Portland civic leaders Janie (Marsh) Gullickson, Alisa Sinnott and Diane Whidden have joined the board of Blanchet House.
The 66-year-old nonprofit is dedicated to feeding homeless people and offering sober living programs to men in Portland and Yamhill County. There are now 15 members of the Blanchet House board, including four women.
Gullickson knows first-hand the struggle of recovering from addiction and homelessness. The executive director of the Mental Health Association of Oregon, she focuses on mental health and addiction recovery, homelessness and advocacy. She’s recently married, a mom to five and, as she puts it, “granny” to 11.
Since 2010, Whidden has been a member of the community benefit team at Kaiser Permanente Northwest. She is manager of charitable contributions, community engagement and community relations. Previously, Whidden has volunteered with Big Brothers and Big Sisters. She is now a member of the Blanchet House development committee.
Sinnott is retired from her role as director of Christian service at Central Catholic High School. She created and implemented the school’s direct service program, working with 4,200 students, their families, faculty, staff and community partners to provide more than 336,000 hours of service to those in need. She is experienced in cultivating, screening and placing volunteers.
Blanchet House is at 310 NW Glisan St. To learn more, go to blanchethouse.org.