Portland nonprofit Relay Resources on creating disability employment opportunities for more than 75 years

Annual skateboard deck art show puts community creations on display in Portland

ART TAKES MANY FORMS, BUT AT THE 7TH ANNUAL SKATE DECK SHOW, THE ONLY FORM ALLOWED IS THE SHAPE OF A SKATEBOARD. PUT TOGETHER BY ART DESIGN XCHANGE IN PORTLAND, THE SKATE DECK SHOW IS AN OPEN CALL TO ARTISTS OF ALL MEDIUMS AND AGES TO PUT THEIR WORK ON DISPLAY, AND POTENTIALLY BE SOLD TO THE PUBLIC.   THIS YEAR’S SHOW BROUGHT TOGETHER MORE THAN 230 ARTISTS SUBMITTING A COMBINED TOTAL OF 275 BOARDS. SYD SPENCER IS THE ADX COMMUNITY MANAGER AND HEAD CURATOR. SHE JOINS US TO SHARE MORE ON THIS YEAR’S SHOW AND HOW IT GOT STARTED

University of Portland is home base for Jordan’s national World Cup team

THE MEN’S SOCCER TEAM FROM JORDAN LOST TO ALGERIA  2-1 TO ON MONDAY, MEANING THEY WON’T GO ON TO THE NEXT ROUND OF THE WORLD CUP. THE TEAM HAS BEEN USING THE UNIVERSITY OF PORTLAND’S MERLO FIELD [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BZ32UInHMrdwrKs5httDMqDmmeUuJzq7bk4kPQ1mHMY/edit?tab=t.0] AS ITS HOME BASE FOR PRACTICE AND TRAINING SESSIONS BETWEEN GAMES.    UP MEN’S SOCCER HEAD COACH NICK CARLIN-VOIGT SAYS THE SCHOOL BOASTS ONE OF THE BEST ALL-GRASS SOCCER FIELDS IN THE NORTHWEST, IF NOT THE COUNTRY, AND THAT IT WAS A “NO-BRAINER” WHEN FIFA CONTACTED HIM SEVERAL YEARS AGO TO SEE IF THE UNIVERSITY WOULD BE INTERESTED IN HOSTING A 2026 WORLD CUP NATIONAL TEAM. IT’S ALSO GIVEN HIM THE CHANCE TO ATTEND TEAM USA’S MATCHES, INCLUDING ITS VICTORY OVER AUSTRALIA LAST FRIDAY IN SEATTLE, AND RELIVE HIS BOYHOOD MEMORIES OF CHEERING ON THE MEN’S TEAM FROM THE STANDS 32 YEARS AGO – THE LAST TIME A MEN’S WORLD CUP GAME WAS HELD ON U.S. SOIL.     Carlin-Voigt joins us to share those memories and the new ones he’s making at the World Cup.

How work requirements and other federal changes to SNAP are impacting vulnerable Oregonians

ACCORDING TO THE OREGON DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES, MORE THAN 60,000 OREGONIANS HAVE LOST THEIR SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM BENEFITS SINCE THE PASSAGE OF THE "ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL ACT" LAST JULY THAT CUT SPENDING ON SNAP, MEDICARE AND OTHER PROGRAMS TO OFFSET TAX CUTS CHAMPIONED BY PRESIDENT TRUMP AND REPUBLICANS IN CONGRESS.   THE LAW MADE CHANGES TO SNAP, INCLUDING ELIGIBILITY RESTRICTIONS AND WORK REQUIREMENTS FOR ABLE-BODIED ADULTS 64 AND YOUNGER WITHOUT CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 14 IN THEIR SNAP HOUSEHOLD. SNAP RECIPIENTS WHO DON’T QUALIFY FOR AN EXEMPTION CAN MEET THE 80-HOUR MONTHLY WORK RULES [https://www.oregon.gov/odhs/food/pages/snap-time-limits.aspx#requirements] IN SEVERAL WAYS, INCLUDING PAID WORK, VOLUNTEERING OR PARTICIPATING IN A SNAP TRAINING & EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM [https://www.oregon.gov/odhs/food/Pages/snap-employment.aspx]. THE PROGRAM HELPS SNAP RECIPIENTS WITH JOB PLACEMENT, CAREER COACHING, PRE-APPRENTICESHIP TRAINING, TUITION ASSISTANCE AND OTHER SUPPORT PROVIDED BY WORKSOURCE OREGON [https://www.worksourceoregon.org/ABAWD] AND COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS.   THIS MONTH, ODHS BEGAN REQUIRING INTERVIEWS [https://apps.oregon.gov/oregon-newsroom/OR/ODHS/Posts/Post/snap-interviews-required-for-all-households-starting-june-1-2026] TO CHECK ELIGIBILITY FOR HOUSEHOLDS APPLYING FOR SNAP OR RENEWING THEIR BENEFITS. NATE SINGER, OREGON ELIGIBILITY PARTNERSHIP DIRECTOR AT ODHS, SHARES HOW OREGONIANS ARE BEING IMPACTED BY FEDERAL CHANGES TO SNAP, ALONG WITH MATT NEWELL-CHING, SENIOR POLICY MANAGER AT OREGON FOOD BANK [https://www.oregonfoodbank.org/], AND JESSE ARONSON, WORKSOURCE PROGRAM MANAGER AT WORKSYSTEMS [https://worksystems.org/], THE PORTLAND METRO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD SERVING PORTLAND, MULTNOMAH AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES.

Men’s World Cup arrives in the Pacific Northwest

Last week the US Men’s National Team defeated Australia in Seattle as part of the opening round of the FIFA World Cup. The Pacific Northwest is hosting several of the many games being played across North America in this year’s championship. Pacific University political science professor and former footballer Jules Boykoff points out that while soccer is a beautiful game, the high ticket prices, FIFA corruption, high carbon footprint and scandals of this year’s competition bring a world of contradictions. Boykoff joins us to discuss his latest book, “Red Card: The 2026 World Cup, Sportswashing, and the FIFA Greed Machine.”

Portland nonprofit Relay Resources on creating disability employment opportunities for more than 75 years

In 1951, a group of parents decided to start a school for their children with developmental disabilities rather than having them institutionalized. As those children grew into young adults, the school evolved into a workforce training organization. That organization — now known as Relay Resources [https://www.relayresources.org/] — is still creating employment opportunities for people with disabilities more than 75 years later.   The nonprofit provides janitorial, landscaping, document imaging and other services [https://www.relayresources.org/services] to businesses throughout the Pacific Northwest. They also offer individual career counseling for people with disabilities and help pair those job seekers [https://www.relayresources.org/cie] with employers who are interested in inclusive hiring.   Jennifer Camota Luebke is the president and CEO of Relay Resources. She joins us to talk more about the organization’s work.