There are many ways you can explore if a partnership is right for your business, from something small like a tour, to something major like hiring a new employee who faces a barrier to employment. Many of our job seekers are looking for 8-20 hours per week, and this can be very helpful within small businesses.

Our dedicated Employment Specialists are committed to finding the right fit for your needs, so you can be confident that you’ll meet a work-ready job seeker, which can reduce your turnover, increase job performance, and meet your bottom line.

Along the way, we’ll provide job coaching and ongoing support to ensure the success of you and your new employee, and we can also support you with Human Resources assistance or any other issue you may want to discuss.

Ready To Find Out More?

Please contact Xochil Springer at xspringer@ucpaorwa.org, or 503-777-4166 x 344.

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Speakers will include:

Dr. Ralph Prows, CEO, Oregon’s Health CO-OP

Dr. Prows is the CEO of Oregon’s Health CO-OP, a new non-profit Consumer Oriented and Operated Health Plan that will offer health insurance on Oregon’s exchange when it launches in 2014. According to Prows, Oregon’s Health CO-OP will offer consumer-driven health insurance that puts the member first, and will be open to any eligible Oregonians wishing to join.

Kevin Minkoff, CPA

President of Kevin R. Minkoff, CPA, PC, Kevin has keen insight into the effects of the Affordable Health Care Act on businesses and individuals. The IRS is charged with administrating compliance with this health care legislation. Anyone not in compliance is subject to large tax penalties beginning this coming January 1.  Mr. Minkoff will share the currently projected tax credits and penalties to which all Americans may be subject.

Date: June 12, 2013 – 7:30 AM

Site: Adventist Medical Center

Address: 10123 SE market St  Portland, OR 97216

Others

There are also a number of other bills remaining that will simply improve Oregon’s job climate.

After analyzing all the remaining legislation left in the 2013 Oregon Legislature, the following 12 legislative proposals are the best available options left in the 2013 session to help grow Oregon’s economy:

• Industrial Lands Site Readiness (SB 246)
• Due Diligence Grants (SB 253)
• Recapitalization of Brownfields Redevelopment Fund (HB 3030)
• ConnectOregon (SB 260)
• Local Economic Development (HB 5028)
• Oregon Growth Board (HB 2323)
• Permitting Improvement (SB 251)
• Workers’ Comp Liability Fix for LLCs (SB 678)
• Franchise Agreement Clarification (HB 3095)
• Work-Ready Communities (HB 3038)
• Research Commercialization (SB 241)
• Water Storage Projects (SB 839)

For more information Click Here

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Gresham Ford Quick Lane

This past Saturday, May 11, I decided it was time to give Gresham Ford’s Quick Lane a try as my 1997 Toyota Tacoma was due for an oil change.  I learned through the East Portland Chamber of Commerce that as a first time customer of Gresham Ford I was eligible for a 50% discount on the service.  This sounded like a deal just too good to pass up!

Gresham Ford’s Scott, Jordan and Lindsey

I arrived shortly after 8:45am and was greeted by Jordan who I learned has been working at Gresham Ford for almost 6 years.  Jordan took my information and said that while they didn’t stock the 5W-30 synthetic oil I wanted, that it would be no problem to get some for my oil change.

Gresham Ford Quick Change Waiting Room

The waiting room was clean and tidy and has free Wi-Fi while you wait.  I found a kid’s section with lots of puzzles and coloring books available.  There is a large set of windows between the waiting area and the garage so you can watch the action if you are so inclined.

Gresham Ford Community Outreach

Hot coffee and popcorn was available at a refreshment station.  The wall of “heart” stickers detail so much of the good work that Gresham Ford does for the community.  This included a sticker for the East Portland Chamber of Commerce.

While I was waiting I took the opportunity to stop by the sales department where I met Glen who gave me a quick ride around the lot to look at all the new models on display.

My truck getting a careful inspection

After my ride around the lot, I returned to watch the technician who was working on my truck.  From my observations it appeared he was very thorough in his inspection and not just “checking-the-box”.  He asked me a few pertinent questions about my previous oil changes which furthered my belief that he was genuinely interested in the condition and maintenance of my Tacoma.

The vehicle service area was very neat and clean and lacked any of the clutter that you see in so many service areas.

I paid my bill and got my receipt at 10:18am.  While my visit wasn’t as fast as some oil change shops I felt that the genuine care that was given to me and my vehicle was worth the few extra minutes.  As an added bonus, just as I was ready to leave I ran into Jean DeMasters of Human Solutions, so got to have a good chat with her before leaving.

Thanks Gresham Ford!

Thanks Gresham Ford!  I know I’ll be back.

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Opening Speakers include:

• Charlie Hales, Mayor, City of Portland
• Patrick Quinton, Executive Director, PDC
• And more!

Keynote Speaker:

• Introduction: Nancy Hales, First Stop Portland
• Michael C. Bush,
  President and Founder of The 8 Factors

The day will also include breakout sessions with local experts, and in-person access to resources for small businesses and community organizations:

• Business Best Practices: 
  Understanding your financials, cash flow management and practical business planning.
• The Value of Business District Associations:
  Learn from some of the city’s best organized associations to promote your local assets and advantages.
• Getting Ahead of the Game:
  Learn to make the smart choices about where to put your energy and investment.
• Know Your Neighborhood:
  Find out how to spot trends, adapt your business plan and make the most of shifting demographics and market dynamics.

On the Spot Connections:
Our Resource Room offers face time with representatives of financial, business, workforce development and community resource organizations.

Date/Time and Place:

Thursday, May 30, 2013 from 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM (PDT)

Oregon Convention Center – 777 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Portland, OR 97232

View the full schedule at the event website >

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After Hours – The Audacity of Self Care

Come celebrate The Audacity of Self Care with Adinah Barlow and guests at The Bookkeeping Company. Enjoy music, food and drinks. Network and make connections with people you haven’t met before. Deepen your relationships with your fellow Chamber members as you mingle, learn and have fun.

You will get to explore simple and easy ways to take care of yourself, (if you dare!) You will receive tips on healthy cooking, exercise, stretching, relaxing and reshaping. Adinah Barlow, LMT will be giving five minute shoulder massages. Guests will be demonstrating therapeutic reshaping garments, presenting essential oils and teaching simple exercise and stretching techniques.

Contact Adinah at 503-935-9289.

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- Direct site preparation assistance (Senate Bill 246): Authorizes forgivable loans, low or no interest loans and/or tax sharing arrangement to local governments and property owners with a public sector partner for site preparation costs associated with regionally significant sites. Loan forgiveness and tax sharing of up to 50% of site preparation costs would be based on successful traded-sector investment on the site.

- Due diligence grants (Senate Bill 253): Makes available a limited pool of grants for eligible projects that have a public sponsor for industrial site due diligence or industrial site inventories and readiness assessments of sites in the area.

On April 15, these two bills passed out of Senate Committee on Business and Transportation with amendments. The next action on the bills will be in the next couple of weeks by the Joint Ways and Means Committee. To reinforce support for the bills, we encourage you to reach out to our legislators. Below is a summary of the bills, links to the amended bills.

Oregon Industrial Site Readiness Bills

SB0246

SB0253

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Adventist Medical Center is part of Adventist Health-Portland, a not-for-profit faith-based system of health services in the Portland/Vancouver metropolitan area. The full complement of whole-person care includes: Adventist Medical Center-Portland, a 302-bed acute care hospital, Adventist Medical Group, a system of 34 physician clinics, Gresham Imaging Center, Adventist Health Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Services and Adventist Health Home Care and Hospice Services. The health partner provides a full range of inpatient, outpatient, emergency and diagnostic services to more than 9000,000 residents in communities in and near East Portland.

Adventist Medical Center has been a member of the East Portland Chamber of Commerce since the inception of the organization and is committed to providing exceptional care and wellness resources to local businesses and residents while helping create a healthy community. To learn more about their services visit www.adventisthealthnw.com.

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Home Depot Kid’s Workshop

This past Saturday I took the time for a visit to learn more about how Home Depot reaches out to our diverse community in East Portland.  Home Depot runs a Kids Workshop the first Saturday of every month from 9am till noon.  Parents bring their children and work together to build a small project.

Fun Painting

Ryan Pieratt, Home Depot Manger and member of the East Portland Chamber of Commerce, told me that Home Depot has been holding Kids Workshop now “for more than 18 years.”  Many times over 250 children participate over the three hour workshop.  This particular Saturday over 90 children had participated in the first hour.

Alli & Bryan

I spent some time talking with Home Depot employees, Alli and Bryan, to learn a little more about how the event was run and some more details about the program.  Alli has been with the program for over 13 years and Bryan for over four.

Lots of children at the Kid’s Workshop

The first step in the process is registration.  Parents fill out a simple participation form and are given a Home Depot Kids Workshop Apron and all the materials necessary to complete the project.

Hanging Herb Planter

This month’s kit was a “Hanging Herb Planter” which consisted of two plastic pots, a backboard which was screwed to the pot holder and then painted by the kids.

Certificate of Achievement

Once painting is complete, the final step is for the children to get their personalized “Certificate of Achievement” and a button which they can put on their Home Depot Kids Workshop Apron.

Finding the perfect color!

While speaking with Alli and Bryan I learned that some of many of the participating children are regulars coming each month.  Based on the number of buttons I saw on some aprons some have been coming for years.

Young girl painting

A couple of examples stood out as we chatted.  Bryan told me about the first one, a girl who is blind who attends regularly.  Alli told me about the second, a young girl who has been fighting cancer and this was one of the few outings she had away from the hospital.  Alli said, “At this age, nothing holds them back.  It’s not, why can’t we do this, but how can we do it!”

Diversity in East Portland

Be sure and bring your children for next month’s Home Depot Kids Workshop project, “Lawn Mower Pencil Holders” on Saturday, June 1, 2013.

Home Depot is located at 10120 SE Washington Street, Portland, OR  97216 in Mall 205.

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Here is website of a PERS Presentation by John Tapogna, President of ECONorthwest, an economic consulting firm, that has operated in the Northwest since 1974.

Tapogna has developed a practice related to education, workforce development, welfare reform, and child-support enforcement policy. Prior to joining ECO, he was a budget analyst at the U.S. Congressional Budget Office, where he forecast the nation’s welfare spending and estimated the cost of key congressional legislation.

Tapogna has served on a number of advisory groups, including the Oregon Quality Education Commission’s cost panel, the Oregon District Best Business Practices Advisory Committee, and the Governor’s Revenue Restructuring Task Force. He has delivered his technical findings to a variety of governing bodies, including the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, the Oregon and Washington state legislatures, and numerous local governments.

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