1885 to 2020: The Purpose Continues

Boys & Girls Aid was the first organization in Oregon to help children on an individual level by connecting them with families who may one day adopt them. 

In 1885 there was a young boy named Henry. He was parentless and unsure of what would happen to him. He looked like many other children living on the streets of Portland during this time. He had been abandoned by his parents and had nowhere to go.

Compassionate Oregonians established Boys & Girls Aid because they saw a need to help children like Henry. He was the first child served by Boys & Girls Aid 135 years ago, caring individuals continue this work today. We continue our commitment to care for the most vulnerable children. Boys & Girls Aid was the first organization of its kind in Oregon.

Compared to the orphanages on the East Coast that saw children as labor, Boys & Girls Aid was viewed as innovative and compassionate for implementing a model that served children on an individual level by connecting them with families who would provide the care they needed and who may eventually adopt them. With each passing year, the agency became ingrained in Oregon’s culture. The state of Oregon eventually used the framework of Boys & Girls Aid to found the Oregon Department of Human Services.

Prior to the founding of Boys & Girls Aid, growing up on the streets and experiencing an extremely hard life would have been Henry’s outcome. The founders of Boys & Girls Aid were committed to changing the trajectory of Henry’s life. Champions of Boys & Girls Aid continue to do this work today, changing the trajectory of thousands of children’s lives, each day making a difference.

The first child served at Boys & Girls Aid is a reminder that while our approach and practices have changed, our beliefs have not. Every child, from Henry to the child who comes to Boys & Girls Aid tomorrow, deserves the guidance, love, and support that comes from a family.