Note from the Executive Director
PCAO is embracing a season of gratitude and collaboration. So much of this year has been difficult and uncertain for Oregon’s children and families; for the incredible people statewide who support and serve them; and for our expansive and beautiful communities broadly.
In a time when so much robust, critical prevention work is at risk in Oregon and across the U.S., we must center collaboration and our collective capacity to meet this moment. Prevention happens in partnership, and together, we are stronger, more resilient, and better able to meet the needs of those we serve. We’ve all heard the saying “you can’t pour from an empty cup”, and it’s more important than ever to be linking arms and carrying this work together.
The PCAO team is doing all we can to find the places where this complicated time can fuel our resolve and push us to be creative in our approach. We don’t have all the answers for how we move through the current climate – but we have each other, and we have a vision for a more collaborative child and family well-being infrastructure: the ecosystem Oregon desperately needs to sustain community-based prevention efforts.
These are just a few of the ways PCAO is working to meet the challenges and opportunities of this moment.
We are…
Expanding our language and strategies toward comprehensive prevention, making more space for collaboration along the prevention continuum while maintaining our focus on upstream solutions
Inviting deeper creativity and innovation in how we show up with and for our partners
Listening actively to our local, statewide, and national networks to understand and address both short- and long-term opportunities to advance prevention in this ever-shifting climate
Building and implementing strategies that strengthen and sustain Oregon’s community-based child and family well-being ecosystem
Putting rest, connection, relationship, play, and joy at the center of how we hold and nurture ourselves and our partners
This is going to be a marathon, not a sprint. Together, we will be better equipped to weather any storm and sustain the investments that have been made in violence & abuse prevention in Oregon. Together, we will create something that truly honors and advances our shared goal of child and family well-being across Oregon for generations to come. We are honored to be doing this work alongside so many brilliant, compassionate, and loving people who show up for Oregon’s kids and families no matter what. Read on to hear more from PCAO’s team about what we’re getting up to, and thank you for your support.
In solidarity,
Nicole Cunningham
Executive Director, Prevent Child Abuse Oregon
