What a year it’s been! For many Native Americans, Winter Solstice marked the beginning of the new year. Because it’s a time of reflection, we wanted to share the difference your support and participation made in 2019. This year, NAYA: Touched the lives of 10,000 people through wraparound, grassroots services and culture-based community programming RenamedView Article >
Why is it important to invest in NAYA’s work? Our cultural programs provide critical support for Portland’s Native American youth that truly make a difference in their lives. Western research is finally catching up to what Native organizations like NAYA have long known: connection to culture is a protective factor for Native youth. Youth exposedView Article >
It’s December and that means NAYA’s biggest end-of-year fundraising efforts are in full swing. NAYA has once again been selected for inclusion in Willamette Week’s Give!Guide, Portland’s easiest path to year-end giving. One reason we love participating in the Give!Guide comes down to one word: INCENTIVES. We’ve got them, and they are great. First, donateView Article >
NAYA—along with partners the Native American Rehabilitation Association of the Northwest, Housing Development Center, and Income Property Management—have been selected to participate in Oregon’s first cohort of the Oregon Supportive Housing Institute. The institute will provide the cohort with training and technical assistance to develop “permanent supportive housing” (PSH) projects. Numerous studies have demonstrated thatView Article >
It’s a common misperception that, in pre-contact days, the daily lives of Native people were filled only with toil and a desperate fight for survival. In reality, communities enjoyed recreational activities, including sports and games. Such activities often reinforced skills that complemented work that needed to be done. For example, physical fitness, strength, and agilityView Article >
NAYA Renames High School Many Nations Academy Students Choose Name Reflective of School’s Inclusive Spirit PORTLAND, ORE. (August 20, 2019) – The Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA) today announced that its high school previously known as NAYA Early College Academy has been renamed to Many Nations Academy (MNA). MNA Principal Lisa Otero stated,View Article >
NAYA is part of the Homeless Youth Continuum in Multnomah County that also includes JANUS Youth Programs, Outside In, and New Avenues for Youth. NAYA’s Homeless Youth Program currently works with over 100 youth, ages 16 to 24, experiencing homelessness and housing instability. The program follows a housing-first, trauma-informed service model, providing stable supports around housing andView Article >
It’s graduation season—the time of the year when years of hard work finally pay off for students with a walk across the graduation stage to receive their diplomas. It’s a time to celebrate perseverance and achievement, self-discipline and tenacity. Graduates everywhere pause to look back and reflect, and to cast their gazes toward the future.View Article >
May is National Foster Care Awareness Month. NAYA’s three foster care programs—Foster Care Support, Pathways to Adulthood, and Sibling and Family Visit Nights—reach local foster youth from birth to age 24, and birth and foster parents. Despite a very small staff and limited resources, NAYA currently works with 85% of the district’s 141 Native AmericanView Article >
This month, we’ll be highlighting some of the asset building work that NAYA does with community. To begin, we’re highlighting an awesome resource called the Individual Development Account (IDA). NAYA’s IDA program provides matching dollars for program participants who save for asset-building activities like starting a business, funding education, or buying a house. IDAs areView Article >