Connecting Excluded Communities

Too often, the immigrant, refugee and other minority communities are left out of the civic engagement process and discussions. New Portland Foundation and Muslim Educational Trust will jointly convene an open and inclusive discussion with civic leaders to help build greater connectivity and engagement between these marginalized communities and their civic leaders.


March 11, 2021

NPF kicks off the Silk Road Cultural Diplomacy Series with The Latino Summit

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In order to create real positive change towards equality, we must be willing to share our stories. The New Portland Story, through a series of five community summits, will help create the change towards equality by sharing the stories of our beloved communities. With support from community-based organizations representing African, Latin American, Native, Asian, and European communities, the New Portland Story will look into the needs, concerns, hopes, and dreams of our diverse group of New Portlanders. Our hearts must be moved. We must find ourselves in “the other.” We must feel the joys, dreams, hopes, and pains of the other and connect it with our own. The cultures, structures, and institutions we have created can only be re-imagined when we are moved in terms of our mindsets and emotions.

This March 11th, the Muslim Educational Trust and the New Portland Foundation present the Latino Summit in which community leaders will discuss the pertinent issues of advancing socio-economic conditions, attaining education, obtaining political Influence, and securing affordable housing, healthcare, and Civil Rights of Latinos in the Portland Metro Area.

Hosted by

  • Hector Hinojosa

  • Ronault Catalani, Esq.

Panelists are

  • Maria Caballero-Rubio

  • David Martinez

  • Cecilia Giron

  • Ernesto Fonseca, PhD

  • Anthony Veliz

Facilitated by

  • Melissa Bobadilla, Esq.

  • Linda Castillo.

Join us Thursday, March 11th, 2021 from 6:00PM - 8:00PM. Click here to register.


December 29, 2020

"How to Address the Inequities of Covid 19 through Vaccine Distribution to Minority Communities"

Too often, the immigrant, refugee and other minority communities are left out of the civic engagement process and discussions. MET and NPF are joining together to host a discussion to allow state and county leaders to directly hear, respond to and address the concerns of marginalized groups.  The discussion is being convened by MET and NPF to find solutions and build trust between civic leadership and marginalized communities to heal and unify our communities in the wake of this devastating pandemic.

A panel of state and county leaders will answer a variety of discussion questions sourced from and asked by representatives of marginalized communities relating to ensuring equitable access to the Covid-19 vaccine. The audience will also learn how health experts and elected officials have planned to prioritize access to the vaccine for communities that are most affected by the virus and possible timelines for vaccination. Additionally, discussion questions will address how an effective vaccine distribution and engagement process can help integrate immigrant and refugee communities into civic activities and discussions, and how doing so can help build and foster stronger community identity and empowerment.

Contact us for more information or to register, and donate to our end-of-year campaign to support our work into 2021.