About Us

When I was diagnosed autistic, I discovered my intelligence and capabilities. For that, I am forever grateful”. After additional prodding by her family, she enrolled in an adult education computer class to see if she could learn how to use a computer.

Lorraine was fortunate to have had a patient and supportive teacher and discovered that, like others who fall on the Autistic Spectrum, the computer was very friendly and a great communication tool. To her shock and amazement, Lorraine ended up graduating Magna Cum Laude from the University of Oregon, with a Bachelor's of Education degree in Family and Community Services.

Degree in hand, she went to work as a Social Service Specialist in the Oregon Department of Child Welfare in 2000, out of a desire to help children who were in situations similar to those in her own life. Because of her own struggles, Lorraine has always been determined to do whatever she could to make life easier for other children than it was for her growing up. Technology ended up being the tool she needed.

After her first computer died, Lorraine discovered she had a knack at fixing computers, and so she set about finding old ones, refurbishing them, and then gifting them to children and families who couldn’t afford to buy them—many of these recipients were the people with whom she was working at Child Welfare. She quickly discovered that demand, and need, was very high.

She found some other folks in her community who were interested in refurbishing computers and had the desire to address the digital divide, but not the means to find community members who needed access to technology. She brought the hobbyists, the geeks, and those who needed computers together.

In 2004 she took a giant leap: she quit her job and moved her little enterprise out of the garage into a real warehouse. Lorraine continued to work on building services and programs to address the needs of the community and today NextStep is a thriving community service organization with 33 employees, 10 volunteer ReUse Ambassadors, an ongoing group of Lane County Master Recyclers, and hundreds of volunteers.

NextStep now occupies over 35,000 square feet in two separate locations—much of which is used to offer free job training for community members. To date, NextStep has trained over 10,000 individuals, many who are on the autism spectrum. Lane County, OR has one of the highest autism rates in the nation – one in every 90 children are diagnosed as having autism in the community.

Lorraine has modeled her belief that everyone can participate in education and has gone on to earn her Masters in Social Work.

Lorraine continues to provide support and guidance to the organization she founded as a volunteer. Lorraine is a member of the DEQ Oregon E-Cycles workgroup and a City of Eugene Human Rights Commissioner. She is a member of the National Association of Social Workers and the Social Welfare Action Alliance. She is a member of the Kindtree Autism Productions - Autism Rocks Board of Directors as well as a member of the Better Eugene-Springfield Transit Board of Advisors. She is a past co-founder and Board Member of the GreenLane Sustainable Business Network, a member of the Lane Community College Computer Information Technology Advisory Committee, and is a proud Lane County Master Recycler. Lorraine is a passionate advocate for people on the autism spectrum, for trauma survivors, and for people who experience disabilities. Lorraine believes that all people are brilliant, no matter what label they carry, and should be treated with respect and dignity.

Watch Lorraine's story on YouTube