Division-Midway Alliance For Community Improvement

CREATING SOCIAL RESILIENCY AND ECONOMIC PROSPERITY FOR RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES

FESTIVAL OF NATIONS ON SEPTEMBER 17, 2022, DMA SUCCESSFULLY HELD THE 2022 FESTIVAL OF NATIONS AT THE PLANNED PARENTHOOD LOCATION. WE HAD 20 VOLUNTEERS TO SUPPORT THE EVENT, 23 UNIQUE VENDORS, AND MORE THAN 600 COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT ATTENDED THE EVENT. RESOURCE AND WELLNESS DAY STARTING IN MARCH 2022, DMA HELD RESOURCES AND WELLNESS DAY ON THE LAST FRIDAY OF EACH MONTH TO DISTRIBUTE FOOD BOXES, PPE SUPPLIES, AND TRIMET ENROLLMENT. THE GOAL IS TO FIND RESOURCES TO SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY. IN 2022, DMA SERVED 823 COMMUNITY MEMBERS AT THE EVENT INCLUDING 205 LATINX COMMUNITY MEMBERS, 367 CHINESE COMMUNITY MEMBERS, 114 VIETNAMESE COMMUNITY MEMBERS, 55 BHUTANESE, AND 30 ARABIC COMMUNITY MEMBERS. MINORITY BUSINESS CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM THIS PROGRAM AIMS TO HELP BIPOC IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES INTERESTED IN STARTING A BUSINESS. THEY WILL GET INDIVIDUALIZED LONG-TERM SUPPORT IN DESIGNING THEIR OWN BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT PLAN AND GOALS. WE CONNECT THEM WITH RECOURSES AND ORGANIZATIONS TO HELP WITH VARIOUS ASPECTS OF BUSINESS START UP, SUCH AS ACCESS TO CAPITAL AND LOAN OPPORTUNITIES, TO SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCH THEIR BUSINESS IN A TWO YEAR TIME PERIOD. DMA WILL ALSO HELP CONNECT THEM WITH BUSINESS PROGRAM PARTNERS. THERE ARE NINE PARTICIPANTS IN THIS PROGRAM. HOUSING EQUITY PROGRAM (UTILITY ASSISTANCE) DMA IS ABLE TO HELP 16 ARABIC COMMUNITY MEMBERS, ONE BHUTANESE COMMUNITY MEMBER, AND ONE LATINX COMMUNITY MEMBER PAY THE UTILITY BILLS. RENTAL ASSISTANCE DIVISION MIDWAY ALLIANCE IS PART OF THE EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. UNDER THIS PROGRAM, DMA HAS HELPED 72 LOW-INCOME COMMUNITY MEMBERS SUCCESSFULLY APPLY FOR RENTAL ASSISTANCE. TRANSIT EQUITY PROGRAM THERE ARE ABOUT 676 COMMUNITY MEMBERS ENROLLED IN TRIMET FARE RELIEF PORGRAM WITH DMA. HEAT RESPONSE PROGRAM DMA IS THE PARTNER OF THE ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN NETWORK OF OREGON (APANO) HEAT RESPONSE PROGRAM THIS YEAR. IN THIS PROGRAM, THERE WERE ABOUT 80 COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO GOT A/C INSTALLED. TAX TIPS SESSIONS PROVIDED WORKSHOPS TO 8 ARABIC COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND SIX LATINX COMMUNITY MEMBERS KAREN HOUSING FOCUS GROUP FOCUS GROUP ON HOUSING ISSUES WITH 13 KAREN COMMUNITY MEMBERS COVID IMPACT AND RECOVERY EFFORT FOCUS GROUP DMA PARTNERED WITH PSU- INSTITUTE METROPOLITAN STUDIES TO CONDUCT RESEARCH ON COVID RECOVERY EFFORT AMONG IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE GROUPS. THERE WERE FIVE ROHINGYA COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND EIGHT LATINX COMMUNITY MEMBERS PARTICIPATED IN THE FOCUS GROUPS. MILL PARK COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT DIVISION MIDWAY ALLIANCE, AS AN OUTREACH PARTNER FOR MILL PARK COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SUCCESSFULLY OUTREACHED TO DIFFERENT EAST PORTLAND CULTURALLY SPECIFIC GROUPS AND ENSURED THEIR PARTICIPATION IN THIS IMPORTANT WORK. DMA COLLABORATED WITH PORTLAND PARKS & RECREATION TO HAVE THE FINAL MILL PARK GATHERING EVENT THERE WERE 60 PEOPLE WHO ATTENDED THE EVENT AND DISCUSSED THE FINAL DESIGN FOR MILL PARK.