RESTORING DIGNITY

Did You Know You Can Support PACS by. . . It's simple and easy ! You have to link your Fred Meyer's Reward Card to Portland Adventist Community Services and that is it! Sounds easy, right? See instructions below on how to link your card: Plus you still get your fuel points, rewards, and rebates, nothing changes your Fred Meyer's shopping experience except that you are helping out PACS!  For more information on Fred Meyer Community Reward Program . Now AmazonSmile you have to add Portland Adventist Community Services to your account but by logging into   https://smile.amazon.com/    (your username and password is the same as Amazon.com) Instructions below: Even though you have to log into Amazon a different way, you still shop the same Amazon products, prices, and services. But this way Amazon donates 0.5% back to PACS on eligible AmazonSmile purchases ( You will see eligible products marked “Eligible for AmazonSmile donation” on t...

PACS is Thankful for YOU It is the season of Thankfulness! PACS is very thankful for YOU and everyone we help each and every day. We ultimately give thanks to GOD for ALL the good things he has given to PACS and will give. We are blessed to be surrounded by a community that gives. Here is a short video with our very own Executive Director Paul L. Cole and our wonderful staff and volunteers.

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 ...

The PACS Health Center project continues to move forward with facility renovations, benefiting most recently from a major grant of $75,000 from the Portland Development Commission (PDC). Project manager Tim Zollbrecht helps pour concrete for the foundation. The area for the building addition was excavated in February, thanks to a donation of services by John Jones Construction. The foundation was poured in April, and volunteers have nearly completed the removal of sheetrock and other interior debris from the existing facility. Part of our volunteer demolition crew. Dave Stefonek, Rob White (PACS Board/Generations Retirement Communities), and Robert Hessong, D.D.S. The next steps involve the last bits of interior demolition, then the removal of the brick wall on the front of the existing structure, which will open it up to the addition. Once that wall is gone, framing on the addition will commence and the building will begin to take it's new form. The foundation ...

“I don’t think I’d ever before worked in an environment where I felt like everybody liked me,” said PACS volunteer Bill Leissner. “It’s really quite heavenly, literally, to be able to go to a place where you know that people appreciate you, and they’ll go out of their way to appreciate you, and if you stick around long enough, you know it’s not a lie.” Bill credits his time at PACS for helping him rediscover his workplace skills and sense of self-worth, but the process of getting there wasn’t free of challenges. Prior to 2001, Bill had always held down a job. He had shot 3500 rolls of film as a professional photographer in Austin, Texas. He had worked as a Network Administrator in New York. But shortly after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Bill experienced a mental health crisis. While he had relocated to Vermont a few months before that event, he had multiple friends who were impacted, including a firefighter who lost his life after going into one of th...

Elisa helps her friend Steven choose the best items, based on his guided shopping list. A vast mix of people come to the PACS Food Pantry. Each has their own background and story. Elisa is one of those people. Her fortunes crumbled when the boss she had thrived under passed away. She quickly found herself unemployed, struggling to get back on her feet, and running out of food . As Elisa tries to get her life back on track, she has avoided going hungry, thanks to the PACS Food Pantry. She says she doesn’t come every month. There are people who need it more. But when push comes to shove, the pantry is there for her. We went through the pantry with Elisa in mid-March to capture her experience. It was a crowded day, as is still too often the case since the Great Recession. On this day, the line behind the checkout stand extended all the way to the entrance. (continued →) Elisa had brought a friend with her. Steven was...

Two women of influence at PACS went to sleep until heaven this last January. Iris Stanley (pictured left), and Barbara Nelson-Rienderhoff (pictured right) both had a significant impact for on the organization, and the people it serves. IRIS STANLEY Just a few weeks ago, if you called PACS in the morning, you would have heard Iris Stanley’s calm voice on the other end of the line. But on Friday, January 19, she called in sick, and less than a week later, she had fallen asleep in Jesus. She was 88. She is survived by her sons Spenser and Herb, as well as several grandchildren and great-grandchildren. In spite of an ongoing heart condition, Iris refused to retire. She preferred her PACS friends over being home alone. She once told Paul Cole, PACS’ Executive Director, “You can raise or lower my wages, you can increase or cut my hours, but don’t tell me I can’t come to PACS.” Having once worked for the governor of Singapore, Iris had exceptional office and clerical s...

We hope you had a fantastic Christmas, and we want to wish you a Happy New Year! As we go into the new year, one important resolution is to continue to help people right here in our own neighborhood who are facing new challenges. In spite of the improving economy, the a decreasing risk of hunger nationwide, Oregon is proving to be an exception. Here, the rate is actually rising. The number of children threatened by hunger in our state is greater than the population of Eugene. That’s a lot of kids. No child should have to face a day of school on an empty stomach. A big part of this problem is likely related to skyrocketing rent costs in the Portland area, which are putting new financial strains on families. PACS helps ease this burden by providing groceries to families who are struggling. Jessica & Mark are the parents in one of these families. They have three daughters, including 7-month-old Mercy. Mark works full-time at a restaurant, but his wages are very low. The family...

Paul was a hard worker. Since high school, he had never been unemployed for long. But one day, that all changed . First, he was in an accident that left him temporarily unable to work. Then, the loss of income led to a worsening of his diabetes. “The amount and types of food I was able to consume was not really great for the diabetes side of it, it was all rather starchy,” he said. Finally, his diabetes began to affect his eyesight, until one day, he realized he was rapidly going blind. “I was having a lot of trouble seeing anything at all,” he said. “ I was frustrated, depressed, and feeling the weight of the world and trying to get back to where I was, but things were not happening the way I anticipated.” With no income and no health insurance, Paul decided getting disability benefits was his only hope. But when he contacted a lawyer seeking advice on the process, the lawyer told him about the PACS Health Clinic, and he decided to check it out . ...

PACS wants to thank the City of Portland and each person and organization that contributed to this project. The organization is pleased to announce that the Beacon Project is now complete! PACS has established a more attractive, dignified and responsible visual presence in the community through the visual improvements (improved signage, new paint). It is also reducing its energy expenses and carbon footprint through green improvements (insulation, new double-paned windows). PACS is now using less than half the natural gas when comparing months with similar temperatures before and after the improvements. In additon to lowering the organization's carbon footprint, it decreases energy costs, freeing up additional money for investments in new programs like the addition of dental services (coming next spring). Here are some photos showing various parts of the project before, during, and after the work that was done. Letters/painting before Letters/painting in action L...

While there is still a lot of money to raise, PACS has been able to complete portions of the The Beacon Project with money already received. Signage Signage and lettering upgrades are complete. The improvements integrate the new logo which was designed by a major marketing firm called  Fiction . The firm donated that design to PACS at no charge. Signage upgrades were funded through an Urban Renewal Grant from the Portland Development Commission, PACS individual donors, PACS individual donors, and PACS internal funds. Here are some pictures of the improvements: Paint You can also see the new paint in the above picture. The main color on the building is complete, and portions of the blue trim are done. While it has been too cold to finish the job for several months, we except to finish up the trim in the spring as soon as weather permits. We want to thank Powell Paint Company for securing a 50% discount for us, as a non-profit cause, on the Benj...

Updated 2/4/14: here is the brand presentation video created by Fiction: Scott and Chrissy Petersen were not sure what to expect when they arrived at the 2009 PACS Awards Dinner & Auction. They entered the room and found their seats. It looked like many of the other charity events they had seen. But Scott & Chrissy soon realized that PACS wasn't just another organization. They heard the stories of people who were served. They learned about the food pantry model that helps people choose their own food. They learned about the clinic and the doctors that volunteer their time to help uninsured patients maintain their health. They learned about the thrift store where low-income families could purchase food and household goods for as low as $0.25. Scott, grew up in a community that had a large portion of its population struggling with economic hardship. His family often helped families who were going through difficult times. They would assist with charity events, delive...