Vision, Action, and Service for Beaverton: WakeUp Beaverton Provides 4,800 Families with School Supplies

#BeavertonCityCouncil

The past couple school years have been challenging for most families navigating online schooling and major pandemic-related changes. These years have been even more difficult for people who do not have equitable access to school supplies, food, and other resources.

Over the past month, WakeUp Beaverton, a local nonprofit, provided almost 5,000 families in the Beaverton School District with these much-needed resources.

These four events, hosted at schools throughout the district, were only possible through partnerships with organizations like Beaverton School District, Tualatin Hills Parks and Recreation District, Community Action, Oregon Food Bank, Oregon Health Authority, and local community volunteers.

I am incredibly grateful for the workers and volunteers who made these supply drives possible. We must also recognize that the support these families need continues beyond one school supply drive, and we as the community must heed the call to action to support everyone who has a need here in Beaverton.

WakeUp Beaverton is now turning its attention back to the coalition-building and community organizing work in support of the creation of a multicultural center in Beaverton. Our multicultural community needs a central location where people can make food, gather, eat, and get supportive services for all of their needs, most notably including housing, food, language, transportation, and education.

The City of Beaverton, as a result of extensive community engagement and the leadership of the Beaverton Diversity Advisory Board, has had the development of a multicultural center as a goal since 2011. Unfortunately, there’s been little progress until the past couple years where we have seen community members and organizations joining together to build momentum for this vision.

Let’s continue to have a grand vision and partner it with action and service. Thank you, WakeUp Beaverton and partners, for being here to serve our wonderful community.

Kevin Teater

About Kevin Teater

Kevin Teater is a Beaverton City Councilor-Elect, whose term starts in January 2023. He currently serves on Beaverton Planning Commission and was previously the executive director of the Beaverton Downtown Association.