Summer Picnics 2025

FOCUS Summer Picnics are hosted by area churches at location around the Portland area. They are a relaxing time of dinner, games, sports, sometimes music, and of course new friends. This summer we have picnics every other week. 

For rides to the picnics: 

• Meet at 5:30 PM at PSU at the south end of the park blocks at SW College St and SW Park Ave.  

  • see FOCUS Meeting Place at PSU for Transportation for details about pickup location.

• From 5:30 PM to 5:45 PM, attendees will be placed in vehicles.

• We will return to the PSU campus approximately 9:00-9:30 PM depending upon distance from PSU.

Schedule

June 20 - Location: Bethel Community Church (NOTE CHANGE IN LOCATION), Drive time is estimated to be 35-45 minutes from PSU. 

Host: Bethel Community Church

Address: 1438 B Street, Washougal, WA 98671 

June 27 - Location: Shute Park - 19.6 miles, Drive time is estimated to be 30-50 minutes from PSU.

     Host:  Chinese Grace Baptist Church

     Address:  750 SE 8th Ave, Hillsboro, OR 97123 (Picnic Area C, nearest the playground)

     July 4 Mollala Rodeo

July 12 (Saturday), Latourell Waterfalls Park, Columbia River Gorge, Drive time is estimated to be approximately 50 minutes from PSU.

Host:  FOCUS Associates

Address: 42910 NE Latourell Rd, Corbett, OR 97019 

We will also go to Vista House at Crown Point. All sites are near Multnomah Falls, OR. Students will be driven to the activity location starting at 930am and returned to the same location around 3pm that afternoon. FOCUS Associates will serve a potluck lunch. This is an all-day activity so bring comfortable walking shoes, a refillable water bottle, and $10 cash to help defray your FOCUS volunteer driver’s travel expenses. 

July 18 - Location:  Sellwood Park, Picnic Site "I" (picnic site nearest to this park's north-end parking lot) - 5 miles, Drive time is estimated to be 15-25 minutes from PSU.

     Host:   FOCUS and Students Potluck - bring your favorite dish to share! Pizzas will be served by FOCUS as well.

     Address:  SE 7th Ave & SE Malden St. Portland
    Parking lot location   Picnic Location

July 25 - Location: Village Church grounds, Drive time is estimated to be 20-40 minutes from PSU.

     Host:  Village Church

     Address:  330 SW Murray Blvd., Beaverton, OR 97005 

     Picnic Location

August 2 (Saturday), Sandy Fish Hatchery, Sandy, OR, Drive time is estimated to be 50-60 minutes from PSU.

Host:  Charles & Hannah Baker

Address: 39800 SE Fish Hatchery Rd, Sandy, OR 97055 

Students will be driven to the activity location starting at 930am and returned to the same location around 3pm that afternoon. A meal will be served by our hosts. This is an all-day activity so bring comfortable walking shoes, a refillable water bottle, and $10 cash to help defray your FOCUS volunteer driver’s travel expenses. 

August 8 - Location: Brentwood Community Center, Drive time is estimated to be 20-30 minutes from PSU.  

     Host:  Woodstock Community Church

     Address:  7211 SE 62nd Ave, Portland, OR 97206      Picnic Location

August 15 - Location: Columbia Park and Annex, Drive time is estimated to be 15-30 minutes from PSU. 

Host:   The Well Church

Address: 4340 N Lombard St, Portland, OR 97203 

Transportation 

• For a ride to the picnic location, meet at 5:30 PM at PSU at the south end of the park blocks at SW College St and SW Park Ave.  

• From 5:30 PM to 5:45 PM, attendees will be placed in vehicles.

• We will return to the PSU campus approximately 9:00-9:30 PM depending upon distance from PSU.

See additional information below the schedule. Each picnic a different church group hosts FOCUS students, scholars & families, providing food and an exciting location for lots of outdoor fun! We'll travel to that location for a picnic meal and other activities. Sometimes this will be a park or church facility where there are recreation opportunities.

Like FOCUS Friday Nights!, the FOCUS Summer Picnics are for Portland-area international students, scholars, and a special invitation to family members. There is no charge for the picnic. 

Occasionally we will not have a group to host the event. On those weeks we will have a "potluck." For those times, we ask that all people bring some prepared food (a "dish" that doesn't require microwaving or additional cooking time) to share with others. The times that will be "potluck" will be listed above and will also be in the weekly FOCUS email.

Depending on traffic and the driving distance to the host church's designated site, we will eat sometime between 6:15pm and 6:30pm.  

You will be returned to campus anywhere between 9pm and 9:30pm.