Project Lemonade

We had a great time spreading the word about Project Lemonade at the Portland Timbers Game on Saturday. Thanks to KeyBank for hosting us at the Key Bank Community Plaza! And thank you Timbers fans who responded to our call to support youth in foster care! Over 100 fans participated and raised $1,200 on game day! We love #Portland ??

Everyone- please support these organizations who are uplifting our community needs!

It’s back-to-school time at Project Lemonade. In addition to the hundreds of kids that are coming in to Project Lemonade, we’re also sending out back to school needs throughout the state. These are just a few of the hundreds of virtual shopping bags that will be sent to foster youth living in rural counties. We are thankful to The Roundhouse Foundation, a private family foundation based in Sister, Oregon. The foundations supports creative solutions to the unique challenges associated with rural culture and the landscape of the Pacific Northwest. Visit their website at https://lnkd.in/gnp8kyM.

We're celebrating #NationalInternDay, and the 100 Interns Project Lemonade has worked with since 2016. Our internship program has provided 16,000 paid job training and career development hours. Each young adult who has interned at Project Lemonade has enriched our programs, services and organization. Thank you for being a part of Project Lemonade! The L+EARN Internship Program would not be possible without long-standing supporters like Bank of America, who invest in helping our youth access career opportunities to support their long-term education and career goals. Roger W. Hinshaw, Market President, Bank of America Oregon and SW Washington said, “Offering career and leadership development to teens through internships is part of our dedication to nurturing the next generation, especially for those who face barriers to access similar opportunities. This year we’re celebrating the 100 exceptional young individuals who have taken a step to reach their goals through Bank of America and Project Lemonade’s internship partnership.” With a 91% success rate of interns continuing with their education or careers upon completion of the L+EARN Program, together we are helping to shift the stats on unemployment and underemployment for young adults with lived experience in foster care. Thank you Bank of America for investing locally to help young people begin their careers, build their financial knowledge, and reach their goals. Cheers to you - the 100 interns who began and built your career at Project Lemonade! Shout out to Jessica Hewitt and Joe Dang for being partners in our work. Thank you for all you do! #Internships #SupportFosterYouth #FutureGoals #BankofAmerica

Had a fun visit to Charter Mechanical Contractors, Inc last week, and even got to put on some safety goggles! Thanks for the tour Karl Strauss! In addition to investing in the infrastructure of Portland buildings, Charter Mechanical has also been investing in our local community since their founding. “Our leadership has made giving back a core part of our business,” said Eleanora Kemp. From volunteering, to donating Carhartt beanies to our free clothing store, to funding a Fill the Gap Scholarship for a youth reaching their dreams — Charter Mechanical is stepping up for youth in foster care in Oregon. Thanks for all you do for kids in Portland and throughout the state ????????

This Saturday, Project Lemonade is hosting a special service project for 500 teens at the Jack and Jill Regional Conference. Held at the University of Portland, these Jack and Jill teen members will participate in a one-day, onsite volunteer project preparing items, such as blankets, socks and hygiene kits, for the Project Lemonade Store. Project Lemonade is honored to be selected by Jack and Jill for this exciting project, which grew out of a three year partnership with the local Portland chapter. Pictured above are the Teen Officers of the local chapter. We are excited to get to know all the teens on Saturday and work together to make a big impact for local foster youth! Read all about Jack and Jill and the service project on our website: https://lnkd.in/ggAeAW_u

Thanks to UBS (Lake Oswego Office) for hosting a drive collecting 60 wallets for teens in foster care and raising an additional $500! Our teens have to carry additional documentation with them, and wallets are a big need. These are already flying off the shelves at Project Lemonade. Special thanks to Todd Schroeder and Kerry Witterschein for organizing the drive. Interested in hosting a donation drive at your workplace? Message us ??

Juneteenth is a national holiday celebrating African-American liberation and commemorating the official end of American slavery. Juneteenth reminds us of the painful racialized history of our country and the importance of working towards greater equity and uplifting Black voices in our community. On this day, the Project Lemonade store remains open to serve the foster youth community with basic needs and empowering opportunities and experiences.

Wow! We are overcome with gratitude. Our community came together for Foster Care Awareness Month and contributed $85,000 in direct support for youth in foster care. Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who donated, attended and event and got involved. We wanted to share a special shout out and thanks to our INCREDIBLE local business community. These local businesses showed up big for youth this May. Let's give them a big thanks and keep supporting these local businesses who make a positive impact <3 THANK YOU LOCAL BUSINESSES Life of Pie Optimistic Soap Sloan Boutique Skin by Lovely Consign Couture So Susie Certa Pro Painters of Portland Little Bitter Bar Grand Amari Alpenrausch Bar Casa Vale Olympia Provisions Raylee Consignment The Sports Bra Frock Boutique #FosterYouth #Portland #DoingGood #Gratitude