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 About
Us
Mission
QWO is dedicated to serving individuals with developmental
disabilities, their families, and caregivers by providing
services to restore their spiritual, physical, emotional, and
mental health.
Organizational Information
QWO became a
non-profit corporation in May of 1997 under the
federal code 501 (c)(3). It has a governing Board
of Directors consisting of community members who monitor
the direction, integrity and development of the
organization. QWO employs an
Executive Director, Office Administrator, Respite Program
Director, Interior Beautification Specialist, and five Guest Service Specialists.
QWO is funded strictly from private
(non-government) contributors.
Who
We Serve
QWO serves individuals with DD and their
caregiving families in Oregon and SW Washington. The participants, called “Treasures”, include individuals
with a wide variety of DD (e.g., Down Syndrome,
Cerebral Palsy, and Autism),
ethnic backgrounds, religions, financial statuses, ages (12
and up) and living situations.
History & Founder
 Steve Ristow (pictured
right), the founder and Executive Director of
QWO, has a close family relative with Fetal
Alcohol Effects. Steve has first-hand experience with the overwhelming responsibility
of caring for someone with a mental disability,
as well as the imminent need for spiritual,
emotional, mental and physical restoration. It
was this experience that planted the seed that
would become QWO.
With a desire to help families
like his own, Steve received his Bachelor's of
Psychology from
Pepperdine University in 1993. Steve also has a
Master's of Christian Studies from George Fox
University. His Master Thesis, “Respite
Care: A Comprehensive Study on the Need for
Respite Care for Families and Caregivers of
Individuals with Mental Retardation and/or
Developmental Disabilities,” began the
formation of QWO.
Our
Commitments
- Operating according to the
guiding principles in God's Word.
- Believing all
people are created equally in the image
of God.
- Believing all
people should be treated with the
greatest respect, honor, and love.
- Balancing
work and family.
- Believing our
services are viewed as a ministry and not
a business.
- Believing
that serving individuals with
developmental disabilities and their
caregivers is the number one priority.
- Listening
readily and communicating openly and
directly.
- Providing a
work environment and leadership that
unites volunteers and generates
enthusiasm for serving individuals with
developmental disabilities and their
caregivers.
- Allowing
volunteers the freedom to fail and do a
better job next time, but not at the
expense of the health and safety of those
we serve.
- Providing
training and support to our volunteers so
that they may utilize their God-given
abilities.
Our Priorities
- Share the
love of Jesus to families and caregivers
through service, encouragement, and
outreach.
- Provide
non-discriminatory and non-denominational
support services to all persons.
- Involve
individuals with DD, their families and
caregivers in the development of all of
QWO's support programs.
- Encourage
families and organizations to provide
excellent caregiving environments.
- Improve the
quality of living for all families.
- Educate and
implement programs for church
congregations and other organizations.
- Link families
and caregivers with community services.
- Provide
affordable services for families in all
financial circumstances
P.O.
BOX 714 • SHERWOOD, OREGON 97140 •
TEL: (503) 620-8288
EMAIL: info@quietwatersoutreach.org •
FAX: (503) 968-6218
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