Oregon Spinal Cord Injury Connection

09/30/2026

On September 10, we had the opportunity to visit Oregon Spinal Cord Injury Connection’s wheelchair repair workshop in Portland and see the work firsthand.

Earlier this year, the Blanche Fischer Foundation committed $5,000 to help purchase wheelchair repair parts for OSCIC’s workshops and pop-up repair events across Oregon. We recently purchased more than $2,500 in parts as that work continues.

Walking through the shop made the need very tangible.

Wheelchairs are highly individualized pieces of equipment, and keeping them functioning can require everything from replacement parts to creative modifications and hands-on problem-solving.

This is what community partnership can look like: helping make sure the people doing the repair work have the parts and resources they need to keep people moving.

09/29/2026

Thanks for visiting us at The Wheelchair Repair Shop!

Sometimes the right solution isn’t sitting on a shelf waiting to be purchased.

During our visit with Oregon Spinal Cord Injury Connection, Dani shared an example from her own life.

As a nurse and wheelchair user, she needed specialized covers for her wheelchair wheels. The wheelchair-manufacturer version cost approximately $800.

Instead, she found a similar product for about $40 on Amazon and modified it with brackets so it would work with her chair.

That kind of ingenuity came up again and again during our visit.

Wheelchair equipment is personal. The right solution has to work for the individual person, their body, their chair, their environment, and the way they actually live their life.

Sometimes access comes through funding.

Sometimes it comes through technical knowledge.

And sometimes it comes from someone looking at a problem and saying, “There has to be another way.”

09/21/2026

A huge THANK YOU to the incredible George Fox University OT/PT students and faculty who spent their Serve Day with us at Mortensen House! 💙

This amazing crew rolled up their sleeves and helped us paint the therapy room, added a coat of paint to the second bedroom, pressure washed, refreshed bedding, tackled landscaping, hung outdoor lights, installed an electronic door lock, cleaned therapy equipment, organized supplies, and so much more.

We are currently accepting applications for transitional and short term stays at the Mortensen House and are looking forward to welcoming our first transitional guest in late September/early October.

Every project completed ensures a welcoming, accessible and safe home environment for people with spinal cord injuries transitioning back into the community.

We’re incredibly grateful for the energy, enthusiasm, and hard work this group brought to the house, and to the George Fox team working hard behind the scenes to make this day possible.

And this is just the beginning. We are exploring more ways George Fox students and faculty can be involved with OSCI and Mortensen House in the future.

Thank you to all who participated 💙

09/18/2026

📣 Help OSCI connect with local businesses!
Volunteer: https://forms.gle/L8LR2AKEx6gQUY6u8

OSCI is looking for volunteers to help spread the word about the Every Swipe Benefits Charity program—a fundraising opportunity that allows participating businesses to support OSCI through their everyday credit card processing.

Volunteering is simple: call or visit local businesses, briefly tell them about the program, and ask if they’d be willing to schedule a 5-minute call to learn more. That’s it! OSCI staff will take it from there and follow up with interested businesses.

We’ll provide you with a list of businesses to contact, but you’re also encouraged to reach out to businesses you already know or visit regularly. And if you only want to contact businesses you have a connection with, that’s totally fine too!

This is a flexible way to volunteer, help introduce OSCI to more businesses in our community, and support our programs.

🙋 Sign up to volunteer:
https://forms.gle/L8LR2AKEx6gQUY6u8

Learn more about Every Swipe Benefits Charity at esbcharity.org.

09/16/2026

💃♿ FREE Virtual Zumba with Oregon SCI!

Get ready to move, dance, and have some fun! Join Oregon SCI for a freevirtual Zumba class taught by instructor Tennille Houston.

📅 Tuesday, October 6
⏰ 6:00–7:00 PM Pacific
💻 Online via Zoom
🎟️ FREE with code: a1b2c3

Participate at your own pace and adapt the movements to what works best for you. Whether you're dancing, rolling, moving your arms, or finding your own way to join in, you're welcome!

Register here:
https://www.zumba.com/en-US/class_detail/901f65ec-6a1b-493d-8529-ec5c545360d2

👉 Enter a1b2c3 at checkout to register for free. Participants will be asked to complete a waiver during registration.

Come move with the Oregon SCI community from wherever you are! 💚

08/24/2026

What a day at the Mortensen House! 💙

20 incredible volunteers came together Saturday to roll up their sleeves and help us take another huge step toward welcoming our first guests to the Mortensen House.

In just one day, our volunteers tackled a wide variety of projects throughout the house and property, including spreading bark and working on the landscaping, pressure washing, painting interior spaces, cleaning and organizing, assembling and setting up equipment, and helping transform the garage into a functional exercise and therapy space.

But what happened Saturday was about so much more than getting projects crossed off a list.

The Mortensen House is being prepared to provide accessible transitional housing for people with spinal cord injuries, as well as short-term stays for the SCI and disabled community.

Every wall painted, piece of equipment & furniture assembled and space cleaned helps us get closer to opening the doors and welcoming people into a safe home environment, where they can continue rebuilding their independence and preparing for life back in the community.

We are incredibly grateful to the volunteers who gave their time, energy and talents to make this possible. You accomplished an incredible amount, and you made the day a lot of fun along the way!

Thank you for helping us build something special. 💙

Interested in joining us for a future volunteer day? Follow OSCI or reach out to us at [email protected], we'd love to have you!

08/24/2026

Insurance decides when rehab ends. It doesn't decide when your house gets a ramp.

Many newly injured people go straight from the hospital to a home that isn't ready or to a transitional facility. But in Portland, Oregon, there's now a third option.

Mortensen House is a fully accessible home run by Oregon Spinal Cord Injury Connection, where you can live for a week to three months and practice daily life before doing it for real.

It's a two-bedroom in a quiet suburb, remodeled over years by Michael Mortensen, a wheelchair user who wanted it to keep serving people like him after he was gone. Five guests with SCI have already stayed, and OSCI is preparing to host its first newly injured resident.

Does your town need something like this? Go to newmobility.com/a-place-between-rehab-and-home to see how OSCI is making it happen.

08/17/2026

🏕️ **CampAbility is headed to LaPine State Park!** 🌲♿

Join Oregon Spinal Cord Injury Connection and Adventures Without Limits for a weekend of camping, community, and outdoor adventure in beautiful Central Oregon!

📅 **September 25–27, 2026**
📍 **LaPine State Park**
🏡 Stay in ADA-accessible deluxe cabins
🛶 Kayaking at Paulina Lake
🔥 Campfire time
✨ Stargazing
🥞 Group meals & plenty of time to connect

CampAbility is all about making the outdoors more accessible and creating opportunities for individuals and families impacted by spinal cord injury to enjoy camping together.

💚 **Cost: $275–$400 sliding scale**

Space is limited, so don’t wait to sign up!

👉 **Learn more & register:** oregonsci.org/calendar

08/17/2026

💙 WE NEED VOLUNTEERS THIS SATURDAY!

We’re in the final stretch of preparing the Mortensen House - Oregon’s first transitional home for individuals with spinal cord injuries - to welcome its first guests for transitional and accessible short-term stays.

We could really use a few extra helping hands this Saturday, August 22!

🌿 Landscaping
🎨 Painting
🪑 Furniture assembly
🧹 Cleaning & organizing
🏋️ Therapy & exercise space setup
🔨 General finishing projects

No experience necessary! Bring a friend or come alone. Come for the full day or just a few hours:) Coffee, breakfast snacks, pizza lunch, drinks and most supplies are provided.

📅 Saturday, August 22 | 9 AM–4 PM
📍 Mortensen House | Beaverton

👉 Sign up: https://tinyurl.com/MortensenHouseVolunteer

Can't make it? Please share this post! Helping us spread the word is incredibly valuable too. 💙

08/04/2026

Mental health is health. 💜

Living with a spinal cord injury affects so much more than the body. Changes in identity, relationships, stress, and emotional well-being are all part of the journey—and they're worth talking about.

Join us for our next Women's Health Forum Series:

📅 Thursday, August 13
🕔 5:00–7:00 PM
💻 Virtual (Zoom)

Together, we'll explore:
• Navigating identity and self-esteem after SCI
• Managing burnout and everyday stress
• Building and maintaining supportive relationships
• Finding mental health and psychosocial resources
• Connecting with women who understand the lived experience of SCI

Whether you're newly injured or have been living with an SCI for decades, this forum offers a welcoming space to learn, share, and connect with others who truly understand.

Participants can also submit anonymous questions in advance to be addressed during the session.

Learn more and register: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/_TzLNaOwRzWbvzLv7rC2OQ #/registration