Freres Engineered Wood celebrated the grand opening of Doris’s Place on Thursday, Jan. 15, marking a major milestone for children and families in the Santiam Canyon. The new Family Building Blocks facility will provide a permanent, long-awaited home for Doris’s Place, expanding access to free, strengths-based and trauma-informed services designed to keep children safe and families together. The project was made possible through broad community support, including a $20,000 donation from the Freres Foundation and the use of Freres plywood and Mass Ply Lams in the building’s construction.
“It’s a significant addition to our community,” said Rob Freres, president of Freres Engineered Wood. “Doris’s Place will help meet the needs of young families, teach new parents essential parenting skills, support early childhood socialization, and ultimately give children a better chance of success later in life.”
Doris’s Place is named in honor of Doris Wipper, whose life reflected a deep commitment to children and community. Doris grew up in the Santiam Canyon and attended Stayton High School, where she met and married her first husband, Larry Freres. She later began her career with Freres Wood as a bookkeeper and, over 38 years, transitioned to corporate secretary and eventually chief financial officer.
After retiring, Doris left a significant portion of her estate to the Oregon Community Foundation, benefiting children in Marion, Linn, and Polk counties. She was also a longtime supporter of the Boys & Girls Club of Salem, including contributing to the construction of a new facility with a wing named in her honor.
“Doris had a strong affinity for helping children throughout her life,” Freres said. “Her values closely align with the mission of Family Building Blocks, which made supporting Doris’s Place especially meaningful for our family and our company.”
Located at 955 East Santiam Highway in Stayton, Doris’s Place will enable Family Building Blocks to serve more than 1,500 children and 850 families annually across Marion and Polk counties through services such as therapeutic classrooms, home visiting, parenting education, respite care and family mental health services. The grand opening celebration included tours of the new space, light refreshments and remarks recognizing the collective effort that brought the project to life.
