Full Circle

by Terri Conlin

“A little one shall become a thousand, And a small one a strong nation.” Isaiah 60:22 (NKJV)

You may just now be hearing about Northwest Children’s Outreach, but the non-profit organization has a long-standing history with Rolling Hills Community Church. For one woman, NCO’s journey to Rolling Hills has come full circle. Almost ten years ago, Debbie Sherwood and her family, former RHCC members, adopted Birthday Corner at the original Beaverton warehouse as their family ministry. Although the Sherwoods now attend a church in their neighborhood, sharing hearts for Portland’s children in need crosses any boundaries between church homes; it is the body of Christ at work. Debbie was a busy stay-at-home mom of five young children, and this ministry was a good fit for her large family to reach out to needy children. She often took the children to shop for gifts and party goods. Hugging mom’s knees, they helped organize the gifts into age groups and onto shelves.

Almost a decade later, NCO has four locations in the greater Portland area and the Sherwoods have only two children left at home. The family still oversees Birthday Corner, but now at the Pearl District Warehouse, and Debbie is on the NCO Board of Directors. Many volunteers enjoy sorting and organizing resources or packing bags for children, and Debbie has happily done all of these jobs; but her joy has come in connecting with the caseworkers when they arrive to pick up orders for the families they represent. These are the soldiers on the front lines of the never-ending war on poverty, often overwhelmed and overworked. One day, a caseworker came in especially burdened for the children she serves. Debbie could see it in her face and in the slump of her shoulders. Her role was essentially a substitute “Mom” to children of battered women who had finally made it to a shelter. Her day was full of taking kids to the library, doctor, and dental appointments; providing help with homework; and chaperoning field trips, all while the moms received intensive counseling to begin new lives of strength and dignity. It is common for these children to arrive with their terrified mothers in the dead of night with just the clothes on their backs. The caseworker places an order with NCO for a few age-specific essentials, so the kids can make it through the turbulent transition while the agency helps the moms heal and strengthen their parenting skills.

The women of domestic violence are just one of the many faces of poverty that Debbie has discovered during her time with NCO. Other faces include homeless teens; unwed mothers; mothers addicted to drugs and alcohol; families without jobs and little or no education, resources, or parenting skills; and expectant moms struggling to deliver a drug-free baby. NCO’s vision is to find a place in each community, supported by local volunteers who serve needy children through caring agencies within that region. The new location at Rolling Hills Community Church will fill the gap in reaching Clackamas and Marion counties.

The new space is currently an empty shell that needs to be finished to prepare for the 100% volunteer-run operations of Northwest Children’s Outreach. Beginning this weekend, opportunities to contribute to the new NCO center at Rolling Hills are available at the Equip station. Your purchase of donation certificates can be given as a Christmas gift to a loved one, in loving memory of a friend or family member, or on behalf of your business. Your generous heart can bring a smile to the innocent faces of poverty and hope to a child’s future.