Jeff knows that despite our best efforts in life, we can all drop the ball sometimes. Thankfully, his office is here to help Oregonians pick it up when they need it most—just ask constituent Kevin Stanley.
The Health Educator at South Salem High School had tickets booked out of PDX this summer to propose to his girlfriend Katie in Switzerland before heading over to England to teach at a kid’s basketball camp. There was just one problem—with less than 48 hours until takeoff, he discovered his passport was expired.
Kevin said between moving, working camps and youth mentoring all summer, and planning out the perfect proposal, checking his passport just slipped his mind.
“I was so desperate,” Kevin remembers.
As the clock ticked down, Kevin raced up to Seattle hoping to get an emergency passport renewal, but U.S. State Department workers told him that his only shot was to reach out to his elected representatives. Kevin says he sent an email blast out to Oregon state legislators, and many of them quickly passed his plea for help to Jeff’s office to try and work some magic on the federal level.
Just as Kevin was about to embark on a last-ditch effort to fly to Hawaii to snatch a canceled renewal appointment, one of Jeff’s constituent service representatives told Kevin to hold tight. He says she “came in clutch” by getting him an appointment in Seattle for the next morning.
“She said they will have the machines warmed up and ready to go at 8 a.m. If you can be there right when they open, they will get it done for you,” Kevin said.
With his new passport hot off the press in an almost unheard-of record of just a few hours the following morning, Kevin trekked back to Portland thinking, “if everything did not come perfectly together, there was no way I was going to make this flight.”
His girlfriend packed his bag—with her mom hiding the engagement ring inside—and Kevin met her at PDX after he got through security with just moments to spare.
“I pretty much got to the gate, gave my girlfriend a hug, went to the bathroom, and we walked on the flight. It was so close, it’s not even funny,” Kevin said.
Because of that brand new passport, Kevin was able to propose to Katie on a stunning hike in the Swiss Alps—and she said yes! It also ensured Kevin could make it to the basketball camp to serve kids. Kevin says this “best summer of his life” would not have been possible if wasn’t for the hustle in Jeff’s office.
“They were so helpful and willing to stop all the things they were doing and turn their attention to me and what I needed for a bigger goal,” Kevin said. “I just really appreciate that. I think that’s what life is truly about, serving others.”
If you or someone you know needs assistance applying for a passport or navigating the renewal process, please contact Jeff’s office with as much time as possible for us to best serve you.
English 
Spanish