Center Hosts Open House

On February 17, 2005, the Center for Family Success opened its doors to welcome over 100 guests who gathered in celebration of healthy families. Those attending the open house represented government, social services and the numerous partners of the Children’s Justice Alliance, the organization that founded the Center for Family Success. The Center, located in the St. John’s neighborhood of Portland, Oregon, is a community resource facility providing services to the children of incarcerated parents and their families.

Guests enjoyed a social hour which offered a sumptuous buffet prepared by Patty Jo Blake and her team of volunteers, and harp music provided by Ellen Linquist. Volunteers conducted tours of the facility and gave guests an overview of the services planned for clients of the Center. 

The evening’s program featured a number of speakers including Ben DeHaan, President of the Children’s Justice Alliance board, who detailed the mission of the Center and its role as a pilot project for CJA. Max Williams, Director of the Oregon Department of Corrections and Gary Weeks, Director of the Oregon Department of Human Services, spoke to the unique nature of the partnerships forged in creating the model for the Center, and detailed the benefit of this type of cooperative program for the populations both agencies serve.

At the close of the evening, attendees were offered a unique “party favor”—a small hand-painted rock with “Family” and “Success” inscribed on each side--and packaged with a rendering of the new Center logo and its mission.