Page 4
May 17, 2023
Funds Awarded for Higher Education
Al Forthan
Scholarship
Winners Announced
Volunteers of America Oregon is hon-
ored to announce the 2023 Al Forthan
Scholarship winners! We are pleased to
recognize and financially support so many
remarkable young adults in achieving their
dreams of attending college. With the sup-
port from our community, we were able to
provide $86,000 to 47 Oregon High School
Seniors this year.
2023 Al Forthan Scholarship Recipients
are Kalia Hope, Shayla Jayne, Izzy Valen-
cia, Tanner Kesecker, Mia Murphy ,Elainie
Myers, Avery Nelson, Kiara Salas Moreno,
Elsa Santana Figueroa, Alyssa Stout Red-
mond and Julieta Torres Vazquez. Another
$28,000 was awarded to 36 students. The
purpose of the scholarship is threefold: to
honor Al Forthan, to award higher educa-
tion scholarships to students from families
impacted by addiction and poverty, and to
encourage students to explore how addic-
tion has impacted our community and the
solutions to this complex problem.
After Al Forthan passed away in 2006,
Greg Stone, the Program Director of the
MRC, created this scholarship in Al’s hon-
or. He took $500 dollars out of his own
pocket to award to an Oregon high school
senior who came from a family impacted
by addiction. This scholarship was created
2023 winners of the ‘Al Forthan Memorial’ Scholarship
to help break the cycle of addiction within
families by supporting students to achieve
their dreams of attending college and fur-
thering their education.
“Being a small part of Al's journey into
recovery has been one of my proudest mo-
ments in my 30 plus years of working at the
MRC,” shares Greg Stone, Program Direc-
tor at the Men’s Residential Center (MRC).
“When I had the honor to speak at Al's
funeral in 2006 (Al passed away with 14
years clean time), I shared that Al was the
‘Michael Jordan of recovery’. That same
night, with a deep respect and love for Al,
I created the Al Forthan Scholarship. One
month later and with my $500 donation to
a Jefferson High School senior, Al's alma
mater, the Scholarship was born.” Since
the scholarship began in 2006, we have
been able to award $876,000 to 543 stu-
dents in Oregon who have been impacted
by addiction and poverty. Please join us to
support the 2023 scholarship winners at
the 12th Annual Awards Ceremony on May
3rd from 5:00 - 7:30pm. We will be hosting
an in-person ceremony with speeches from
scholarship winners and former winners,
as well as our keynote speaker, Steve Duin,
columnist for The Oregonian. RSVP to at-
tend at 2023alforthanawards.funraise.org.
Questions about your health care?
Find us in your neighborhood.
MAY 18
MAY 29
Street Roots
9-10:30 a.m.
211 NW Davis St, Portland
Cultivate Initiatives
11-2 p.m.
660 SE 160th Ave, Portland
Cultivate Initiatives
10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
4808 SE 92nd Ave, Portland
MAY 22
Doreen’s Place (for residents only)
12-2 p.m.
610 NW Broadway St, Portland
MAY 23
Cultivate Initiatives
11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
247 SE 82nd Ave, Portland
Union Gospel Mission
2-3 p.m.
3 NW 3rd Ave, Portland
MAY 27
JUNE 1
Street Roots
9-10:30 a.m.
211 NW Davis St, Portland
Cultivate Initiatives
11-2 p.m.
660 SE 160th Ave, Portland
Nightstrike
7:30-9:30 p.m.
Under the Burnside Bridge
JUNE 5
Doreen’s Place
(for residents only)
12-2 p.m.
610 NW Broadway St, Portland
Love Your Neighbor
12-2 p.m.
526 SE Grand Ave, Portland
careoregon.org/
connect-to-care
connect to care