Boys & Girls Clubs And CareOregon Team Up In Rockwood

PORTLAND, OR —The Boys & Girls Clubs of Portland Metropolitan Area and CareOregon announced a partnership Monday designed to provide health-related programs and services to the residents of Rockwood, specifically to the area's youth.

As part of the 10-year deal, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Portland's Rockwood Club, which was built in 2017 and is located at SE 165th and SE Stark, now will be known as the CareOregon Boys & Girls Club at Rockwood.

According to a release, CareOregon provides health services and community benefit programs to Oregon Health Plan members, and the zip codes surrounding the Rockwood Club have the highest concentration of residents on the Oregon Health Plan.

Additionally, the area's surrounding the club have the "highest concentration of youth under the age of 18" in the region, which makes the club and its service a critically important part of the community fabric, according to officials.

"Many of the families we serve in Rockwood have been pushed out of Northeast Portland due to gentrification," said Terry Johnson, Boys & Girls Clubs CEO. "And historically there has been a shortage of resources and services in East County for marginalized youth and families who have moved out to this area.

"Having a partner like CareOregon to help us elevate and amplify our work in the community is a tremendous asset. We're so proud to be able to name our Rockwood Club the CareOregon Boys & Girls Club at Rockwood."

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Portland Metropolitan Area and CareOregon have worked together for years, most recently partnering on youth vaccination clinics to increase access to the COVID-19 vaccines for BIPOC youth in the community.

Eric C. Hunter, CEO of CareOregon, said the partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs in Rockwood is another example of his organization striving to build stronger communities by "making healthcare work for everyone."

"We know that good health is about more than just healthcare," Hunter said. "That's why we invest in affordable housing, work to improve access to healthy foods and support innovative community programming, like what our friends at Boys & Girls Clubs are leading. We are eager to partner with the team at Boys & Girls Clubs to further support programming and make sure that all of our neighbors in the Rockwood area have what they need to be healthy."