Moray Povey

After her husband died of an aneurysm in 1960, 31-year-old Moray Povey brought her four children, ages 6 to 12, from Redmond, their home town, to Eugene, where she enrolled at the UO. "I went to school for 10 years, but didn't graduate," says Povey, who raised her kids and worked several jobs, most recently as a secretary/clerk in the nursing department at Serenity Lane. In the early '90s, when her elderly mother lived in a local foster home, Povey got to know a volunteer ombudsman visiting the facility. Following her retirement in '98, she took a training course and became certified by Oregon's Office of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman. Currently, 22 certified volunteer ombudsmen visit Lane County facilties. Each puts in 10 hours per month for at least a year. "It's a complex job that entails investigation, mediation, and resolution of problems," she says. "It appeals to people who want to devote time to a cause." Since 2000, Povey has served on the local recruiting committee. "Our next training course in Eugene starts on January 20," she notes. For details, call Povey at 344-1256 or visit <egov.oregon.gov/LTCO>.