CARES: Medical assessments for child abuse victims

CARES Northwest’s 25^th Anniversary Gala

On Nov. 16, hundreds of CARES Northwest supporters came to toast the 25th Anniversary of CARES Northwest with a festive gala at Leftbank Annex in Portland, Ore. The night included a tribute to Michael D. Schrunk, retiring Multnomah County District Attorney, who was an instrumental figure in the development of CARES Northwest. The event also helped raise awareness of our cause: more than 150 members of our community made first-time gifts in support of CARES Northwest.

Kevin Dowling, CARES Northwest program manager, helped provide context for the milestone. “Since opening our doors in 1987, we have served nearly 30,000 children in our medical clinic, and have triaged almost twice that many referrals,” Dowling said. “Before CARES was founded, if children were physically or sexually abused, they had to tell their painful story again and again and again. CARES brings together all agencies involved for one evaluation.

“The need is great and our program is committed to serving all children, regardless of their family’s ability to pay. CARES Northwest relies on generous contributions from the community to ensure our most vulnerable patients receive care.”

Special Raffle Raises Funds for CARES Northwest

For only $50 per ticket, CARES Northwest is raffling off a one-of-a-kind pair of Nike Air Max 1’s (also celebrating its 25th anniversary!) in their original retro design and colors. Housed in a special keepsake box with the original design sketch etched in the top, the shoes are autographed by legendary designer Tinker Hatfield, as well as three 2012 London Olympic gold medal winners: Allyson Felix, Ashton Eaton and Oscar Pistorius. To purchase a ticket, contact Kelly Stover, events and sponsorship coordinator, at 503-413-6465.

Your Support

Each year, thousands of children in Oregon face physical and sexual abuse, neglect and/or domestic violence. Make a gift today to help our skilled clinicians and educators minimize the trauma of child abuse — and even stave off its occurrence — in our communities.

So far this year, your support of CARES Northwest has helped us conduct more than 900 outpatient assessments on children for whom there are concerns of physical or sexual abuse, neglect or exposure to domestic violence. Our work wouldn’t be possible without the generosity of donors like you. On behalf of the thousands of children and families who come to us for care, we extend our heartfelt thanks.

We also want to share our latest achievements with you:

• We recently completed a fundraising campaign to purchase and install a new state-of-the-art video recording system, enabling our staff to record the forensic interviews they conduct with children and their families. The computer-based system is simple to use and provides high-quality recordings, easy archiving and access for medical providers, and secure storage.


• Through a generous grant from Advantis Credit Union, we were able to fill an entire bookcase with educational materials for our child patients and their families. We purchased more than 400 books and pamphlets, and 30 DVDs – both in English and Spanish – on topics such as recognizing abusive situations, healing from trauma and keeping children safe. These resources are critical to our program and will be distributed to hundreds of families in need.


• The Oregon Homicide Investigators Association (OHIA) recently honored CARES Northwest with a donation of funds raised at its annual Major Crimes Conference. Nearly 200 attendees representing more than 50 law enforcement agencies from across the Pacific Northwest attended the conference. The OHIA board of directors unanimously selected CARES Northwest as the donation recipient, noting that our program “exemplifies the highest standards of providing critical support to our community’s most vulnerable and deserving victims.” Thank you, OHIA!


• Mark your calendars, because plans are underway for our 25^th Anniversary Gala! We will celebrate this important milestone Friday, Nov. 16, 2012, at the Leftbank Annex in Portland, Ore. The event will feature a performance by Portland’s own “soul sister,” Linda Hornbuckle. All proceeds will go directly to CARES Northwest’s programs and services. To purchase tickets, please visit www.legacyhealth.org/events.

You can learn more about CARES Northwest on our website, www.caresnw.org, or by calling us at (503) 276-9000. Thank you again for your continued partnership and support.

Links:

• Visit our website
• Purchase tickets for our 25th Anniversary Gala