THINGS ARE HAPPENING AT PACS!

2017 PACS DINNER & AWARD

PACS just had their 13^th Annual Awards Dinner & Auction. The night raised almost $106,000 which $10,000 was through the Silent Auction. The funds raised helps struggling families with basic needs like food and health care. Dr. Clifford Walters of the Walters Family Foundation gave the keynote address.

   Left to Right: Paul L. Cole (executive director of PACS), Dr. Rodica Malos, and Tom Mostert (board chairman)

The Barbara Nelson Award was presented to Dr. Rodica Malos for her long-standing and tireless ministry as a volunteer provider for the PACS Health Clinic. The story behind the Barbara Nelson Award is in honor and remembrance of Mrs. Barbara Nelson. Barbara exemplified unbounded enthusiasm, leadership and vision for a better community. She was the executive of PACS from 1989 to 1993 where she established the PACS Health Clinic.

Joyce Jordan, who is a volunteer and has worked all over PACS but is currently volunteering in Food Pantry received the Director’s Award. The Director’s Award is a combination of many things from length of volunteering at PACS to putting a smile on someone’s face.

GOD USES YOU FOR THE BEST, EVEN IN TIMES OF TROUBLE

Janice Lytle, volunteers at PACS' apparel store

“Dumb, stupid, ugly and bad,” were the words ringing in her head growing up. No one should hear such words, but for Janice Lytle they rang true until she found God.

Janice is from the Wiyot Tribe. She was born in California but is a life-long Oregonian. Her older sister saw her friends living the “luxury life.” Luxury meant having matching pans and separate bedrooms. A friend suggested that she talk with a social worker so she and her little sister could live that life too. When the social worker saw their home, the girls and other siblings were all removed, but not together.

Janice lived in three different foster homes until she reached 18. The second one was the worst. She was verbally and physically abused. Suicidal thoughts became part of her reality. One day in the car with her foster father she thought about opening the door and jumping out. He saw her hand on the door handle and yelled, “GET YOUR HAND OFF THAT DOOR!” She lived with them for 11 years. The third foster home was better.

At 18 she found the missing piece she needed to fill her life. “I met my birth family and knew who I was and it was okay to be me,” she spoke with relief. Still life wasn’t easy. Homelessness, marriage, children, divorce and more suicidal thoughts.

Janice always believed in God. A Sabbath school teacher taught about prayer and gave her a text. She believes it was Psalms 37:4: “Delight yourself also in the Lord and He shall give you the desires of your heart.” She says, “I began to tell Him my needs and desires. It was wonderful to know God was listening.” As a student at Portland Community College she shared her testimony with other students. Some of them had had similar experiences and were encouraged by her.

 How did Janice get to PACS? When she was going through her divorce with no food on the table she found PACS. For six years PACS Food Pantry helped supply her and her family with food support. She loved being able to choose the foods they would use. Choice is so important! Early in her life she couldn’t choose but now she can. She promised herself that when she retired she would give back to PACS by volunteering. She is currently a cashier two-days a week in the apparel store. Come say “Hi.”

To PACS she says “a big Thank-You and God Bless You.” Janice wants to leave a final thought with you. “No matter what you are going through God listens and cares and LOVES YOU! There is always someone that cares!”

PACS' NEW LOOK, THANKS TO PROSPER PORTLAND

Thank you Prosper Portland for a matching grant that has helped us enliven the looks of our buildings. Thank you Seanette Corkill of Frontdoor Back for helping us design our new look. The window decorations show life and energy, new lights provide aesthetic and practical illumination at night and the new paint refreshes our look and demonstrates our multi-faceted work through the use of color. Keep watching for new landscaping!


DONATE TODAY

If you'd like to donate to PACS please visit our website at pacsonline.org.


Have a Blessed Day!