Read Stories about Involved Oregonians

Struggling with severe depression, failing grades, battles with mom, and flirting with a dangerous lifestyle, 12-year-old Dawn was on a downward spiral that was certain to lead to tragedy.

People looking for help in the four-county Portland metropolitan region often do not know where to begin.

As an eight-week-old Cougar cub, Leo already had been bought and sold twice as a "pet" to private owners, only to be mistreated and rejected by each. Severely malnourished, with his whiskers breaking and fur falling out, the volunteers of WildCat Haven took Leo into their loving care.

Going to a domestic violence shelter can be frightening. Women and children, some of whom do not speak English, arrive at a strange place and have no idea what to expect, or what is expected of them.

Twenty years later, a small group of retired skilled volunteers - "The Tuesday Crew" - still volunteers at the Hoyt Arboretum every week, helping ensure Portland's museum of trees is in good health for the entire community to enjoy.

Today, he's a gentle and soft-spoken man, and when you look into his eyes, there's no sign of the things he's done or the places he's been. Bill Moore is a changed man.

There are those who give, and those who give of themselves. Marianne Itkin is firmly of the latter camp!

Children's misuse fire causes death, injury, and prperty loss in Metropolitan Portland, as elsewhere in the U.S., yet many regional fire agencies and community organizations are ill-equipped to address youth firesetting behavior.

With children and the elderly accounting for 62% of fire deaths in Portland, new and innovative outreach efforts are needed to better safeguard these vulnerable citizens.

As a volunteer, I wanted to make a difference. I had heard the stories of how one Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) or another had stepped into the chaos surrounding a child in the court system and, sometimes literally, pulled that child to safety.

Mr. and Mrs. Pratt, a disabled couple, had a leaky bathtub in their mobile home that rotted their floor. They could not afford to replace the tub or repair the floor, and there seemed to be no organization or resources to assist them.

Thousands of people living in Lane County and working in low paying jobs have no access to health care.

Tracey is a shining example of how mental illness does not have to stand in the way of one’s dreams.

One day in 2003, Dannele and Frank Kea received a call from their landlord telling them he had sold their house. They had just 11 days to find a new place to live.

When Jay came to Kelly Middle School in the fall to register for 6th grade, Prevention and Recovery Northwest staff took notice because Jay was accompanied by his brother, a freshman in high school, and no adult.