About Us

  “Wow!  This one’s got a temper,” the doctor exclaimed with sweat on his  brow.  The year was 1985 and in less than an hour, Lauren was already  making her presence known.  The doctor was right, she had a temper  expressed in tantrums in those early years that sent her parents  scampering to consult parenting books to try and figure out how to  handle a strong-willed child.  But Lauren always seemed to be a step  ahead, ready to take on the world.

At the age of four she wanted a  cabbage patch doll like every other kid on the block but hers had to be  black!  Already at a young age the idea of equality for all was  beginning to become Lauren’s banner.

In all things she wanted to  keep up with her older brother Adam and perhaps this is why her work  ethic and competitive spirit became so intense.  “I will do it well and I  will be done first—unless it’s math!  I hate math!”  Lauren had too  much to do to loiter around.  In middle school the pettiness perplexed  her.  She began to develop the independent spirit that did not cave into  peer group pressure.

By high school she began to see that hard  work, clear goals and purpose, opened doors.  As a sophomore, she and 2  friends took on their teacher’s challenge to “do something for someone  else”.  They decided to help a young family whose mother was seriously  ill with cancer.  The three friends spent many hours over a period of  weeks putting together a benefit dinner and auction.  They raised  $27,000 for the family in need.  They were recognized both locally and  at the state level for their efforts.

Next there was controversy  at school.  A teacher used a slur to describe another ethnic group.   Lauren would not accept the excuse from the teacher that her father had  used the word a lot and so it’s ok.  Not so.  Lauren used all means  available to get the teacher to see the error of her ways and she  succeeded.  The strength of her spirit was growing.  No one seemed to  intimidate Lauren as she began to understand that right is greater than  might.

Her purpose in life was taking shape.  Justice for all was  more than a motto for the young woman.  It was quickly becoming her  passion.  The same intensity the doctor detected early on was being  transformed into an energy and commitment that made others wonder, “Why  am I not doing more?”

On to the University of Portland to further  hone her purpose and direction.  With a double major in political  science and French and trips to England, France for a semester, Ireland,  Spain, The Netherlands, and Nicaragua, the issues of justice and human  rights for every person regardless of nationality or religion  developed.  Lauren had found her niche.  Not shy, nor afraid, she began  to put words and ideas into action.  She began volunteering at Raphel  House in Portland, a shelter for battered women and their children.  For  4 years she spent many Saturday mornings there playing with children  and doing art projects with the kids so mothers could have a little time  to themselves.  Through her work at the Office of Volunteer Services,  now known as the Moreau Center, Lauren worked on recycling at the  University.  During the last two years at UP, each semester she helped  organized a clothing drive and then made sure the clothing got to the  appropriate agencies.  She helped other students get involved in the  Oregon Beach Clean-up and the Run for the Cure.  Twenty-four hours after  graduating from UP, she was on her way to Nicaragua to learn and work  as a volunteer for six weeks.

The next chapter was one which  Lauren was so excited about: A masters program in international human  rights at the prestigious Joseph Korbel School of International Studies  in Denver, Colorado.  In one short semester she established herself as a  leader and an independent thinker among her professors and her peers.   She was chosen as leader of a delegation of students going to Israel for  internships at the Minerva Center, at Hebrew University in Jerusalem.   Her assignment was to Rabbis for Human Rights, an organization dedicated  to the rights not just of Jews, but of Palestinians, Christians, and  Muslims.  When asked if she felt anxious about going there in the midst  of the recent war between Gaza and Israel, Lauren replied, “This is my  chosen field.  It won’t always be safe.”

Five days before she was  to leave for Israel, Lauren was overcome by carbon monoxide in the  middle of the afternoon while she did extra reading in preparation for  her trip.  She died in her apartment on January 5th, 2009, after a  repairman put a damaged vent cap back on a roof vent, causing the toxic  gas to back up into Lauren’s apartment.  Because Lauren’s story of  passion and commitment for the needs of others became known across the  state of Colorado, her name was added to the Lofgren Family(now the  Lofgren and Johnson Family) Carbon Monoxide Safety Act.  The bill  requires all new housing, housing as it is sold, and all apartments as  tenants change hands to have carbon monoxide detectors.  The bill was  signed into law by Governor Bill Ritter on March 24th, 2009.

Lauren  left behind a bevy of devastated family and friends who had experienced  first hand her joy and passion for life.  Some of those persons have  dedicated themselves to creating a foundation that will remember and  honor her life and inspiration.  Simply called The LAUREN Project, it  will seek to help others who want to do international volunteerism. 

Biography By: Don Johnson