November 15, 2017

Last night, Nick was honored to celebrate outstanding community leaders with 2017 Spirit of Portland Awards.

Every year, Nick selects individuals and/or organizations to receive an award. This year, he honored the Muslim Educational Trust (MET) and the Sexual & Gender Minority Youth Resource Center (SMYRC).

MET President and Co-Founder Wajdi Said and Public Relations Director Rania Ayoub are helping to lead the fight against discrimination and bigotry. While Wajdi is the public face of MET, Rania is the steady force who often works behind the scenes. Together, they and the rest of the MET team are building bridges of love and understanding in our community.

SMYRC is a drop-in resource center that provides a safe and welcoming space for LGBTQ+ youth. They have been quietly changing lives for 19 years, empowering and supporting sexual and gender minority teens and young adults. They host positive events and activities and provide counseling, education, and skills training. SMYRC serves a diverse population of homeless and queer youth, providing them with a safe place.

Nick also presented Lisha Shrestha and Surya Joshi with the Community Leader of the Year Award, Nestor Campos with the Sandy Diedrich Environmental Stewardship of the Year Award, and Cascade AIDS Project with the Access and Disability Justice Award. You can see the complete list of recipients here.

Congratulations to all of last night’s honorees!