We can’t wait to see what the planters will look like later this year and next year as these plants mature and bloom - providing important habitat to our pollinator neighbors.  A special thanks to the Lloyd Community Association and the Portland Bureau of Environmental Service’s  Community Watershed Stewardship Program’s Native Plant Certificates program for helping to secure the native plants. The event would not have happened without the support of a team of horticulturists from Park and Recreations who were onsite to provide education about pollinators and help lead the planting event. Check out more pictures from the event below.

We’ve been hard at work finalizing the 2030 Roadmap for Lloyd as part of our EcoDistrict Certification process, and we’re nearing the final stages! We’re incredibly grateful to the hundreds of you—residents, business owners, employees, and community members—who have shared your thoughts on creating a more equitable, resilient, and climate-prepared Lloyd through surveys and events over the past several months. 

As we finalize the roadmap, we’re inviting community partners to sign the Declaration of Collaboration to indicate your support for this collective initiative. If you or your organization is interested in signing, please email Marta at marta@ecolloyd.org. 

Stay tuned for more info soon!

On April 22, 2022, the world and Lloyd EcoDistrict will celebrate Earth Day - and so can you!

Lloyd EcoDistrict is grateful to have a strong community that includes our generous local business partners! Three local partners have stepped up this year to help us champion Earth Day and the importance of Lloyd EcoDistrict’s work by becoming one of our Earth Day Oregon Business Partners: Café Yumm!, Genentech, and Pacific Power. 

Genentech and Pacific Power both have large workforces in Lloyd and have been longtime supporters of our work. In addition to helping to sponsor elements of our work this spring, they will both be activating teams of employees during Earth Week to clean and maintain Peace Memorial Park, Holladay Park, and the Lloyd neighborhood. The Café Yumm in Lloyd, a new partner for us, will be donating a portion of sales on Earth Day from 10 am to 2 pm on Earth Day to Lloyd EcoDistrict - so save the date and make plans to order lunch from Café Yumm that day for yourself, family, or team. You can also consider making a direct donation to our organization so we can continue to be a living laboratory for sustainability, pioneering collaborative community-scale solutions for social and environmental health.

Louisa’s family was one of the very first Black families to own property on the east side of Portland. They operated a farm near Mt Scott and built homes in Lower Albina, near what is now The Louisa Flowers, an affordable housing building. The farm where the Flowers family raised horses and grew raspberries became a gathering spot for Black community life in Portland. Because of how much of an inspiration Louisa Flowers and her family were to the Portland community, The Louisa Flowers building aims to carry on that legacy

Louisa was also heavily involved in civic work. She was a founding member of the Williams YMCA (now known as the Billy Webb Elks Lodge), was deeply engaged with the NAACP, and was also a deaconess of the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church. Additionally, Louisa was a member of the Old Rose Club, which raised college scholarship money for young women. Click here to learn more about Louisa Flowers and her legacy.

Lastly, we also would like to take this opportunity to uplift women-owned and led businesses and organizations around Lloyd:

• Nielsen’s Jewelers is a family-run operation led by Jan Nielsen and her daughter Sara Winter who help every client with their extensive industry knowledge and welcoming service. 
• Way of Being offers supplies, education, and encouragement to support a sustainable, low waste lifestyle where everyday actions create a better world. Alex Gamboa Green and Lindsay Janssen Smith co-founded this shop in the Lloyd Center. Also, check out Alex's recent appearance on the Sustainable Brown Girl podcast.
• Animal Plant Mineral, also in the Lloyd Center, is owned by Faith Jennings and offers ethical, sustainable, and hand-made goods like clothes, jewelry, home decor, and so much more.
• Howard’s Heart, founded by Jennifer Boling and Amy Bunker, is a non-profit that seeks to provide resources and support to foster children across the state.  

The LCA Annual Bowling Tournament is an epic good time and a fundraiser for our partner organization, the Lloyd Community Association. They've been doing this for years and always look forward to knocking some pins down with you all! This year it will be held on April 28th at 12:30 pm at King Pins Portland. Cost per team of 4 people is $350 and 1 raffle prize (includes 2 games of bowling, shoe rental and snacks/soft drinks).

The City of Portland's Events Action Table and PBOT have teamed up to distribute American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding for individuals, small businesses, and nonprofits impacted by COVID-19. The initiative will provide direct financial support for those who build community event experiences, small business events, and art activations with a priority on events led by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color and those centering cross-cultural collaboration. 

Funded activities should reinvigorate community spaces by increasing foot traffic, encouraging community participation, and providing opportunities for people to gather and connect. In addition to financial support, this subsidy program can also support applicants by matching them directly to venues (street plazas, gathering spaces, and other places) where their event may be hosted. The City intends to award support in amounts ranging from $2,500 to $10,000, depending on the complexity and length of proposed events.

Learn more, and sign up for updates on when applications will be accepted in the coming weeks at the Public Street Plazas website. If you have an idea in the Lloyd area and think Lloyd EcoDistrict can be involved or support it, let us know. 

• Okapi Reusables is a new cup borrowing service in Portland. Their aim is to make it easy to skip the single-use cup when you get coffee or smoothies to-go! Stop by any of their ten locations (including five in the NE) and get your drink to-go in a real OKAPI cup. You check out and return the cups using a simple app. Learn more here and follow them on Instagram or Facebook.
• Vend Again is hosting their one-year anniversary Makers Market inside of the Lloyd Center this Saturday and Sunday from 12pm to 5pm. Vend Again creates a mini makers market to give customers and creators a classic mall experience while celebrating small businesses. Come and enjoy some of the city’s newest businesses, creatives, and makers alike. The vendors here are offering a broad spectrum of handmade goods, self-designed, and self-curated, including but not limited to jewelry, precious stones and crystals, clothing, and art. 
• To celebrate National Superhero Day, Project Lemonade is excited to open its doors to 200 youth in foster care on April 29th and 30th. There will be live superheroes, face painting, a photobooth and more. Project Lemonade is located right in Lloyd Center are looking for Superheroes to donate items, donate funds, or host a collection drive to support their event and mission.
• We're excited to share that the Lloyd Center has two new retail tenants: Tada, a game and gift store; and Print Shop by StickerPro. Swing by and check them both out on the second floor or the west wing of mall.
• Afloat Utility Debt Relief: The Portland Water Bureau has limited funding from a federal grant to help low-income customers get payments back on track if they are behind on their sewer/stormwater/water bill. They expect to be able to help between 1,000 and 2,000 Portlanders. If you need financial help, fill out this 10-15 minute application. The Water Bureau can provide the application on paper or in multiple languages. Applications are available in multiple languages and are due April 11, 2022.