News & City Life

Nonprofits

Light a Fire 2022

Honoring Portland’s most innovative community leaders, nonprofits, and volunteers

01/04/2023 Edited by Fiona McCann Illustrations by Kaitlin Brito

Light a Fire 2022: Leveling the Field

Brown Girl Rise Makes a Safe Space for BIPOC Youth

The Portland nonprofit centers joy, fun, and radical sisterhood for girls and nonbinary kids.

12/30/2022 By Isabel Lemus Kristensen

Light a Fire 2022: Best New Nonprofit

WeShine Builds Small Pod-Villages as an Alternative Approach to Homelessness Solutions

Microvillages, housing around a dozen people and small enough to fit into most any neighborhood, build community and give residents agency over their housing.

12/30/2022 By Matthew Trueherz

Light a Fire 2022: Extraordinary Executive Director

At Path Home, Brandi Tuck Is Anything but Shy

A college spring break service project turned into a career of bringing a trauma-informed approach to homelessness services.

12/30/2022 By Conner Reed

Light a Fire 2022: Lifetime Achievement

Civil Rights Advocate Valerie Whittlesey Is Someone Who Says Yes

From her time as a civil rights volunteer in Arkansas to campaigning against anti-gay Measure 9 in Oregon, Whittlesey has worked for equality for decades.

12/30/2022 By Fiona McCann

Interview

Catching Up with Katie Harman, Oregon’s First (and Only) Miss America

Crowned right after September 11, 2001, the theater kid turned beauty queen recalls the ‘absolute chaos’ that follows winning a pageant.

12/30/2022 By Emily Chenoweth

Light a Fire 2022: Young Leader

Yuyan Luo Connects with the Chinese Community for the Division-Midway Alliance

The Portland State grad acts as program assistant and Chinese community liaison for the Southeast Portland organization.

12/29/2022 By Conner Reed

Light a Fire 2022: Most with the Least

Our Legacy Harvested Brings More People of Color to the Wine World

The Willamette Valley wine country nonprofit sponsors internships to expose more people to all levels of the viticulture industry.

12/29/2022 By Julia Silverman

Light a Fire 2022: Keeping Us Healthy

WomenFirst Tells People They’re Worth Loving

The Gresham-based nonprofit matches people coming out of the criminal justice system with mentors who know what they’re going through.

12/29/2022 By Margaret Seiler

Year in Review

Portland’s 2022 Restaurant Closures, from Acadia to Ya Ya

Longtime institutions, food carts, and fledgling restaurants all shuttered this year.

12/29/2022 By Katherine Chew Hamilton, Matthew Trueherz, and Karen Brooks

Light a Fire 2022: Extraordinary Volunteer

This Arts Advocate Reminds Us There’s a Lot Happening in Rural Oregon

Baker City’s Ginger Savage helped steer millions in COVID relief funding to arts groups all over the state, not just to Willamette Valley heavy hitters.

12/29/2022 By Matthew Trueherz

Light a Fire 2022: Giving Shelter

Bridges to Change Offers a Pathway to Recovery

The Oregon nonprofit brings wraparound services to those coming out of prison or houselessness.

12/29/2022 By Isabel Lemus Kristensen

Food News

Food Carts Are the Heart of Portland’s Food Culture. Could January 2023 Regulations Change That?

Some have called it quits for now due to difficulty complying with new wastewater rules.

12/27/2022 By Katherine Chew Hamilton

Coronavirus

Where to Get a PCR Test for COVID-19 in Portland This Winter

Not sure where to go for COVID testing these days? We've put together a list of places that still offer PCR and other tests.

12/27/2022 By Isabel Lemus Kristensen

Breaking News

The Iconic Feast Portland Food Festival Will Not Return

Cofounder Mike Thelin talks about why Feast mattered, why he pulled the plug, and what Portland needs now.

12/22/2022 By Karen Brooks

Movers & Shakers

Perfect Party: Winter 2022

From Pinocchio to Ryan Reynolds, here’s who we’re inviting to the dinner table to warm us up this season.

12/21/2022 By Conner Reed

Q&A

Ripping the City with Amanda Mailey

The entrepreneur and Women Supporting Women founder dishes on the organizations she cosigns, her go-to spots, and her outlook on the future of Portland.

12/19/2022 By Dalila Brent

Air Travel

Deadline to Comply with Real ID Standards Pushed Again

But don’t put off that trip to the DMV forever—only 18 percent of Oregonians have made the switch so far.

12/13/2022 By Sam Stites

Justice System

Mike Schmidt Doesn’t Want to Be the Next Chesa Boudin

But after a rocky first half to his tenure, the Multnomah County DA has a lot of ground to make up.

12/08/2022 By Julia Silverman Photography by Thomas Teal

Bowl Games

Keep an Eye on Flights to Find the Best Deals for Ducks and Beavers Bowl Game Travel

Flight to San Diego and Las Vegas increased in price following the announcement of bowl games Sunday, but waiting a few days could land you a better deal on air fare.

12/06/2022 By Sam Stites

Portland Monthly