John Walters, The Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy came and used his visit to Portland and to the new Union Gospel Mission LifeChange Center to announce the 2007 White House Drug Policy.
Director Walters presented Russell with a "Call to Service Award" from President Bush. Russell says, "While feeling personally honored to receive the Award, I said to the Director and everyone gathered that the award is truly for a whole team . all the leaders of UGM, all the residents and graduates of LifeChange, the Portland business committee, a collaborative and cooperative justice system and the Mayor's office."
"To have a cabinet member in our new building means a lot to us. Portland, as a city, is on the cutting edge of reducing substance abuse as one of the 25 cities in the ONDCP Major Cities Initiative. The Director used LifeChange in part because we demonstrate the second plank of his drug policy - "Healing America's Drug Users."
Bill Russell (UGM Executive Director)
Portland Mayor Tom Potter was also on hand and spoke of the value of a city-wide drug policy.
