SE Uplift

Mourning the end of summer? Don’t despair—join us on the sunnyside, where there’s a 0% chance of rain on Saturday, September 26🤞😅

This Saturday, we’re closing down the street outside of our HQ in the Sunnyside neighborhood (see what we did there ⬆️) for a block-party-style election education event.

Candidates for City Council District 3 will have booths where you can meet them one-on-one, and make remarks to the crowd starting at 2:30 pm.

The rest of the time will be filled with fun, family-friendly activities like button making and yard games.

And, speaking of yards… There will be a neighborhood-wide yard sale going on from 9am to 3pm on Saturday. Visit the link in bio Sunnyside Neighborhood Association for a sale map.

🗳️🍦D3 City Council Candidate Mixer🍦🗳️
Sat, Sept 26 | 1–4 PM | SE Uplift, 3534 SE Main St

Come meet the candidates running for the three open District 3 seats on Portland City Council in the November 3 election.

See who’s running 👀👇

We’re closing down the street and opening our Outdoor Plaza for a free, family-friendly mixer. The candidate program begins at 2:30 PM, when each candidate will have an opportunity to make brief remarks, but most of the afternoon will follow an open format with plenty of time for one-on-one conversations. Many candidates will have booths, alongside local nonprofits, agencies, and community organizations.

Please RSVP to help us plan for space and refreshments. Find the full event details through the link in our bio or at seuplift.org/events

👉 Ali Beaudoin | Joel Corcoran | Guy Frankenstein | Matthias Hallett (Matthias Hallett) | Patrick Hilton (Patrick Hilton) | Larry Kelly (Larry Kelly) | Tiffany Koyama Lane (Tiffany Koyama Lane) | Kent Landgraver | Keir Legree | Esther Leon (Dr. Esther León, PT, DPT) | Darren McCormick | Angelita Morillo (Angelita Morillo) | Steve Novick (Steve Novick for Portland) | Cristal Otero (Cristal Azul Otero) | Terry Parker | Heart Free Pham (Heart Pham) | Tom Sollitt (Tom Sollitt) | John Sweeney | Kellie Torres (Kellie Torres for Portland) | Kimberly Tucker | Martin Ward

Community Small Grants Are Open!
Apply by Sunday, October 18, at 11:59 PM

Everything you need to apply:
👉 seuplift.org/grants

SE Uplift is accepting applications for 2027 Community Small Grants. Grants of up to $3,000 are available for community-led projects that take place in District 3.

Projects can include neighborhood events, placemaking, mutual aid, arts projects, community conversations, and other efforts that bring people together and strengthen civic engagement in Portland City Council District 3.

Need help with your application? Sign up for our online workshops on September 23 at 7 PM or October 6 at 6 PM. SE Uplift also offers free 1:1 technical support for applicants. Reach out to [email protected] to schedule a meeting.

Cheers!🥤You’ve almost made it through your first day back from Labor Day weekend.

There’s a lot to catch up on, including what you may have missed at City of Portland, OR City Council last week during its first meetings back from a two-week recess.

Join District 3 Councilor Novick for happy hour at “The Stone” to hear what’s happening at City Hall and share what’s happening in your neighborhood.

TONIGHT! Tuesday, September 8
5:30 to 7:30 PM
The Gladstone Street Pub (3737 SE Gladstone St)

RSVP Here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/community-conversation-with-councilor-novick-tickets-1999290660184

✨September newsletter just dropped! Check out the link in our bio to read more about the events happening in FoPo ✨

Roseway neighbors: Portland Parks & Recreation’s Summer Free for All is coming to Wellington Park tomorrow, Thursday, August 27.

Enjoy a free performance of bossa nova and samba by Brazil Tones from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. You can also meet volunteers from Roseway Neighborhood Association and the Roseway Neighborhood Emergency Team.

With support from a 2026 SE Uplift Community Small Grant, they will offer emergency preparedness demonstrations and information at the event.

🧰 Learn more about Roseway NET at roseway.org/rosewayprepares.
💰 Learn more about SE Uplift’s grant program at seuplift.org/grants.

As part of a Portland visit organized through Portland State University's pilot social entrepreneurship program, students and professors from Tohoku University and Ritsumeikan University took a field trip to SE Uplift last Wednesday.

In our Fireside Room, Fiscal Sponsorship Program Manager Diane Odeh presented on Portland’s community engagement system and community-based organizations. The students also spoke with District 3 City Councilor Koyama Lane about her experience as the first Asian American woman elected to Portland city government.

Looking for space for your next meeting or event? Rates are $25 per hour for nonprofits and government entities and $50 per hour for businesses and private individuals. Groups led by BIPOC, disabled, or q***r people receive 50% off. Sliding-scale rates and scholarships may also be available on a case-by-case basis.

Learn more and request a reservation: seuplift.org/meeting-event-space

It's time to repaint Wallie!

Join your neighbors at 67th and Center Street on August 29th & 30th starting at 10am until 6pm.

Bring clothes you don't mind getting dirty, water, sunscreen, and any painting supplies you can spare!

Since poor Wallie is in really bad shape, the first day will likely be outlining and getting a base coat down, and the second day will be filling in with color.

Sign up for this and other projects happening along Center Street by filling out the Better Center Project form at the link in our bio!

Take the PBOT Schiller Street Plaza Survey! (Link in bio)

Schiller Street Plaza (AKA Firland Plaza) is a pilot through PBOT’s first-ever Open Call for Plaza Partners, which invited community groups across the city to propose locations and ideas for new public spaces. Foster-Powell Neighborhood Association (FPNA) was selected as a top candidate to participate.

The pilot plaza at SE 72nd & Schiller was opened June 23rd, 2026, for an 8-12 week trial. The pilot, including this survey, is the neighborhood and PBOT’s means to engage with and evaluate the site, partner, and community benefit. Staff are tracking feedback on how active the space is, how well it is stewarded, is the site layout functioning/traffic control working, how the partnership is going with PBOT and the Plaza Partner (FPNA), and more. The results of this survey and the evaluation will be shared publicly on PBOT’s webpage, and a physical sign will be added to the pilot site with information about how to find these results.

Unfortunately, wildfire smoke led many early-August outdoor events to be canceled or postponed. Conditions are expected to improve beginning Friday, so some of this weekend’s planned events in District 3 are likely to go ahead as scheduled. Still, check with organizers before heading out, since plans can change quickly.

While you wait it out, pull out your calendar and use SE Uplift’s August Event Picks to start planning the rest of your month.

August Event Picks from SE Uplift | Free Fun in District 3 Neighborhoods District 3 is full of free and low-cost ways to gather, connect, learn, and enjoy what our neighborhoods have to offer. Each month, SE Uplift shares a selection of events across District 3 neighborhoods, including celebrations of neighborhood and city pride; local affinity and community group meetin...