Vote Local with your Dollars

It is the Season to Vote and we as citizens of this great Country are so lucky to have this freedom. As a huge proponent of “Try Local First” I always like to remind folks that each day you get a chance to vote with your dollars. Spending money with local businesses and at local “Farmer’s Markets” makes such a huge difference in our local economy and enhances public services such as fire and police thru increased funding.

In our schools for instance, this week we were fortunate enough to present Centennial High School with a check for a little over $4,000 from Ford Motor Company from our “Drive One 4 UR School” Event. We are just one of many local businesses that provide funds to local schools and non-profits. The Gresham Barlow Education Foundation this week provided over $4,000 to Powell Valley Elementary for nine Chrome Books and other related technology products. Much of the funds from these grants come from local businesses which, at the end of the day, rely on local customers. When you shop local, you support local!

On another voting matter, we as an industry (automotive), are in desperate need of qualified trained service personnel to meet the demands of the technology of this century’s vehicles. The proposed construction via the current bond measure for Mt. Hood Community College will accomplish this for our industry and provide training for other skills so young people in our community will have livable wage jobs. This is a good thing!

Gresham Barlow Education Foundation 2016 Phone A Thon

Dialing for dollars….

“Reading is the foundation students need for every subject.  Whether they aspire to be a mechanic, an actress, or a scientist, it begins with reading,“ according to Hollydale teacher Dori Stewart.  The Gresham-Barlow Education Foundation is kicking off its 14th annual Phone-a-Thon to support literacy.  Funds raised through the Phone-a-Thon have been used to support literacy in the District in a variety of ways including classroom reading support and District-wide reading curriculum.  The addition of an eLibrary allows students another avenue to become strong readers and successful students.

The Phone-a-Thon will coordinate with the March 2 birthday of Dr. Seuss and Read Across America Day, as students from Gresham and Barlow High Schools call the community to help fund the expansion of the district-wide eLibrary.  The eLibrary was established two years ago through Phone-a-Thon funding.  The current focus is to expand the availability of research and information texts along with the addition of fiction and audio books. High school media specialist, Neil Wong has a goal to grow the eLibrary at the high school level. “I firmly believe that a combination of eBooks and print titles are the future of our libraries and will serve our students well.”


In an effort to help them reach their goal, Gresham Ford has donated a $20 coupon that can be used toward any repair or maintenance service for all Phone-a-Thon donations of $40 or more.  Anyone wishing to support the expansion of the eLibrary, can donate online at gbefkids.org, or contact Vicki Moen, Executive Director GBEF at 503-766-0008.

It takes a village….let’s work together and answer those calls to further of our children’s education.