About Us

Who We Serve

QWO serves individuals with Developmental Disabilities (DD) and their caregiving families in Oregon and SW Washington. The participants, called “Treasures or Guests”, include individuals with a wide variety of DD (e.g., Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, and Autism), ethnic backgrounds, religions, financial statuses, ages (12 and up) and living situations.

History & Founder

Steve Ristow (pictured right), the founder and Executive Director of QWO, has a close family relative with Fetal Alcohol Effects. Steve has first-hand experience with the overwhelming responsibility of caring for someone with a mental disability, as well as the imminent need for spiritual, emotional, mental and physical restoration. It was this experience that planted the seed that would become QWO.

With a desire to help families like his own, Steve received his Bachelor's of Psychology from Pepperdine University in 1993. Steve also has a Master's of Christian Studies from George Fox University. His Master Thesis, “Respite Care: A Comprehensive Study on the Need for Respite Care for Families and Caregivers of Individuals with Mental Retardation and/or Developmental Disabilities,” began the formation of QWO.

Organizational Information

QWO became a non-profit corporation in May of 1997 under the federal code 501 (c)(3). It has a governing Board of Directors consisting of community members who monitor the direction, integrity and development of the organization. QWO employs an Executive Director, Office Administrator, Respite Program Director, Leadership Team Coordinator, Director of Development, Interior Beautification Specialist, and many Guest Service Specialists. QWO is funded strictly from private (non-government) contributors.

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