Board of County Commissioners celebrates eight May proclamations

Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives Month

Multnomah County proclaimed May 4, 2026, as Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives Day of Awareness. Bringing attention to a national crisis, this day honors the Indigenous and Native American families who experience, and are affected by, the disproportionate rate of violence, homicides and other traumatizing crimes.

The proclamation was sponsored by the County’s Office of Government Relations and Commissioner Meghan Moyer. Tribal Relations Liaison JR Lilly, who is Diné, introduced the proclamation, which was read by community leader Raven Harmon, who is Athabascan, Yup’ik and Colville on her maternal side, and Eastern Shoshone and Ute on her paternal side; Denell Broncho, deputy director of the Department of Community Services and a tribal citizen of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes; and Ekatrina Sotomayor, who is Yup’ik and an Indigenous youth librarian, currently assigned to the Midland Library.

Harmon read the proclamation in Chinuk Wawa, which Lilly described as “the indigenous language of the land here,” while Broncho, Lilly and Sotomayor read the proclamation in English.

“Violence against Native people, especially women who are sitting at the intersections of multiple targeted identities including disabled people, unhoused people, and people who have experienced neuro and environmental trauma, is one of many forms of colonial violence that continues to harm Indigenous communities — from children to elders and those in between, violence and trauma impacts our entire community,” the proclamation reads.

“Multnomah County recognizes and elevates the ongoing need to focus resources across the federal, state and local levels to address violence against Indigenous relatives, and stands in solidarity with other governmental jurisdictions, organizations, and Urban Native and Tribal communities in building awareness about this public health crisis.”

Mental Health Awareness Month

The Board proclaimed May 2026 as Mental Health Awareness Month. Focused on breaking the stigma of mental illness and other mental health challenges, the month-long occasion uplifts mental health advocacy and underscores the County’s commitment to helping people achieve behavioral health wellness.

Commissioner Moyer co-sponsored the proclamation along with the Health Department’s Behavioral Health Division.

“We want to thank you for the support from the Board for all the work on mental health awareness,” said Anthony Jordan, the Behavioral Health Division’s interim director. “Multnomah County's Behavioral Health Division continues to support community awareness and engagement efforts, including traditionally hosting a team at the annual National Alliance on Mental Illness walk in May, and sponsoring a table at this year's event, further demonstrating the County's commitment to mental health awareness and support for our community.”

The 2026 theme for Mental Health Awareness Month in Multnomah County is “Belonging is Mental Health: Connection Creates Healing - Access for All,” recognizing that human connection, dignity, and belonging are fundamental to mental health and wellbeing.

“Mental health services must be accessible, culturally responsive, and rooted in community care,” read Jay Auslander, the division’s interim deputy director. “At this critical moment in history, we must choose connection over division, compassion over fear, and community over isolation.”

Chair Vega Pederson finished the proclamation, reading, “Together we affirm that Belonging is Mental Health, and we commit to building communities where every person can live, heal and thrive.”

Vietnamese-American Remembrance Day

The Board proclaimed April 30, 2026, as Vietnamese-American Remembrance Day in Multnomah County.

The proclamation, co-sponsored by Commissioners Moyer and Shannon Singleton, marks the conclusion of the Vietnam War on April 30, 1975, and honors the “58,000 American soldiers that include 810 Servicemen and Servicewomen from [the] State of Oregon, more than 300,000 South Vietnamese soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty for freedom and democracy in South Vietnam from November 1955 to April 1975.”

“When I think about Vietnamese-American Remembrance Day, I think about service,” Commissioner Moyer said. She reflected on her friend, the late Oregon State Representative Hòa Nguyễn, a first-generation American whose family fled from Vietnam after the war and who served Oregon “until her last breath.”

“Your recognition reaches beyond a ceremony; it honors the long journey of our people,” said Thao Duc Tu, president of the Vietnamese Community of Oregon, “... and the ultimate sacrifice of the U.S. and Republic of Vietnam soldiers who fought together for freedom and democracy in South Vietnam.”

Charity Crichton, daughter of Vietnam veteran Stefaun Crichton, shared a story about going through a box with her father as a child. She described her father pulling items from the box from the time he spent in Vietnam, “looking it over with far-away eyes.”

Crichton spoke about the toll of the war, noting she “watched him slowly fall apart” as his nervous system got “destroyed” due to Agent Orange, a chemical used by the U.S. military. At the time, she said, the government did not acknowledge the connection between the war and his mental and physical decline.

“This day is a celebration of freedom for them, but also a welcome home for the American soldiers that fought for this,” Crichton said. “Thank you for finally recognizing this important part of their lives.”

Older Americans Month

The Board acknowledged Older Americans Month, celebrated each May. Commissioner Moyer and Commissioner Julia Brim-Edwards co-sponsored the proclamation, along with the Department of County Human Services and its Aging, Disability and Veterans Services Division (ADVSD). Older Americans Month was launched after a 1963 meeting between President John F. Kennedy and members of the National Council of Senior Citizens.

Commissioner Moyer said she was “thrilled” to be a co-sponsor of the proclamation.

“Older adults and elders are an essential part of the fabric of Multnomah County,” Commissioner Brim-Edwards added after the meeting. “They are mentors, caregivers, volunteers, veterans, advocates and community leaders whose experience and wisdom continue to strengthen our neighborhoods and enrich our lives. As we recognize Older Americans Month, we also reaffirm our commitment to creating communities where older adults can age with dignity, stay connected, and access the services and support they need to live healthy, independent and fulfilling lives.”

Members of Multnomah County’s Aging Services Advisory Council (ASAC), a group of community members who provide advice and guidance on policy decisions and programs for older adults, read the proclamation.

“Multnomah County's older adults and elders help build and shape the community through contributing their time, wisdom and experience,” said Dave Daley, a council member.

“The national theme for Older Americans Month 2026 is ‘Champion Your Health.’ It encourages taking an active role in managing and advocating for your own health.”

Daley encouraged people to visit the Administration for Community Living’s website, which offers information about Older Americans Month events, resources and history.

Area Agencies on Aging across the United States, including Multnomah County’s Aging, Disability, and Veterans Services Division, coordinate and provide an array of traditional and innovative services — like free meals, transportation services and evidence-based health promotion classes — to all people 60 and older, regardless of income, both at home and in the community, read Daley.

“Universal access, community partnerships, and self-determination can empower us to take the lead in improving and maintaining our health as we age,” read Daley.

Along with a strong network of partners, the County provides access to the Older American Act programs and services “that reflect and affirm the many people, cultures and languages of older adults and elders in our community,” read Kathleen Sullivan, another council member.

Older adults and elders across Multnomah County can access a variety of services, including:

The 24/7 Aging and Disability Resource Connection Helpline at 503-988-3646
Medicaid Long Term Services and Supports offices
District Senior Centers
Enhancing Equity partners.

Multnomah County is also a leader as an Age-Friendly Community as the first county in Oregon to be recognized by the World Health Organization and American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) with a “demonstrated commitment to creating an inclusive, supportive environment for older adults,” read Sullivan.

“We all benefit when people of all ages, abilities, backgrounds, and identities have the opportunity to grow old and determine their own path as they age.”

Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Multnomah County proclaimed May 2026 as Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month. The proclamation was co-sponsored by all board members and the Employees of Color employee resource group.

“I’m really grateful that we have this opportunity to recognize the rich contributions of our diverse AA and NHPI community here in Oregon,” said Chair Vega Pederson. “At a time when the questions of citizenship, immigration and belonging are being challenged and threatened at the national level, this proclamation and the celebrations paired with it helps to reinforce our collective solidarity that is so desperately needed at this time.”

Commissioner Vince Jones-Dixon, a principal co-sponsor of the proclamation, also shared his appreciation.

“Most people don’t know this, but my mom is from the Big Island and it's an honor to be here and be one of the chief sponsors. The proclamation honors the importance of identity, culture and creating a space of belonging. This is a step or signal towards that,” said Jones-Dixon. “Being half African American and half Hawaiian, I have struggled with my own identity and where I belong.

Presenters Jonathan Cruz, Austin Delos Santos, An Bui and Jun Zhu took turns reading the proclamation, which walked listeners through the history of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities in Oregon, beginning as early as the state's founding and through the present day.

The proclamation outlined the many accomplishments, as well as the profound hardships experienced by Asian Americans and NHPI that have ranged from travel bans, questions surrounding immigration and citizenship, climate displacement, and environmental contamination, to the loss of indigenous sovereignty and workforce disparities.

“Throughout history, AA and NHPI communities have endured and resisted violence, discrimination, prohibitions on land and business ownership, family separation, and forced incarceration and dispossession in Multnomah County,” read An Bui, the constituent relations and communications liaison for Chair Vega Pederson. “Despite these challenges, they have prevailed and individuals from these communities have defied the odds to succeed in the realms of art, science, business, sports, civic leadership and more.”

“Multnomah County is committed to working with our AA and NHPI workforce and community organizations to eliminate disparities, strengthen our communities, and implement policies and programs that lead to significant and meaningful change here at the County and for the communities we serve,” Zhu said.

Community Action Month

The Board proclaimed May as Community Action Month in Multnomah County, Oregon.

Community Action Agencies help “promote economic stability, strengthen families, and support residents in meeting basic needs,” according to the proclamation. In Multnomah County, the community action program is administered through the Department of County Human Services Youth & Family Services Division, which works with the Multnomah County Commission for Economic Dignity that serves as the community action board for federal anti-poverty programs.

“Today we recognize the work of the Community Action program in Multnomah County that helps residents meet basic needs, strengthens stability and builds pathways to long-term wellbeing,” said Lori Stegmann, director of the Youth & Family Services Division. “We honor the local partners, service providers and volunteers who work every day to ensure individuals and families can access housing support, energy assistance, youth and family services, and other essential resources.”

She was joined by Emily S. Ryan, chair of the board for Multnomah County Commission for Economic Dignity, and two board members, Anthony Thomashek and Julian Thomas, who together read the proclamation.

“Community action is foundational to how government does anything and everything here,” proclamation sponsor Commissioner Jones-Dixon read on behalf of his co-sponsor Commissioner Singleton, who was absent. “We need to hold this true now more than ever.”

503 Day

The Board of County Commissioners proclaimed May 3, 2026, as 503 Day, putting a spotlight on Portland’s well-earned reputation as a community that proudly and passionately backs women's sports.

“We welcomed the Fire back to Portland after nearly a 25-year hiatus last night, and Portland showed up,” said Clare Hamill, president of the Portland Fire WNBA expansion team. “We believe that sport can make a big difference in Multnomah County, in Portland, in Oregon, and for young girls and boys.”

Alexis Lee, President of Business Operations for the Portland Thorns, expressed her gratitude for the community’s investment in women’s sports, and the level of enthusiasm and support for them, is ”nothing like I've seen. I've lived in a lot of different parts of the country. This is just a really remarkable special place.”

Jenny Nguyen, founder and CEO of The Sports Bra — a defining women’s sports bar dedicated to supporting and showing women’s sports — noted that she was “seated next to some of the champions of women’s sports in our town.”

Before reading the proclamation, Nguyen reflected on the significance of sports. “Sports is the great connector and it has helped level the playing field in so many ways. Portland has been that for me and so many other people.”

Proclamation sponsor Commissioner Brim-Edwards said after the meeting, “From the Portland Thorns to the return of the Portland Fire, to The Sports Bra and the fans who show up again and again, Portland and Multnomah County are setting the standard for what it means to invest in, celebrate and elevate women athletes. 503 Day is about celebrating who we are, and there is no better way to celebrate that spirit than by recognizing our proud leadership as the global epicenter of women’s sports.”

The panel was joined by Aaron Dixon, executive director of Friends of Baseball, and TaNisha Dickson and Marley Johnson, who lead the organization’s Girls L.E.A.D. Initiative.

Burnside Bridge Centennial Birthday

The Board proclaimed May 28, 2026, the Burnside Bridge Centennial Birthday in Multnomah County.

The proclamation finds “Portland is one of the world’s great bridge cities, with the Willamette River at its core, and eleven bridges connecting its neighborhoods to downtown.”

Chair Vega Pederson highlighted the deep connection the community has to the Burnside Bridge, as well as the County’s role in its upkeep.

“It serves as essential infrastructure — a lifeline route for emergency response and essential to our identity and sense of place,” she said. “Many people may not be aware that Multnomah County manages and maintains six of the 11 Willamette River bridges, including the Burnside Bridge. The fact that it’s turning 100 is a testament to the careful stewardship of the County and I want to give a shout out to the County Transportation Division for all they do every single day to maintain and safeguard not just this critical asset of our community, but all of our river bridges.“

Chair Vega Pederson also acknowledged the current federal climate, which has put a pause on replacing the current Burnside Bridge with a new seismically resilient crossing.

“When the federal government is ready to invest in our region again, Multnomah County will be prepared to hit the ground running and offer a construction ready project,” Vega Pederson said..” I look forward to being with all of you when that day comes.”

Transportation Division Director and County Engineer Jon Henrichsen touched on the crucial work of his division, saying, “Burnside has been able to serve our community for 100 years because it was built very robustly and because of the dedication, creativity and skill of the people who have worked in the Multnomah County Transportation program since it was put into service.”

To celebrate the significant milestone, Henrichsen noted Multnomah County is hosting the Burnside Bridge Centennial Celebration May 30, 2026, from noon to 5 p.m. on the bridge deck.

In closing, Bridge Operations Coordinator Aysha Ghazoul also shared poetic words on what the Burnside Bridge embodies for our community.

“As a citizen of Multnomah County for over 30 years, as an Iraqi American and as the bridge operations coordinator, I am lucky enough to not only open the Burnside Bridge — my favorite bridge in Portland — but also to train future operators to do the same,” Ghazoul said. “The Burnside Bridge is the heart of Portland's compass. She is our matriarch that looks out in every direction and keeps an eye on the city and us, and I am excited to celebrate her."

The proclamation was co-sponsored by Chair Vega Pederson and Commissioner Singleton.