The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday, April 1, celebrated its monthly Proclamation Day by approving seven proclamations.
Chair Jessica Vega Pederson noted that since the Board moved to the monthly proclamation format last year, April had been “the busiest month for proclamations and I'm excited for this opportunity to recognize seven important proclamations today.”
National Public Health Week
Multnomah County proclaimed April 6 to 12, 2026, as National Public Health Week. This year’s theme is “Ready. Set. Action.”
The Health Department and its Public Health Division sponsored the proclamation.
“Multnomah County’s commitment to public health dates back to 1854, evolving into a modern system that prioritizes the most vulnerable and historically underserved populations to improve the quality of life for every resident,” said Public Health Director Kirsten Aird, reading from the proclamation.
“Public health success is driven by the evidence-based work of program specialists, epidemiologists, disease investigators, community health workers, medical professionals, and scientists dedicated to clinical services, community outreach, and population health.
“These successes are made possible by the 1,600 employees of the Health Department, specifically the 300 members of the Public Health Division, who bring lifesaving expertise and passion to our community every day.”
National Crime Victims’ Rights Week and Child Abuse Prevention Month
The Board proclaimed April 19 to 25, 2026, as National Crime Victims’ Rights Week and April 2026 as Child Abuse Prevention Month in Multnomah County.
“I want to express my support and say thank you to all the crime victims’ advocates that are here,” said Commissioner Vince Jones-Dixon, who co-sponsored the proclamation with Commissioner Julia Brim-Edwards.
He shared that this issue was “personal” for him, sharing that he lost his brother to gun violence in 2013 and noted that the late Chanel Thomas was the victims advocate who supported his family “all the way up to her passing.”
“I'm grateful that we are providing those services through the County,” he added.
“This proclamation is an important reminder of the work we do at Multnomah County to support and ensure justice for crime victims and survivors. Recognizing Crime Victims Week and Child Abuse Prevention Month is also an important reminder of the work that must move forward to create a more just system centered on each victims’ foundational right to be treated with dignity and respect,” said Commissioner Brim-Edwards following the proclamation ceremony.
The 2026 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week theme is “Listen. Act. Advocate. Protect victims, serve communities,” recognizing the importance of the responsiveness of victims’ rights, which allows victims to express how they may want to participate in a case, and then have those rights honored and enforced.
Department of Community Justice Director Denise Peña and Multnomah County District Attorney Nathan Vasquez read the proclamation. They were joined by Department of Community Justice Victim and Survivor Services Manager Nichelle Moore and the District Attorney’s Office Victims Assistance Program Supervisor Hope Hansmeyer.
“All residents of Multnomah County deserve to live in safe communities, free from the fear of crime and violence of all kinds,” said Peña. “In recognizing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, we uplift the critical role of the criminal justice system to remove barriers to achieving justice for all victims of crime.
“We emphasize the County’s commitment to supporting those in our community who have been harmed as a result of crime, understanding the impact this can have on an individual’s sense of safety in the community, to their financial resources, and to their mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing.”
“In recognition of Child Abuse Prevention Month, we recognize that child abuse and neglect is a serious public health and safety problem that impacts our entire community,” said Vasquez. “Child abuse and neglect have long-term physical, psychological, emotional and social effects that can have a lasting consequences for survivors of abuse into adulthood.
“We acknowledge that all of us in Multnomah County must work together to increase awareness about child abuse and promote the social and emotional well-being of children and families in a safe, stable and nurturing environment.”
Sexual Assault Awareness Month
The Board proclaimed April 2026 as Sexual Assault Awareness Month in Multnomah County. Co-sponsored by Commissioner Meghan Moyer and the Department of County Human Services (DCHS), the proclamation marks 25 years of the national recognition under the theme, “25 Years Strong: Looking Back, Moving Forward.”
“I am so incredibly proud of Multnomah County’s role in addressing this issue and for building a safer community overall,” Chair Vega Pederson said.
Chair Vega Pederson spoke about the recent completion of Bradley Angle’s Lavender Expansion Project, a domestic violence shelter that added 60 beds in partnership with the County that provides culturally responsible services.
“To give a sense of the impact that the County is helping make possible through our partnership, 92% of participants in the Bradley Angle’s house shelters exit to safe and stable housing,” Chair Vega Pederson said.
The proclamation cited a 2026 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report showing that 57% of women and 15% of men in Oregon experience sexual violence in their lifetime; the rate for Oregonian women is higher than the national average. The proclamation also cited the 2025 Multnomah County Point-in-Time Count, which found that 56% of people experiencing homelessness reported being unhoused due to domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking or human trafficking.
The proclamation also highlighted the Unified Sexual Assault Hospital Response, a collaboration between six community organizations: El Programa Hispano’s UNICA program, Slavic Oregon Social Services, Native American Youth and Family Center’s (NAYA) Healing Circle, VOA Oregon’s Home Free, Call to Safety, and Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization. Together, the organizations offer confidential support and advocacy to survivors of a sexual assault, as well as follow-up advocacy and resources, and can offer culturally and linguistically responsive services when requested. In 2025, the program’s first full year, advocates responded to 400 calls at 12 area hospitals.
The proclamation was read by Domestic and Sexual Violence Coordination Office Sexual Assault Program Specialist Senior Lee Watts, Call to Safety’s Director of Crisis Response Brianna Ellingson, and NAYA Program Manager Spencer Grace.
Therapy Animal Day
The Board proclaimed April 30, 2026, as Therapy Animal Day in Multnomah County.
“Therapy animals not only provide support and assistance, but they bring a spark of joy and motivation to keep going each and every day,” said Commissioner Brim-Edwards, a self-proclaimed “dog lover” and the proclamation’s sponsor.
The proclamation noted that interacting with therapy animals can reduce stress, relieve depression and strengthen the immune system. Teams of therapy animals and their human partners often serve veterans, students and patients in healthcare settings.
“I am so thrilled to acknowledge the important role that therapy animals and their humans play in the healing and recovery of so many humans in our community,” said Erin Grahek, director of Multnomah County Animal Services.
The Board also heard from Judson Gallagher, a volunteer with Pet Partners, and his 11-year-old dog, Bowen, who serve the Belmont neighborhood in Southeast Portland. The pair recently celebrated their second year as a pet therapy team, serving the Belmont neighborhood in Southeast Portland.
“Every Monday he gets a great shampoo and we head over to two facilities,” Gallagher said. “It’s been very rewarding.”
Transgender Day of Visibility
The Board proclaimed March 31, 2026, as Transgender Day of Visibility. The proclamation was co-sponsored by Chair Vega Pederson and Commissioners Moyer and Singleton.
The proclamation serves to celebrate and uplift the voices and contributions “of our gender expansive community of Transgender, Two Spirit, Non-Binary, Genderqueer, Gender Expansive, Gender Non-conforming, Gender Fluid, Agender, and Intersex people, among others, here in Multnomah County and around the world,” according to the proclamation.
“It feels especially important this year to do this publicly and proudly and to remind all residents of Multnomah County how much we are blessed to have you in our community,” Commissioner Moyer said. “This government is committed to making sure that you’re celebrated, included and protected as a vital part of our community.”
Commissioner Singleton added, "Standing with a community means you do so in moments of joy, sorrow, and when it's time to work on one’s self and fight oppression. It is never about convenience, it is commitment. I commit to seeking the wisdom, hearing the needs, and nurturing the relationship I have with the trans and non-gender conforming people in my life. On this proclamation day, I want to say loudly, ‘I see you and I got you.’”
“Members of the gender expansive community in Multnomah County actively engage in every aspect of life in our community, yet continue to face discrimination, harassment and violence at rates much higher than cisgender community members,” said Andy Cho, the chair of Multnomah County’s Queer and Trans People of Color Employee Resource Group, reading from the proclamation. “We recognize these levels of hate and violence disproportionately affect Trans Femme individuals, particularly those who are Black, Latinx, Indigenous, Asian, Pacific Islander and other Trans Femmes of color, especially Trans Femme sex workers of color.”
The proclamation references the American Medical Association’s 2019 declaration of an "ongoing epidemic" of violence against transgender people, particularly Black trans women, as well as data from the American Civil Liberties Union showing a year-over-year increase in anti-LGBTQ legislation, with more than 450 bills introduced in state legislatures across the country last year.
The Transgender Day of Visibility proclamation reaffirmed Multnomah County’s and its Office of Diversity and Equity’s commitment to “honoring the contributions of our gender expansive employees and supporting the organizations that work tirelessly as we strive for a workplace that fosters Safety, Trust, and Belonging.”
QTPOC Employee Resource Group Executive Coordinator Salomé Chimuku and the Prism Employee Resource Group’s Scribe Eli Hoss and Co-Chair Daisy Pullman also joined in the reading of the proclamation.
Library Workers Day
Wednesday’s slate of proclamations also included a special honor for Multnomah County Library Workers. Submitted by Library leadership and championed by the Board of Commissioners, the proclamation designates April 21, 2026 as Library Workers Day in Multnomah County.
“You all do so much for the community in every corner of the county, especially as library roles and programming continue to expand and evolve,” said Chair Vega Pederson. “I’m really grateful for the contributions."
Five library representatives spoke from the dais, taking turns reading the proclamation into the record.
“Multnomah County’s Library workers are the heart and soul of our libraries,” said Dave Ratliff, Integrated Services Director for the Library. “We are thrilled to recognize their invaluable contributions to the community.
While the American Library Association celebrates library workers on April 21 during National Library Week, Ratliff called out local staff. “We want to specifically honor our dedicated Multnomah County Library workers who create welcoming spaces for learning and creativity within our community because they truly do deserve to be celebrated.”
Kirby McCurtis, Location Services Director for the Library, read a portion of the proclamation, noting the library as a “cornerstone of a healthy democratic society, offering essential resources, services, and programs.”
“Library workers are dedicated professionals who create welcoming, inclusive spaces where knowledge is accessible to all; they treat every patron with dignity and respect; and demonstrate a deep commitment to service,” continued Eon LaJoie, a library assistant and a Co-lead AFSCME Local 88 union steward.
Falynn Burton of the Albina Library highlighted the range of expertise of staff.
“Library staff connect individuals of all ages with a world of information and creative activity, providing reading and research recommendations, digital literacy training, thoughtfully developed programming, and critical access to books, technology, media and research materials in person and online,” she said.
Recognizing the invaluable contributions of library workers is essential to appreciating the role they play in strengthening communities, advancing education, and ensuring free and open access to information, said Issac Halozan, a library assistant at Hillsdale Library and executive board member for AFSCME Local 88.
Watch the full proclamation reading here
Superhero Month
The board proclaimed April as Superhero Month in Multnomah County.
The proclamation was sponsored by Commissioner Brim-Edwards, who was inspired by the opening of the Northwest Museum of Cartoon Arts in Portland’s Old Town neighborhood last November.
“Superheroes remind us that ordinary people can do extraordinary things,” she said. “Here in Multnomah County, we’re proud to be home to a creative community that has helped define an entire art form, one that inspires imagination, builds connection and tells stories that make us feel seen. The proclamation today will help tell the story about how we became, here in Multnomah County, the epicenter of cartoon arts.”
Multnomah County Library holds an extensive collection of comic books and graphic novels across its locations. This month, the library will join the inaugural “One Book, One Coast” community reading program, through which over 100 libraries across Oregon, Washington and California will gather from April 1 to May 31 to read a shared book. This year’s selection is “They Called Us Enemy,” a graphic novel by George Takei, Justin Eisinger and Steven Scott on the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II.
Michael Rosen and Mark Russell, the Board Chair and Vice Chair of the Northwest Museum of Cartoon Arts, respectively, took turns reading the proclamation. They were also joined by Northwest Museum of Cartoon Arts Secretary Will Fain and Dave Ratliff with Multnomah County Library.
“Superheroes have inspired generations of readers, artists, and storytellers by celebrating courage, creativity, justice, and the power of ordinary people to do extraordinary things,” Rosen read.
Portland’s emergence as a comics hub accelerated in the 1980s with the founding of Dark Horse Comics, which helped transform the local creative landscape and attract a large community of cartoonists and graphic artists to the region, read Rosen.
Today, Portland’s comics community has grown into one of the largest concentrations of cartoonists and graphic storytellers in the nation, with many prominent creators choosing to live and work in Multnomah County and the Portland region because of the collaborative and creative environment, read Russell.
Ratliff concluded the proclamation highlighting the human element of Superhero Month, which “provides an opportunity to honor both the fictional heroes who inspire us and the real-life artists, librarians, educators, and creators who strengthen our community through storytelling and imagination.”
