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PGE ASSISTANCE (Portland General Electric)
Now that Christmas and the holiday season are almost over, perhaps your financial picture has become magnified. If you need help, are out of a job, our
local PGE might help. PGE offers payment options during these difficult times here in Oregon:
- PGE’s Equal Pay plan evens out your monthly bill so it’s the same very month. Its predictability makes budgeting easier. Go to http://www.PortlandGeneral.com/EqualPay to find out more.
- Energy Efficiency is talked about all the time and you can tame your energy bills. Simple habits coupled with low-cost or no-cost energy efficiency improvements can result in energy savings. Visit http://PortlandGeneral.com/SaveEnergy for helpful ideas and tips or call the Energy Experts at (800-722-9287) for some answers.
- There’s also some financial situations that make it difficult to pay your energy bill. If you qualify, PGE will refer you to organizations and programs that can help you during this difficult time. Go to http://PortlandGeneral.com/BillHelp for additional assistance.
For more information visit http://www.PortlandGeneral.com or call PGE Customer Service at 503-228-6322 in Portland, 503-399-7717 in Salem or 1-800-542-8818.
TIGARD – PRESCRIPTION DRUG CARD
Tigard has a program for its City’s residents in the form of a prescription discount card. The City of Tigard has partnered with the National League of Cities and CVS Caremark to make a prescription discount card available to all City of Tigard residents. The discount cards offer City residents an average savings of 20% off the retail price of commonly prescribed drugs. There is no enrollment form required to get a card, no membership fee for the City’s residents/family are not covered by insurance. The discount card is only for residents of Tigard and has no restrictions based on the resident’s age, income level, or existing health coverage. The card can be usedi when purchasing prescription drugs at approximately 100 pharmacies around the City. The card is available at the Tigard Public Library, City Hall and the Permit Center or log on at http://www.caremark.com/nlc and use the print-a-card feature. City of Tigard residents can also call toll free at 1-888-620-1749 for assistance.
ALL ABOUT…..Portland.Oregon.Real Estate, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative 
Works 3.0 Unported License. © Copyright 2008-2009 Betty Jung. All Rights Reserved. Use of this article, photos and images without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws. Based on a Blog at WordPress.
(For more local and national real estate information, go to www.bettyjung.com).
Portland
Thursday marks the holiday season and I know there are those that need help. The Multnomah County Library had this great post on 
their website recently about the places you can go to receive Thanksgiving and/or Christmas help if you or someone you know needs some assistance.
This obviously isn’t a complete list, but if you’d rather “give” instead, here are some local organizations to help:
- Loves and Fishes (503) 736-6325 (Main number)
- Portland Rescue Mission (503) 274-4483. 222 NW Couch Street, Portland
- Habitat For Humanity (503) 245-1798. 7830 SW 40th Ave., Portland
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Portland (50) 249-4859. 1827 NE 44th Ave. #100, Portland
- Sheperd’s Door Women’s Shelter (503) 256-2353. 13207 NE Halsey Street, Portland
- SMART (Start Making A Reader Today) (503) 937-4800. 219 NW 12th Ave. #203, Portland
- OregonHEAT @ http://www.OregonHeat.org
- Fill a Stocking, Fill a Heart – Deadline December 5. Pick up an empty stocking at Lake Oswego City Hall, Adult Community Center or the WEB and fill it with basic household items with a few special gifts for those in need.
- December 5-6. Purchase a Wristband and take part in Cancer Association JoyRx for children/families at local hospitals @ Bridgeport Village
- The Sharing Tree – Washington Sq. Gifts donated to local charities
- Oregon Food Bank
ALL ABOUT…..Portland.Oregon.Real Estate, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License. © Copyright 2008-2009 Betty Jung. All Rights Reserved. Use of this article, photos and images without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws. Based on a Blog at WordPress.
(For more local and national real estate information, go to www.bettyjung.com).
Perhaps you didn’t know it, but Oregon has two great insurance programs to suit several different situations. Also, I read an article 
on-line about people who are letting their insurance drop, even with catastrophic illnesses, because they could no longer afford the premiums.
Here in Portland, a Downs Syndrome teen was killed while crossing the highway. Not only did the family have the grief of their son’s death, but unfortunately they did not have health insurance either as the husband had lost his job and exhausted COBRA coverage. Either of the programs below probably would have helped this family.
Due to these hard economic times, if you are a resident of Oregon, perhaps one of these programs might help you too. I’m finding that many people don’t even know they exist. I am not familiar with other states and can only assist you with what I know about Oregon. Both of these programs may, I believe, have waiting lists.
OREGON HEALTH PLAN
Are you eligible? There are many ways that you may be eligible for OHP if you live in Oregon and are a U.S. citizen or an eligible non-citizen. Different eligibility rules and income levels apply to different groups of people. The level of coverage (benefit package) you receive is based on your income, age, and physical or mental condition. For example, eligible pregnant women and children under age 19 receive the highest level of coverage.
In a previous article around the holidays, I also wrote about Oregon Helps . Their web site can tell you whether your family might be able to get help from various state and federal assistance programs, including help from the Oregon Health Plan. During the economic recession in the 1980s, I too was on this program.
How to apply: To receive an OHP application packet, call (1-800) 359-9517 or TTY: (1-800) 621-5260. You can also download an electronic version (in PDF format) of the OHP application packet by clicking here. If you receive SSI, are eligible for Medicare, or are 65 years of age or older: Call your local Department of Human Services (DHS) or Area Agency on Aging (AAA) office, or (1-800) 282-8096 (voice and TTY) for more information about the OHP and other health care programs. If you have a foster child and would like information about OHP: Contact your local DHS child welfare office or Oregon Youth Authority worker.
OREGON MEDICAL INSURANCE POOL
The Oregon Medical Insurance Pool (OMIP) is the high-risk health insurance pool for the State of Oregon. OMIP was established by the Oregon Legislature to cover adults and children who are unable to obtain medical insurance because of health conditions. OMIP also provides a way to continue insurance coverage for those who exhaust COBRA benefits and have no other options.
© Copyright 2008-2009 Betty Jung. All Rights Reserved. Use of this article, photos and images without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws.
ALL ABOUT…..Portland.Oregon.Real Estate by Betty Jung is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.
Based on a Blog at WordPress.
(For more local and national real estate information, go to www.bettyjung.com).
I wrote the post below because it is important at this time of year and because of the condition of our economy. Actually I had it written before our snow hit and the subject matter is even more appropriate with our weather condition.
Now Portland is covered in a blanket of snow and its tree limbs are all sugar-coated with ice. Even though it is an inconvenience, I must admit it is absolutely breathtaking outside. We had 10″ of snow here yesterday, freezing rain and ice overnight, and now as I am editing this post, the snow is coming down as if someone were dumping snowflakes from a bucket, and there’s more snow predicted to cover us. I don’t remember when it snowed with such intensity and seriousness.
My memories go back to 1996 when it wasn’t as pleasant and when our temperatures dipped into the single digits. There was an awful ice storm, freezing pipes and floods. My house had a pipe burst and flooded my first level as well. During that winter blast I actually went cross-country skiing in my neighborhood. Now if I only still had those skis. What’s great, however, is that the forecasters don’t think we will have flooding issues this time around; they also don’t think we will be getting out of this “arctic blast” until next Saturday, or maybe if we’re lucky on Wednesday.
(The picture is from kgw.com).
So as I sit all cozy and warm, there is lots and lots to do, or that I could do, or rather should be doing. Fortunately I had all my 1100 business calendars delivered to my home and I am working on getting those ready to be mailed to my clients. Having purchased “forever” stamps earlier this year, I am prepared to put postage on them (at least if I remember to do so unlike the other day when I didn’t). When the snow finally does eventually melt, I can mail them, although they won’t get there for Christmas much like my Christmas presents either. There are presents to wrap, cookies to me made, gifts to get finished, cards still to be written………..or I’ll just grab the hot chocolate, snuggle under a blanket, stay warm and look out the window instead because it is really beautiful outside. I feel I am at a mountain retreat resting in a cabin. My favorite time is at night when the neighborhood lights shine on the snow and everything glows. I’m staying put as most of us aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. Stay warm and LET IT SNOW!
PAY IT FORWARD
Being an avid movie fan, when the Academy Awards show is on to present the ”Oscar” to all the winners, I want to have seen all the movies nominated. When the presenters throughout the show talk about a specific movie, there are so many innuendos made or references that I guess I don’t like being left out on the joke. Maybe it’s a “Hollywood” thing having lived in Los Angeles and all.
So, when I recently was at the receiving end of someone else’s good deed, I was surprised that I hadn’t heard of the Pay It Forward film from 2000. I hadn’t seen the movie, read the book, nor did I know about it.
At dinner one evening with a friend, we got ready to pay for our meal when the server said our meal had been paid for by the couple who had been in line in front of us. They were a very unassuming couple and had gone to the rear of the restaurant to eat. However, when they were finished eating and were leaving, both my friend and I thanked them for their generosity at which time the gentleman told both of us to “pay it forward”. It wasn’t an inexpensive meal and both my friend and I were quite surprised by their nice gesture.
I’d never had that happen where a complete stranger had been so generous. Researching “pay it forward” in Wikipedia I see it actually started with Benjamin Franklin in 1784:
“I do not pretend to give such a Sum; I only lend it to you. When you [...] meet with another honest Man in similar Distress, you must pay me by lending this Sum to him; enjoining him to discharge the Debt by a like operation, when he shall be able, and shall meet with another opportunity. I hope it may thus go thro’ many hands, before it meets with a Knave that will stop its Progress. This is a trick of mine for doing a deal of good with a little money.”
Having read more about the concept, Ryan Hyde’s book and the movie describe it as an obligation to do three good deeds for others in repayment of a good deed that one receives. Such good deeds should be things that the other person cannot accomplish on their own. In this way, the need to help one another can spread exponentially through society, creating a social movement with the goal of making the world a better place.
On October 26, 2006, Oprah gave her audience a challenge to Pay it Forward, giving 300 audience guests $1,000 USD on a debit card and a camcorder to record the acts of kindness they did. The rules of the challenge were very specific, the money had to be spent within one week and could only be used to help charitable organizations or an individual person but not a relative.
I’ve been trying to keep that thought throughout the year. Recently, in the midst of the holiday shopping, there was a lady who was in a parking garage and holding up the line behind her because she didn’t have enough money to pay for her time. I was over-hearing her conversation with the guard so I went ahead and paid her parking fee. She was forever grateful and asked how she could repay. I did what another generous person had done for me and told her to just pay it forward. I’ve been trying to do this on a regular basis. On T.V. recently someone back east did the same thing in a Starbucks® drive-thru and it continued on through most of the day. The employees all said they hadn’t seen it go on for that length of time before.
Wouldn’t the world be a better place if all of us did this on a continuous basis and not just the three times mentioned in the book? What better time is there than during this holiday season to be paying it forward? There are lots of opportunities especially at Christmas to pay it forward particularly with our winter storm and snow. There are people stranded without food, there are elderly alone who need medication or other necessities. Now’s the time to be paying it forward. Here’s a blog post from a local Realtor® that I came across with some more ideas. Not only will the good deed help someone else but it really makes you feel good as well. But, it shouldn’t just be at Christmas, but all year round.
© Copyright 2008-2009 Betty Jung. All Rights Reserved. Use of this article, photos and images without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws.
ALL ABOUT…..Portland.Oregon.Real Estate by Betty Jung is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.
Based on a Blog at WordPress.
(For more local and national real estate information, go to www.bettyjung.com).
I found this website Oregon Helps. It seems as though everyone needs 
some kind of help these days and this website lists some places in Oregon that provide relief. I’ve also included the link on my blogroll to the left.
Perhaps you yourself need some assistance or you know of someone else that does. There are a lot of resources out there. Click on Oregon Helps for information on the following:
Food and Nutrition
Housing and Utilities
Children and Family Resources
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Health Care
Veterans’ Services
Financial Benefits
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| Senior and Disabled Services | |
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© Copyright 2008-2009 Betty Jung. All Rights Reserved. Use of this article, photos and images without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws.
ALL ABOUT…..Portland.Oregon.Real Estate by Betty Jung is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.
Based on a Blog at WordPress.
(For more local and national real estate information, go to www.bettyjung.com).
In 2007, the Union Gospel Mission fed 114,873 homeless and needy people here in Portland. With the economy in dire straights, the numbers are sure to increase this year. If you want to volunteer or donate, the above link will take you to their website. Food and shelter are basic needs of the human soul and many people this Thanksgiving won’t have either. There are many places to donate and give, but I know the Union Gospel Rescue Mission here in Portland can use all the help they can get. Regardless of your religious affiliations, need should be a belief that everyone can understand, especially at this time of year.
A “snapshot” study done by the national organization, Association of Gospel Rescue Missions (AGRM) offers insight into the homeless and needy served by Portland’s Union Gospel Mission. While the statistics show that the homeless and needy served in Portland were very similar in some respects to the profile of the homeless and needy nationally, a few statistics were strikingly different. 71% of the homeless in Portland blame the economy for their plight, while 38% nationally state the economy as a reason for homelessness. Also, 64% of the homeless and needy in Portland have lost government benefits in the last 12 months, while the figure nationally was 22%. Nationally, veterans comprised 26% of the homeless respondents, and locally 15%, but Portland had a higher number of Vietnam veterans, 71% as opposed to 41% Vietnam veterans nationally. Those who have been homeless twice before in Portland is 44%, while nationally the number is 17%.
Oregon’s unemployment rate jumped to 7.3% in October; whereas, the national average is 6.5%. And, our foreclosure rate doubled during October alone. As the economic downturn deepens it is starting to affect people who have never been in this situation before. 
Our local Food Bank says need has increased by 43% and has little food to pass out and is in desperate need of donations. You can help.
Fill any grocery bag—paper or plastic— with nonperishable food such as peanut butter, canned meats, canned vegetables, canned fruits, soup, chili and stews. No glass please.
Drop the bag off at your nearest Jiffy Lube. To thank you for donating food, Jiffy Lube will give you coupons worth $60 off a year’s worth of Signature Service ® oil changes. In addition, Jiffy Lube will match every donation — meal for meal.
Or donate food at U.S. Bank locations in Multnomah, Washington, Clark, Marion, Polk, and Yamhill counties.
Donate funds online at www.oregonfoodbank.org or call (503) 282-0555.
Fill the Bag organizers hope to surpass last year’s total of 200,000 pounds of food. Your donations will help fight hunger in our community. Sponsors include Jiffy Lube, U.S. Bank, Community Newspapers, The Commerce Company, OregonLive.com and PODS.
© Copyright 2008-2009 Betty Jung. All Rights Reserved. Use of this article, photos and images without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws.
ALL ABOUT…..Portland.Oregon.Real Estate by Betty Jung is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.
Based on a Blog at WordPress.
(For more local and national real estate information, go to www.bettyjung.com).
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