2021 marks the fifth year of OnPoint’s Employee Giving Campaign where each employee receives $100 to donate to a non-profit making a difference in our community. This year, the campaign resulted in donations of:

• $37,650 to Girls Inc. of the Pacific Northwest
• $33,750 to NAYA (Native American Youth and Family Center)
• $27,700 to Hacienda CDC

Even as the economy seemingly recovers from the impact of the pandemic, the work of these organizations to help communities get back on their feet is more important than ever. We sat down with the CEO of Girls Inc. of the Pacific Northwest, to learn more about its mission and the impact this donation will have on the people they serve.

Girls Inc. of the Pacific Northwest inspires all girls to be strong, smart, and bold

Cyreena Boston Ashby is the CEO of Girls Inc. of the Pacific Northwest, which serves youth ages 6-8 across Portland, SW Washington, and Seattle with research-based programming that focuses on holistic youth development.

OnPoint: How has the pandemic impacted Girls Inc.?

CBA: We provide after-school programming, so our relationships with our youth have always relied on being hosted inside school buildings or youth centers. With the pandemic restricting in-person learning last school year, we had to develop virtual programming overnight. Even though kids are back in the classroom, we remain virtual for now. We’re continuing to evolve our programs to engage our youth in dynamic and meaningful ways. Currently, we’re focused on helping them maintain healthy peer relationships as they relearn how to be on playgrounds and in classrooms with friends again.

OnPoint: What are the biggest issues for girls in our community right now?

CBA: They see scary things on the news and social media, and for many, those issues directly affect their communities and people they know and love. It’s our mission to help them understand that their voice matters. From topics like COVID-19 to racial injustice, we are giving them skills to help understand what they are witnessing, how to talk about it, and how it’s impacting them.

OnPoint: What does the OnPoint partnership mean to Girls Inc.?

CBA: OnPoint is a fantastic mission-oriented company, so to be recognized by your employees means everything. It’s validation that our mission is important and means something to other people too. This new funding helps us keep our doors open as we go into the heart of the school year. Specifically, it will support programs like our after-school groups, where girls come together on Zoom to talk about things like stress management.

Employee Giving Campaign Reaches Far and Wide

To expand our impact across the region, OnPoint divided another $10,000 among four employee-selected regional non-profits: Northwest Youth Corps, Unidos Bridging Community, Central Oregon Veterans Ranch, and Salem Keizer Coalition for Equality. In total, OnPoint employees directed more than $100,000 to local non-profits through our annual Employee Giving Campaign. Learn more about OnPoint’s community giving.