Giving Back: A Donation to Raphael House
The young women who participated in OTI’s Building Girls Construction Club at Wilson High School Construction Club embraced the spirit of the season and they made a donation to Raphael House, a domestic violence agency dedicated to ending intimate partner violence for good.
As part of the great work they did to learn about woodworking, carpentry, and construction, they took on the task of making a variety of wooden toys – with the intention of donating them to a local organization in need.
Just before Christmas, Ana Gonzalez came by the OTI office to meet with Katie Yablonski, OTI’s Building Girls Program Manager. Katie gave her the toys the young women in the Wilson High School Construction Club made. Ana is a 2010 Graduate of OTI’s Trades and Apprenticeship Career Class and currently the Facilities Coordinator at Raphael House. She was touched by the thoughtfulness of the young women we work with and pleased to take the toys back to Raphael House.
Fifty Licks Ice Cream Fundraising Event for OTI
Fifty Licks was so inspired by the Willamette Week Give!Guide that they stepped up to support every one of the 137 local nonprofits that were featured in 2014! Starting on December 28th, they have dedicated one day to each nonprofit and will donate 10% of proceeds! They have devoted Thursday, January 22nd to OTI!
They offer an array of seasonal flavors, classics, and even sorbet for those who avoid dairy. They also offer amazing hot chocolate, cocktails, and a daily happy hour from 3:00pm – 6:00 pm.
You can learn more about Chad, the owner of the 50 Licks ice cream, check out a recent interview with him on Right at the Fork, a local food-centric podcast.
You can click this link for the event on Facebook if you would like to share it and invite your friends to participate!
Details:
Thursday, January 22
3:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Fifty Licks Ice Cream
2021 SE Clinton Street
Portland OR 97202
We hope to see you there!
An Update from OTI Graduate Chevy Nash…
We were thrilled to hear from OTI TACC Graduate Chevy Nash and learn about how her career is progressing. She recently sent this inspiring note:
“I am now the operations manager at Alpha Energy Savers, a weatherization company. It’s a small company and I’m working in the office and able to make the job whatever I may want to make out of it for now and the future. I met Carter Stafford – he was working at Alpha the night you sent me to the Home Performance Guild meeting to track down Kelly Haines! He remembered me and called me when he knew he was moving on to Conservation Services Group (CSG) and hired me to take over.
I have been thrown in and am trying to get the gist of it all, but I love everything l I get to learn! Kelly at Clean Energy Works (CEW) has agreed to pay for my Building Performance Institute (BPI) certification license, and I can put that certification to use doing home energy auditing for my current company and I’ll also have on the job training with an in house BPI certified supervisor and be getting paid all along the way!
My company works with Multnomah, Clackamas, and Washington County to make low income homes more energy efficient, we are working with TriMet to use weatherization as noise mitigation for houses near the new Max line running through Milwaukie, and of course we work with regular everyday folks looking to improve their homes efficiency.
Frankly it’s kind of the best situation as I’m learning terminology, how each of the programs work, going to training meetings & contractors meetings, and asking a ton of questions. It will get me even more ready for the next step and I get paid a decent wage along the way.
Anyway I wanted to give you a heads up. Now that I have more than two nickels to rub together I’ve sent my first donation check into Oregon Tradeswomen as you guys are a big reason why I got a leg up.
Wanted you to know and to thank you for helping me along the way…having me go to that Home Performance Guild meeting was HUGE!”
Congratulations, Cassie Czubachowski
| Huge congratulations to Cassie Czubachowski who recently graduated from the Oregon and SW Washington Roofers and Waterproofers JATC with high marks! Cassie is now a journey level roofer. She is greatly appreciated and valued by her employer, Snyder Roofing. Way to go, Cassie! |
A Banner Year
Thanks to everyone who donated to our Give!Guide campaign! We raised $14,007.00 in individual gifts and $5,000 was donated by our delightful partners, Atomic Direct and Clean Energy Works Oregon for a grand total of $19,007.00 – thank you!
We also received tremendous support from various private foundations and government entities this past year. In the last couple weeks of the year, we received several generous donations including these:
- OCF Joseph E. Weston Public Foundation in the amount of $4,250.00 for training in construction.
- Penney Family Fund, a member of the Common Counsel Foundation, in the amount of $5,000.00 for general programs.
We thank both foundations for their generous support of our work at Oregon Tradeswomen, Inc.
You can also help us continue our work in helping women reach new levels of professional success and satisfaction by supporting our programs. Your financial contribution helps women learn about work in the trades and girls experience trades, most likely, for the very first time. Make your tax-deductible donation today by clicking here to change a life in a really positive way!
Our annual career fair is coming up May 14 – May 16 and we need the support of our business community to teach girls about opportunities in the trades. We are seeking corporate sponsors for our three day event. Learn more by clicking here to become part of the “100%” – the percentage of industry support we rely on to make this fabulous event a reality.
Happy New Year!
Dennise M. Kowalczyk – Development Director
Dennise@tradeswomen.net
503.335.8200 ext. 38
Tough Mudders!
We are so proud of the OTI graduates who took on an intense challenge this summer and formed a team to participate in Tough Mudder! The members of the Oregon Tradeswomen Mudders team were Eleni Vournas, Sho Newman, and Genevieve Smith-Henry. They worked out together to train for the race – running individually and as a team to improve their stamina and they also committed to strength training and did some “bouldering” at the rock gym.
We asked Eleni to tell us more about her experience and this is what she shared:
“The race itself was FAN-TASTIC! What I loved most about it was the empowering spirit of teamwork! Not only between the three of us but with the entire Mudder pack – especially after the first obstacle of crawling through the mud on our belly!! It seemed as if we all became one giant force after that! Initially we all had our team jerseys separating us from one another: green, black, yellow, purple…but after that first obstacle it didn’t seem to matter anymore, we were all the MUD team with one goal: To cross the finish line! No time was kept and there were no awards for 1st, 2nd and 3rd. Team spirit is the essence of the Tough Mudder race and you feel it with every grip offered by a stranger to pull you over/under/or through the obstacle at hand. And yes, I am personally already signed up for Tough Mudder 2015!”
Way to go Eleni, Sho, and Genevieve!!
OTI’s Annual Meeting
Save the Date for OTI’s Annual Meeting!
Thursday January 29, 2015
5:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Location:
Old Town Brewing
5201 Northeast Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Portland, OR 97211
Join us!
Come and spend an evening with OTI staff and all of the tradeswomen you haven’t seen for awhile. It is a big gathering to kick off the new year!
Delicious Food!
OTI will fill your belly. We will have free food at the event to cover your dinner needs. No host bar.
Prizes!
What? Yes, this year OTI will have a raffle of some great items, including to tickets for a Radical 80s Cruise generously donated by the Portland Spirit!
OTI on the Radio in December!
OPB Interview
OPB’s Ellena Rosenthal talked with Steve Malany: President of the board of directors at the Associated General Contractors Oregon-Columbia Chapter, Connie Ashbrook: Executive Director of Oregon Tradeswomen, Inc., and Tia Vonil: an OTI Trades and Apprenticeship Career Class Graduate and a third-year union electrical apprentice in Portland to talk about the national craft worker shortage and what is happening locally to train workers as well as the importance of bringing Career Technical Education programs back into Oregon’s high schools.
KBOO Interview
Kathleen Stephenson at KBOO talked with Dennise Kowalczyk, Development Director, and Katie Yablonsky, Building Girls Program Manager, at Oregon Tradeswomen, Inc. about our focus and programs and about how women interested in the trades can connect with us.
XRAY.fm Interview
On December 17, Katie Yablonsky, OTI’s Building Girls Program Manager, talked with Jefferson Smith about our work with young women.
Teamwork, Attitude and Paperwork: “TAP” into your future in the trades
I attended the Union Apprenticeships in the Building Trades Information Session at Portland YouthBuilders today and learned a whole lot about the great opportunities in construction, elevator construction, floor covering, electrical, cement masonry and others.
It was a one-hour presentation on the different building trades that offer apprenticeship programs. It takes place on a quarterly basis and is geared towards folks who are interested in a career and for those who counsel people on careers.
There were several representatives from the trades who spoke to the benefits and expectations with regards to a career in the trades. There were also some really great videos. I learned so much! For example, did you know that elevator construction workers are the highest paid job of all the trades?
The panelists also shared insights about what is needed to be successful in any of the trades. Those qualities include:
* Being a team player
* Having a great attitude
* Establishing a great reputation
* Completing your paperwork
Now, I’m not seeking work in those trades but I do work for an organization that helps women find work in those industries. I’ll be sure to be passing on information about future events but you might want to get this one on the calendar:
March 6, 2015
Central Electrical Training Center
33309 Highway 99E
Tangent, OR 97389
— Dennise
Oregon Tradeswomen Press Coverage
At Sherwood High School, girls-only class teaches welding, woodworking, computer skills
Great article by Laura Frazier of The Oregonian about “Imagine, Design & Build It — No Boyz Allowed” – girls only classes in welding, wooodworking, and computer technology
The Lucrative Reason Some Women Say It Pays to Ditch College
OTI TACC Grad, Stephanie Ryznar, is quoted in this article about why a career in the trades is such an attractive option for an increasing number of women!
Oregon Tradeswomen hires Dennise Kowalczyk
Thank you to The Oregonian/OregonLive for announcing OTI’s hire of Dennise M. Kowalczyk!