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| PACE-EH Community Coalition |
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OPAL: Organizing People-Activating Leaders
OPAL is a community-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that focuses on low-income and people of color communities, including African American, Latino/a, Asian American, Native American, Eastern European, East and West African, Southeast Asian (Vietnamese, Thai, Laotian, Hmong), poor white families and various 2nd-3rd generation American individuals and new citizens. OPAL is also a people of color led organization and strives for balance and equality in decision-making, representation and messaging, both internally and externally, as an organization and community-based stakeholder. OPAL Co-Founders Kevin Odell and Jon Ostar were formerly community organizers with the Environmental Justice Action Group (EJAG) in 2001, working with Executive Director Jeri Sundvall on asthma and air quality issues.
OPAL has roots in a 2002-2005 Multnomah County Health Department (MCHD) project called the PACE-EH (Protocol for Assessing Community Excellence in Environmental Health) Community Coalition. This diverse coalition identified five communities in Portland most-impacted by environmental health and poverty issues: N/NE Portland (Albina); Outer Northeast Portland (Cully/Port of Portland); East County (Rockwood/Greshem); North Portland (Peninsula/St. Johns) and Outer Southeast Portland (Lents/Brentwood-Darlington). The Coalition organized a campaign around mold, lead and trash issues in N/NE Portland public housing communities. This work was developed with strong incentives for public participation and was driven by the affected community. In the last 20 months, OPAL has organized a board, secured 501-c3 status and raised start-up dollars through private and public foundation grants for program and project work.
Community Partnerships for OPAL Organizing Work
EJAG (The Environmental Justice Action Group), The Josiah Hill III Community Lead Clinic, Coalition for a Livable Future (CLF), Oregon Tradeswomen, Inc., Oregon Sustainable Agricultural Land Trust (OSALT), North/Northeast Portland Business Association (N/NEBA), Office of Neighborhood Involvement (ONI), City of Portland-Brownfields Program, Portland State University-School of Urban Planning, Oregon Center for Environmental Health, Multnomah County Health Department, Cascade Resource Advocacy Group (CRAG), SE WORKS, Marshall HS, Trillium Charter School, Environmental Justice Advocates of Lewis and Clark Law School.
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| OPAL Board and Staff |
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| From Concept to Reality: OPAL |
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