Three charitable organizations recently announced combined donations of $1.48 million to help aid in the opening of a westside Dougy Center: The National Grief Center for Children & Families in Beaverton next year.
The philanthropic support comes from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, Marcia H. Randall Foundation and the Marie Lamfrom Charitable Foundation, who donated $600,000, $500,000 and $375,000, respectively.
Renovations on the new Dougy Center, named Malcom’s House, are underway with plans to open in the first part of 2027. The new facility is located in the former Allegro Microsystems building at 15985 N.W. Schendel Ave., near the Walker Road Fred Meyer store.
Marcia H. Randall, founder of the Marcia H. Randall Foundation, said her foundation believes children deserve compassionate support during difficult times in their lives.
“Dougy Center has provided hope and healing to grieving children and families for decades, and we’re honored to help expand that mission by supporting Dougy Center West,” Randall said in a statement. “We hope this gift helps ensure that more children in our community have access to the care, connection and resources they need to navigate grief with strength, understanding and hope.”
The donations will not only support renovating the existing 14,000-square-foot building but will be used to help expand access to grief support services for children, teens, young adults and families before and after the death of someone close.
Tyler Hobbs, president of the Marie Lamfrom Charitable Foundation, noted that childhood grief has lifelong consequences when it’s unaddressed.
“The Marie Lamfrom Charitable Foundation is proud to support Dougy Center West because it will expand free, direct access to grief support for kids and families across our region,” he said in a news release. “This is not just a new building; it’s a chance to reach families who are currently waiting, sometimes alone, through the hardest moment of their lives.”
The new location will feature indoor and outdoor play areas, a 1,500-square-foot room to serve as Dougy Center’s national hub for grief-informed training and community gatherings and a recording studio for the organization’s internationally distributed “Grief Out Loud” podcast, officials have said.
