Oregon City Together’s 2021 community prevention champions

Check Presentation by OptimistsOregon City Together’s annual award recognizes outstanding leadership and commitment to preventing youth substance use in Oregon City.

“Prevention is essential to all our youth having healthy futures,” says Coalition Chair Maureen Palaoro. “This award acknowledges people in our community who are doing an outstanding job with this important work.”

Members of the community submitted nominations. The criteria included showing leadership in building the coalition and/or advancing the mission of the coalition — preventing youth drug use, especially marijuana and alcohol.

“Prevention requires a multi-strategy approach,” says Palaoro. “This includes: increasing awareness of the risks of early substance use; reducing risks such as teen stress and anxiety; and increasing protective factors such as positive parenting and connections to school and the community. It also includes changing policies such as locations of marijuana retail outlets and the amount of marijuana advertising our kids see.”

She adds that the work OCT’s Community Prevention Champions of 2021-22 reflect a variety of these strategies.

Paige Hirt

Paige Hirt, a licensed professional counselor and a certified alcohol and drug counselor, co-founded the Oregon City Together Coalition more than 10 years ago. She has invested uncountable hours building the coalition and bringing her expert focus on prevention. During her tenure, Hirt’s work has educated thousands of youth and their parents.

Ravin Lopez

Ravin Lopez, a youth mentor, has worked in Oregon City middle schools through several programs at Northwest Family Services. Lopez works with at-risk students to increase protective factors in their lives and help them stay in school. Through her work, she has helped countless youth connect with mental health services, and drug and alcohol support.

Brian Shaw

Brian Shaw, a long-time Oregon City resident, is a member of the Oregon City Together coalition. In this role, he consistently leverages his network of contacts to benefit the coalition and its mission. Shaw has served as the lead on projects like the Halloween poster celebration and the more recent effort encouraging adults to secure their drugs and alcohol. He is a strong advocate, working to reduce the negative impact of legalization on the city’s youth.

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