Thanks to Kristen Hagstrom, Deputy Director, SE Uplift, for the following information.
Southeast Uplift has announced the projects to receive $8,486 in grant funds allocated by the City of Portland’s Office of Neighborhood Involvement through the 2010-2011 Graffiti Abatement Community Grant Program. In an attempt to get funds out to the community as soon as possible during favorable weather, SE Uplift was the first coalition to announce the grants. Neighborhood Associations, businesses and community-based organizations were eligible to apply for community-driven improvement projects with an emphasis on graffiti prevention, graffiti abatement and/or addressing locations chronically tagged with graffiti. Ten grant proposals were received by SE Uplift, requesting a total of $16,345. SE Uplift's Board of Directors approved the selection committee's recommendations to fund seven outstanding projects. Four of the projects will support the creation of new community murals with protective coatings to ensure sustainability and prevent future graffiti tagging. The three remaining projects will support community-based graffiti cleanups.
The funded projects are:
Montavilla Neighborhood Association, Montavilla Graffiti Cleanup Partnership.
Amount funded: $1500. For more information, contact Fritz Hirsch at 503-568-7804.
Funding will be used to support two key project activities. The first activity will be quarterly neighborhood-wide graffiti cleanup events, which will focus on chronically tagged areas along 82nd Ave, Glisan St, Division St and Stark St. The second activity will consist of graffiti cleanup outings every other Friday at pre-identified tagged locations. The crew for these cleanups will consist of two JOIN clients who are either homeless or recently housed. Grant funding will help with the neighborhood association’s graffiti cleanup efforts, help to build new partnerships and promote community building and volunteerism.
Our Happy Block Coalition, Our Happy Block Mural.
Amount funded: $2250. For more information, contact Terah Beth Vargas.
Grant funding will be used to produce a mural on the wall of a chronically tagged building near SE 80th & Woodstock. In addition to supplies to create the mural, funds will also be used to purchase a graffiti-proof sealant and light fixtures to deter future tagging and make the mural more sustainable. The mural is an integral component of the grassroots/ community-driven organization’s efforts to build community and make positive livability changes in the neighborhood.
Two Rivers Aikikai, Murals at SE 30th & Belmont.
Amount funded: $1000. For more information, contact Spiros Koyanis at 503-449-6859.
Funds will support the creation of a new mural and for maintenance, protective coating and new lighting for existing murals at the corner of SE 30th and Belmont. The new mural will embody the goals of harmony and non-confrontation, while the lighting and protective coating will deter graffiti vandalism at this chronically tagged intersection.
Brooklyn Action Corps, Brooklyn Pedestrian Bridge Mural, Landscaping Facelift and Graffiti Cleanup Kit Project.
Amount fund $2046. For more information contact Mike O'Connor at 503-233-8565.
Funding will be used to improve the 9th Avenue pedestrian/ bike overpass at SE Powell Boulevard, a key north-south arterial for pedestrians and bicyclists. The project consists of three components, which include the installation of a mural treated with a clear coat to prevent tagging, landscaping improvements and a graffiti response and removal kit to be used by the recently revived neighborhood watch committee.
Mt. Tabor Neighborhood Association, Mt. Tabor Graffiti Patrol.
Amount funded: $345. For more information, contact Bruce Treat at 503-347-6716.
Funding will be used to purchase graffiti removal supplies and gloves and safety vests to increase visibility for biannual or quarterly volunteer cleanups. Neighborhood volunteers will partner within Friends of Mt. Tabor Park and the Atkinson Elementary PTA to remove graffiti from chronic locations. The grant funds will help to improve the livability of the neighborhood and support the development of community partnerships.
Creston-Kenilworth Neighborhood Association, Creston-Kenilworth Graffiti Cleanup.
Amount funded: $345. For more information, contact James McConnell at 503-336-4575.
Funding will be used to purchase graffiti removal supplies for quarterly volunteer cleanups. Neighborhood volunteers will focus efforts on chronically tagged locations along SE Gladstone, SE Cesar Chavez Blvd, Holgate Blvd and Powell Blvd. The grant funds will help to improve the livability of the neighborhood and support community building activities.
Congratulations to all the funded partnerships. Thank you to everyone who applied and those who reviewed the applications. Contact the volunteers listed to see how you can be involved in the projects.
