My Nonprofit Reviews

When I met Kate, it was obvious that she had a strong personality that also came with the gift of leadership. She had a lot of questions about the services offered at NWFS and our staff, but did not tell us too much about herself. As the school year progressed, I found out that Kate experienced various challenges at school, such as getting into fights, missing school, and dabbling in marijuana use. But the thing that stood out to me personally was her difficult home life. The school administration informed me that her mother was a single parent who abused alcohol and often left the kids at home alone. Kate’s older brother was frequently in and out of juvenile detention, having stolen a car, and the children in Kate’s family were quite obviously victims of neglect. Kate frequently missed school in order to babysit her younger sister while her mother was absent from the home.

After growing a relationship with Kate, she began to discuss with me some of the challenges that the family faced and I knew that we could offer help. Around Thanksgiving time, we were able to partner with the local food pantry in Clackamas County to get their family a turkey. Following that, we continued to get support for Kate’s family through the local food pantry, and I referred Kate to NW Family Services’ alcohol and drug intervention program. The change in Kate’s energy was noticeable. We discussed an opportunity to take Kate to Blooming Boutique, a local Clackamas County non-profit, to receive an entire new wardrobe and hygiene items. Kate was ecstatic! The administration and team at NWFS noticed a positive change in her behavior following the support and resources offered through NWFS. Kate’s mother sent us a letter of appreciation, saying, “I wanted to reach out and thank you for the turkey and letting Kate access your resources. The hygiene items really help us out.”

This year NWFS was able to help Kate and her family succeed by providing different resources through partnering with other local non-profits such as the food pantry, to hygiene items, with the support of Blooming Boutique, as well as utility assistance during the COVID-19 crisis. NWFS was able to help create a consistent, safe, and stable environment for Kate and this family. They continued to stop by frequently to receive support from NWFS staff.

First on the list is to say that Samantha F. of Northwest Family Services is an invaluable resource to all who meet her. The way she interacts with people to ensure that the curriculum of P I O is taken seriously and positively for the families and communities involved is powerful. Much thanks goes out to Samantha for taking the time to be the best resource she can be. Your teachings were well put together and understandable. With your help we all have grown to be better served for our own lives. Having a person such as Samantha F. to guide us as learning individuals was pleasant and welcoming. My thanks and support go to Samantha.
Make sure Samantha is heard and well taken care of, for all the communities sake!
Thank you for the time taken to read this.

Sincerely,
Joseph B.