In an event like no other, members of Portland's minority, immigrant and refugee communities got an exclusive audience with the Multnomah County Commission on Monday night. The budget forum, hosted by the Coalition of Communities of Color, was held at the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization, which provides services to all of Portland's diverse international communities. . . .

They are two voices working together to inspire change, from a small town in Oregon to Los Angeles County – both areas living with violence and gang warfare. It is exactly those types of problems that Break the Chain Apparel and Coolaid the Clown are fighting to address. Their partnership is unusual, but their message the same. . . .

As Oregon's unemployment rate appears stuck at 12 percent, a coalition of lawmakers is working to mandate more training and workforce development opportunities for women and people of color. Washington state's unemployment rate, announced Tuesday, is 9.1 percent, up from 4.9 percent in April of 2008, while the national rate is 8.9 percent. Oregon's unemployment rate was 5.9 percent in April of 2008, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. . . .

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 . . . .

Our e-mail is back on-line again, at the same old addresses, [email protected], and [email protected]. 

The friends and family of Portland resident Kirk Alexander Dunn, 22, killed in a swimming accident Sunday on the Sandy River, have set up a bank account for contributions toward his funeral costs. Dunn was with friends at the Sandy River near the Troutdale Bridge when he was swept downriver by a swift current. . . .

A report released this week by the Oregon Tobacco Prevention and Education Program says the statewide smoking rate is plunging. The 2009 Tobacco Facts and Laws report says in the past year, the number of packs of cigarettes consumed per capita dropped from 54.9 to 49.8, or by 5.1 packs. That is the lowest number since the TPEP program began in 1996, when annual consumption of cigarettes was 92 packs per capita. . . .

Chef Theo Martin of Island Soul serves Gary Melonson. Next in line is Forest Woodley. Seattle celebrity chefs prepared free lunch samples for attendees at Northwest Kidney Centers' Kidney Health Fest for African American Families held May 2 at the African American Academy in Seattle. Nearly 700 people attended the event for health screenings, education, food and entertainment.

The Southwest Washington Workforce Development Council, its partners, and local area employers will create more than 700 summer jobs for low-income 14-24 year olds under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).
The goal of the program is to provide youth who have limited work experience an opportunity to develop general workplace skills, learn job specific skills, and earn a paycheck. . . .

The economic downturn is contributing to a decline in overall family health in the African American community, with parents prioritizing their children's health over their own. 
While half of African Americans consider it equally important for parents to take care of their own health and the health of their children, significantly more African American parents say the economic downturn has affected their own health and wellness compared to that of their children (60 percent vs. 46 percent). . . .