Pastor Jerry Gutierrez knows people are experiencing trouble these days, and he hopes he can help. The pastor of My Father's House Ministries is holding a toy and shoe giveaway from noon to 2 p.m. on Dec. 13 at Irvington Covenant Church, 4046 NE MLK Blvd. "We just want to be a blessing for people ...

• OREGON FOOD DRIVE
• SALVATION ARMY GIVING TREES
• TOYS FOR TOTS
• TOY 'N' JOY
• VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION

The holiday season is here and the Portland Police Bureau Sunshine Division needs your help. The Sunshine Division is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides emergency food and clothing to families and individuals in need year round. The need is even greater this year, and there are a number of ways individuals or organizations can help ...

The state of Oregon is currently recruiting interested members of the public for the Oregon Statewide HIV Prevention Planning Group. The group is charged with developing a comprehensive HIV Prevention Plan for Oregon, prioritizing populations in need of HIV prevention services and developing a menu of options for specific types of services and interventions. They are looking to recruit new members ...

Flexing his solo strength for the first time, rapper/poet/activist Mic Crenshaw is showing that he's more than just a piece of the puzzle. After nearly 15 years of recording and playing ... "Thinking" is not an album that reverts to cheap tricks or fake street songs. It's deadly serious in the subject matters he encounters and challenges – government corruption, failed relationships, personal destruction, oppression ...

From Jan. 10 – 13, the Oregon Convention Center is the country's independent retail capital as nearly 300 exhibitors and thousands of buyers elect to be at the Portland Gift & Accessories Show. As the first industry showcase of the year, the Portland Show has come to be a must-attend expo for trend spotting and access to many exhibitors unique to this most-important entry point for the Great Northwest market ...

The Evergreen High School marching band and colorguard in Vancouver WA has been invited to march in the parade at President-elect Barack Obama's inaugural ceremonies in Washington D.C. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity — but they need your help ...

If you are the parent of a student who currently is in 5th or 8th grade, then you could be facing a major decision about which school to send your child to next year ... "Families have a lot of choices in Portland, more than in most places ... The first thing we suggest advise families to do is to find out about their neighborhood school." Here is how it works ...

President Robert Mugabe's regime has renewed assaults on dissidents, a human rights group said Tuesday, even as he faced more international pressure to step down amid a cholera outbreak that has killed nearly 600 people ... A stalled power-sharing deal has left Zimbabwe's leaders paralyzed -- and its people increasingly impatient. Last week saw demonstrations ...

The White House said Sunday it does not expect to make an announcement by Monday on a possible plan to prevent the collapse of the troubled U.S. auto industry.
The Bush administration is considering ways to provide emergency aid to General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC, which have said they could run out of cash within weeks without government help.
White House officials said they did not expect an announcement on any funding for the companies on Sunday or Monday. The aid probably would benefit General Motors and Chrysler. Ford Motor Co. has said it has enough cash to survive 2009 but asked Congress for a line of credit in case financial conditions deteriorate.
Republican Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee said, "I don't think they yet know what they are going to do ...