A three-person team from Catholic Charities USA visited Portland June 29, meeting with Catholic Charities of Oregon leaders and touring local affordable housing sites.
The delegation is part of the Healthy Housing Initiative, in which Catholic Charities agencies have teamed up with local healthcare providers and Catholic dioceses and parishes to create opportunities for housing and healthcare.
“We are seeing incredible progress made in four years,” said Ben Wortham, vice president of behavioral health integration for Catholic Charities USA. He had just seen Cathedral Village, Good Shepherd Village and Chiles House, three new Catholic Charites housing locations where Providence Health and Services monitors health needs of residents. The national delegation also met with a representative from Providence.
“This is an amazing lesson for the whole network,” Wortham said.
There are 167 Catholic Charities agencies nationwide.
Natalie M. Wood, executive director of Catholic Charities of Oregon, was also on the tour along with Rose Bak, chief program officer; Marci Pierce, chief financial and administrative officer; Kesean Coleman, vice president of community housing and development; Wendy Marsh, director of development; Pooja Dalal, development and housing project manager; and Juan Ortiz, director of asset management.
The national staff was delighted to see their Oregon colleagues, giving big hugs upon arrival.
Curtis Johnson, vice president of housing strategy at Catholic Charities USA, beamed as he toured Chiles House, a building with 27 apartments for transitional housing. Bak told him that the design included amenities like bathtubs that were included after conversations with clients. Johnson noted the exposed wood beams and wooden ceilings, plus the airiness and natural light, all features meant to help in healing people who have experienced trauma.
“That is part of recognizing human dignity,” Johnson said, gazing up at a woodgrain peaked ceiling.
The national team likes the continuum of housing Catholic Charities offers, from Kenton Women’s Village to Chiles House and almost 1,000 units of permanent housing.
Posing during a tour of Good Shepherd Village in Happy Valley are Juan Ortiz, director of asset management for Catholic Charities of Oregon; Marci Pierce, chief financial and administrative officer for CCO; Natalie M. Wood, executive director of CCO; Ben Wortham, vice president of behavioral health integration for Catholic Charities USA; Pooja Dalal, development and housing project manager for CCO; Curtis Johnson, vice president of housing strategy for CCUSA; Timothy Crawl-Bey, senior director of housing strategy for CCUSA; Wendy Marsh, director of development for CCO; and Kesean Coleman, vice president of community housing and development for CCO.
Touring Chiles House June 29 are Natalie M. Wood, executive director of Catholic Charities of Oregon; Timothy Crawl-Bey, senior director of housing strategy for Catholic Charities USA; Ben Wortham, vice president of behavioral health integration for CCUSA; Rose Bak, chief program officer for CCO; and Curtis Johson, vice president of housing strategy at Catholic Charities USA.
Curtis Johnson, vice president of housing strategy at Catholic Charities USA, greets Natalie M. Wood, executive director of Catholic Charities of Oregon. Looking on is Ben Wortham, vice president of behavioral health integration for CCUSA.