• Story Highlight
  • Building Leadership in the Community 
• Events
  • Division Transit Project - Open House
  • Karen Gardening Workshop
  • PedPDX View and Review Party
  • Bookkeeping Workshop
• Resources
  • DMA Community Hours
  • SE Works
  • BOP
  • File Taxes for Free
• Updates
  • Festival of Nations Date
  • Festival of Nations Planning Committee 2019

Building Leadership in the Community

DMA is pleased to see leadership emerging within the Karen Community (one of the ethnic group of Myanmar). Ner Moo, a Karen community member, is leading and facilitating a gardening workshop series. The Gardening workshop, in Karen, is being held at DMA on March 9th (and every weekend until April 6). At our Community Visioning in 2018, we learned members of this community are passionate growers and have close relationships with soil and plants. Farming is a way of life for many in their home country Burma and in the refugee camp in Thailand. They were looking for such opportunities in Portland where they can build skills among members with no or limited English skills. Let’s hear Ner’s experience in building this opportunity for his community-Learn about gardening in Portland! 

"My name is Ner Moo, and I work with the Oregon Food Bank (OFB) as a Seed to Supper Garden Ambassador. I represent the Karen community from Myanmar and Thailand. In September 2018, DMA connected me with the OFB. This has opened a new door for community members to educate themselves on how to grow food in their place. A way of connecting people back into something that they are familiar to an unfamiliar new lifestyle. Over the last few months, I took the garden ambassador training at OFB, and now I can share my knowledge back to my community. I am excited to say that the first Garden Education in Karen Language will be on March 9th at the DMA office from 9-11am!"

Division Transit Project - Open House

DMA Community Hours

Pacific Islander Community hours - Wednesday 12 pm - 2 pm, Thursday  10 am - 1 pm
Burmese/Karen Community hours - Monday, Tuesday, Thursday 9 am - 5 pm, Friday 10 am - 5 pm
Latino/Hispanic Community hours - Monday - Friday 9 am - 5 pm

SE Works

Are you looking for a job? Do you know someone who needs assistance in finding a job? At DMA our Community liaisons can help. Community liaisons provide information to our SE works coordinator, Nathaly Parrell, and she gets in contact with the community member and the community liaisons. If you need translation in Karen, Burmese, Tongan, and Spanish let a Community liaison know, and we can help!





Business Outreach Program
The BOP offers open office hours every Wednesday from 10 am - 12 pm. If you have an existing business or want to start a business, the BOP Business Advisors can answer questions during open office hours.

File Taxes for free at Midland Library
File taxes for free at Midland Library every weekend in March until April 14, 2019, 10 am - 4 pm. Get free individualized tax preparation assistance in Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean and English provided by IRS Certified Volunteers in partnership with Vietnamese Community of Oregon. Please bring a photo ID and documented proof of Social Security number, last year's W2/1099/1098, last year's tax return, last year's medical and educational receipts, as well as any current tax documents.

This year's festival of nations has a date! The 2019 Festival of Nations will be held September 7, 2019 (Saturday), location to be finalized. We are happy to continue our annual Festival of Nations. For more information keep a look out for updates on the Newsletter and Website.