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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (April 1, 2017)
APRIL 1, 2017 S moke S ignals 5 Fund tops $73 million in charitable giving By Dean Rhodes Smoke Signals editor New Spirit Mountain Community Fund Director Mychal Cherry pre- sided over her first quarterly check distribution on Wednesday, March 15, which saw the Tribe’s charitable arm surpass the $73 million mark in giving. “I am so honored to be here,” Cherry said at the event held in the Tribal Governance Center. “It’s a privilege to meet you. I am just excited to see so many people here. I just really appreciate the wonderful work you do in the community.” The Community Fund distrib- uted 22 large grants that totaled $751,344.50 and 18 small grants that totaled $79,560. Small grants are $5,000 or less. Combined, the Community Fund gave out 40 grants totaling $830,904.50, which catapulted the Tribe’s charitable giving since the fund was established in 1997 to $73.4 million. In that time span, the fund has awarded 2,440 grants. The Community Fund, as part of the Tribe’s compact with the state of Oregon, receives 6 percent of Spirit Mountain Casino proceeds and then distributes those funds to nonprofit organizations in 11 northwestern Oregon counties. In addition, the Community Fund annually awards grants to Oregon’s nine federally recognized Tribes, which are regularly underfunded by charities. Cherry started as Community Fund director on Feb. 15, succeed- ing Kathleen George, who resigned upon being elected to Tribal Council in September 2016. George was not absent, however. She received a bouquet of flowers from Community Fund Board of Trustees Chairman Sho Dozono and a Pendleton blanket from Cher- ry and Community Fund Grants Coordinator Julia Willis. “You get to work with the heroes of Oregon who are out there creat- ing solutions in our communities,” George said. “Thank you for the honor of getting to work with you, your communities, your organiza- tions. … It has been a tremendous honor.” The check distribution opened with cultural drumming and sing- ing performed by Tribal Council Secretary Jon A. George and Cul- tural Resources Department em- ployees David Harrelson, Jordan Mercier and Brian Krehbiel. Other Tribal Council members in attendance included Chairman Reyn Leno, Brenda Tuomi, Denise Harvey, Jack Giffen Jr. and Tonya Gleason-Shepek. Leno, Harvey and Giffen also serve on the Community Fund’s Board of Trustees. Joining Dozono from the Board of Trustees were Ron Reibach, Fa- cilities director at Spirit Mountain Casino, and Portland attorney Chip Lazenby. After showing attendees a re- vamped 12-minute video that ex- plained the history of the Tribe and the effects of Community Fund grants on nonprofit agencies, Cherry read off the recipients while Dozono handed out the checks. • MediaRites of Portland, $5,000, for “Theatre Diaspo- ra: Family Ties That Bind”; • Metropolitan Youth Sym- phony of Portland, $2,500, for its Beginning Strings and School Outreach programs; • North End Senior Solutions and Adult Day Services of Otis, $5,000, to support adult day service, transportation and nursing services; • Open Hearts Open Minds of Portland, $2,500, for its Theatre at Coffee Creek; • Paradise of Samoa of Keiz- er, $4,000, for its Pacific cul- tural exchange program; • Peace Village Inc. of Port- land, $5,000, for its school- based programming; • Portland Actors Conserva- tory of Portland, $5,000, for its 2017 diversity initiative; • RideAble of Springfield, $5,000, for its tuition assis- tance program for children Photo by Michelle Alaimo with disabilities; Beach Pace, left, chief executive officer of Big Brothers Big Sisters Columbia • Salem Public Library Foun- Northwest, talks with Spirit Mountain Community Fund Director Mychal Cherry, dation, $3,000, for “Salem middle, and Tribal Council member and Community Fund Board of Trustees Reads: One Book, One Com- member Denise Harvey during the fund’s quarterly check presentation held in the munity”; • Siletz Bay Music Festival Governance Center Atrium on Wednesday, March 15. of Lincoln City, $5,000, for its “Music Is Instrumental” The large grant recipients were: $40,000, for parent-child devel- program; • All Hands Raised of Portland, opment services; • Spect Actors Collective of Gresh- • Long Tom Watershed Council of $25,000, for its Strengthening am, $5,000, for its “LADO, Doulas Eugene, $15,000, for improving the Kindergarten Transition Latinas” effort; its watershed land stewardship program; • Tillamook Serenity Club, $5,000, through Tribal engagement; • Beaverton Education Foundation, for expansion of its Recovery Out- • National Indian Child Welfare $25,000, for its Camp Achieve reach program; Association of Portland, $40,000, 2016-17; • Trash for Peace of Portland, for its Indian Child Welfare Act • Big Brothers Big Sisters Co- $4,960, for its sustainability ed- crisis response and family sup- lumbia Northwest of Portland, ucation program; $40,000, to launch its “Bigs in port project; • Yamhill County CERT Associ- Blue” program in Multnomah and • Oregon Children’s Foundation of ation Inc. of Dundee, $5,000, to Washington counties; Portland, $40,000, for its SMART purchase 20 UHF radios. • Boys & Girls Club of Albany, program for pre-kindergarteners The Community Fund also raffled $26,000, to its STEAM Ahead in eight counties; off three door prizes and the win- program; • Oregon State University Foun- ning organizations were the Oregon • Boys & Girls Club of Salem Mari- dation of Corvallis, $45,962, for Children’s Foundation, Portland on & Polk Counties Inc., $40,000, its “Where do wood restoration State University Foundation and for expanding access to dental efforts increase fish habitat?” Paradise of Samoa. care for low-income youth in the research; Then the Community Fund and two counties; • Parrott Creek Child & Family Leno honored important Resto- • Bridgeway House of Eugene, Services of Oregon City, $25,000, ration-era figure and former Tribal $15,000, to create social groups to help fund a youth therapist and Council Chairwoman Kathryn for children with autism; certified alcohol-drug counselor; Harrison, who celebrated her 93rd • Call to Safety of Portland, • Portland State University Foun- birthday on March 28, and former $20,000, to provide self-determi- dation, $23,118, to improve Tribal Council Vice Chair Ed Lars- nation and support for survivors digital literacy in underserved en, who was in the audience. schools; with developmental disabilities; Leno said that he was elected to • Providence Milwaukie Founda- • Child Advocates Inc. of Oregon Tribal Council in 1996, the same tion of Milwaukie, $25,000, for City, $40,000, for its A CASA year that Harrison became Tribal its community teaching kitchen/ (Court Appointed Special Advo- Council chairwoman. food pharmacy; cate) for Every Child effort; “They are the ones who actually • Shadow Project of Portland, • Children’s Center of Oregon City, came up with the idea of the 6 $38,000, for advancing equity for $30,000, to protect children from percent fund,” Leno said. “Kathryn children with learning challeng- abuse through focused prevention said, ‘The community took care of es. initiatives; us, so we want to take care of the Small grant recipients were: • Clackamas Women’s Services community.’ We have lived up to • Children’s Repertory of Ore- of Oregon City, $50,000, for its that now (with) over $73 million. gon Workshops Inc. of Florence, Village of Hope; … It was people like Kathryn and $5,000, for operational support • Confederated Tribes of Grand a lot of past figures who made all of for its Blossoming Youth Theatre; Ronde, $80,642.50, for its 24/7 this the success it is today. We are • Circle of Children of Blachly, Community Tribal Police Ser- just the maintainers of their ideals $5,000, for facility repairs to vices Prevention and Enforce- and their thoughts.” expand outdoor education for ment program; Attendees gave Harrison a stand- children and youth; • Friends of Saturday Academy of ing ovation. • Junction City Local Aid, $4,000, Portland, $20,000, for an academ- The event closed with Tribal for social and community ser- ic summer camp for low-income Lands Manager Jan Looking Wolf vices; youth; Reibach, a multiple Native Ameri- • Lane Senior Support Coalition • Head Start in Lincoln County of can Music Awards recipient, play- Corp. of Eugene, $3,600, for oper- Lincoln City, $47,622, for health ing “Happy Birthday” on a Native ational support for its emergency services to improve learning; flute. n fund; • Impact Northwest of Portland,
