PASSION Awards
Each year the Oregon Coalition Against Domestic & Sexual Violence honors advocates’ extraordinary contributions with the PASSION Award, presented during our Annual Conference.
Building upon our anti-oppression and racial justice work, we recognize that advocates from privileged groups are typically afforded more recognition for their work. Accordingly, we encourage program directors to consider nominating outstanding advocates from communities of color and other marginalized identities.
Basic criteria
Nominees should…
- …be currently employed by an OCADSV member program in good standing that is a community-based nonprofit or tribal DV/SA advocacy program;
- …be currently working in a direct-service advocacy role with survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and/or stalking; and
- …exemplify the following qualities in support of their program’s goals
- P: Perseverance
- A: Advocacy
- S: Sensitivity
- S: Strength
- I: Integrity
- O: Optimism
- N: Nurturance
Nomination process
Program directors may submit official PASSION Award nominations
Colleagues and community partners may submit statements of support for a nominee (using the same form).
Coalition staff checks to ensure each nominee meets the selection criteria and has been officially nominated by their program’s director.
OCADSV will notify the program director of each eligible nominee, and we work surreptitiously to get both the nominee and their program director to our Annual Conference’s award ceremony.
Additional guidelines
- A nomination is considered official only if it is submitted by the program’s executive director. Other colleagues of the nominee may submit statements of support to accompany a nomination. Some OCADSV member programs operate under the umbrella of a larger organization or other entity. For these programs, the lead coordinator/manager/director for the DV/SA advocacy program may submit an official nomination. This situation may apply to programs such as:
- Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon – Slavic Oregon Social Services
Immigrant & Refugee Community Organization – Refugee and Immigrant Family Strengthening
IMPACT NW – Parent Child Therapeutic Services
Northwest Family Services – Casa Esperanza
Salvation Army – West Women’s & Children’s Shelter
Self Enhancement, Inc. – Domestic Violence Program
Warm Springs Reservation – Victims of Crime Services - Each OCADSV member program may nominate only one person every three years.
For example, if someone from your program received the PASSION Award in 2016, your program will be eligible to nominate someone again in 2019 (scroll down for a list of past awardees)
Past recipients
2023
Susan Barrientos-Byrd, Safe of Columbia County
Tina Piearcy, Canyon Crisis Resource Center
Sara Brennan, Center for Hope and Safety
Rayme Lacey, Heart of Grant County
2022
Dulce Heredia, Helping Hands
Claire Carlson, VOA HomeFree
2021
Angela Dorman, MayDay, Inc.
Roszanne Moldovan, Shelter from the Storm
Carol Rios, Community Works
Brandi Yanez, Hope & Safety Alliance
2020
Karen Duran, Casa Esperanza
Amparo Piedrahita, Casa Esperanza
Jaquelinne Portillo Grijalva, Womenspace
Jennifer Metcalf, Confederated Tribes of Siletz- CARE Program
Kerri Fox-Schaller, Oasis Advocacy & Shelter
2019
Katya Trubilova, Russian Oregon Social Services
Loerit Perez, Sexual Assault Resource Center
Linda Green, Raphael House of Portland
Esperanza Valencia, Impact NW – Parent-Child Therapeutic Services
Krista Evans, Shelter from the Storm
Lori Oltman, Siuslaw Outreach Services
2018
Eliana Echeverria Kennedy, YWCA of Greater Portland
Emmy Ritter, Raphael House of Portland
Dana Lundy, Center for Hope and Safety (Salem)
Michael Klein, Community Works (Medford)
Sarina Simpson, Self Enhancement Inc. (Portland)
Eleanor Watkins, Tillamook County Women’s Resource Center
Jenna Cohan, HAVEN (The Dalles)
Kristen Dewey, Center Against Rape and Domestic Violence (Corvallis)
Edlyn Ortiz, Saving Grace (Bend)
Averi Sage, Volunteers of America Oregon – Home Free (Portland)
2017
Sami J. Gloria, Battered Persons’ Advocacy (Roseburg)
Karen Shultz, Helping Hands Against Violence (Hood River)
2016
Candace Lillie, Warm Springs Reservations – Victims of Crime Services (Warm Springs)
Julie Warren, SAFE of Columbia County (Saint Helens)
Milli Joseph, MayDay Inc. (Baker City)
Sharon Ford, Womenspace (Eugene)
Shawn Scott, Henderson House (McMinnville)
Tracey Cummings, My Sisters’ Place (Newport)
2015
Monica Alexander, Bradley Angle (Portland)
Angie Drake, Clackamas Women’s Services (Oregon City)
Marie Hickman, Siuslaw Outreach Services (Florence)
Mercedes Hill, HAVEN from Domestic Violence (The Dalles)
Sharon Moore, The Harbor (Astoria)
Norma Obrist, Tillamook County Women’s Resource Center (Tillamook)
Rosie Richburg, Harney Hope (Burns)
Sheila Saray, Los Ninos Cuentan (Oregon City)
Emily Trussell, Center for Hope and Safety (Salem)
Diana Young, Sexual Assault Support Services (Eugene)
2014
Susie Ellwood, Illinois Valley Safe House Alliance (Cave Junction)
Manuel Gutierrez, Domestic Violence Services (Pendleton)
Serra Perino, Helping Hands Against Violence (Hood River)
Jennifer Weeks, Saving Grace (Bend)
2013
Teresa Aslin, Womenspace (Eugene)
2012
Sandy Haw, Henderson House (McMinnville)
Nick Guerrero, Raphael House of Portland
Midori Hamilton Awards
Each year, the Oregon Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence (OCADSV) presents the Midori Hamilton Award to individuals who have provided exemplary service in the movement to end domestic and sexual violence.
Midori Hamilton, this award’s namesake, was a longtime advocate, activist, Coalition volunteer, and staff member who worked tirelessly at the intersections of racial equity and ending sexual and domestic violence. She began volunteering for OCADSV in the mid-1980s, during which she launched the Women of Color Caucus. She joined the Coalition staff in the early-1990s, helping solidify the Coalition’s membership and policy influence, supporting women of color in advocacy and leadership roles, and organizing caucus meetings and affinity group gatherings during OCADSV board meetings and conferences, among many other accomplishments.
Shortly after her retirement, the Coalition established the Midori Hamilton Award to honor individuals and their outstanding contributions to our movement on a statewide level. Previous awardees include advocacy program directors, community partners, government officials, and community members dedicated to preventing domestic and sexual violence and supporting survivors throughout Oregon.
Recipients of the Midori Hamilton Award are selected by OCADSV’s board and staff members, and receive special recognition during our Annual Conference.
Past recipients
2023
Mel Philips , OAASIS
2022
Teri Lorenzen, Raphael House
2021
Kerry Naughton, OAASIS
Lisa Norton , Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians
2020
Gita Mehrotra, Portland State University
Dornice Hart
Claire Barrera
Sarina Simpson
2019
Ron Clark, Agape Church of Christ
Lea Sevey, Oasis Advocacy and Shelter
2018
Cheryl O’Neill, Oregon Department of Human Services
Pastor Cliff Chappell, Pastor, St. Johns All Nations Church of God in Christ
2017
Allison Cleveland, Oregon Anti-Violence Project
Kathleen Marvin, Tillamook County Women’s Resource Center (ret.)
2016
Erin Greenawald, Oregon Department of Justice
2015
Julie McFarlane, Oregon Health Authority
2014
Nancy Greenman, Oregon Attorney General’s Sexual Assault Task Force
2013
Desiree Coyote, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla
2012
Songcha Bowman, South Asian Women’s Empowerment & Resource Center and Portland State University
2011
Tawna Sanchez, Native American Youth & Family Center
2010
Vanessa Timmons, Multnomah County Domestic Violence Coordinator’s Office and OCADSV
2009
Kris Billhardt, Director, VOA Home Free
2008
Toni Ryan, Saving Grace
Jessica Mindlin, Victim Rights Law Center
2007
Denise Washington
Sybil Hebb, Oregon Law Center
Robin Selig, Oregon Law Center
2006
Jayne Downing, Center for Hope and Safety (formerly Mid-Valley Women’s Crisis Service)
Phyllis Barkhurst, Oregon Attorney General’s Sexual Assault Task Force
2005
Chiquita Rollins, Multnomah County Domestic Violence Coordinator
* The OCADSV offices experienced a fire in July of 2012, during which many records were destroyed. Please contact us if you know who received this award!
Esperanza Award
The Esperanza Award is named after Esperanza Valencia, a tireless advocate and past PASSION awardee who embodied her name of ‘hope’ to every survivor she came across. Esperanza passed away suddenly in 2019, leaving the world too soon. She has touched many lives and has provided a lasting sense of hope.
Basic Criteria
- Advocate of color who is currently employed by a member program in good standing that is a community-based nonporfit or tribal dv/sa advocacy program or culturally specific program.
- Currently working in a direct-service advocacy role with survivors of domestic violence, sa/stalking
- Demonstrates a commitment to families/children and helping the children heal and breaking the chains of intergenerational trauma.
- Holds a commitment to providing culturally responsive services to communities of color
Nomination Process
- Nominations can be submitted by any 2 staff members from a member program, tribal program or CS
- No one can nominate themselves
- The selection committee is made up of OCADSV staff and members of the OCADSV POC caucus
- 1-3 awardees may be selected for this year’s Esperanza award
Past Recipients
2023
Andoeni Verdugo , Sexual Assault Support Services (SASS)
Brandie Raddadi , Immigrant Refugee Community Organization (IRCO)
Jossie Ah-San, Community Works
2022
Gracie Wallace, Project DOVE
Jackie Grijalva, Hope & Safety Alliance
Maria Cruz, Peace at Home Advocacy Center
2021
Evelin Damian Ramirez, Sexual Assault Support Services (SASS)
Maria Cristina Lenzi Miori, CARDV
2020
Perla Estrada, Sexual Assault Resource Center
Norma Olivia Obrist, Tides of Change