Our Team
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Lynn Renken
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Ashlee Purdy, LCSW
Clinical Director
Ashlee Purdy, LCSW, is the Clinical Director at A Village for One with over a decade of experience in adolescent mental health. A dedicated professional, she is a certified Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) Practitioner and Youth Mental Health First Aid Trainer, as well as serves on Oregon's Department of Justice Human Trafficking Task Force. In her free time, Ashlee chases her toddler around and shows her love for others through baking sweet treats.
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Katie Moon, QMHA
Operations & Program Services Director
Katie (she/her) began working at A Village For One in 2020 when Anisa’s Place first opened. Katie has a degree in cultural anthropology and is passionate about non-profit work, and working within local communities . Having held several different positions at AV41, Katie has enjoyed getting to know the individuals that we work with in each program and the ongoing journey of learning about services and the systems within mental health services. In her free time Katie enjoys backpacking, traveling to new destinations and exploring the beauty of the PNW.
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Melissa Erickson
Development Director
Melissa Erickson is excited to join A Village for One as the Development Director. She has 10+ years experience in fundraising at local Portland nonprofits and a passion for social justice, human rights, and women's rights. She moved to Oregon in 2010 from Philadelphia and has a Masters Degree in Anthropology from Oregon State University. She has a BA in Writing, Literature and Publishing and wrote and published a book in 2014 called Sisters, Sunsets and Self Discovery. She has two young boys, Ember and Archer and loves weekend adventures with her family, travel, dancing, hiking and camping.
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Deonza Watson
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Cassie Larson
Outpatient Clinician
Cassie is a dedicated and compassionate Professional Counselor Associate with a passion to contribute to the well-being and development of children, adolescents, and families through the use of counseling both as an intervention and prevention tool. Cassie comes to A Village for One with over 9 years of experience working in the anti-trafficking domain, both domestically and internationally, and with experience providing community-based mental health services to a diverse caseload of children, adolescents, and families in Los Angeles. As a clinician, Cassie is continually motivated by the growth she witnesses in her clients throughout the therapeutic process! In her free time Cassie enjoys spending time with friends and family over a good meal, taking day trips to the coast, and playing any kind of competitive game!
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Jamie Buss, QMHP, CSWA
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Gabby Hammack
Outpatient Case Manager
Gabby is passionate about mental health and women’s health advocacy. She was drawn to A Village for One through her desire to support and uplift vulnerable youth in her community and challenge stigmas and systemic norms surrounding sexual exploitation. As case manager, Gabby finds fulfillment by connecting with youth over shared meals or exciting group outings. Gabby holds a B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from the University of Oregon. A native Oregonian, she enjoys hiking, reading in the sun, exploring Portland’s food scene, and spending time with her loved ones—especially her dog, Kaya.
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Ellie Hofer, QMHP-R
Residential and Outpatient Clinician
Ellie Hofer, MSW (She/Her) began her journey with A Village for One in 2024 as a second-year MSW intern at Anisa’s Place. In 2025, she transitioned into her current role as a residential and outpatient clinician. Ellie is deeply passionate about supporting exploited and at-risk youth and has cherished her time both in the house and working within the community. Outside of work, Ellie enjoys photography, reading, attending concerts, and traveling and can often be found sharing stories from her latest adventures with co-workers.
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Bree-Ella Bettger
House Manager - Anisa’s Place
Bree-Ella’s passion for social work began as a youth herself in a homeless shelter/independent living program. Her lived experience as a homeless and traumatized youth has shaped the way she sees the world. Bree-Ella has worked in residential settings extensively, and that is what brings her to AV41! Since working with AV41 her knowledge base around the CSEC population has grown, and so has her passion for helping survivors of sexual exploitation and trafficking. Bree-Ella is currently obtaining her QMHA and degree in Clinical Psychology with a minor in Sociology. Bree-Ella’s free time is spent reading, writing, crocheting and spending time with her beloved husband and family.
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Becky Zhang
Quality and Compliance Specialist
Becky (Meng) Zhang joined A Village For One in 2019 after relocating to Portland from the east coast. As the Quality and Compliance Specialist, a.k.a. "paperwork queen", Becky oversees policy development, licensing and accreditation, quality assurance, and grant management of the organization. Becky is Project Management Professional (PMP) certified and has 20 years of working experience in a variety of fields, including educational consulting, training and development, research and data analysis, public relations, media production and translation.
Originally from China, Becky holds a bachelor’s degree in Arabic and English, a master’s in radio and television, a doctorate in mass communication and a graduate certificate in women’s studies. Outside of her work at AV41, Becky is a freelance translator and consultant and she enjoys cooking, rock climbing, and Taiko drumming! -
Sarah Lahey
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Rania Abbasi
Administrative and Communications Manager
Rania joined A Village for One in early 2024 after moving to Portland from the Midwest. She holds a BA in English from Wayne State University in Detroit, MI where she became passionate about literature and history, as well as archival work. She believes it’s crucial to preserve and maintain historical records, and she brings that passion for records management to her administrative work at AV41. She also is committed to ensuring A Village for One is active in the community, and works to strengthen the organization’s message through a digital space. In her free time, Rania enjoys watching films, hiking, reading, and hanging out with her dog, Leia.
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Coffee, best friend