Neighborhood House provides programs and services, which enhance the quality of life for individuals of all ages in the Portland area. Our programs and services focus on educational enhancement, health promotion, social skills development and employment training and opportunities. We have been in the Portland community of Jefferson County since the mid-1960s serving as the community center, hosting numerous community events and meetings. Our programs include:
When Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans and the Gulf Coast almost three years ago, it was a disaster of epic proportions. Even more disastrous has been the recovery effort. I've been to the Mississippi coast with the St. William Catholic Church Mississippi Partnership four times in the last 18 months and have seen firsthand the devastation and lent a helping hand to some of those struggling to put a solid roof over their heads and floor under their feet. Through the generosity of the St. William community and leadership, we were awarded a $4000 grant to help in these efforts. One woman who has been attempting to rebuild since the storm, Miss Wesler, caught our attention. She needed almost $9000 to buy materials and hire craftsmen to begin building her new home. We agreed to get her started with the grant money available but needs more assistance.
On Thursday, July 17th, we are proud to announce our Charity of the Month for the benefit of Miss Wesner. Ten percent of the entire day's gross sales will be donated to her effort to begin her new life. We'd love for you to join us in helping get her back on her feet. Join us for lunch or dinner, here in our dining room or in your home, delivered or carried out. We guarantee we won't be able to raise the $5000 she needs to finish her home but we're proud to be helping to make a dent!
Miss Wesner sent this letter to the St. William community...
To St. William Church,
I would like to thank each and everyone who kindly made donations to make it possible for the rebuild of my home. I am so excited to see this happening that it still seems unreal. I have been living in a trailer park in a RV since the storm, I miss being at home dearly. It has been exciting to even get my permits and house plans!! I will send pictures to your church when my house is complete, without people like you people like me may not have this great chance to recover and so I want you all to know just how much your generosity is appreciated. I thank God that your kindness will make such a great difference in mine and my families life's. Thank you so so much again, and God bless every one of you. I will be sure to include you and your church in my prayers and thank God for people like all of you!!!
God Bless,
Mary Wesner
Catholic Charities of Louisville is sponsoring the Sixth Annual "Just Pedal Bicycle Tour" on June 22nd.
The tour will begin at Bellarmine University and loop 12 or 20 miles through the Highlands.
We are proud to be a leading sponsor of this event and to be holding our Charity of the Month for June on Wednesday,
June 18th, to raise more funds and awareness of the event.
Registration for the tour is $25, which includes a bike tour t-shirt and a ticket to the show at the Comedy Caravan on the evening of the 22nd at 6:30. For those of you who don't cycle, you can support the tour with a meal at the restaurant on the 18th or buy a $25 ticket to the Comedy Caravan, which includes dinner and the show. It promises to be a great day for everyone involved.
Registration for the tour and tickets are available through Bart at Catholic Charities, 636-9786.
The first few years in the lives of babies are very important. It’s the time when they are learning to walk, talk, recognize people and many other developmental tasks. Some babies may have trouble developing certain skills because they were born very premature or with a disability like cerebral palsy or Down Syndrome. FIRST STEPS provides the help needed by infants and toddlers with special needs. FIRST STEPS provides evaluation and assessment, developmental intervention, speech/occupational/physical therapies, assistive technology and other services for young children with special needs to maximize their growth and development. By getting the help they need from FIRST STEPS very early in life, many of these babies reach their developmental milestones and can begin school ready and able to learn.
We are extremely proud to announce that the FIRST STEPS program of Seven Counties will be our Charity of the Month for May. Known by its full name, “First Steps point of Entry and Primary Service Coordination”, it serves as a referral agency for children birth through two years old who have developmental delays or medical conditions known to cause delays. Most, if not all, services are provided free-of-charge to families most in need.
This month’s fundraiser will support FIRST STEPS in purchasing story and picture books for young children who are learning English. Professionals who provide early intervention for infants and toddlers with developmental delays or disabilities will show families how to use the books to stimulate language skills in their children.
As the Commonwealth has been cutting back funding for this type of social service in the upcoming budget cycle, it is crucial that agencies like FIRST STEPS find ways to bridge the funding gap in sometimes creative ways. We are proud to be a part of keeping these services available to those in our community most at risk. Our good friend and frequent customer, Sandy Mlinarcik, is vice president of Seven Counties’ Developmental Services department and is an inspiration to us. Please consider joining us on the 22nd, in person or over the phone. Ten percent of the day’s gross sales will be donated, so every pizza, pasta and hoagie you order will go towards this exceptional program. More info can be accessed at Seven Counties’ website, www.sevencounties.org. Thank you so much in advance!
On Wednesday, April 16th, we are proud to be holding our Monthly
Charity event to benefit the St. William conference of the Society of
St. Vincent dePaul. We will be donating 10% of the day's
gross sales to this organization, which aids in providing emergency
funding to the neediest residents of the 40210 West End neighborhood
who need assistance in the payment of their utility and rent payments
in order to avoid eviction or shutoffs of power, gas or
water. We feature this Charity quite often as the funds
donated are entirely provided to those in the direst of situations with
hardly any overhead that funnels money away. It is indeed
the most direct way to provide for the least of our neighbors, who go
through a rigorous screening process, including home assessments, to
qualify for assistance. Please mark your calendar to make
your dining dollars go to good works!
On Sunday, March 16th, Louisville and a host of cities nationwide will
sponsor head-shaving events in support of the St. Baldrick's
Foundation, an organization dedicated to raising awareness of and
research into finding cures for childhood
cancer. Participants, “shavees”, solicit sponsorships for
the foundation and have their heads shaved in a show of solidarity with
the youngsters afflicted with cancer.
This year, for the first time I, Matthew Ptasienski, owner of Windy City Pizzeria, am taking part in this extravaganza. Sporting over 18 months of uncut hair, I will have it shaved off at Fourth Street Live that afternoon. My hair will then be donated to Locks of Love, an agency that makes wigs for many of these same kids. I am looking for sponsors in support of this very worthwhile cause.
This sounds wonderful. How can you help?
Visit my sponsorship page and make a donation
from now through March 16th! You can also come see me have
my head shaved at the Fourth Street Live event. I will post
more details when I know what time slot I have. Or, you can
just come down and enjoy the whole thing! The general
schedule is below.
| Sunday, March 16th | St. Baldrick's Day 2008 at Fourth Street Live |
| 2:00 pm | Opening ceremony with Dawne Gee |
| Face painting, body tattoos, green hairspray station | |
| 2:30 pm | The head shaving begins! |
| The timeslots will be in 1 hour increments, 2-3pm, 3-4pm, 4-5pm, and 5-6pm. | |
As an additional incentive, anyone donating
at least $20 to the St. Baldrick's Foundation in my name is invited to
a pizza/pasta party at the restaurant that evening, March 16th, after
my head shaving. The party will run from 5:30-7:30 pm that
Sunday. Please let me know if you will be attending.
On Wednesday,
March 19th, Windy City Pizzeria will hold its monthly Charity Day to
benefit the St. Baldrick's Foundation. All day, ten percent
of the day’s gross profits will be donated.
See! Three different ways to participate in this great event! Sponsor me and enjoy the party that evening. Watch me get shaved. Order lunch or dinner on the 19th. You can even watch the sheering in action. And, hey, if you have any questions, feel free to give me a call at 502-636-3708. Be a part of the fun and support the St. Baldrick's Foundation in 2008!
