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(Editor’s note: This piece originally ran in the June 9, 2011, issue of the Briefly Legal PDX e-newsletter)

Pro bono. It’s not just for law firms anymore

In the space of three days over the recent Memorial Day weekend, a handful of construction companies bypassed the baseball and barbecues to spruce up the room used by Court Care, the free drop-in child care center at the Multhomah County Courthouse.

Led by Howard S. Wright and architecture firm Yost Grube Hall, subcontractors painted walls and laid carpet in the final stage of a renovation effort that’s spanned over several years. All of the work was either donated or provided at a reduced cost.

A favorite effort of the Multnomah Bar Association that’s operated by Volunteers of America, Court Care serves between 80 and 100 children and their families every month.

Mary Rower, a paralegal with Markowitz, Herbold, Glade & Mehlhaf first became acquainted with the program when her firm decided to donate some leftover equipment and materials from an office upgrade. That project took on new momentum, however, when Rower came up with the idea of trying to renovate the small space the Court Care program occupies in the courthouse.

Rower got Yost Grub Hall to donate time to come up with a design to remodel the Court Care space. Howard S. Wright was added as the project’s general contractor. Other stepping forward to help through either donated materials and work or reduced labor costs included Uncommon Cabinetry, Cochran Broadway Electric, Contract Floor Consultants, Don Herbst Painting, Fred Shearer & Sons, Power Plumbing, Rose City Cabinets and mural artist Kari Dunham.

With the renovation work finished, it’s too late to help make a difference by picking up a hammer and pounding some nails, but there’s still time to get involved in the effort. There’s still about $10,000 in renovation expenses that need to be covered. For info on how to donate to the cause, contact Mary Rower at 503-295-3085 or email her at [email protected]