On a hot August Saturday afternoon in southern Oregon, community members trickled into Phoenix High School's auditorium. Some brought their children and stopped to grab a free lunch of enchiladas and watermelon juice from Rogue Food Unites before taking their seats at a cluster of round tables. They talked as they ate, enjoying the sun that filtered through the large windows.

America's veterans have given their service to the country, and across the nation, NeighborWorks network organizations are working to ensure they have a safe place to call home. In the last fiscal year, 145 NeighborWorks network organizations created or preserved at least one home where the client was a veteran or active duty service member. Ninety-two network organizations reported set-aside units for veterans or active duty service members in their rental portfolio in the last quarter of the year.

As REACH CDC celebrated its 40th anniversary, the Portland, Oregon, NeighborWorks network organization brought back its greatest hits. One of those hits was the annual repair-a-thon, a chance for neighbors to help neighbors. The organization held the event during NeighborWorks Week. Volunteers repaired six homes.

As REACH CDC celebrated its 40th anniversary, the Portland, Oregon, NeighborWorks network organization brought back its greatest hits. One of those hits was the annual repair-a-thon, a chance for neighbors to help neighbors. The organization held the event during NeighborWorks Week. Volunteers repaired six homes.

 It's the leafy greens and peaches that residents go for the most this time of year, shares Carly Sanders, food program director for NeighborImpact. She's talking about the fresh produce that comes from a partnership between the NeighborWorks network organization and High Desert Food and Farm Alliance (HDFFA). The HDFFA matches farmers who have extra produce with NeighborImpact's food bank. 

At REACH Community Development, a NeighborWorks network organization in Portland, Oregon, residents began the pandemic by controlling what they could. They wore masks and kept a proper social distance. They worked and when they couldn't, they filed for unemployment. 

Ruby Phillips was almost ready for her socially distanced appointment with the volunteers at NeighborWorks Umpqua in March, but she'd forgotten one of the documents she needed. They worked her in later that same day, she says.

"When you're late to a doctor's appointment, you usually have to reschedule," says Phillips, who lives in an apartment owned and managed by the NeighborWokrs organization. "But they got me in that day. You talk about surprised."

A number of NeighborWorks America network organizations help their clients with taxes, often via Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) programs, which offer free tax preparation to anyone making $54,000 a year or less. They have it running like a well-oiled machine. They know who their volunteers are, where they're meeting the clients and how long preparation for each client will likely take.

April is Financial Capability Month, a time when schools, credit unions, nonprofits – even the government – try to raise awareness about the importance of financial capability. It's also spring. And what better way to join the two than by doing some financial spring cleaning?

Tasha Oliverson is a fighter. She stands up for what she believes in. She fights for the powerless. She works to give a platform to people who feel they have no voice. Through her activism, leadership and volunteerism, Tasha has helped to build a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community in Roseburg, Oregon, a small city located in the Umpqua River Valley in southern Oregon.