Category: Bill Porter

Announcing "Bill Porter" Porter!

3/13/2020

$1 of every pint you drink at Deschutes Brewing on Tuesdays in April will go to UCP Oregon.

Guess what! UCP Oregon is about to have its own speciality beer at Deschutes Brewing! The beer will be known as "Bill Porter Porter" in honor of UCP's Bill Porter Memorial Fund (and the late, great Bill Porter himself, of course!)

Bill Porter was an Oregonian who experienced cerebral palsy. He was not defined by his disability or diagnosis, but instead by his incredible achievements while employed as a door-to-door salesperson for Watkins Products.

Bill became their top seller and worked for over forty years. His story was made known through articles in the Oregonian, a segment on the ABC news program 20/20, and the award winning movie, Door to Door, starring William H. Macy. Porter passed in 2013.

UCP honors Bill Porter with our Bill Porter Memorial Fund, which removes barriers and support meaningful lives for our customers.

Meet Bonnie: A BPMF Recipient

12/31/2019

UCP Oregon launched the Bill Porter Memorial Fund in 2018 in an effort to remove barriers and support meaningful lives for people experiencing disabilities.

In 2019, the Fund accepted its first round of applicants.

Meet Bonnie, one of the first recipients!

Bonnie is a teen who wanted more privacy and independence; she requested an attachment for the commode. As she said, “I have to have someone help me in the bathroom. I just turned 15 and this is embarrassing to me.”

Nowadays, though, it’s a very different story; as Bonnie’s mom says, “Bonnie smiles as she shuts the door to use the bathroom on her own.”

Want even more? You can read more BMPF stories here and here.

Meet Some of the First Bill Porter Fund Recipients

12/22/2019

Julie’s two-year old daughter has cerebral palsy; she’ll be using BPMF funds to purchase a scoot bike. As Julie says, “This style of balance bike helps children learn how to balance, a skill which can present an extra challenge to children with cerebral palsy. This purchase would allow our girl to take an active role in family bike rides.”
Jane is using BPMF funds to pay for twelve sessions of “NeuroMovement” therapy for her son, Luke. Luke first walked on his own at age twelve, and a mere month later, had already figured out how to dance independently. Luke recently became one of three teens with exceptional disabilities to be hired at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.
I’Yanna is using her BPMF funds to travel, specifically to reconnect with family and friends who reside in Los Angeles, California. Some of them she’s never even been able to meet!
Andrew experiences severe anxiety and panic attacks which are triggered by loud noises and environments. He requested noise canceling headphones, which will allow him to cope better with his panic attacks and to engage in community activities that he typically has to remove himself from.
David has autism. He is using his BPMF funds for books and tuition for up to eight credit hours at a local community college. His ultimate goal is to finish his secondary education, and work with a technology firm to develop better prosthetic devices.

UCP Launches The "Bill Porter Memorial Fund"

5/25/2018

As you most people know, UCP Oregon believes in the power of real choice, real jobs, real homes, and real connections for all—a full life for those we serve.

But it’s obvious that, in many cases, experiencing a full life can be extremely challenging, given the funding and service delivery systems that currently exist for people with developmental disabilities.

Announcing "Bill Porter" Porter!

Meet Bonnie: A BPMF Recipient

More Stories from the Bill Porter Fund

Meet Some of the First Bill Porter Fund Recipients

UCP Launches The "Bill Porter Memorial Fund"

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