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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 1, 2006)
4 OCTOBER 1,2006 Smoke Signals Tribe's Community Fund Approves Alore Small Grants Five agencies receive $18,500, in June; and eight agencies receive $34,248 in July. By Ron Karten A Corvallis church received $5,000 for a walk-in refrigerator as one of June's monthly "small grants" from the Spirit Mountain Community Fund (SMCF). The First Christian Church of Corvallis is a community-based, free meal program that serves daily meals to more than 2,000 hungry people in Corvallis each month. The program is non-sectarian. It is staffed completely by volunteers and supported entirely by private gifts. This is the second grant to the program. Non-profits with budgets of $250,000 or less and projects val ued at $10,000 or less are eligible for these small grants, said Tribal member Michelle Chrestensen, Com munity Fund Secretary. Salem Repertory Theatre and a Portland transitional facility called Transitional Youth, each received $4,000 in Tribal support. The The atre project aims to increase com munity access to the stage. The Transitional Youth request sought funding for the group's educational SPIRIT MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY TUND fund. These were the first Commu nity Fund gifts for each group. In all, five non-profits received $18,500 in June's monthly "small grants" giveaways. In Lebanon, the Goal One Coali tion, received $3,000 for a technol ogySystems upgrade. Goal One champions the role of citizens in creating communities that are livable and economies that are sustainable within a healthy and diverse natural environment. This is Goal One's first Community Fund grant. The Corvallis-based Valley AIDS Information Network received $2,500 for the group's 24-hour AIDS, STD and Hepatitis Hotline project. This is the second small grant for the group. In July, eight non-profits received $34,248. CASA Voices for Children, a Corvallis-based non-profit providing advo cates for children in the legal custody of the state, received $5,248 for a project called, "Fall Pre-Service Train ing Session." The group has received nearly $30,000 from the Community Fund including one earlier grant. Children's Healing Art Project, a Portland-based non-profit bringing artists and art programs to children in crisis in Portland's hospitals and shelters, received $5,000 for a project called, "Friday Art Program." This is the first grant for the group. The Chuck Wagon Search & Res cue, Inc., based in Keizer, received $5,000 for a project entitled: "En closed Kitchen Unit." This is the group's first grant from the Community Fund. Friends of the Waldport Public Library received $5,000 for the "Waldport Public Library Physical ExpansionRemodeling Project." This is the group's first grant from the Community Fund. The Marion County Search and RescueSpecial Vehicle Unit received $5,000 for the purchase of the Special Vehicle Unit. This is the group's first grant from the Community Fund. The Music Education Assistance Project in Portland received $2,000 for "Music Education Assistance Project Scholarships & Music pro grams. This is the group's first grant from the Community Fund. The Oregon Council for Business Education in Eugene received a $4,000 grant to support "Artrain USA," a trav eling art gallery on train tracks (See Smoke Signals, 6106 issue). This is the first Community Fund grant for the group, although the Tribe did give directly to Artrain for the gallery's recent visit to the area. Oregon Cultural Access, a Portland-based non-profit dedicated to providing accessible arts and culture experiences for people challenged by disability, received $3,000. This is the second award. O Tribal Members Featured In New Spirit Mountain Community Fund Commercial By Toby McClary The Spirit Mountain Community Fund has recently created many new advertisements from billboards to flyers and even a television commer cial. According to Community Fund Director and Tribal member Shelley Hanson, the purpose of these ads is to educate people that the money be ing donated is by the Tribe and not the casino. "We need to get people to realize that we are a Tribal entity," said Hanson. In 2001, the focus of the fund was changed. Tribal Council wanted to focus on making more grants for smaller amounts. "The money is now being invested throughout 11 counties rather than just the PortlandMetro area," said Hanson. "These ads will build an understanding of that." The ads were in the making for several months. They can now be viewed by the public on flyers and billboards throughout Oregon and seen on television. What makes these ads special is the involvement of Grand Ronde Tribal members. The commercial features Tribal Elders Chips Tom and Ed Pearsall and Tribal members Jackie Provost, Reina Nelson and Leland "Brother" Butler. "These members were chosen be cause we wanted Tribal members for the Indian roles," said Hanson. "Chips' face tells a lot of stories. He was a logical fit for the role of the Tribal Elder." Tom played a major role in the idea of the Community Fund in 1997. He sat on Council when the decisions were being made to create a fund that would distribute money back to the community. "We needed to get it out there that we weren't just making millions but that we were also giving back," said Tom. "I felt that giving back is where it counts." More ads and commercials are al ready in the plan book for the fund. After a year, they will re-film the middle of the commercial to show off other projects they are currently working on and Butler will then take over the feature spot. Doing more commercials is an idea that Tom is quite fond of. "I think the commercial is one of the best happenings for the Community Fund," said Tom. "Not on the count that I want to be on billboards or T.V., I did that for my Tribe." According to all the people inter viewed, there was a lot of credit to be dispersed for the success of the commercial and other ads. "We worked a lot with the casino's marketing team," said Hanson. "They did a lot of the work and they did a phenomenal job." "I would like to compliment Shelley for getting the ball rolling on this," said Tom. "We want the Tribe to be represented in a good way," said David Barker, Graphics Manager for Spirit Mountain Casino. "We wanted to show that the Tribe really does help people." LloydMaris Advertising, Inc. of Portland was also a major contribu tor to the creation of the ads and commercial. After all of the interviews were done and the business was out of the way, Tom let his humor come out and play. "People asked me how much money I made doing the commercial," said Tom. "I told them that I would have to get back to them because I had writer's cramp from signing too many autographs." . " -v.,.:-.v,.-,Qv-,,;:..,,,..;., , V ' . i , . WW1 wt I - x . - ! i Tribal Elder Chips Tom and Tribal Youth Leland "Brother" Butler pose in front of a Spirit Mountain Community Fund billboard near Grand Ronde. Both were featured in a commercial promoting the fund along with Tribal Elder Ed Pearsall and Tribal members Reina Nelson and Jackie Provost.
