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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 2, 2005)
DECEMBER 2, 2005 JUStpUt 13 DOUGHER northwest Jean DeMaster Working for community by Sarah Dougher ean DeMaster was honored Nov. 8 by Helpline assists more than 3,(XX) callers each year. Metropolitan Family Services for her The goal of the organization is to make the busi extraordinary .30-year support of Portland’s ness of running a nonprofit trouble-free and less com low-income families. plex, so the work can stay focused. DeMaster is executive director of Executive director Kay Sohl, who is the other co Human Solutions, an organization that works with the founder, remarks: “Jean is an absolutely dynamic Mid Community leader. She brings energy around whatever issue she’s Development Corporation to help people gain self- working with and can really express the core essence sufficiency by providing affordable housing, skill of what an organization is trying to accomplish. She development and family support services. does this in a way so that people are inspired to get and East Multnomah County In addition to her work at Human Solutions, involved in a way that they maybe wouldn't otherwise. DeMaster has contributed to the social service infra “Since she left TAGS in 1982, she’s been involved structure of Portland by running the area’s largest in the issue of homelessness and has worked with so YWCA for four years, ending in 2002. She led a $7.9 many parts of the issue. She has a consistent commit million capital campaign to refurbish the downtown ment to help people who have resources to share with YWCA building, and she raised $4.1 million to restore those who have no resources. This is a great gift." Jean DeMaster, executive director of Human Solutions, receives an award for her 30-year commitment to Portland's low-income families. Mockabee. "It was pretty revolutionary for the time.” County. It is the major safety net for low-income When asked how her politics as a lesbian affect families in this 245-square-mile region. Since 1988, Sohl also admires DeMaster’s understanding of her work on homelessness, DeMaster says: “For our Human Solutions has provided access to emergency public policy and the way large systems work, noting whole community to be better, we all need a place to shelter and affordable transitional and permanent She worked as program manager for the Adult that because of this, she is able to be effective in advo live. Our goal should be to have a community that is housing paired with a broad range of social services. Care Home Program of Multnomah County, executive cating for change on both a state and local level. “She accepting and caring about everybody in it.... There The program finds its history from a federal agency director of Transition Housing Projects and program is truly tireless and willing to shoulder any burden." are a number of gay people who become homeless. It from the mid-1960s called Multnomah County is important for me in all the shelters I've worked in Community Action Agency. that there be no discrimination.” Human Solutions serves more than 25,000 people in more than 7,300 families. © Camp Westwind, the YWCA’s camp for girls and women on the Oregon Coast. manger at Portland Impact. Jawea Mockabee, president of On Target One of DeMaster’s most important contributions Fundraising, which has helped Human Solutions with was as the co-founder and co-director of Technical events in the past, recalls DeMaster’s founding of the DeMaster’s current work at Human Solutions Assistance for Community Services (TAGS). For more Oregon Feminist Federal Credit Union in the late 1970s. puts her at the helm of the leading social service than 25 years, TACS has provided knowledge, skills and “She thought that women and low-income women in agency providing anti-poverty programs and services For more information about H uman S olutions visit resources to more than 6,0(X) nonprofits. Its Nonprofit particular should have access to a credit union,” notes in East Portland and Mid and East Multnomah the Web site www.humansolutions.org. including broken racial capillaries j/llaroder/.-brasio Call for December's Special Up & racial enhancement 503.597.12 Greenburg Road • Tigard Come meet our great LGBT-friendly staff. Conveniently located f inside the offices of Phyuciarii Ml
