Today’s headlines seem to come with layers of bad news – environmental disaster, conflicts over immigration and continuing news about our faltering economy. But across Oregon, community groups are bringing folks together to tackle tough issues head-on. Our latest grants to 22 Oregon social change groups total $225,000. Meet three of the groups working in their communities to address issues Oregonians are struggling with every day.

The Economy: Where do we need to focus resources to reduce poverty?

Homelessness is on the rise, and still the national debates about economic fixes focus on supporting corporations instead of workers or families.

With a $20,000 grant from MRG, Street Roots, Portland’s homeless community’s newspaper, will continue organizing folks to keep federal funding for local affordable housing, and pressing for an end to policies that lead to the arrest of people for being homeless.

Street Roots combined with other groups to save $1 million in funding for housing in Portland this year, and their newspaper and website are helping to shape the debate on local policies to end poverty. Learn more about them on the Street Roots website.

Immigration: How do we move away from blame and towards solutions in the immigration debate?

The current public debate on immigration encourages us to use racial profiling practices and harsh punishments that won’t fix the problems with our broken immigration system. How can local leaders step up?

With an $8,000 grant, Amigos Multicultural Services Center’s Juventud Faceta program builds youth leaders from the local Latino community, many of whom are the children of immigrants. Juventud Faceta has 18 youth who share their experience and knowledge with hundreds of people in Eugene. This comes at a time when communities are struggling to understand and embrace realistic solutions to current immigration problems. Learn more at the Amigos Multicultural Services Center website.

The Environment: How can low-income communities working to improve their neighborhoods be part of fighting climate change?

The lack of funding for public transportation, specifically bus service, maintains our reliance on fossil fuels. But for low-income communities and communities of color, it has other effects: it limits people’s access to services they need, and the resulting air pollution from cars contributes to asthma and other illnesses.

With an $8,000 grant, OPAL is organizing low-income communities in Outer Southeast and Northeast Portland to address decades of policies and practices that overlook these neighborhoods when it comes to public transportation. Community members advocate for solutions that improve the economic viability of their communities while also addressing health issues such as asthma and local air quality. This is yet another front in the fight for environmental justice that can slow down climate change. Visit the OPAL website to learn more.

22 Grants Across Oregon: $225,000

These are just three of the grants we made to 22 groups across the state – in communities like Medford, Hermiston, and La Grande. These community groups are working for racial justice, workers rights, LGBTQ rights, protecting Northwest forests and more. You can see a complete list of the Spring 2010 MRG grantees on our site.

Like what you see? These grants are only possible because of the support of people from communities across Oregon. If the headlines get you down, this is one way to rise up: support Oregon’s local organizing on every front... make a gift to MRG.

Image at top courtesy of Amigos Multicultural Services Center, Juventud Faceta program