The Oregon City Gladstone Partnership for Youth Coalition has hired longtime Oregon City resident Mary Ellen Winterhalter to facilitate Communities That Care, a process that creates positive community change.
Winterhalter previously served as Clackamas County Public Health’s Community Preparedness and Resilience Coordinator. She worked for the Oregon City School District for more than 20 years and co-founded the district’s Pioneer Pantry that provides food for students and their families.
“Mary Ellen’s commitment to community and youth is quite clear,” said Anne Haynes who coordinates the Oregon City Together Coalition. “Her outstanding skills and deep bench of experience will be a huge asset as we move forward in our process.”
The Communities That Care process is guided by the Oregon City Gladstone Partnership for Youth, a partnership of more than 50 concerned community leaders, parents, educators, law enforcement and youth focusing on prevention of high-risk youth behaviors such as delinquency and drug use. The data-driven work includes gathering and analyzing information to identify root causes and protective factors related to these behaviors.
A community profile and action plan are scheduled to be developed by the end of the year. Communities that Care is funded with a Substance and Mental Health Services Administration grant awarded to Oregon City Together and the Oregon City School District.