Dougie Center seeks $2.1 million in lottery bond to open Beaverton grief‑support site as wait list grows

Leaders of the Dougie Center, a Portland‑area nonprofit that provides no‑cost peer grief support for children and families, told the House Committee on Early Childhood and Human Services on May 20 that demand exceeds capacity and the organization is seeking $2.1 million through a lottery bond authorization to open a permanent West Side site in Beaverton.

Sherry Scouten, a former state legislator and nurse who serves on the Dougie Center board, described a decades‑long history of the nonprofit and said the center’s current waiting list is “up to a year long and 200 people waiting.” Scouten recounted personal experience referring families and using the center after her husband’s death.

Brennan Wood, executive director of Dougie Center, told the committee the organization has served more than 65,000 people over 43 years and, “Last year alone, we answered over 25,000 calls for support… and last year alone we served over 2,700 people in in person peer grief support groups.” Wood described a model of age‑segmented peer groups, volunteer‑led sessions and a parallel adult support group; she said the center provides all services at no cost because many families report financial insecurity after a death.

Wood said Dougie Center purchased a building in Beaverton and estimates renovation costs at roughly $9.8 million toward a $12.5 million campaign; the organization reported it had raised $7.3 million and needs $2.1 million to reach a point where renovations would begin (the group expects to start construction when it reaches 75% of its goal). The Dougie Center’s funding request appears as a $2,100,000 appropriation in Senate Bill 5531, a lottery bond authorization, staff told the committee.

Committee members praised the organization’s model and website resources and asked technical and operational questions about program delivery. Committee and witnesses agreed Dougie Center’s LIGHT program — a grief program tailored for youth in foster care and for non‑death losses — is slated to begin in Oregon in January 2026 with training this November and initial groups planned for 2026.

Dougie Center representatives asked committee members and other legislators to sign a letter of support circulating from Senator Reynolds’ office for the lottery bond authorization. The organization said virtual options are available and typically have shorter waits, but emphasized in‑person services remain oversubscribed.

Dougie Center asked committee members to consider the program’s research base and preventive role in children’s mental health; the organization cited randomized controlled trials of its LIGHT program and outcome measures including increased social support and self‑worth for participants.

The committee did not take any formal action on the funding request during the informational session.