With the launch of Northwest Health Foundation's Healthy Beginnings+Healthy Communities Initiative, we wanted to speak to some of the key informants of our work. So our summer intern Nadia visited the Boys & Girls Club of Portland Metropolitan Area and asked the kids a couple questions...
Our board member, Darleen Ortega, was profiled in today's Oregonian. Oregon and Northwest Health Foundation are lucky to have her!
From the story:
As a child, Darleen Ortega loved to read. She devoured books in school and dreamed of one day writing some of her own.
Now as a judge on the Oregon Court of Appeals, Ortega has, in a way, fulfilled that dream. Appellate decisions -- though dry -- are human stories, she jokes.
Ortega's own story touches on perseverance and the power of diverse perspectives. She is the first Latina and woman of color on the appellate court. Leading by example, she is working to diversify the field of law in Oregon.
Ortega, 51, was born in California and grew up near Banks from age 10. Her family, a Mexican American mom, Caucasian dad, sister and two adopted African American brothers, was diverse -- an anomaly in the small community of Manning. It was a stark change from life in Los Angeles.
Northwest Health Foundation President Nichole Maher shares the Foundation’s current process of examining it’s potential role in helping create the next healthiest generation. While the Foundation’s core principles will not change, over the next six months, the board and staff will be looking at new ways to achieve the most impact in our work.
It’s becoming increasingly clear that improving population health and reducing inequalities is related to our ability to create more space for leaders from the “millennial” generation.
Read MoreNorthwest Health Foundation seeks to advance, support, and promote health in Oregon and southwest Washington.
By providing grants to initiatives, forming partnerships with health and community leaders, and advocating for policy change, we are furthering our vision of giving every person the opportunity to lead a healthy life.
Northwest Health Foundation | 221 NW Second Avenue, Suite 300 | Portland, OR 97209 | Privacy Policy | Accessibility
