leftbank project, Portland Business Journal, portland farmers market
Eco roof installation on OHSU’s Center for Child Development & Rehabilitation is complete and sedum cuttings have begun taking root, transforming the roof into a living ecosystem which will provide long-term environmental and economic benefits. Learn more about the OHSU project by Orangewall Studios and Jason King of Terra Fluxus here. An excellent analysis of the process and benefits conferred by eco roofs can be found here.
Ecoroof, green roof, OHSU, orangewall studios, Snyder Roofing, sustainability, Terra Fluxus, teufel landscape
FMYI is the 25th Oregon company to be certified as a B Corporation for a commitment to using business to help change the world for better. B Lab, a nonprofit organization with the vision of creating a new sector of the economy that uses the power of business to solve social and environmental problems, certifies B Corporations.
As a result of more companies joining the B Corporation movement, individuals will have greater economic opportunity, society will move closer to achieving a positive environmental footprint, more people will be employed in great places to work, and we will have built stronger communities at home and across the world.
“This is an exciting moment for us,” said Justin Yuen, FMYI Founder & President. “From our beginning almost seven years ago, FMYI has endeavored to be to be an enduring business with minimum ecological impact and maximum social value. Our B Corporation designation helps us scale our impact by joining other like-minded, innovative companies using business to bring about change.”
The certification affirms that FMYI meets rigorous and independent standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. B Lab’s independent Standards Advisory Council (SAC) sets the legal and performance standards that are required to become a B Corporation and oversees the evolution of those standards and the auditing of B Corporations. The legal and performance standards, as well as the members of the SAC, the Board, and the management team, are all transparent to the public on www.bcorporation.net.
B Corp, B Corporation, FMYI
This year ORANGEWALLstudios has been working with landscape architect Jason King of Terra Fluxus, roofing contractors Snyder Roofing and OHSU to complete over 10,000 square feet of Green Roof replacements. The City of Portland Bureau of Environmental Services is very excited to see OHSU addressing Storm Water management and their Sustainability goals so successfully.
Ecoroof, green roof, OHSU, ORANGEWALLstudios, Snyder Roofing, sustainability, Terra Fluxus
The vision for Leftbank is one of neighbors working together to further everyone’s impact. A lovely instance of exactly that has come together this month. First, Sockeye coordinated a donation drive for Oregon Food Bank. They brought barrels into the lobby and their own suite, and invited Leftbankers to join them in the effort to feed hungry Oregonians this season.
Upon seeing the barrels, Upstream Public Health started a conversation about how to expand participation and increase what we give as a community. Hoping to inform and inspire, Upstream put together the info below. They’re also working to secure donations from vendors, and hoping to fire up a little friendly competition in the building.
Leftbank Holiday Food Drive
Help us fill two barrels with food for Oregon’s hungry.
If every organization in the Leftbank building contributes 15 pounds of food - we can fill both of those huge barrels. That’s roughly just 15 cans per office!
Every month in Oregon, 240,000 people turn to emergency food boxes for meals. Of those, 33% are children. You can help make sure that all Oregonians have access to healthy meals this winter. Please bring in non-perishable foods between now and January 1st and drop them in one of the two barrels located in the Leftbank building. This Thursday’s happy hour would be a great time to get started filling those barrels, so bring some cans in with your holiday cheer!
Food donated during food drives like this one is some of the most nutritious food that the Food Bank receives. Here is a list of most needed foods:
For more information about the Oregon Food Bank or to make a monetary donation, click here.
Food Drive, leftbank project, Oregon Food Bank, Sockeye, upstream public health
FMYI Sales and Marketing Manager Graeme Byrd has been elected as the Chapter Leader of the Portland (NW Oregon) Net Impact Professional Chapter.
At FMYI, we are guided by the triple bottom line and believe that environmental and social responsibility are just good business and take action to demonstrate that belief in a variety of ways. With a steadfast sustainability commitment, we work daily to reduce our impact on the planet and hope to achieve zero impact by 2020. We provide our product for free or at a discount to nonprofits and other mission-based efforts and we make regular financial contributions to a variety of national and community organizations. Finally, we encourage each team member to volunteer and participate in the community. Graeme’s election as the new Net Impact Portland Professional Chapter Leader is a great example of how FMYI’s team of like-minded individuals dedicated to creating a better world gives their time and energy to organizations in our community and beyond.
community, CSR, FMYI, Net Impact, social entrepreneurship, sustainability
If you were at Leftbank this time last year, you may remember that we had barrels set up in the lobby to receive donations for CommunityWarehouse. I loved putting that drive together and seeing so many Leftbankers pitch in. This year Sockeye called to ask if they could set up a donation barrel for the Oregon Food Bank. Well, uh… yeah! Please feel free to bring in some non-perishable food to share and spread the word. You’ll find the donation barrel at the main door in the lobby.
leftbank project, Oregon Food Bank, Sockeye
Join the staff and board of Upstream Public Health for a wonderful evening of fine northwest cuisine designed by Navarre owner and chef John Taboada at his new event space, Luce with a beer and wine pairing featuring Lemelson Vineyards’ wines and beer from all our favorite - Upright Brewing.
Purchase your ticket soon - quantities are limited
When: Friday, October 29th, cocktail hour at 6:30, dinner at 7:15
Where: Luce Event Space, 2140 E Burnside, Portland
Cost: $100 per dinner ticket (includes open bar)
Why support farm to school?
More than half of Oregon school children rely everyday on school meals. Almost half, go to children from low-income households. Oregon is one of a few states in the country that does not provide any funding to school meals, and we want to change that.
A farm to school bill in Oregon would increase the number of fruits and vegetables per meal by one serving, while giving a boost to Oregon’s agricultural economy and lowering our carbon footprint by buying local. The proceeds of this fundraiser will go to fund direct advocacy for a 2011 Oregon Farm to School Bill. Let’s make 2011 the year of healthy school meals that make kids thrive!
The Auction
After dinner the excitement of the evening will commence with a live auction. A handful of wonderful vacations and experiences will be available for bidding including a 2-week stay in France, a weekend in Joseph and a weekend at the Oregon Coast. Please take a minute to check out the range of options ahead of time so you’ll be poised to take home the one you want!
The Sponsors
Carmen Ranch
Lemelson Wines
Luce
Leaping Lamb Farms
Upright Brewing
Vacasa Rentals
Writer’s Dojo
School of Budo
Mellie Pullman
Ethan and Elizabeth Levi
A portion of your dinner ticket is tax-deductible. Every dollar donated will go directly toward funding Upstream’s farm to school advocacy efforts to ensure that every child in Oregon has a healthy school meal. Learn more about Oregon’s farm to school efforts and Upstream Public Health at our website.
farm to school, Luce Event Space, Oregon, upstream public health
Riding your bike is great. Except when it isn’t. Sometimes in the soggy months, it’s hard to keep the bike-riding flame burning bright. Lloyd TMA wants to treat you to a bike party and stoke your fire for some winter riding. They just sent me this:
The Lloyd TMA is hosting their annual fall bike party Thursday, October 14 from 4:30 – 6:40 at the DoubleTree Hotel (1000 NE Multnomah). Join them for free appetizers, drink specials, door prizes, and to learn more about riding your bike during the winter months. Free bike parking will be available. Contact Heather at 503-236-6441 with any questions.
bike culture, bike party, lloyd TMA
Raising cancer awareness is huge. The clerk at the grocery checkout will ask if you would like to round-up your purchase to donate to breast cancer awareness. At the bank you can find fliers to sign up for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. Turn on the TV and every third commercial is about a foundation that wants to make you aware. There are a myriad of campaigns for raising awareness; from leukemia to prostate cancer to adult liver cancer to skin cancer, etc. All these campaigns do great things for their respective fields. They generate millions of dollars that fund research which, in turn, betters the type of care the sufferers of these cancers receive.
But there are lesser known cancers out there. And because of their rarity they are either often misdiagnosed, or the treatment protocols are not fully figured out yet. MDiTV is focusing on one of those rare cancers — hepatoblastoma. Hepatoblastoma is a childhood liver cancer that effects about 11.2 children per million worldwide annually. It occurs most frequently in newborns with incidences drastically declining by age three. Protocols to fight it were developed in the early 70’s and have evolved little since. Currently, researchers are struggling to secure funds to advance treatments for patients diagnosed with the cancer. To help raise awareness and join the many voices of support out there already, MDiTV has built the Hepatoblastoma Network.
Beyond raising awareness, the website serves as a community for parents of children with hepatoblastoma. The website offers interviews with medical professionals and researchers, information on symptoms, treatments and a detailed look at the liver. Parents are encouraged to share their child’s story with each other and there is also a Wiki that can be updated by the community. The Hepatoblastoma Network intends to be a place where people can learn more about this rare cancer and grow as a support network.
Hepatoblastoma Network, MDiTV
