management, at (503) 378-2911 or julie.slevin@state.or.us to obtain information about applicant briefings,” said Director Tanya N. Garfield of SBA’s Disaster Field Operations Center-West. “At the briefings, PNP representatives will need to provide information about their organization,” continued Garfield. FEMA will use that information to determine if the PNP provides an “essential governmental service” and is a “critical facility” as defined by law. If so, FEMA may provide the PNP with a Public Assistance grant for their eligible costs. If not, FEMA may refer the PNP to SBA for disaster loan assistance.

SBA may lend PNPs up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets. SBA can also lend additional funds to help with the cost of improvements to protect, prevent or minimize the same type of disaster damage from occurring in the future.

For certain private nonprofit organizations of any size, SBA offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) to help with meeting working capital needs caused by the disaster. EIDLs may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that cannot be paid because of the disaster’s impact. EIDL assistance is available regardless of whether the nonprofit suffered any property damage.

The interest rate is 2.625 percent with terms up to 30 years. The filing deadline to return applications for property damage is April 18, 2016. The deadline to return economic injury applications is November 17, 2016.

Applicants may apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA’s secure website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.

Disaster loan information and application forms are also available from SBA’s Customer Service Center by calling (800) 659-2955 or emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. Individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing may call (800) 877-8339. For more disaster assistance information, or to download applications, visit http://www.sba.gov/disasterr. Completed applications should be mailed to: U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.

For more Portland and Seattle area events, see our Community Calendar.