Of the 14 homes in Oregon that are registered as LEED Platinum – one of the highest ratings for environmentally sustainable building in the United States – none are considered to be affordable. That is, until now.
Habitat for Humanity unveiled two LEED Platinum homes for low-income people on March 31. The homes are located at 602 NE Webster St. and are being purchased by Janette Clark and the Alemayoh family with a no interest loan.
Steve Messinetti, executive director of Portland Habitat for Humanity, says creating an affordable home that meets LEED standards is no small feat. Actually getting LEED certification is costly and based on a point system . . .

Cuts to the health care safety net will increase health disparities in Washington state, according to a report by Washington health officials. The report, by the Washington State Board of Health in collaboration with the Governor's Interagency Council on Health Disparities, was released hours after the Washington State House of Representatives released its proposed budget.
"Communities of color disproportionately depend on public health insurance programs to cover their health care needs," said Tony Lee, policy director of the Statewide Poverty Action Network.  "It is important to save the health care safety net to ensure that we do not exacerbate racial disparities in health care." . . .

Tens of thousands of Americans, from teenagers to baby boomers, soon will get a fresh chance to lend a helping hand in a time of need.
The House voted 275-149 Tuesday for a $5.7 billion bill that triples positions in the Clinton-era AmeriCorps program, its largest expansion since the agency's creation in 1993, and establishes a fund to help nonprofit organizations recruit and manage more volunteers. AmeriCorps offers a range of volunteer opportunities including housing construction, youth outreach, disaster response and caring for the elderly.
Congress was sending the bill to President Barack Obama, who often cites his years as a Chicago community organizer for giving him his political start. Obama has made national service programs a high priority. His budget proposal calls for more than $1.1 billion for the programs, an increase of more than $210 million. . . .

What's happening for you in your city this week? Read here a day-by-day diary of community events to fill your spare time. For a full calendar please click on "Read the complete article" below . . . .

. . . the Leadership and Entrepreneurship Public Charter School failed to score an easy turnaround against a shutdown proposal at a packed Monday night meeting, but put members of the Portland Public Schools Board on the record as supporting their eventual charter renewal. . . .

When a thief stole the charity collection jar at Bagel Land on NE 42^nd and Fremont last week, he took more than just cash; gone with the $600 is a sense of community spirit. Café owner Bernard Ferere is a native of Haiti who was gathering money for medicines destined to help impoverished families in the Carribean nation – the poorest country in the western hemisphere. . . .

Promoters say the program has helped more than 750,000 families positively change their financial future.
This life-changing program teaches families and individuals how to handle their money through common-sense principles and small group accountability.
As they work on a Total Money Makeover, the average family pays off $5,300 in debt and saves $2,700 in the first 91 days after beginning the program and is completely out of debt, except for the mortgage, in 18 to 24 months.

An estimated 1.4 million working families in Oregon are expected to benefit from the "Making Work Pay" tax credit signed into law by President Obama in February, putting some $700 million into the state's economy over the course of the next year. 
Federal officials describe it as one of the fastest and broadest tax cuts in American history.
This week, the Obama Administration released a state-by-state analysis to show the impact the tax credit is having across the country. . . .

• Racial Profiling Public Meeting
• Sen. Wyden Town Hall Meeting
• Become a YMCA Volunteer in Clark County
• Artist damali ayo Discusses Sustainability, Fashion, Eco-Living
• Humboldt Speaks
• Job Resource Fair for Seniors and People with Disabilities
• Parenting, ESL Classes
• Clackamas Business Seminar
• "Coveted: The David & Bathsheba Story
• Small Business Help
• Free Lead-Safe Home Projects Workshop
• Water Conservation Workshop
• Attention Employers: Register for MHCC Career Fair Now
• Banquet of HOPE
• Elders in Action Benefit
• Kidney Center Health Fest for African Americans
• Bike-to-Work Commute Day Celebration
• Humane Society Holds Photo Contest

• Learn Money Management
• Commission on African American Affairs Meeting
• Healthier Without Wheat
• It's No Longer Just Soul Food at Food as Art
• Wangari Maathai: 'The Challenge for Africa'
• Library Expands Foreign Language Access
• Friends of Library Hold Annual Sale
• Alki Center Holds Sale
• Seattle Animal Shelter Needs Doghouses
• Women's Center Health & Wellness Fair
• Writing Poetry for Beginners
• Access Public Officials During "Coffee Hours"
• Alki Art Fair Seeks Artists
• CREATION Project Sponsors Black Artists