PORTLAND, Ore. — COVID-19 has left thousands of Oregonians unemployed, unable to pay their rent, keep their lights on, or even put food on the table.
That's why Oregon's film, television and live event community is producing a virtual fundraiser called Together We Thrive, and it aired Saturday July 18, from 7-8:30 p.m. on KGW.
Performers who appeared on the program included Portugal. The Man, Maiah Wynne, Ron Artis II and many more.
The Oregon nonprofit Together4Oregon initially put the telethon together as something that would benefit production industry workers, said organizer Marc Koller.
“When COVID hit, production in Oregon stopped overnight,” Koller said.“That meant that a whole lot of people in our state suddenly had no way to put food on their table. We have Oregonians who can’t pay their rent, their electric bill or their water bill. And some people were suddenly locked down in potentially abusive homes with nowhere to turn. I felt strongly that something needed to be done.”
But the group soon realized the focus on the entertainment industry was too narrow, and expanded the scope of the project to include workers all over the state.
Together4Oregon chose four Oregon-based non-profits that would split the proceeds equally and cover as many of the urgently needed services as possible:
- Sunshine Division, which can provide emergency meals and food boxes
- Labor’s Community Services Agency (LSCA), which will handle worker outreach and help families bridge the income gap
- Bradley Angle, dedicated to abuse survivors, which will take care of those affected by domestic violence and living in fragile households
- Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA), which will care for the needs of Indigenous and Latinx communities impacted disproportionately byt the pandemic
Join us to support your fellow Oregonians, because divided we fail, but together we thrive.