18
JUNE 15, 2018
S moke S ignals
Community Fund awards $733,763 in grants
By Danielle Frost
Smoke Signals staff writer
Spirit Mountain
Community Fund,
the philanthropic
arm of the Confeder-
ated Tribes of Grand
Ronde, almost hit the
$78 million mark in
giving when it awarded
$733,763 in grants on
Wednesday, June 6.
Twenty-one large
grants and 11 small
grants were given
out during the fund’s
second-quarter check
presentation held in
the Governance Center
atrium.
Since its inception in
Photo by Dean Rhodes
1997, the Communi-
Neighbors for Kids Executive Director Toby Winn and Board Chairwoman Liz Martin shake
ty Fund has awarded
hands with Tribal Council member Denise Harvey and Spirit Mountain Community Fund
2,627 grants to 1,150
Board of Trustees member Ron Reibach during the Community Fund’s second-quarter
nonprofits.
Tribal Council Sec- check distribution held Wednesday, June 6, in the Governance Center atrium. Neighbors
retary Jon A. George for Kids in Depoe Bay received $48,000 for its Kids Zone community support project and
opened the check pre- also won a Pendleton blanket during a raffle giveaway.
sentation with a prayer
and Tribal Lands Manager Jan
read a letter from club members
correctly.
Looking Wolf Reibach performed
thanking the Tribe for its grant.
“I am privileged to have been on
“Angel” by Sarah McLachlan on
The group was awarded $35,000
the board 21 years,” he said. “It is
Native flute.
for its Memorial Healing Garden,
the best job I have ever volunteered
Spirit Mountain Community
which is expected to open later
for. I get to hand out checks to or-
Fund Board of Trustees Chairman
this year.
ganizations that deserve it.”
Sho Dozono introduced Tribal
Garden planning has been un-
He also asked attendees to ac-
Council members in attendance,
derway for three years and revised
knowledge Tribal Elder and for-
which included Chairwoman
several times to meet prison safety
mer Tribal Council Chairwoman
Cheryle A. Kennedy, Secretary
and security protocols, but the in-
Kathryn Harrison, who attended
Jon A. George, Denise Harvey,
mates have persevered in their de-
the event.
Kathleen George and Brenda Tu-
termination to introduce elements
The Community Fund is now fea-
omi. Kathleen George and Harvey
of the outside world in an otherwise
turing a different organization at
also serve on the fund’s Board of
bleak environment.
every quarterly grant presentation.
Trustees.
“We have a group of inmates
The National Korean American
Attendees watched a 12-minute
who are trying to re-imagine what
Service and Education Consortium
video that surveyed the Tribe’s
justice, restitution and healing can
Inc. discussed its work with the
history and featured organiza-
look like,” Sactang said.
Oregon State Penitentiary’s Asian
tions that have been helped by
Community Fund Program Co-
Pacific Family Club.
Community Fund grants. Dozono
ordinator Angie Sears then read
Consortium liaison Karn Sactang
then quizzed grant recipients with
off this quarter’s grant recipi-
and Oregon State Penitentiary
questions that were answered
ents while Dozono distributed the
Recreation Specialist Patrice Lans
checks. Community Fund Director
Mychal Cherry, Administrative
Assistant Jesse Knight, Board of
Trustees member Ron Reibach
and Harvey shook grant recipients’
hands.
Additionally, a Grand Ronde
Pendleton Tribal blanket designed
by Interpretive Coordinator Travis
Stewart and a necklace made by
Tribal Elder Joann Mercier were
given as raffle prizes.
Large grants recipients were:
• ABC House Inc. of Albany,
$50,000, for its capital campaign
“Building Hope Together”;
• ARC of Lane County of Spring-
field, $23,600, for its World of
Work project;
• Bridge Meadows of Portland,
$20,000, for Changing Lives To-
gether – Permanence and Shared
Social Purpose;
• Catholic Charities of Portland,
Photo by Michelle Alaimo
$35,000, for family support and
Spirit Mountain Community Fund Grants Coordinator Julia Willis’ last
counseling services;
day as a Tribal employee was Friday, June 1. During her goodbye party,
• Chess for Success of Portland,
held at the Employment Service Center, she was presented a Pendleton
$30,000, for Athletics for the
blanket by Spirit Mountain Community Fund Director Mychal Cherry,
Mind;
left, and Tribal Council member Jack Giffen Jr. She worked for the Tribe
• Compassion Connect of Port-
l an d , $40, 000, f or ca pa city
for five years and is the new program manager at GRANTMAKERS of
building expansion of compas-
Oregon and Southwest Washington.
sion clinics;
Fund farewell
• Daisy C.H.A.I.N. of Eugene,
$40,000, for increasing access to
preventive pre- and post-natal
care programs;
• De La Salle North Catholic High
School of Portland, $34,803, for
an academic resource center;
• Ethos Inc. of Portland, $33,500,
for music programs for unde-
served youth;
• Free Geek of Portland, $20,000,
for a digital inclusion associate;
• Friends of the Columbia River
Gorge, $35,000, for its Gorge Re-
silience effort;
• Friends of Tyron Creek of Port-
land, $10,000, for reconnecting
indigenous lands and culture;
• Minds Matter of Portland,
$10,000, for tutoring and mento-
ring programs;
• Neighbors for Kids of Depoe Bay,
$48,000, for the Kids Zone com-
munity support project;
• Nest Foundation of Portland,
$40,000, for the expansion of its
Sexual Exploitation Prevention
Education program;
• Northwest Center for Alterna-
tives to Pesticides of Eugene,
$25,000, for Clean Water for
Salmon and Communities;
• SABLE House of Dallas, $40,000,
for nonresident services facility
project;
• Sandy River Basin Watershed
Council of Gresham, $50,000,
for Campus Creeks Clean Water
retrofit;
• Self-Enhancement Inc. of Port-
land, $30,000, for the Youth
Potential Realized program;
• Sexual Assault Resource Center,
$33,733, for the “Preventing Sex-
ual Violence: Creating Culture
Change” program in the Beaver-
ton School District.
Small grants recipients were:
• AntFarm Inc. of Sandy, $5,375,
for Connecting the Dots and Ex-
panding the Choices program;
• Bags of Love of Eugene, $5,500,
for its backpack program;
• Community Vision Inc. of Port-
land, $4,000, for its East Wash-
ington County Shelter assistive
technology lab;
• Partnership Council Inc. Good
Neighbor Center of Tigard,
$4,500, for the Pathway Home
Fund;
• El Programa Hispano Catholico
of Portland, $5,375, for its “SUN
Shine: School Success for Latino
Youth” effort;
• Portland Tennis & Education of
Portland, $4,000, for the Ready,
Set, Read! program;
• Sauvie Island Center of Portland,
$4,012, for Farm Camp scholar-
ships;
• Therapy Works Northwest of
Gresham, $3,000, for a clinic ex-
pansion project;
• TLC-TNT of Portland, $3,950,
for the “Tender Love and Care –
Think n Try” initiative;
• World Salmon Council Inc. of
Portland, $5,375, for its “Salmon
Watch” effort;
• Young Audiences of Portland,
$5,000, for the “Arts for Learning:
Putting the Arts in Language
Arts” program.