2010 Portland, Oregon - Angel Award Nominations 4 Women behind Non-Profits, Women in Business of Social Causes.

Oregon Nominees

Volunteer Leadership Angel Award Nomination
The Tres Islas Orphanage Fund began 23 years ago as a one-person effort to help children in Mexico’s orphanages when the founder, Donelle Manton, was sent to Mazatlan on an assignment to "photograph the children of Mexico." Once in Mazatlan, she photographed children on the beach, in the plazas, in the church, on the streets. Then she visited an orphanage she heard of and was saddened by the conditions. After photographing the children there, it was about dinner time so she asked them what was for dinner and they replied in Spanish, “We don’t know.” Thinking they were joking with her she went to the kitchen to find a pot of water boiling on the stove, which was there waiting for whatever someone might drop off. So, she went out and bought $250 worth of food for the children. She later returned to the same orphanage on a follow up assignment and found the same shortage of food. She knew at that moment her true “assignment” to provide the orphaned children with nourishing food and impro 4/1/2010 11:21:20 AM

Humanitarian Angel Award Nomination
I nominate Susan Finch, President/Founder, Binky Patrol Comforting Covers for Kids (www.binkypatrol.org), 503-214-8346. We make blankets and give them away to children and teens in need of comfort. This is an all volunteer, national, non-profit organization making and distributing homemade blankets to children born HIV+, drug-addicted, infected with AIDS or other chronic & terminal illnesses, those who are abused, in foster care or experiencing trauma of any kind. In its thirteenth year, the Binky Patrol has more than 100 chapters spread across the nation. Susan has boundless energy, juggles many different projects all with finesse She is a mom, runs her own business and is a recently published author (www.dinomanners.com). Susan is an inspiration to all of us who work with her and it gives me great pleasure to nominate her for this award. Nominated by Marlys D. Vaughan 3/8/2010 12:09:44 PM

Child Advocacy Angel Award Nomination
Shafia M. Monroe International Center for Traditional Childbirth http://www.ictcmidwives.org 2823 North Rosa Parks Way Portland,,OR 97217 Mail address: PO Box 11923, Portland ,OR 97211 President. Shafia has done much for the community in providing teen age girls opportunity to learn a valuable and life saving skill. Her doula's have gone on to help create programs for incarcerated mothers. She is an inspiration. Nominated by Roran Storms 3/2/2010 6:53:04 AM

Child Advocacy Angel Award Nomination
Susan Wallace is a supervisor with Boys and Girls Aid and it tirelessly working with at risk youth in the Portland area. She oversees youth homes, designed to keep at-risk youth out of prison. Her work has been instrumental in keeping these programs funded and alive. Nominated by Stephen Wallace 2/4/2010 10:15:14 AM

Entrepreneurial Spirit Angel Award Nomination
Kedma Ough, 503-546-8813 office, 503-998-7751 cell, www.mipooregon.org. Kedma has dedicated her life to providing opportunities for innovation and inventions. As the founder of the Micro-inventors Program of Oregon, independent inventors have a safe venue to obtaining resources, education, and consulting with the focus on bringing social driven products to market. Since opening in 2006, MIPO has assisted more than 100 inventors to bring inventions in the field of consumer products, health care and green technology. In December 2008 she was one of 10 community leaders that was asked by the Obama Transition Team to provide her expertise on the movement of the independent inventors community and how to support innovation. Nominated by Sam Sproson 1/18/2010 6:29:29 PM

Arts & Culture Angel Award Nomination
Amy Henderson. 971-255-0504. www.geezergallery.com. Ms. Henderson is the Founder of The Geezer Gallery, a non-profit organization that seeks to challenge ageist thinking and stereotypes by providing opportunities for older adults to participate in the creative arts for both financial profit and personal edification. Ms. Henderson’s desire to create a platform supporting artistic endeavors for older adults led her to study the psycho-social aspects of aging at Marylhurst University, culminating in a Master of Arts degree in 2009. For the past two years, Ms. Henderson has worked to develop relationships with elder artists and others interested in the vision of The Geezer Gallery. Due to Ms. Henderson’s passionate investment of time and energy, enthusiasm for The Geezer Gallery is growing and the goal of opening a brick-and-mortar art gallery featuring the fine art of elder artists is close to being realized. Ms. Henderson deserves to be acknowledged for her trailblazing work o 1/16/2010 12:34:37 PM

Humanitarian Angel Award Nomination
Sharon Strauss, Sunshine Food Pantry, 971 506-7827, 7795 S.W. Cirrus Drive Beaverton, Oregon, 97008. Sharon Straus is a woman with a big heart and a incredible mission to help our local community with food, household goods. From Beaverton Times: “My biggest concern is that no child should go to bed hungry, and that’s what I work for,” the 57-year-old Hyland Hills neighbor said. “My goal is to make children feel secure and help their families put food on the table.” Sharon Straus is the founder and director of Sunshine Pantry – a nonprofit food recovery and redistribution center. She has been in this volunteer role for more than 25 years, working out of her garage for the first 20. What started as a needy family project for her son’s Cub Scout pack has now grown to an immense operation with over 150 volunteers donating 600+ hours to serve more than 900 families each month. Since it began, Sunshine Pantry has helped feed thousands of Oregonians without support from the gove 1/14/2010 10:43:43 AM

Humanitarian Angel Award Nomination
Nancy Engeman, 503-453-7947, 503-635-0102 office, www.comerestawhile.org. Nancy has dedicated her life to helping women in their recovery from substance abuse. As Co-founder and Executive Director of Come Rest Awhile (CRA), she is seeing a long time dream come to be. CRA offers a safe and supportive home with a family atmosphere for women recovering from drug and alcohol addiction. In the spring of 1997, an evening of melodrama and a spaghetti dinner provided seed money that paid for two computers and non-profit statues and so it began. Everything was donated to set up a comfortable home in Lake Grove and Nancy and six residents moved in on July 1, 2001. Today CRA is located in a large, beautiful home in Lake Oswego and is home to 12 women. Since opening, over 150 women have come through the doors, approximately 45% of whom are clean and sober and continue to be a part of the family. Nancy has a lot to offer and is sincere in her approach to help and aid in the welfare of other wo 1/7/2010 10:42:29 AM

Entrepreneurial Spirit Angel Award Nomination
Ali Brown, 503.992.0078, of Adelante Empresas, project of Adelante Mujeres. Adelante means rise up, move forward. Mujeres means women. Empresas means small business. Working as a VISTA Volunteer for Adelante Mujeres, Ali Brown recognized a need for additional services for small business owners. She thought up, created, sought funding and implemented Adelante Empresas, a comprehensive, small business development program designed to provide local Latino entrepreneurs the capacity to overcome societal barriers and develop the skills necessary to launch successful businesses. The program is only a year old but has been very successful. Find out more at www.adelanteempresas.org Ali has dedicated her skills and friendly attitude to make this program a success. She is a hard worker and a very dedicated individual. Nominated by Gina Bell 1/6/2010 6:38:56 PM

Humanitarian Angel Award Nomination
Bridget Cooke, Executive Director, Adelante Mujeres, 503.992.0078, www.adelantemujeres.org Bridget Cooke founded Adelante Mujeres in 2002 and it has grown over the past 8 years because of her hard work, dedication, lack of sleep and kind heart. Her vision to increase opportunities for Latino families through holistic education, workforce and entrepreneurial training and family literacy; build community through leadership development and the search for solutions to common concerns; preserve, foster and share cultural heritage and facilitate intercultural exchange; and to advocate ecological awareness and action for the sustainable economy and healthy communities has helped countless new immigrants as well as the greater community. It is a true pleasure to work with Bridget Cooke. She greets us each morning with a smile and a hug and inquires about our well being and truly cares how we answer. I consider her not only a boss, but a friend. She is a friend and advocate to each progra 1/6/2010 4:32:14 PM

Angel Award Animal Welfare Nomination
Cathy Nechak, Founder, Oregon Friends of Shelter Animals (OFOSA), 503.747.7818, www.OFOSA.org. Cathy started OFOSA in 2002 with a passion that few could match. She turned her home into the headquarters for OFOSA when there was no where else to go. Her tireless dedication to the animals and the over 300 volunteers is inspiring. OFOSA has saved over 2000 cats and dogs in the Portland metro area in 2008 and over 3000 in 2009. Cathy has personally taken on the medically fragile animals that would otherwise not have made it out of the shelter and found them the treatment they needed to recover and find a forever home. These cats and dogs are now a life time companion for families who took a chance on an adopted cat or dog. OFOSA would not be without Cathy and her husband Bill. I feel very fortunate to be a part of OFOSA and see the passion and dedication that Cathy has for animals every day. Nominated by Cyndi 1/6/2010 10:33:03 AM

Family Advocacy Angel Award Nomination
Shafia M. Monroe 503-460-9324 office 503-927-8357 cell International Center for Traditional Childbirth 2823 North Rosa Parks Way Portland ,OR 97217 Mail address: PO Box 11923, Portland ,OR 97211 shafia@ictcmidwives.org www.ictcmidwives.org I nominate Shafia M. Monroe for an Angel Award because her work deserves more recognition. She has pioneered the cause of reducing infant mortality among the Black populations in the world and African-Americans in the United States since 1983. Miss Monroe runs her grassroots organization, headquartered in Portland, OR. with limited resources and the dedication of volunteers and minimal staff. Miss Shafia's approach is rooted in African Midwifery Traditions, where the midwife educated the community, and focussed on holistic practices to bring families together in order to ensure the health of the mother and child. Miss Shafia serves in the legacy of midwives that come out of the old South. These Granny midwives ensured the health of many b 1/6/2010 10:05:08 AM

Best Supporting Husband Angel Award Nomination
I would like to nominate Joan Cramer of Portland, Oregon, (503) 490-8481. Puppeteer and volunteer. Since 1994 ,Joan has been volunteering for Kids on the Block Awareness Program educating children in our schools and community on social, safety and Health issues. She transforms powerlessness in the face of our community into empowerment to make a real difference in specific situations by the use of puppets. She also provides a bridge between the resources of our community and the needs of the organization to share the vision and mission of our program. Children today face many tramantic challenges and Joan is always available to volunteer for our program with open arms and compassion to make a difference in a child's world. Nominated by Lynette Jelinek 1/6/2010. Nominated by Lynette Jelinek 1/6/2010 7:37:29 AM

Humanitarian Angel Award Nomination
Monica Beemer, Executive Director, Sisters Of The Road, 503-222-5694, www.sistersoftheroad.org Monica Beemer, Executive Director at Sisters of the Road, is a truly inspirational and visionary leader. She realizes that we are not seperate. And, she approaches her work with deep compassion and listening. She makes all people feel welcomed and valued. "Monica has shown me how nonviolence, gentle personalism and consensus-based decision making can become foundational to a strong culture of growth and innovation." --Sue Staehli, Board Member, Sisters of the Road Sisters Of The Road exists to build authentic relationships and alleviate the hunger of isolation in an atmosphere of nonviolence and gentle personalism that nurtures the whole individual, while seeking systemic solutions that reach the roots of homelessness and poverty to end them forever. Nominated by Maureen A. Kenney 1/5/2010 11:52:50 PM

Other/ Special Award Nomination
I would like to nominate Kathryn Clark of Gresham. With the economic situation being as it is, she was laid off twice in 2009. Since then she has been helping other unemployed people have nicer business/casual clothing for job interviewing and the first few days of work. She charges nothing for the clothing that she receives through friends, neighbors, or online. To date many people have benefitted from her generous heart. Currently she does this from her home. She is pursuing turning this undertaking into a non profit..thereby being able to help many more people. If someone needs help, she is there. Nominated by Ryan Brasell 12/30/2009 7:39:39 PM

Other/ Special Award Nomination
I nominate Laura Mansfield of Portland, Oregon, (503) 957-8556. Laura is tirelessly committed to bringing the ideals of intentional parenting to the public. She and her husband, Todd, launched a radio show in February 2009 and the listenership has expanded so rapidly they are now launching an entire network - all around the idea that families are the most important things in our society. Their radio programs offer every day insights, bring in experts, offer resources to parents who are wanting to offer their best self to their children. Into this, they are weaving healthful, green living, volunteerism as a way of life, global perspectives on parenting and just and unending love for children everywhere. Even while doing this she has worked with several major nonprofit foundations offering trainings and strategic planning services to nonprofits in the state - and has been always present for her two young boys, her husband and her friends. She is a truly amazing woman. Nominated by 12/28/2009 5:47:47 PM

Public Service Angel Award Nomination
I nominate Patricia Gainsforth of Bend Oregon, 541-389-5515. She's been committed to helping entrepreneurs through Enterprise Facilitation for many years; and has served the public faithfully as a Board Member of the Wy'East Resource & Conservation District. Nominated by Merlin Berg 12/23/2009 9:02:49 PM

Page 1 of 1

First Previous Next Last

Nominate Now

Oregon Nominees