Metropolitan Family Service

METROPOLITAN FAMILY SERVICE (THE AGENCY) IS AN INDEPENDENT NOT-FOR-PROFIT AGENCY, ESTABLISHED TO HELP PEOPLE MOVE FROM POVERTY TO PROSPERITY, FROM INEQUITY TO SOCIAL JUSTICE, AND FROM SOCIAL ISOLATION TO CONNECTEDNESS.

DURING FISCAL YEAR 2021 THE AGENCY SERVED 18,000 CLIENTS. SEVENTY-TWO PERCENT ARE CLIENTS OF COLOR. THE AGENCY:HELPS YOUTH AND FAMILIES LIVING IN LOW RESOURCED COMMUNITIES VIA COMMUNITY SCHOOL PROGRAMS, SCHOOL-BASED INTERGENERATIONAL TUTORING/MENTORING, & FAMILY ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITES. THE AGENCY HAS CREATED STABLE PARTNERSHIPS WITH OVER 25 SCHOOLS ACROSS 7 DISTRICTS OVER THE PAST 19 YEARS.SUPPORTS FAMILIES VIA EARLY CHILDHOOD LEARNING/KINDERGARTEN-READINESS PROGRAMS; PARENTING, HEALTH AND ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMS. THIS YEAR APPROXIMATELY 200 FAMILIES WERE SERVED.COLLABORATES WITH CULTURALLY-SPECIFIC PARTNERS TO PROVIDE IN-DEPTH WRAPAROUND SERVICES TO FAMILIES VIA THE ALBINA-ROCKWOOD PROMISE NEIGHBORHOOD INITIATIVE. THIS YEAR APPROXIMATELY 90 FAMILIES WERE SERVED.PROVIDED ALMOST 16,000 RIDES TO OLDER AND DISABLED ADULTS DESPITE COVID-RELATED SAFETY AND SPACE RESTRICTIONS THAT LIMITED THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO WERE ABLE TO USE VANS AND BUSES AT ANY GIVEN TIME.RESULTS OF OUR ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT PROGRAM: SERVICES ARE INTEGRATED ACROSS CORE PROGRAMS TO ENHANCE RESULTS FOR FINANCIAL STABILITY & OTHER SOCIAL SERVICE PROGRAMS. THE AGENCY HELPED BOOST FAMILY INCOME BY AN AVERAGE OF $1,800 LAST YEAR BY CONNECTING FAMILIES TO EARNED INCOME TAX CREDITS. THIS YEAR, 315 PEOPLE WERE SERVED THROUGH ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT SERVICES, INCLUDING GROUP AND 1:1 FINANCIAL COACHING, BUDGETING, ASSET BUILDING (LOW COST AUTO LOANS AND INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT ACCOUNTS), DEBT MANAGEMENT AND CREDIT INFORMATION. IN SEPTEMBER 2019, MFS EXPANDED ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT SERVICES THROUGH A MERGER WITH CASH OREGON, A 501(C)(3) THAT HAS BEEN SINGULARLY FOCUSED ON HELPING PEOPLE WITH FREE TAX PREPARATION. MFS MERGED WITH CASH OREGON IN ORDER TO ADD TO THE ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT SET OF SERVICES AT MFS THROUGH ADDING CAPACITY TO HELP PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT REQUIRED TO FILE TAXES, BUT WHO ARE ELIGIBLE FOR RETURNS THROUGH EARNED INCOME TAX CREDITS AND CHILD TAX CREDITS. THE MERGER ADDED 11,489 SERVICE USERS WHO ARE NOW SUPPORTED AROUND THEIR TAX PREP NEEDS.OFFERS SERVICES FOR OLDER ADULTS INCLUDING TRANSPORTATION AND IN-HOME SUPPORTS TO HELP MAINTAIN INDEPENDENCE; THIS YEAR, 800 OLDER ADULTS HAVE BEEN HELPED. LAST YEAR, ALMOST 16,000 RIDE TO MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS, THE GROCERY STORE OR SOCIAL OUTINGS WERE PROVIDED FOR AROUND 800 ISOLATED OLDER AND DISABLED ADULTS.DISTRIBUTED OVER 1.5 MILLION POUNDS OF FOOD ACRSS 40,000 PANTRY VISITS AT OUR SCHOOL-BASED FOOD PANTRIES AND MARKETS LAST YEAR.