Brittiny Raine. Photo by Todd Cooper.

Best Person Making a Difference 

1. Brittiny Raine CORE, Community Outreach through Radical Empowerment, CoreEugene.org.

2. Dan Bryant SquareOne Villages housing nonprofit, SquareOneVillages.org.

3. Terry McDonald St. Vincent De Paul, SVdP.us

When Brittiny Raine moved to Eugene in 2017, she had one goal in mind: start a nonprofit that actually helps young adults experiencing homelessness. Having been homeless on and off throughout her adolescence, Raine says she saw how the system had continuously failed young adults trying to get their lives back on track. “Social workers failed me pretty deeply as a young person,” Raine says. “For me, it was like knowing we could do something different within the nonprofit industrial complex.” 

With the help of her partner, Dylan Weil, Raine started CORE, a nonprofit that structures its programs around the needs of young adults in Eugene who are experiencing homelessness. Raine says the difference between CORE and other nonprofits is that the programs offered are completely based on the feedback they get from the young adults they serve. These programs include harm reduction outreach, a life skills workshop center and case management services.