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To contact me, please click here: Rep.HaiPham@oregonlegislature.gov
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
It’s hard to believe that we’re already near the end of August and the first day back to school is just around the corner! A lot has happened since my last newsletter so buckle in for updates around summer learning, Oregon’s wildfire season, important deadlines for summer EBT programs, and hear about what I’ve been doing in and around our district.
With the first day of school in just a few days, most schools (around 90%) in Oregon will be offering free breakfast and lunches to all students, including the Beaverton and Hillsboro School Districts!
This was made possible because of expanded federal eligibility requirements and additional funding from the state. One of our main advocates, School Meals for All, reports that one in six children statewide do not have enough food to eat and that food insecurity depends on where families live. By investing in students and schools, we can make progress on ending child hunger and food insecurity and giving students the best possible chance to succeed.
There will be additional efforts to truly achieve free meals for all students in Oregon in the 2025 legislative session so stay tuned.
Wildfires have burned over 1.49 million acres or nearly 2,200 square miles across nearly all corners of the state, making this a record-breaking wildfire season. This year, we saw below-average rainfall and above normal high temperatures earlier in the spring, leading to drier conditions. And still with weeks of fire season ahead of us, the 2024 season surpasses previous records in 2012 which burned a total of 1.2 million and the 2020 wildfire season of 1.14 million acres.
Smoke from the Hillsboro brush fire earlier this month
While most of the largest wildfires have devastated many communities in Eastern Oregon, Washington county has also been impacted by fires and smoke in the last few months. Just a few weeks ago fire crews worked hard to contain a brush fire in western Washington County, pictured above just from my backyard. This fire had started at around 2:30 pm on a Sunday afternoon and had spread to over 80 acres over the two hours it took for firefighters to contain the flames. Thankfully fire crews were able to contain the fire by around 5 pm.
Shoutout to Rep Grayber and all of our frontline firefighters
My deepest gratitude to the thousands of brave first responders for always putting their lives on the line to protect others. And a personal thank you to Rep. Dacia Grayber who was on the frontlines fighting the fires and in action.
While the weather has been a lot cooler than in previous weeks, it’s so important that families be prepared and also take measures to protect themselves from wildfire smoke.
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Stay up to date on active fires by visiting the Oregon Wildfire Dashboard managed by the Oregon Department of Emergency Management.
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Sign up for emergency alerts handled by your local law enforcement agency or sheriff’s office. You can sign up for alerts by the county on this website.
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Be prepared for evacuation orders by creating a checklist for things like food and water, medicine, emergency power sources, etc.
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Protect yourself from wildfire smoke by keeping an eye on the Oregon Smoke Information blog managed by the Department of Environmental Quality, also available in Spanish at Oregonhumo.org.
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Find information about cooling or clean-air centers by visiting 211info.org.
Staying prepared and informed can make a significant difference during wildfire season. Please share these tips with your family, friends, and neighbors to help keep our community safe.
Washington County Law Library Tour
Tour of the Washington County Law Library
Early this month, my staff had the chance to tour the Washington County Law Library and hear about the services and programs they offer. The Law Library is a great resource that ensures everyone has access to legal information - from an extensive digital catalog, packets of documents that help people navigate different parts of the legal system, to CLE credits for paralegals.
We had a featured guest, Mr. Butters, Attorney-at-Claw, make a surprise appearance! Navigating the legal system can be stressful, traumatic, and emotionally tolling. Mr. Butters is a robotic emotional support animal that helps people go through some of the most challenging times.
Joint Town Hall in Beaverton
Great discussion with Rep Chiachi, Sen Campos, and Mayor Beaty
Thank you to everyone who made it out to our Joint Town Hall and a special thank you to Beaverton Mayor Beaty for moderating the night!
We had a great conversation around core issues that our communities care about from funding our education system, to building transportation infrastructure, to investing in affordable housing. Town halls like these are great spaces to have that open dialogue and connect with the community. It’s nights like these that remind me of how grateful I am to represent the district.
Clackamas Community College Workforce Systems Tour
One of the issues that I am passionate about is building up pathways to strengthen our future workforce by engaging youth, educators, and industry leaders. One great example of this working in tandem is Clackamas Community College (CCC) Workforce Services where they connect students directly to hands-on training opportunities while they receive credits, giving them the leg up when they enter the workforce.
They're doing amazing work in the community in partnering with non-profit organizations, local businesses, educators, and students to make sure that talent in the community can stay and work in the community.
Tour of the Team Oregon Build and I-Build Programs
Seeing the students at work!
My staff also had the opportunity to visit the I-Build Summer Construction Program in Salem. The umbrella program, Team Oregon Build, connects high school students with hands-on experience in the construction treads, while also helping respond to disaster and crisis across the state by building small shelter units. The sheds and cottages the students build in class help solve community issues like homelessness and wildfire response. It’s a partnership that is a win for all - students, the construction sector, local communities, and for the state.
Essential skills in and outside of the classroom
Oregon Team Builds is a rapidly growing program with 58 unique schools involved, collectively engaging with 9,076 students who are building 278 units across 15 counties. This is what it looks like to have career connectedness learning. We bring together soft and hard skills in and out of the classroom and show what this looks like in the workforce, creating essential employability skills. When we meaningfully engage with kids, we can connect them to a lifetime of learning and ongoing education. I would highly recommend those who are interested in the program to learn more on the Team Oregon Build website.
New District Resources Page
I am thrilled to announce the launch of our new District Resources Page on our website! This page is designed as a list of comprehensive resources, in and outside of House District 36. Whether you are seeking assistance with housing, healthcare, education, or any other support services, you will find valuable information and links to help you navigate these resources.
As always, my office is here to assist you. If you have any questions or need further assistance, or suggestions for the page, do not hesitate to reach out to me at Rep.HaiPham@oregonlegislature.gov.
Summer EBT Program - Apply before September 2nd!
The Summer EBT program offers $120 per child to Oregon families to help cover the cost of groceries when school food programs are not as easy to access. The Oregon Legislature invested $12.2 million in the Summer EBT program to ensure we can close the gap on child hunger and to help ease the burden of food costs for working families.
Families who already receive SNAP, TANF, or OHP had Summer EBT benefits added to their EBT card beginning June 28th. But families who did not receive benefits automatically will need to check their eligibility for Summer EBT and apply at sebt.oregon.gov by September 2nd.
Opportunity for artists in recovery to have artwork displayed at CATT
The Center for Addictions Triage and Treatment Center (CATT) in Washington County was developed by the community, to serve the community. That is why they are seeking works of art that celebrate personal journeys of recovery to display in the new center. Artists will be compensated for their work.
You can learn more by visiting the website linked here, the deadline for submissions is September 30th.
Oregon Fire Bureau - Wildfire Relief Fund to Support Affected Farmers and Ranchers
The Oregon Farm Bureau is calling on its members and the wider community to support those who have been affected by severe wildfires in the state which have deeply impacted our agricultural community. The Wildfire Relief Fund was established to provide support for building infrastructure, replacing lost livestock, supplying replacement feed, and other urgent recovery efforts.
Community members can help by:
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Spreading the word and share information about the Wildfire Relief Fund with friends, family, and neighbors
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Donating hay to directly support impacted ranchers. Donations will be accepted at 15240 NE North Valley Rd, Newberg, OR 97132 on Fridays between 11 am - 6 pm.
Thanks for reading another busy update, I hope you found this informative and helpful. Please reach out to my office if you have any questions, thoughts, or need assistance.
Sincerely,
 Representative Hai Pham
House District 36
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1436
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-282, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Rep.HaiPham@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/phamh
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