Dear residents, local businesses, and community partners,
Happy holidays from Division Midway Alliance! As we wrap up this year, we, at Division Midway Alliance, are excited to share our accomplishments of 2018! We appreciate your support during the time of transition and helping us think in different ways. We hope we will continue our conversation and work together to make DMA an organization that the community can be proud of. Some of DMA's 2018 highlights are:
- Increased DMA's staff capacity to serve the district populations that speak diverse languages.
- Collaborating with new organizations like Mercy Corps and Sunshine Division
- Providing a platform for the community and business to express their needs through Community Visioning Session
- In 2018 DMA helped over 171 new clients! DMA made 47 employment referrals, 27 PSU Business Outreach referrals, and helped 920 community members with translation/resources. (click here to see what projects DMA conducted)
In 2019 we will continue to provide programs and services for the community and local businesses and we are looking forward to working with you in different capacities.
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New Additions to Division Midway Alliance
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We would like to take this opportunity to share our DMA team members. Lisha Shrestha, top left, is the Executive Director of Division Midway Alliance. Alvaro Vazquez, top right, is the Assistant Program Coordinator. Lwe Wah Shee, bottom left, is the Community/Business Outreach. Lwe Speakes Karen and Myanmar. Lute Richards, bottom right, is the Community/Business Outreach for Asian Pacific Islander Community. Lute speaks Tongan.
DMA holds open community support office hours to the community that includes, employment referrals, educational workshops, translating, help to fill out forms, or starting a business. DMA can serve communities in 4 different languages through its community/business outreach liaisons.
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Karen/Burmese community office hours are Monday 10 am - 5 pm and Friday 9 am - 5 pm
API community office hours are Wednesday 12 pm - 2 pm Thursday 11 am - 1 pm
Spanish Speakers office hours are Monday - Friday 10 am - 4 pm
If you or any of the community members speak Burmese, Karen, Bhutanese/Nepali, Spanish, and Tongan and need support and information about programs and business, technical advice then contact us at 503-841-5201 or info@divisionmidway.org
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SE Works
(click on the image for more detail)
DMA works closely with SE Works to provide services to community members on Division. Community members can contact Nathaly Pretell at npretell@seworks.org
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PSU Busines Outreach Program
(click on the image for more detail)
DMA Portland State University Business Outreach Program holds open office hours at DMA every Wednesday from 9 am to noon. For more information contact Liz Feldman at efeld2@pdx.edu
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Trash Cans and Youth Art Project
DMA collaborated with the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS) and Morpheus Project to help identify locations for the placement of trash cans and involved youth to create art to be placed on the trash cans.
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Community Visioning Session
In May 2018 DMA held a Community Visioning Session. The goal of the session was to better understand community needs, their business aspirations, and civic life; identify ways to support their needs, and also to inform about DMA's programs and services with immigrants and refugee communities living in the district.
Read the report here.
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Project Impact
DMA participated in Project Impact, initiated by Prosper Portland. The goal of the project is to improve DMA's collective ability and to evaluate our impact in the community. DMA staff, volunteers, and board conducted over 29 interviews. 10 business owners and 19 community members. The goal of the project is for DMA to understand what businesses and community members need in order to thrive. The report will be available in January-February in 2019!
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Festival of Nations
(click on the image to see the infographic in detail)
In September 2018, DMA celebrated the diversity of Division Street by holding our annual Festival of Nations. Thank you to all our volunteers, sponsors, and all those who joined. The Festival of Nations is a great opportunity to discover and learn about new cultures, food, music, and information. If you were not able to join us this year, keep a lookout for next years Festival of Nations.
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Storefront Grant
In 2018, DMA awarded 3 local businesses the storefront grant. DMA provides storefront grant to businesses located between 117th - 148th SE Division Street to improve the infrastructure and visibility of local businesses.
Find more information click here.
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Community Investment Trust
In December 2018, DMA and Mercy Corps collaborated to teach the Karen/Burmese community about Mercy Corps Community Investment Trust. 12 community members completed the course to become potential investors in Plaza 122nd. 8 of those 12 became investors the same day!
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Transportation Safety Project
DMA will continue to engage and update community members on the Transportation Safety Project.
PBOT Safety Project: The first two of three phases of construction have gone out for bid and the chosen contractor(s) will receive notices to proceed in mid-January 2019. Construction will begin in early spring.
Construction during the first two phases of the project will include:
1. Crosswalk and signal crossings at 115th, 125th, 132nd/133rd & 148th Avenues,
2. Sidewalk infill and ADA upgrades will be completed from I-205 to 148th Avenues.
3. Additional lighting: Additional street lighting along the South side of Division is already planned for 82nd to 92nd and 117th to 130th, as well as enhanced lighting at all new crosswalks. Additional funding has been secured to add additional lighting between 148th & 166th Avenues.
This is the link to the safety project.
4. PBOT 122nd Ave Plan: PBOT is developing a corridor investment plan for the six-mile stretch of 122nd Avenue from NE Marine Drive to SE Foster Road. The City has identified the road as a High-Crash Corridor and is looking at ways to improve safety, access, and transit. More information can be found on the City website here -www.portlandoregon.gov/transportation/122ndAve.
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East Portland's Immigrant and Refugee's Economic Development Roundtable Discussion
On December 10, 2018, DMA held East Portland's Immigrant and Refugee's Economic Development Roundtable Discussion, with State Representative Diego Hernandez and his team. 18 business owners
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and local organizations in East Portland discussed the landscape of current project/resources, identified gaps/barriers that still exist in the East Portland immigrant/refugee community, and strategic intervention to overcome these barriers. A report of discussion will be released in 2019.
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Upcoming Events
January 26, 2019 - PBOT Community Safety Training event
Mid-January, 2019 - Community Investment Trust class in Spanish
Keep a lookout for our January Newsletter to get updates of our events for 2019!
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