Sarah Williams

When she was three years old, growing up in Chicago, Sarah Williams and her three sisters were taken from their mother, an addict with drug-induced schizophrenia, and placed in foster care. “My foster mom had eight foster kids,” she says, “plus her own nine grandkids.” Pregnant at age 16, Sarah dropped out of high school to give birth to a son, Lloyd. She married his father, Lloyd Williams Sr., a year later. Their second child, a daughter, was born with a heart condition and spent most of her brief five months of life in a hospital. The experience inspired Williams to become a nurse. After the birth of two more children, Gardenia and Jonathan, the Williams family moved to Green Bay, Wisconsin, where Sarah resumed her education, earning a GED, a certified nursing assistant and a licensed practical nurse credential in six years. In Phoenix, Arizona, she worked in a cardiac unit and completed an associate degree in nursing. She and Lloyd Sr., along with Gardenia and Jonathan, arrived in Springfield, Oregon, in 2018 for her new job in the intensive care unit at PeaceHealth RiverBend. “I wanted to do more for the homeless and the mental health community,” she says. “A coworker told me about Western Governors University.” Williams began an online WGU bachelor of science in nursing program in March 2019. “I finished in eight months,” she notes, “and got two awards for academic excellence.” She was invited to give a commencement address at a regional WGU graduation ceremony in Dallas, Texas, in February of this year. She is currently enrolled in an online program from Walden University to become a mental health nurse practitioner. In June, she transferred from the ICU to the emergency department at RiverBend. “I was burned out from day-to-day bedside nursing,” she admits. “I’m in the process of writing a book about my life and experiences. A friend suggested the name: A Rose from Concrete. I’m looking for a writing coach or editor.”

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!