Nursery Closes in on Capital Campaign Goal with Award from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

PORTLAND, Ore. -- The Portland Relief Nursery (PRN) proudly announces its recent grant award of $370,000 in capital support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. This gift is the largest single contribution to the organization’s $3.2 million capital campaign—which began in 1999—to transform a 16,500-square-foot video store in St. Johns into a brand new early childhood center. The new center will house both Portland Relief Nursery programs and Early Head Start classrooms. At full capacity, programs in the new center will touch the lives of nearly half the families with children ages birth to three years who are living in poverty in North Portland. 

“The generous contribution from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation advances us quickly toward the finish line of the capital campaign,” said Debbie McCabe, Portland Relief Nursery board president. “We are proud to count the foundation among our partners to create safe and healthy families, and look forward to having a premier center in which to house these services.”

The Portland Relief Nursery provides child abuse and neglect prevention services to high-risk families in Portland with children ages birth through three years. PRN launched services in January 2001, and currently serves more than 40 children and their families in temporary headquarters. Its permanent facility will be completed in September 2002. The new center is located at 4825 N. Lombard Street.