Visit www.ecolloyd.org/lloydprepareschallenge to enroll in the challenge, start working on tasks, and RSVP for the workshops. The Lloyd Prepares Challenge is open to anyone, regardless of where you live or work. Contact them at LloydPrepares@ecolloyd.org with questions or event accommodation requests.

The Lloyd Prepares Challenge is made possible thanks to support from the Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods and the City of Portland’s Office of Community and Civic Life, AARP, and the Pacific Power Foundation

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Our place is now “Mask Optional” for the vaccinated guests. We welcome everyone to this new phase of COVID environment. We request to wear mask if you are not vaccinated. Still, the Oregon Health Authority strongly recommends the mask use in certain situations. Please refer to Oregon Health Authority publication OHA2288K_R03082022

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Earlier this month, OHA announced that the general indoor mask requirement would be lifted by March 31, with the option of lifting it sooner if conditions improved enough.

Originally, OHA announced that the K-12 indoor mask rule would lift on March 31. Feedback from school districts around the state indicated that preparations for the transition could be completed earlier.

By that date, it was expected, 400 or fewer people per day in Oregon would be hospitalized with the virus, a level the state experienced prior to the arrival of the Omicron variant. A recent modeling report by Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) predicted the state would reach that total around March 20.

— Read more on: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/ORDHS/bulletins/30c223b

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First, if you’d like to rent our space and you have specific requirements or preferences around COVID protocols for your group, we are happy to accommodate that.  Just let us know and we’ll work together to make it happen.

Due to recent rules put in place by Multnomah County and the State of Oregon, masks are required inside our space. Exceptions are while eating/drinking or while being filmed or photographed. There are currently no other distancing or capacity requirements–our maximum capacity is 50 people–but if you’d like help distancing your guests from each other, we can help you plan for that.

Contact us here for event space or conference room booking requests, and check our site for event space and conference room rates.

For our own in-person Encorepreneur programs, we are currently requiring that people be vaccinated and show their vaccination cards the first time they attend (as well as wear a mask). We also continue to have some programming online. You can see our events calendar here.

We are in the office more often now, but the schedule often changes to accommodate event space rentals. It’s a good idea to give us a call or make an appointment before coming by to make sure someone will be there: 503-954-2837.

We realize that things are currently in flux and may change again soon, for better or worse, and we will keep you updated if they do.

Thank you for sticking with us through the last 18 months. We hope to see you soon!

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Now that Multnomah County has moved to the “Lower Risk” category for Oregon COVID guidelines. That means that we can host more people in our space and be a little bit more flexible on some rules in some cases. Currently, we can host up to 22 people in our space!

In general, the move from “high” to “lower” risk categories means:

• Most indoor establishments can have 50% capacity
• Up to 8 people can sit together in groups or “pods”
• More able to work in-person in offices

Although we are in the office more often now, we are still open by appointment only for meetings, photo/video shoots, and events. Contact us here for scheduling and check our site for event space and conference room rates.

After taking the Multnomah County Health Department into consideration, we have chosen to require masks in our space for any event where there are people present who are not fully vaccinated. The default rule for our space is that everyone needs to wear a mask. However, if you are interested in using our space for a fully-vaccinated, mask-less event, please contact us to discuss the option.

For the present time, our own programs continue to be virtual and you can find out more about them here. For those wanting to put on their own online events and programs, we provide access to quality web cams, microphones, lighting, and other equipment, as well as online event management services. Contact us directly for a custom quote.

This definitely feels like a massive turning point in the pandemic. We can’t wait to see you all soon!

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https://www.oregonlive.com/crime/2021/02/asian-owned-businesses-hit-in-more-than-a-dozen-acts-of-vandalism-in-portlands-jade-district.html

This story from OPB has info about how this has personally affected community members as well the history of anti-Asian racism here and resources for community resilience. Please take a listen (the text doesn’t go into all the details that the audio does).

https://www.opb.org/article/2021/02/20/oregonians-say-rise-in-racism-against-asian-americans-being-felt-here/

Resources

We encourage our community to stay informed on this issue and to utilize these resources. APANO (Asian American Network of Oregon) has done tons of work on this issue in the past and currently, so please follow them for info.

APANO and Portland United Against Hate Resilience to Hate Guide: https://www.apano.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/PUAH-Resilience-to-Hate-Resource-Guide-3_23_20.docx.pdf

How to report hate/bias incidents: https://www.reporthatepdx.com/

Sign up for bystander intervention and de-escalation workshops through Hollaback! and Asian Americans Advancing Justice: https://www.advancingjustice-aajc.org/events

Support the businesses that were affected by vandalism in and around the Jade District:

Fujiyama: https://www.fujiyamapdx.com/

Toast La Tea: http://www.toastlatea.com/

Hanoi Kitchen: https://www.hanoikitchenpdx.com/

Utopia Restaurant and Lounge: https://utopiarestaurantlounge.com/

Thanhs Billiards

Buddy’s Lounge: https://buddys-lounge.business.site/

My Brother’s Crawfish: https://www.mybrotherscrawfish.net/

Vinny’s Barbershop: http://vinny-hair-salon.edan.io/

Highlight Auto Body

Saint & Sinners Tattoo: http://www.saintandsinners.com/

Nail Tek

Khoe Va Dep

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As many of you already are aware, on February 12, 2021, Multnomah County’s COVID risk will be downgraded from “Extreme” to the “High” risk category. That’s still not great, but it does feel like good news and a small ray of hope.

What does this mean in terms of what we all can and can’t do? The move from “extreme” to “high” risk categories means:

• Indoor recreation and entertainment is allowed at limited capacity
• In-person meetings and work is allowed if necessary
• Indoor dining is allowed at limited capacity

As through most of the pandemic, we are currently open by appointment for meetings and photo/video shoots, and now we can also host limited-sized social gatherings. If you need to meet with a client or small group in person, we would love to host you in our private, controlled environment. Contact us here for scheduling and check our site for event space and conference room rates.

We continue to work with clients on a case-by-case basis depending on the details of your needs and do our best to accommodate requests as safely as possible.

We also anticipate that most people in most circumstances will continue to meet and attend events online for the foreseeable future. Our own programs continue to be virtual and you can find out more about them here. For those wanting to put on their own online events and programs, we provide access to quality web cams, microphones, lighting, and other equipment, as well as online event management services. Contact us directly for a custom quote.

Please stay safe as we (hopefully) are seeing the beginning of the end of this pandemic. We truly miss all of our clients and wonderful community and hope to see you again soon.

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In light of this, don’t forget to continue shopping local, particularly at Black-owned businesses. Please use the resources Mercatus, Black American Chamber, Black PDX, and I Love Black Food and show your support with $$ if you can, now and always: https://mercatuspdx.com/directory/black-owned-businesses/

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