A Year in Review and the Road Ahead

Written By Natalie Cornejo

As we step into the month of February, we're excited to celebrate Black History Month and reflect on the impactful journey Taking Ownership PDX has had in the past year. We want to thank our donors, volunteers and the Portland community as your support has been instrumental in keeping our mission alive and moving forward. We also want to take a moment to acknowledge the strides we've made together and look ahead to the promising future. Below are highlights from 2023.

Taking Ownership PDX Impact 2023:

1. Financial Resilience:

  • We raised $385,101, a significant feat that enabled Taking Ownership PDX to continue operations and initiate the transition into nonprofit status.

  • Despite a decrease from the previous year, the last two months of 2023 brought in one third of the total funds, ensuring our ability to continue serving the community.

2. Home Improvement Projects:

  • We kicked off 14 home improvement projects and successfully completed 9, with one project standing out as our most significant achievement since inception.

3. Partnerships and Grants:

  • Collaborating with REPAIR, we provided 9 Anti-Displacement Grants to Black homeowners in the Portland metro area.

  • Our partnership with DevNW allowed us to open Individual Development Accounts (IDA), or match savings accounts, for 9 Black small business owners, offering financial support upon program completion.

  • Randal Wyatt was flown to Philadelphia, PA to speak on a panel titled "Reclaiming Your Neighborhood in the Age of Gentrification" at the 2023 Philadelphia Citizen's Ideas We Should Steal Festival.

4. Community Impact Through Volunteers:

  • Organized 36 volunteer projects that served 22 different families.

    • The collective effort resulted in over $30,000 worth of volunteer labor and $170,000 worth of home improvements.

  • We worked alongside more than 180 individual volunteers and partnered with 11 different organizations and companies.

  • Volunteer efforts helped mitigate over $4,700 worth of liens.


Looking Forward:

This year, we are on the brink of achieving nonprofit status, a milestone that will enhance our ability to make a lasting impact on the Black community. A data analyst has joined our team to analyze documents and create comprehensive charts and graphs showcasing our impact. This data will be available on our website soon.

NEW! Taking Ownership PDX Merchandise:

In celebration of Black History Month, we are excited to launch our new Taking Ownership PDX merchandise!

This Black History Month, make impactful change by donating to help local Black homeowners. Visit our website to make a donation. View all of the merch on our Instagram.

Additionally, we're excited to announce that our online store will be up and running later this week. In the meantime, if you've made a donation and would like to claim your merchandise, please contact us via email at takingownershippdx@gmail.com.

  • Donate $25 for a FREE hat

  • Donate $50 for a FREE T-shirt,

  • Donate $100 for a FREE hoodie.

As we honor the rich history and contributions of the Black community this month, we're happy to be celebrating the collective achievements and resilience of Taking Ownership PDX. Your ongoing support fuels our commitment to creating positive change.

Thank you for being a vital part of our journey.

Sincerely,
Randal Wyatt
Founder of Taking Ownership PDX

Natalie Cornejo
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