Local nonprofits awarded
more than $97,000 in March
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The Sunriver Women’s Club (SRWC) has a successful history of supporting nonprofit organizations in south Deschutes County through the Community Grant program, which allocates funds twice a year.
In March, SRWC distributed $41,485 in Community Grants and $55,586 from its Power of 50 for Education grant.
The grants have changed many lives.
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A high school student is thriving in an internship program, earning $15 an hour, while working towards his diploma thanks to the Youth Compass Program.
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A woman's world was shattered by sexual abuse. She worked with a KIDS Center therapist to learn how to navigate the challenges of her past and guide her children to having healthier and safer lives.
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A homeowner is thrilled by his new ramp, giving him safe access his home, thanks to the Habitat for Humanity Critical Repairs Program.
Transformational Grant Supports Local Student Success
As previously reported in the Bend Bulletin and KTVZ, the SRWC awarded a $55,586 transformational grant to the South County Collaborative (SCC) as seed money for a new initiative to support and empower youth in south Deschutes County.
Val Stensland, the SRWC liaison to the SCC, said the impact of the grants is significant and sustainable.
The SCC emerged from conversations club members had with community members, nonprofit leaders and school administrators in order to identify strategies to best assist local students and parents. The key organizers will continue to implement the strategies to assist local students. The Power of 50 for Education funds were raised in honor of the club’s 50th anniversary in 2022 and are dedicated to expanding opportunities for local students.
The SRWC has drawn attention to the needs of local youth through its philanthropic priorities. Youth mentoring services have increased dramatically in the area.
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Nine Area Nonprofits Awarded $41,485 in Community Grants
In March, the Sunriver Women’s Club awarded $41,485 in Community Grants to nine nonprofits in south Deschutes County.
Friends of the Children received $10,000 for a summer literacy camp in La Pine. This organization matched two professional mentors with 16 La Pine kindergarten students that have already experienced multiple traumatic experiences. The mentors support each student for 12 years. The goal of the literacy camp is to have all of these children and their siblings reading at grade level by school starting in the fall or enrolled in an appropriate program to bring them to grade level.
CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) was given $6,000 to train three new volunteers to advocate for foster children. A CASA now represents 95% of all foster children in south Deschutes County, whereas the statewide rate is closer to 50%. The increased advocacy rate correlates to SRWC financial support since 2018.
Big Brother Big Sisters (BBBSCO) accepted $5,000 for a new “match specialist,” a key person to train and support an additional 10 new mentor/mentee matches for middle school youth. BBBSCO expanded into south Deschutes County in 2022 with a first time SRWC grant.
The Sunriver Nature Center & Observatory was granted $5,000 to deliver free, weekly, off-site, out-of-school, science and nature programs to south Deschutes County students during the school year. This provides about 100 elementary students with programs including up close encounters with local wildlife, taking a tour of the galaxy with a portable planetarium, viewing the sun in detail or learning some of the complex chemical reactions that sustain life.
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SMART Reading got $5,000 to provide 14 books to each of the 157 area kindergarteners and to support volunteer readers. Studies have shown that being read to as a child and having books in the home are the two most important indicators of future academic success.
The Habitat for Humanity La Pine Sunriver Critical Repairs program was awarded $4,500 to keep seven to eight families in their homes. Demand for critical home repairs continues to explode, with more than 100 inquiries and 75 repairs completed in the past 12 months.
The Meals on Wheels program was given $3,000 continuing support for service in south Deschutes County. It currently serves more than 400 clients with no wait list.
The La Pine, Community Health Center got $1,785 to pay for needed pharmaceutical products , medical devices and other sundries that their clients can't afford, and insurance will not cover.
SRWC philanthropy is focused on providing a strong network of services that improves the lives of the most vulnerable citizens in the south Deschutes County community. The next Community Grant opportunity is Sept. 15.
Click the button below for additional information about the SRWC philanthropy program or to make a donation.
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April 12 is the last day to register
for the Annual Meeting and
Celebration of Giving Luncheon
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April Events
Happy Hour
4 to 6 p.m. Monday, April 10 at Wetlands Taphouse in La Pine.
April Birthday Lunch
11:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 12 at Café Sintra
Board Meeting
1 to 3 p.m. Thursday, April 13 at SHARC
Annual Meeting and Celebration of Giving Luncheon
Coffee Meet and Greet
10 to 11 a.m. Wednesday, April 26 at Brewed Awakenings
Combined Hearty Soles & Midsoles Friendship Hike
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, May 4 meet at Sunriver Marina and stay for lunch after the hike; preregistration is required; click here to register.
Let's Do Lunch
12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Thursday, May 4 at Cafe Sintra; registration to open soon
Board Meeting
1 to 3 p.m. Thursday, May 11 at SHARC
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