Leaving a Legacy in Spirit and in Clay

A mural of ceramic tiles hangs on one of the walls of VOA Oregon’s Men’s Residential Center (MRC). Each one tells a story - of addiction, of recovery, of hope. For years on every Monday, Austin Raglione opened the doors of her pottery studio to MRC clients, guiding them as they pressed their experiences into clay. She’d fire their creations, return them glazed and gleaming, then piece them together into a mural that mirrors what she did best: building community from seemingly broken pieces.

A woman stands at a podium
Austin Raglione spoke to recipients of the Al Forthan Memorial Scholarship during the 2024 Award Ceremony, during which she was awarded the first Austin Raglione Spirit Award.

“‘Let’s make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear’ – my mom used to say to me when I was a kid when things weren’t going my way,” Gabby Raglione, Austin’s daughter, said. “It used to bug me when she said it, but in [her] life she made lemonade out of lemons.”

Austin, former chief of staff to Mayor Tom Potter and campaign manager for Earl Blumenauer’s first congressional campaign, impacted Portland as she lived and leaves an incredible legacy behind. On August 3, 2024 Austin died in the company of her family after an eight year fight with metastatic breast cancer.

In dealing with her own addiction and achieving over 23 years of sobriety, Austin dedicated herself to supporting recovery. For her, recovery wasn’t just a personal journey. Recovery became the lens through which she acted in every aspect of life and service.

Austin took that drive into her final day. From her hospice bed she wrote thank you letters to supporters of an endowment she established and championed at VOA Oregon. In just eight months, Austin garnered over $160,000 dollars of support for the VOA Oregon Al Forthan Memorial Scholarship Endowment. She rallied the community she dedicated herself to in support of a scholarship that breaks the cycle of poverty for Oregon high school students affected by addiction in their families. Today, the scholarship account has over $260,000 dollars. But Austin’s journey to leaving this final legacy started over a decade ago in the front office of the MRC.

Austin and Greg stand inside near a multicolored mural of individual ceramic tiles fused together
Austin and Greg Stone stand in front of the mural in the MRC that she helped to create with clients, staff, and alumni.

“She just showed up wanting to volunteer and make a donation,” Greg Stone, program director for the Men’s Residential Center, said. “She was a major player in the political world.

A lot of those folks think they’re too good to go out and work with homeless folks or those struggling with addiction. Not Austin. She showed tremendous humility and was passionately committed to them.”

It was around this time that Austin served as the Program Coordinator for the Portland Police Bureau’s Service Coordination Team. This team interfaced with the MRC because as a VOA Oregon program the MRC provided supportive housing and treatment resources for those struggling with addiction. From that chance meeting, Austin would become a staunch supporter, giving clients a creative outlet at her pottery studio.

“VOA days were my favorite!” Gabby said. “I would always be like, ‘I want to work those Mondays, please!’”

Austin had clients, staff, and alumni create ceramic tiles that represented them and their connections; a mural of them hangs in the halls of the MRC. Greg says it’s one of his favorites because it represents the community of recovery that Austin and the MRC strives to create.

For nearly 10 years Austin supported the clients of the MRC and the Al Forthan Memorial Scholarship. Gabby remembers how each year Austin would excitedly share a few of the scholarship essays students would write. It wouldn’t be until December 2023 that her endeavor to launch the endowment would get underway; to start, Austin pledged $10,000.

“Looking back, of course it would’ve been my mom,” Gabby said. “At first she didn’t know if she could do it, much less if people would want to join her.”

Encouraged by a lifetime of seeing her mother’s can-do attitude and dedication, Gabby worked alongside her childhood best friend’s mom and family friend Cynthia King-Guffey to quietly secure support and matches for the endowment. Eventually, the two would come back to Austin with over $80k ready for the endowment.

“She was stunned!” Gabby said. “Cynthia pushed her because she knew it was her dream and that if anyone could make it happen, it would be my mom.”

From there, seeing how receptive people were to supporting her dream to fund the endowment, Gabby said it gave Austin the juice to try and make it a reality.

During this time, Greg invited Austin to celebrate the 13th Annual Al Forthan Memorial Scholarship Award Ceremony. Here a record-breaking $124,000 dollars was awarded to 42 Oregon high school students, the most given in a single year. To cap off the night, Greg named Austin as the first recipient of the Austin Raglione Spirit Award.

Three women stand indoors at a banquet all, posing and smiling for a picture
Austin stands with friend Cynthia King-Guffey and VOA Oregon President & CEO Kay Toran at the 13th Annual Al Forthan Memorial Scholarship Award Ceremony.

“Austin left a spiritual impression on the folks who went through the MRC. She’s left a physical mark with the tiles. Now she’s left a financial mark with the endowment,” Greg said. “Standing up there with her was a gift. Honoring her was the right thing to do – recognizing the amazing human being she was and all she did for the scholarship.”

Today, the endowment continues to receive support from those who have been touched by Austin’s legacy. Each year the endowment helps support the scholarship, directly impacting the students whose essays Austin used to read, even up to her last year.

Despite her significant achievements in public service and community building, Austin found joy in life’s simple pleasures. She was known for her love of afternoon lattes (“required, no matter what”), her devotion to her dog Charlotte, and her passion for ice cream — particularly vanilla with raspberries on top. She was also famous for being a terrible cook, with a signature style her family lovingly described as “turn it on high and walk away.”

One of her favorite traditions was visiting the Skyline Restaurant with Gabby, where they would rebelliously eat pie before dinner. “My mom really loved to be sort of that way,” Gabby said. “Very fun, very playful, very dessert first.”

Read more from the 2024 Annual Report

2024 Annual Report
Ready for Hope 10 Years Later

A decade-long journey demonstrates VOA Oregon's lasting community impact as Family Relief Nursery Director Crystal Ross reconnects with a former client seeking support. Through VOA's integrated services, including addiction treatment and domestic violence support, the organization helps parents overcome challenges and rebuild family relationships. The story highlights FRN's commitment to strengthening families when they're ready for change.

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VOA Oregon continues transforming lives across the community, serving nearly 21,000 individuals through mental health services, addiction recovery programs, and family support initiatives. Under CEO Kay Toran's leadership, the organization has expanded its reach through the SHIFT healthcare initiative, partnerships with Jessup University, and enhanced domestic violence services. Toran will retire in early 2025 after 25 years of service.