Ophelia’s Place Receives Its Largest Single-Year Grant Ever

EUGENE, Ore. - Ophelia’s Place, a prevention-based nonprofit dedicated to helping girls make healthy life choices through empowerment, education and support, received a $100,000 donation from Cigna Foundation in December. It is the largest single-year grant the Eugene-based organization has received outside of funding from its founder.

The grant will be used to back Ophelia’s Place’s effort to provide mental health support into the personal and social lives of girl-identified youth. Ophelia’s Place offers individual and group therapy for 10-18 year olds to help address many of the issues and questions youth face during their teen years – from building healthy relationships to anxiety and depression. Therapy is offered on a sliding fee scale.

Ophelia’s Place also provides after-school and in-school programming that provides therapeutic support. Those services include girls empowerment groups, classroom presentations to all youth, and after-school programs available in-person and virtually. And, the organization provides training to youth-serving adults to learn how to better support the emotional development of teens.

“What an exciting gift to receive,” said Ophelia’s Place Executive Director Verna Wise Matthews. “Support from community individuals and organizations is what drives our ability to provide a space to empower youth with the tools they need to navigate growing up. We couldn’t meet girls where they’re at without community partners like the Cigna Foundation.”

“We’re thrilled that this Cigna Foundation grant will support youth mental health programs at Ophelia’s Place and enable the organization to continue its vital work advancing the educational, social and emotional development of girls,” said Ryan Kocher, president of Cigna's Pacific Northwest market.

Ophelia’s Place was founded in 2005 by Rosaria Haugland, a retired biochemist and co-founder of a Eugene biotechnology company. Her vision was to provide intervention at an early point in a girl’s life to give her an opportunity to develop supportive relationships and strengths that will lead to her long-term well-being.

For more information about Ophelia’s Place, please visit OpheliasPlace.net.