VA Portland Health Care System

You are invited to attend the VA Portland Health Care System's National Afternoon Out Community Event.

Date: Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026
Time: 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Location: Vancouver VA Campus, in the traffic circle in front of building 11

Based on National Night Out, this community event is dedicated to strengthening community partnerships and promoting safety, support, and connection for Veterans and their families. This family friendly event brings together VA Police, local first responders, community organizations, and service providers with one shared goal: to empower our Veteran community through education, resources, and engagement.

Throughout the event, attendees can explore a wide range of informational booths and talk directly with experts about programs designed to support Veterans and their loved ones. Topics include Caregiver Support Programs, healthcare services, mental health and wellness resources, crisis intervention support, benefits assistance, housing programs, and tools for navigating life transitions after service. In addition to resource education, families can enjoy demonstrations, interactive activities, and opportunities to build meaningful relationships with the VA Police Officers who proudly serve the VA community.

This National Afternoon Out is more than a safety event—it’s a commitment to ensuring every Veteran and family member feels informed, supported, and connected. We welcome all Veterans, families, caregivers, and community partners to join us in celebrating community, resilience, and service.

If you earned GI Bill benefits, don’t leave them on the table.

VA is helping Veterans get more out of their education benefits -- starting with understanding what you’ve earned.

The GI Bill can cover tuition, housing, books, and training programs. It can support degrees, certifications, and new career paths.

VA offers tools to help you compare schools, understand your coverage, and make informed decisions before you enroll.

Whether you’re heading to college, learning a trade, or building your next chapter, visit VA.gov and search “GI Bill.”

The American Red Cross is holding a Blood Drive at the VA Portland Medical Center.

Address: 3710 SW US Veterans Hospital Rd., Portland, OR 97239
When: Tuesday, July 28, 2026
Time: 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Please call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit RedCrossBlood.org and
enter: USVAPortland to schedule an appointment. Maximize your blood donation. Help more patients.

If you are an eligible type O, B - or A - donor, consider making a Power Red donation. Red blood cells are the most commonly transfused blood component.

The Peace Paper Project is looking for participants!

Therapeutic Hand Papermaking with multiple workshops, transforming uniforms and other cloth of significance into paper!

Workshop dates:
July 14th & 15th Auditorium at VA Portland Health Care System
July 16th & 17th in courtyard of Community Living Center on Vancouver campus

Workshop times:
9 a.m.-10:30 a.m., 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., and extended Open Studio 2:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. (participants welcome to attend open studio 1-4 days).

To register, contact Meredith McMackin at: [email protected]

Peace Paper Project is an international community-arts initiative that utilizes traditional papermaking as a form of trauma therapy, social engagement, and community activism. Veteran Paper Workshops are collaborations between Student Veteran Associations (SVA), Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), American Legions, VA Medical Centers and Veteran Shelters throughout the United States of America.

Since 2011, Peace Paper has conducted hundreds of workshops worldwide in conjunction with community leaders, mental health professionals, and art therapists.

For more information on the project, visit

Peace Paper Project Peace Paper Project works to make hand papermaking available to the world in numerous ways. Recognizing the therapeutic benefits of the medium, we train practitioners in the Creative Arts Therapy field and assist them in acquiring the necessary tools for incorporating papermaking into their practice...

Stay healthy this BBQ season with these food safety tips :
⏰ Don’t leave food out for more than 2 hours.
🧊 Refrigerate leftovers right away so that the internal temperature reaches 41°F or below within 6 hours.
🚫 Don’t take chances with your health! If you don’t know how long food has been sitting around, toss it out.