About us

Here at Community Chest, we offer physical, mental, emotional, and social health services in the form of organized comprehensive physical activity in athletics, sports, and fitness, coupled with a holistic lifestyle curriculum in health and wellness. As a result of the services performed Community Chest’s empowered youth will be transformed into future healers directed with awareness, prevention, and promotion to set off the adults in their families and communities, provoking lifestyle changes that prevent chronic diseases.

By partnering with some of the biggest youth focused non-profits in the Portland area and developing youth centered curricula, we have helped thousands of youths learn about and gain access to balanced nutrition, recreational sports, and much more. Our youth learn how to identify, think critically, and generate ideas and come up with solution based plans and strategies to target health risks in their communities.

How we got started…

From TONY MELSON, Founder and CEO:

Although Community Chest Inc. was established in 2018, it has a long history of youth health promotion in North and Northeast Portland. The concept of Community Chest Inc. started in 2003, I was an undergraduate student at Portland State University majoring in CommunityHealth and Physical Activity & Exercise. I’ve worked in the non-profit industry for many years from direct contact, administration, development, board chair/member, and now Chief Executive Officer of Community Chest Inc.

Working with The Boys and Girls Club of America, Self Enhancement Inc., The African American Health Coalition, Friends of the Children and The Salvation Army solidified the need, vision, mission, and goals of Community Chest Inc. I’ve been fortunate to be a part of and linked to the aforementioned non-profits dedication to service and their clear mission. I also have extreme gratitude, that I had the autonomy to implement a phase of Community Chest Inc. in every role and for every non-profit mentioned. Although Community Chest Inc. registered with the State of Oregon in 2018, its philosophy and practice of Awareness, Prevention, and Promotion through the Health Triangle has been embedded for many years in North and Northeast Portland.

Our Community Partners

Self Enhancement Inc.


Self Enhancement Inc. is a Direct Social Services Nonprofit occasionally taking the position of a Support Provider Nonprofit supporting and assisting other nonprofit organizations.

Mission: Self Enhancement, Inc. (SEI) is dedicated to guiding underserved youth to realize their full potential. Working with schools, families, and partner community organizations, SEI provides support, guidance, and opportunities to achieve personal and academic success. SEI brings hope to individual young people and enhances the quality of community life.

Blazers Boys & Girls Club


Blazers Boys & Girls Club is a Direct Service Nonprofit that works in youth development.

Mission: Boys & Girls Clubs of Portland’s mission is to empower all young people, especially those who need us most, to discover their full potential as caring, engaged, responsible community members.

Friends of the Children


Friends of the Children is a Direct Service Nonprofit that works in youth development.

Mission: Impacting generational change by empowering youth who are facing the greatest obstacles through relationships with professional mentors – 12+ years, no matter what.

Black Parent Initiative


Black Parent Initiative is a Direct Service Nonprofit that works in human services.

Mission: Provide culturally specific programming to transform the lives of families and children. Parents and children who have a strong sense of identity can achieve their dreams. We assist parents and caregivers in strengthening their involvement in the lives of their children so their dreams can be realized.

The Salvation Army


The Salvation Army is a Direct Social Services Nonprofit classified as a charitable organization.

Mission: The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.

KairosPDX


KairosPDX is a Direct Service Nonprofit that works in K-12 educational institutions and related activities.

Mission: KairosPDX is an education nonprofit focused on transforming education through a model built on love and inclusion that elevates the voices of historically underserved children, their families, and communities. Kairos is an ancient Greek word meaning the right opportune moment (the supreme moment) or a moment of indeterminate time in which something special happens.

In 2017 donations from the UK transformed the lives of more than

Latest news delivered right to your inbox!