FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:                      November 9, 2010

Contacts:       Karen Shawcross                       Joan Vallejo           

                        Executive Director                      Communications Director  

                        kshawcross@hdcnwo.org          Oregon Community Foundation    

                        503.693.2937, Ext. 104               503.227.6846

Cell: 503.330.1717                      jvallejo@oregoncf.org

Website:         www.bienestar-or.org

BIENESTAR RECEIVES A GRANT FROM THE NIKE EMPLOYEE GRANT FUND

OF THE OREGON COMMUNITY FOUNDDATION

Bienestar, a nonprofit based in Hillsboro, is pleased to announce the receipt of a grant in the amount of $19,600 from the Nike Employee Grant Fund of The Oregon Community Foundation to expand youth physical activities and healthy lifestyle resources for low-income children & parents in Bienestar apartments in Aloha, Hillsboro, Cornelius and Forest Grove.

Launched in spring 2010, the Nike Employee Grant Fund of The Oregon Community Foundation (OCF), is granting up to $500,000 per year for three years to local nonprofit organizations or schools that wish to join Nike in creating positive social and environmental change.

“We want to benefit communities where Nike employees live, work, and volunteer through this new employee backyard grant and volunteer program,” said Hannah Jones, Vice President of Sustainable Business and Innovation at Nike.

The Oregon Community Foundation works with businesses such as Nike, as well as individuals and organizations, to create charitable funds to support the community causes they care about.  Through these funds OCF awards more than $60 million annually in grants and scholarships.

NIKE, Inc. based near Beaverton,Oregon, is the world’s leading designer, marketer and distributor of authentic athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities.  Grant application materials are available online at www.oregoncf.org.

Bienestar is a nonprofit community development corporation providing affordable housing and resident services for 460 low-income families in Aloha, Cornelius, Forest Grove, Hillsboro and Scappoose.  Resident services programs are offered onsite for adult and youth residents in community rooms at the ten Bienestar apartment properties. Bienestar’s mission is to build housing, hope and futures for the well-being of working families and seniors.

“ We are so grateful to have this investment in our youth programs at Bienestar”, says Executive Director Karen Shawcross.  “it has allowed us to recruit and hire Javier Urenda to develop and implement new programs for the approximately 900 children we serve that will promote physical activity, healthy lifestyles and better nutrition.  We have already begun Soccer Club at Sunset Gardens in Hillsboro, and this month will introduce Yoga Classes for Children as well as Nutrition Classes.  We look forward to working with Nike volunteers in the coming months to help us with these goals.  We’re so happy to have this corporate partner in helping us to build hope and futures for the children we serve.”

For more information, contact Bienestar Executive Director Karen Shawcross at 503.693.2937, Ext. 104.or kshawcross@hdcnwo.org.