Come and See: A Celebration of God's Faithfulness
with Reneé Stearns
Please join us for our last gathering of the year.
Saturday, May 16, 2026 9:30 to 11 a.m. Sunset Church (upstairs meeting room) 14986 NW Cornell Road, Portland RSVP: CLICK HERE |
We have the privilege to hear from author and speaker Reneé Stearns. As the wife of World Vision's former president, Rich Stearns, Reneé has experienced World Vision's work from a unique vantage point. A devoted follower of Jesus and a champion for the most vulnerable, she has much to share with us. We will also be celebrating all God has accomplished through Columbia-Willamette Women of Vision this year as we've gathered to learn and raise significant funds that propel World Vision's work for great impact. Come to celebrate and be inspired. We also plan to have an end-of-year awards ceremony! Don't miss it! We hope to see you there. Please RSVP and invite friends. (Women only please.) Dana Rittenberry and Sandy Grubb Chapter Co-Chairs |
Women of Vision in Action
Join us on May 21 when we serve at Divine Threads whose mission is to serve women overcoming trauma by providing confidence-building wardrobes, critical life skills training, and compassionate healing from trauma. We will assist Divine Threads by purging and organizing their extensive collection of apparel and accessories used to create "capsule" wardrobes. There are two choice of time slots: 12-2 or 2-4.
Click here to learn more and RSVP.
Archive of recent events
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Come and See: The Game of Life
Saturday, April 18, 2026, 9:30 to 11 a.m. Beaverton Christian Church We traveled (virtually!) to Kenya and Bangladesh and stepped into the shoes of people our chapter serves. This Game of Life was a powerful experience created to help us understand more about how systemic inequalities and harmful practices impact individuals’ ability to reach their full potential. We saw how World Vision's Big Dream to End Child Marriage program is empowering families to live abundant lives! |
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Come and See: How God Sees You
Saturday, March 21, 9:30 to 11 a.m. Columbia Presbyterian Church When we see ourselves through God's eyes, we believe we can live out the dreams He has for us. We believe we can have abundant lives. And with World Vision's help, people all over the world are getting the support, resources and education they need to rise up out of extreme poverty, and do just that. At this gathering we heard two powerful testimonies of transformation, one from Maria, The Good Mother in Guatemala, and the other from long-time chapter partner, Ann Zelenka, and her daughter-in-law, Leah Zelenka, a former sponsored child from the Philippines! |
Come and See: Meet the President of World Vision
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We had the special opportunity to host Edgar Sandoval Sr., the President and CEO of World Vision here in Portland on February 17, 2026. His message of hope inspired all!
Edgar invited us to join World Vision in their goal to end extreme poverty for children in our lifetime. It's an audacious goal that is also possible, and we pray together we can achieve it for God's glory! |
Come and See: How a Big Dream Is Made
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World Vision launched the Big Dream to End Child Marriage to address the harmful practice of child marriage, and the impact has been transformational. Whole communities in Kenya and Bangladesh are saying no to child marriage. But how does a dream for change become a life-changing program? Women of Vision heard from Kristi Gleason, Director of Child Protection and Education for World Vision U.S., on January 17, 2026 as she explained how she and her team led the work to design the Big Dream to End Child Marriage program. |
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Come and See: Christmas Around the World!
We enjoyed a festive Christmas party at the Jenkins Estate Stable on Sunday, December 7, 2025. |
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Come and See: Bangladesh!
Saturday, November 15, 2025 Our chapter Co-Chair, Sandy Grubb, shared about World Vision's work in Bangladesh, where she visited in October to learn about one of our projects, Big Dream to End Child Marriage. |
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Come and See!
We launched a new year of Women of Vision on October 25, 2025! Please join us once a month, November 2025 thru May 2026. |
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2025 Share the Light Gala Benefit
Changed Lives Sunday, April 13, 2025 5 p.m. Abernethy Center 605 15th Street, Oregon City We welcomed Kari Costanza as our featured speaker who spoke on "In the Footsteps of Bob Pierce" in honor of World Vision's 75th Anniversary this year. |
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Winter Education Event
February 22, 2025 Columbia Presbyterian Church, Vancouver World Vision's Torrey Olsen presented "A Catalyst for Change: The Empowered Worldview" CLICK HERE to view the recording. |
2024 Fall Kick-Off
October 19, 2024
Willamette Christian Church
Our program introduced us to three courageous girls who were empowered through World Vision's strategic compassionate work in the name of Christ.
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Share the Light 2024
Hope Changes Lives We enjoyed an amazing evening hearing from Margo Day on April 14, 2024 at the Abernethy Center. Margo has traveled to Kenya with World Vision over 20 times to support the Kenya Big Dream project. She is passionate about this work and her enthusiasm is contagious and inspiring. |
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Journey to Hope On Saturday morning, February 10, 2024, we embarked on a Journey to Hope at Columbia Presbyterian Church in Vancouver. We traveled to places around the world where friends and partners like you are helping World Vision bring hope and healing to children and families living in extreme poverty. |
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2023 Fall Kick-Off
Women of Vision Then and Now: Finding Hope in Our History On October 14, 2023, we gathered with friends, new and old, to celebrate 25 years of impact as a chapter of Women of Vision. We enjoyed a sweeping review of our history together. Then we had the pleasure of hearing from Gilbert Kamanga, National Director, World Vision Kenya. |
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Share the Light 2023
We gathered on April 16 at the Multnomah Athletic Club for a delicious dinner, special music, a fresh new raffle concept, learning from Margaret Schuler, World Vision's Chief Impact Officer, and a chance to equip young people through our giving for a promising future. Thank you to all who joined us! |
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A Journey to Hope:
On March 11, 2023, we traveled (virtually) to communities in Kenya, Central America, and areas struck by disaster where we support World Vision programs. The program was held at Columbia Presbyterian Church in Vancouver, WA. |
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A Midsummer Night's Share the Light Gala
Sunday evening, August 7th, 2022 It was a lovely evening. Thank you to all our friends who came and celebrated, prayed and gave. We were inspired by Sean Kerrigan's insightful message. Courtney Temple and Judi Mittelstaedt blessed us with joyful music. It was an evening that touched our hearts and connected us to children in Syria, Honduras, and Kenya.
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Refugee Women:
Sharing from the Heart Saturday, May 21, 2022 No one dreams they will ever become a refugee. One day life is normal, and the next, everything changes in an instant as it did for our featured guest, a young mother from Chernihiv, Ukraine. Her family arrived in Portland in March 2022. We had the special privilege of talking with her in person on May 21st. We also heard stories of a refugee women from amongst the Rohingya and a woman who fled Syria. |
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HOPE FOR HONDURAS with Nadia Castro
Nadio Castro of World Vision Honduras shared an update on the Hope for Honduras work on February 12, 2022. Click here to view a recording of the event. Click here for a list of prayer requests for Honduras. |
KENYA Project Communication and ConversationWomen of Vision presented an update on the Kenya Big Dream project on November 13, 2021.
Click here to view a recording of the event. |
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2021 Fall Kick-OffWorld Vision International Global WASH Sector Lead Ray Norman joined us on October 2, 2021.
Click here for a recording of the program. |
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Syria Field BriefingWe enjoyed an update on the work of World Vision in Syria and the surrounding countries on May 22, 2021. A highlight was the conversation with Cindy Mesko, National Women of Vision Director, and Jill Sherman, seasoned Columbia-Willamette Women of Vision leader and traveler, as they shared their experiences meeting Syrian refugees in Lebanon.
Click here for the recording of that conversation. |
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Share the Light 2021 Virtual Gala
Rich and Reneé Stearns were our special guests for Share the Light 2021 on April 24th. They continue to be passionate ambassadors for ending extreme poverty and injustice so children can live life in all its fullness. You may view the recording of the event here. |
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Hope for Honduras
The Hope for Honduras event with World Vision's Christopher Shore took place on February 6th, 2021. You may view the recording here. |
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Kenya Field Briefing
This event took place on: Saturday, November 14, 2020 You may view the recording here. |
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Columbia-Willamette Fall Kickoff: HOPE WINS!
Columbia-Willamette Women of Vision introduced our plans for the coming year at our annual Kickoff on September 26, 2020. While the global pandemic continues to cause much uncertainty, we are unwavering in our mission to bring hope to a hurting world. If you missed the event, we're providing a link to the recording. Click here. |