Staff profile: Debbie Rieke
Debbie Rieke was volunteering for Northwest Portland Ministries on a planned hiatus from paid work to focus on personal goals and service to the community when she learned of Project Access NOW. While waiting for a meeting to begin, she picked up one of Project Access NOW’s brochures on display in the lobby that was shared by both organizations. After reading about Project Access NOW’s mission and vision, she instantly felt the need to become involved. She reached out to program coordinator, Lorraine Williams, and began volunteering shortly thereafter.
Debbie likes to be around people and has always been driven by the desire to help others, so her prior experience as a Certified Medical Assistant and, later, as a Human Resources professional, proved to be a good fit with Project Access NOW. She drew upon her knowledge of staffing and organizational development to enhance Project Access NOW’s community volunteer program, and she became the liaison between staff and community volunteers. Debbie’s knowledge of planning corporate events also proved valuable as she became involved in planning the annual Bridges to Healthcare event as well as other events throughout the year.
When Lorraine Williams made the decision to move on from Project Access NOW, Debbie received a call asking if she’d be interested in joining the organization as an employee. It just felt right. So Debbie transitioned from volunteer to employee in February 2011 and is “honored to be a part of such an important and necessary effort to serve the needs of the most vulnerable in our community. “
Project Access NOW works to connect more low-income, uninsured people to donated healthcare. As Community Resource Development Manager, Debbie works to build awareness and promote the vision and mission of Project Access NOW by developing and expanding its partnerships and relationships with individuals and business members of the community, provider volunteers, and potential funding sources that are necessary to support and expand the efforts of Project Access NOW.
Debbie loves the fact that she lives only a few blocks from the office and looks forward to walking in each morning to work alongside the dedicated and compassionate team at Project Access NOW. She and her husband, Ross, have two daughters, Erin and Shannon. In her spare time, she enjoys a casual game of golf, singing with friends in a church choir, spending time with her family at the Oregon coast, and chucking a tennis ball for her Cairn terrier, Sophie.
