HEALTH JUSTICE ACTION PROJECTS

February 2026

Dear Sunnyside community,

Our 7th and 8th graders have been hard at work designing and implementing action projects around issues they care about. Some projects are related to policy and community advocacy work, while others are to support donation resource drives*. Please see below for items being sought by groups doing donation drives. Students’ messages are also linked.

In summary, the items being collected are:

  • new or gently used clothes for adults
  • new or gently used used clothes for children
  • children's books and children's toys
  • new or gently used clothes for babies
  • nonperishable foods (especially canned foods)
  • feminine hygiene products
  • pet foods and pet toys

We are collecting all of these donations in boxes outside of the auditorium from Monday, 2/9 through next Tuesday, 2/17.

*The organizations and groups that our current cohort of Health Justice students chose to partner with on these projects are: the Oregon Food Bank, Raphael House, Period organization, Multnomah Friends, IRCO (Immigrant Refugee Community Organization), Boys and Girls Aid, My Father’s House, Family Promise, SMART Book Bank, PAW (Portland Animal Welfare), Latino Network, NEEP (Northeast Emergency Food Program), the Heroin Project, and various mutual aid groups supporting immigrant families in need.

Please see below for the various donations students are collecting.

— Ms. Yonamine’s Health Justice Classes

Food donations we need help with:

Care packages and hygiene products we need help with:

Clothes donations we need help with:

Toys, children’s games and children’s book we need help with:

Pet supplies we need help with:

Recommendations for families to donate to and volunteer with:

Messages from student groups leading these action projects:

  • 8th grade and 7th grade Oregon Food Bank:
  • Hello Sunnyside families,

We are running a food drive at sunnyside for the Oregon Food Bank. You can drop off food in the hallway outside the auditorium from February 9th to February 17th. We accept any non-perishable foods.Things like peanut butter, canned meats (chicken, tuna, salmon), canned fruits and vegetables, boxed meals, hearty soups such as beef stew, pasta, rice , and cereal. We also appreciate kitchen staples like sugar, cooking oil, flour, masa, and ground coffee. We can't take any perishable foods or boxed foods that require perishables (such as boxed mac n' cheese which requires milk and butter) , refrigerated or frozen foods, homemade foods, or bread products.

  • Over 11% of people in Portland experience food insecurity, which is 1 in 8

people. The best way to help them is to donate to the Oregon Food Bank. The

Oregon Food Bank serves more than 1.5 million people annually, and donating

can make a huge difference in these people's lives. Many people have lost SNAP

benefits recently and now have a choice between eating and paying their bills.

Please help us donate to the Oregon Food Bank.

We encourage donors to think about food that they would eat instead of donating the cheapest options as the people receiving these donations deserve healthy and delicious food as well. Thank you for considering donating, as it can and will help our community members in need.

  • 8th grade Multnomah Friends:
  • We would love donations that we can give to the Multnomah Friends Meeting who we have made lunches for. We would especially appreciate donations of socks, gloves, and warm winter clothes for adults. These donations should be new or gently used. Donations should be turned in to Sunnyside by 2/17. Donations are VERY appreciated thank you!

  • 8th grade Collecting support for immigrant families:
  • Our objective is to provide support to individuals and families who have recently lost a loved one. We kindly request your assistance in gathering the following resources:
  • **Essential Items:**

- Diapers (sizes 5 & 6)

- Toilet paper

- Bar soap

  • **Other Useful Items:**

- Laundry detergent

- Toothpaste

- Dish soap

- Kleenex

- Paper towels

- Hand sanitizer

- Deodorant

Thank you for your generous donations.

  • 8th grade PAW (Portland Animal Welfare):
  • Support Pets In Need!

We need your help!  Thousands of animals suffer from involuntary neglect every day, often because their owner cannot afford to care for them, or even have to leave them behind. Dogs often help keep those on the streets company and are loyal and long-term companions. But when you are homeless, it can be hard, and affording treatments—especially spaying and neutering—can be near impossible.

One of the most devastating situations that happen is cat colonies. Often, a single cat un-spayed/neutered, can be left behind in moves; Just 2 cats left behind can mate and grow colonies of up to 40, and most kittens don’t survive. If you want to prevent this from happening to more pets, help us donate today to PAW (Portland Animal Welfare) Team. We are collecting donations of money, pet food, or any other helpful pet supplies for the organization above.

  • 8th grade NEFP (Northeast Emergency Food Program)
  • Hello Sunnyside parents, staff and supporters. Each group in 6th period health justice does an action project close to the end of the current cohort. Our project is to get donations and volunteers for N.E.F.P. (Northeast Emergency Food Program) which we’ve all volunteered for. N.E.F.P. supports people in need of food or health care supplies. Our vision is that no o]\ne should go hungry as it is a basic human right. They are accepting specific foods and supplies listed on their website: “https://emo-nefp.org/give/in-kind-donations/”.

  • 8th grade PERIOD organization
  • For our health justice project we chose to research menstrual health and access to period products because having access to period products is simple yet affects whether you are able to participate in work or school. Many people don't have access to menstrual or at least end up in a situation where they don't have one on hand and need one. Please help us donate period products to this local organization.

  • 7th grade for Latino Network

        Our health justice group is helping out with local immigrant families who have been separated. The donations go to helping acting guardians take care of the children through expenses such as food, toys and legal support. If you would like to help please donate money or volunteer at Latino Network, please go to https://www.latnet.org.

  • 7th grade for IRCO (Immigrant Refugee Community Organization)
  • Refugee families in your community need your help!            

We need clothes that are new or lightly worn.

 *Gloves, warm coats, pants, shirts, socks

*All sizes of clothes are accepted.

  • 7th grade for My Father’s House and Family Promise
  • We are collecting entertainment to donate to family shelters (My Father’s House and Family Promise). If you have children’s books and toys that you are done with, please drop them off in the boxes in the hallway set up by fifth grade. Books and toys help build life skills like conversation skills, imagination, social skills, reading and writing, and much more! Books can help kids get educated if they can’t go to school. Children need these things, so please consider donating!

  • 7th grade SMART book bank of Portland
  • Hi, SES community! I’m Eliot, a 7th grader here at SES. Right now, I am doing an action project for my Health Justice class. I decided to have a book drive, and I will have a box outside of the auditorium(labeled new, lightly used children's books) where you can donate books. I will accept donations of:

Board books

Picture books

Other books for young readers

Books for students up to eighth grade

I will donate these books to SMART reading, a book bank in Portland, and they are asking that no books are damaged or reused from libraries, so please don’t donate any books that have those problems.

Thanks for your help!

  • 7th grade Raphael House
  • For our action project we chose to support the domestic violence shelter called Rapheal House and we need donations to deliver to them by Friday February 13th. Please put in the  box that says “Raphael House, Djuna and Georgia” in front of the auditorium. Thank you!!!

We need donations like…

  • Clothes
  • Cleaning supplies
  • Children' s clothes
  • Socks
  • Gift cards (Fred meyers)
  • Hygiene stuff (shampoo, conditioner, baby wipes, body wash, lotion, deodorant)
  • Pillows
  • Products for African American hair
  • Toothpaste
  • Dish soap

Please don't bring in…

  • Used clothing or shoes
  • Opened or used toiletries and personal care items
  • Any item that's not in good condition
  • Perishable foods
  • Cell phones
  • Used toys and stuffies
  • Books (currently at capacity )
  • Used baby bottles
  • Furniture, mattresses, or cribs
  • Large electronics and appliances
  • Anything travel sized

  • 7th grade the Heron Project

Every year only a mere 23% of people who need to get into rehabilitation actually get in, due to the process being long, complex, and confusing. The Herren Project helps people who need to get into rehabilitation get in. They also have sober living and recovery counseling, online counseling, and family consultations/resources about what you can do for your loved one. donate money here to support the cause https://herrenproject.org/.

  • 7th grade Boys and Girls Aid
  • We are trying to get donations for Boys and Girls Aid. They assist with foster care and next steps for children in that system. We are looking for donations including books for all ages of children, any kinds of toys and baby care items including diapers, wipes, clothing, blankets, soap, stuffies and feeding bottles for their shelter and housing programs. This is a super important organization to support because we don’t want children in the foster care system to feel left behind or like they don’t have somewhere that they belong. We feel that these donations will help them feel a sense of belonging and autonomy. The donation boxes will be in front of the auditorium and all donations are needed by February 13th.