Coates Kokes

For this year's volunteer effort, CK recently headed to The Children's Book Bank for an afternoon of cleaning and sorting children's books to prep them for new homes! The book bank regularly partners with schools, clinics and other organizations that support literacy development for underserved families, and since its founding, has distributed over 1,000,000 books to over 100,000 children in the Portland-Metro area. They're always looking for help — if you're ever interested in inspiring a child's next chapter, learn more at smartreading.org/bookbank.

AI can’t experience emotions, so how can it create something truly original that inspires it in others? In November's CK blog, Chapin explores the ways that AI has infiltrated our industry, and why it will never surpass humans when it comes to creativity. https://bit.ly/3AGj8i6 

We've got another Duck in the office flock! Rachael recently joined us as a senior account manager after spending some time in Paris and Berlin, where she earned a Graduate degree in Public Policy. When she's off the clock, she enjoys spending time in the great outdoors of the PNW and volunteer canvassing. Everyone say hi!

Spooky season is coming to a close! In our latest CK blog, Kelsey speaks about their time in Dublin, finding an unlikely friend in a graveyard, and the importance of a good layout design when it comes to bringing tales of the dead to life. ⚰️ https://bit.ly/3YtljNF

Have you met Claire? After living in Norway for five years, she returned to Oregon, and is now a Senior Account Manager here at CK! Outside of the office, you're likely to spot her at a food crawl, honing her craft as a decorative cake baker, or cooking food for p:ear to support LGBTQIA2S+ youth with insecure housing. Did we mention that she wrote her Master's thesis on World of Warcraft? We're incredibly grateful to have her as a part of our team!

Sexually transmitted infections are on the rise throughout southwest Oregon. In response, End HIV Oregon and HIV Alliance recently reissued a rural campaign to encourage people in those areas to get tested for HIV and other infections, and to take preventative measures like using condoms and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). The News-Review recently wrote a story about the campaign, check it out here: https://bit.ly/4gPgeYv

It can be a tough subject to talk about, but suicide is a significant issue in Oregon. September is National Suicide Prevention Month, and we've been working with Trillium Family Services to create materials and support their “Creating Hope for Brighter Tomorrows” campaign that focuses on building brighter futures for children, families and communities. You can share a note of encouragement with their staff or youth in their care, donate, or learn more about how you can make a difference by visiting https://lnkd.in/grBiWA9n

Did you know that the screening age for colorectal cancer was recently lowered from 50 to 45? And that there are different risk levels depending on who you are? Erin and Anri recently assisted the Oregon Health Authority with streamlining their colorectal cancer website. In Oregon, it's the fourth most common type of cancer diagnosed and the fourth leading cause of cancer death. The site goes over why screening is important, what the symptoms are, and more — check it out at thecanceryoucanprevent.org

Last week, Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington counties came together for a "Sip Smarter" community event to address the harms of excessive alcohol use in the tri-county region. Anri took to the stage to speak about Rethink The Drink and Lance helped coordinate news interviews about the event — read more here: https://bit.ly/4fN18lA

Have you been watching the athletes in Paris these last two weeks? In our latest blog, Sue shares some inspiring insights we can all learn from them, and the importance of maintaining a level playing field for the benefit of all: https://bit.ly/4dzGzHz