By Melissa Wagoner
When Silverton-based nurse Holly Perez received a call from the Maps Community Foundation informing her she had just been chosen a Community Award recipient for 2022, she was caught off guard.
“My daughter Sofia nominated me,” Perez said. “I was not aware of this; therefore, it was quite a surprise.”
It was a good one. As a winner, she was able to designate a non-profit to receive a $1,000 grant. Perez selected Bridgeway Recovery, a drug, alcohol, mental health and mild medical treatment facility in Salem. She’s well aware of Bridegway’s work, having been a LPN with the Medically Managed Withdrawal Detox Program for the past four years.
“I chose Bridgeway… because not only do I truly love working for this company, but the people who come to Bridgeway for help are inherently good people who are at a time in their lives where they are struggling,” Perez said.
“It takes great bravery to ask for help and being able to provide that assistance through medically managed detox is my way of giving back to my community.”
Perez was recognized by Maps as a community member “going above and beyond to ‘Make a Difference’,” in a press release Sept. 14. She said she was humbled and honored by the award and the nomination letter her daughter submitted.
“My mom has been a nurse for 12 plus years and consistently goes out of her way to help the community in any way she can,” Sofia wrote. “She has assisted with homeless shelters around Silverton/Marion County, used her spare time to help neighbors with projects and necessities, and even took in a family of four one Christmas, who was in the process of finding their own place.”
“It just feels good knowing how much my children see me,” Perez said. “How much they see what I do and the impact for good it has on them. My hope is they will continue doing the same.”
