Personal Services in Saint Helens

When Karen Beninati's son was young, she had a hard time finding a childcare facility with which she felt comfortable. So she decided to create WeVillage—a drop-and-go daycare, preschool, and summer camp that parents would feel comfortable leaving their kids at and a place where kids would actually want to go.

To put parents at ease, Beninati hired professionals with degrees in early childhood education and certifications in first aid and CPR. She also ensured they went through a thorough background check. To make WeVillage a place kids wanted to go to, she decided to offer activities such as dodgeball in the park, drawing, and visits to nearby museums.

All the activities at WeVillage are aimed at helping children improve their mental and physical skills while building the social skills necessary to succeed in school and make meaningful connections with their peers. Kids at WeVillage are also exposed to international culture via yoga classes, world music, and global cuisine.

As part of its Green Spaces Initiative, Friends of Trees is working to plant more than 10,000 native trees and shrubs in the Collins Sanctuary of Forest Park during the next six years. Interlaced with hiking and biking trails, Forest Park inspires outdoor exploration with its natural wonders including river views, ravines, and more than 112 species of birds and mammals. Restoring the city forest will benefit an array of natural life by rebuilding a wildlife habitat, repopulating a variety of flora, and restoring the forest’s ability to help clean the region’s air and water. In the long run, these new trees will help to establish a higher canopy, which has been deteriorating during the past six decades. Raising the canopy will help sequester carbon, divert rainwater to prevent it from flooding nearby rivers, and forge a more vibrant vista.

dinner at your door was founded by owner Margot Feves, a chef who strives to prepare healthy, organic, locally sourced, and, above all, delicious meals to be delivered straight to the homes and mouths of busy folks around Portland. After you purchase your Groupon, you can schedule the pick-up or delivery of two balanced, well-portioned meals for two ($28 value per week). A new fall menu recently revealed its culinary colors; choose one salad, such as a fresh spinach mix with cranberries and feta, and one side dish, such as autumn squash with a hint of brown sugar for Jaggernauts everywhere. Enticing entrees include whole-wheat penne with ground turkey and autumn veggies, or sweet-and-savory pumpkin soup with a tinge of apples and curry. Gluten-free and vegetarian options are always available. Buy two Groupons and feed a family of four, or get one Groupon to satisfy two hungry people and their imaginary friends.

5 Star Cleaners is on a mission. In addition to using recycled plastics for hangers and reusable garment bags, the conscientious cleaners keep the earth and their clients healthy by eliminating any trace of the toxic, but common, chemical perchloroethylene from its solvents. Whether cleaning area rugs, repairing and altering garments, preserving wedding gowns, or performing any other service, the shop keeps toxins from seeping into the area water supply by using biodegradable soaps and hiring vigilante mermen to patrol water reservoirs. Customers can drop off their clothing to be cleaned or opt for pickup and drop-off services.

The teachers at Success Learning Center specialize in personalized tutoring sessions for students in kindergarten through eighth grade. Their classes focus on subjects including math, Chinese language, and reading and writing. The teachers cap each class at four students, so they can give each pupil one-one-one attention and help him or her build self-confidence.

Max's Wine Dive is renowned for its culinary-chutzpah-filled dinner menu, which turns chili dogs and burgers into gourmet flavors. Their fried chicken was deemed one of America's Best by Travel + Leisure. Try the signature Texas haute dog (a Strube Ranch Wagyu hot dog topped with your choice of beer-braised sauerkraut, Dijon mustard, pickles or chili, jalapenos, and cotija cheese, served with fried onion strings and frites; $14). Or opt for the Kobe beef burger (a Strube Ranch Wagyu Kobe beef burger with Belletoile triple-cream brie, in-house pickled jalapenos, local hothouse tomatoes, and organic Bibb lettuce, served with frites; $17), another favorite. If you're feeling ravenous, hang a fang in the all-you-can-eat fried chicken and waffles (chicken thigh, leg, and breast with jalapeno and buttermilk marinade, deep fried, served with a waffle; $19) during Sunday brunch. Woman's Day once named Max's grilled cheese (Gruyère, provolone, and roasted red pepper, served with a cup of tomato soup; $13) one of the 10 best in the nation.