Quest Center’s LGBTQIA2S+ Recovery House Featured in The Guardian
The Guardian’s Sam Levin highlighted a handful of organizations that are working hard to address Oregon’s substance-use crisis, speaking with two Quest Center clients who, despite significant challenges, have found recovery.
‘Brando, a 37-year-old Quest resident, who is transgender and Two-Spirit, moved from California to Portland in 2023 in hopes of separating himself from the community that had fueled his addiction.
“I knew what kind of help I needed, but I didn’t get that care until I got here,” he said.’
Brando poses for a portrait at a Quest Center Recovery Home in Portland, Oregon, on 26 February 2025. Photograph: Amanda Lucier/The Guardian
Echoe Reed poses for a portrait at a Quest Center Recovery Home on 26 February 2025. Photograph: Amanda Lucier/The Guardian.
‘Echoe Reed, a 43-year-old Quest resident, said her addiction stemmed in part from her grief after losing two friends, her stepfather and mother in rapid succession. She had also long been in the closet as a trans woman, which fueled her drug use.
Based on a therapist’s recommendation, she moved into Quest last year. Transitioning from struggling alone to living with other LGBTQ+ people in recovery was a game-changer. She said: “It was amazing to suddenly have this new family.”’