880-2021

DATE:                    December 6 , 2021

TO:                        Portland City Council
                              Mary Hull Caballero, Auditor

FROM:                  Commissioner Mingus Mapps

CC:                        Council Clerk

SUBJECT:             2021 Steve Lowenstein Trust Award (30 Minutes)

This is the thirtieth annual Steve Lowenstein Trust Award being presented.

The Steve Lowenstein Trust Award was created to honor individuals who make an exemplary personal sacrifice and commitment to make a significant difference improving the quality of life for the most distressed and vulnerable populations in the City of Portland.

For a list of prior recipients see Exhibit A

Presenters:

Joe Hertzberg, Board Chair
Michelle M. Harper, Past Board Chair
Steve Lowenstein Trust

Award Recipients:

Allen and Joy Fowler
A MIRacle Foundation

The Board of Directors of the Steve Lowenstein Trust are pleased to present the thirtieth annual 2021 Steve Lowenstein Trust Award to Allen and Joy Fowler for their groundbreaking work in the field of supporting medically fragile children and families.

Allen and Joy Fowler are two extraordinary parents who encountered innumerable challenges fighting for their precious son Amir Samuel Fowler to have a deserving quality of life.

Amir was diagnosed with a neurological disorder, developmental delays and was deemed medically fragile by age 5. He lived to be 13 years old. After the terrible loss of Amir in 2012, the Fowlers turned their pain into life affirming power, helping many, changing lives, educating the medical community and families.

They created the A MIRacle Foundation to honor their son and help other families, children and caregivers providing resources, support, and equipment to improve their quality of life.

A MIRacle Foundation is a small volunteer run non-profit organization. They support children at Providence Child Center, Randall Children’s Hospital and Oregon Health Sciences University Hospital and area schools. Allen and Joy’s program fills in the gaps that are not addressed through medical providers or insurance.

The Fowler’s passion and devotion to provide unique resources to children and their families in such circumstances has made a major unprecedented impact on families they support as well as hospital staff. Their approach to building supportive relationships and partnerships is changing the way hospitals, schools, vendors and agencies interact with families.

Allen and Joy are true servant leaders inspiring and motivating everyone they encounter. Their compassion, empathy and willingness to open doors and remove barriers to improve the quality of life for medically fragile children and their families is extraordinary.

In support of these children they have donated: hospital beds for home use, bath/shower equipment, adaptive seating for automobile and home use, wheelchairs, support vests, walkers, CD players for therapeutic use and electronic equipment to assist with communication.

Over the years, the foundation has served well over 2,000 medically fragile children through the following programs:

A MIRacle Foundation grants wishes to children to bring a little normalcy to the lives of special needs children. Wishes include but not limited to toys, Portland Trailblazer and Portland Timber tickets, stuffed animals as well as tickets to other community events.

They provide weekly movie nights and snack wagon for the children, parents, and caregivers, as well as respite for parents and caregivers who are often exhausted and have little relief. They adopted 15 families in 2020 during the holidays and are planning for 20 families in 2021.

The A MIRacle Backpack program has served students in special needs classrooms with schools supplies for the year in Beverly Cleary, George, Irvington, and Markham elementary schools.

They were able to continue all programs and services during the pandemic. In addition to providing 200 computers and $300 gift cards for internet services.

Those interested in learning more about the work of Allen and Joy Fowler can visit their website at https://amiraclefoundation.org

The Lowenstein Trust is part of the legacy of Steve Lowenstein, a model of public service. Steve’s sense of purpose, integrity, and perseverance inspired many who have worked issues of human rights and social justice. Steve served in the Peace Corps after law school in the early 1960s. Throughout his life he was a vocal civil rights activist. Steve was also the founding director of Oregon Legal Services, author of a groundbreaking history – The Jews of Oregon 1850-1950 – and at the time of his death in 1990, had served for six years as Chief of Staff to former Portland City Commissioner Mike Lindberg. In his will, Steve established an annual financial award to provide recognition and assistance to individuals who have made significant ongoing personal sacrifice to help those in need. Please visit https://www.lowensteintrust.org/