The Nugget Newspaper's Partners in Giving 2021 // 2021-11-03

2021

Partners artners in Giving Serving those who served America ..... pg. 3

Creating safe havens in Central Oregon .........pg. 10

Caring for our furry & feathered friends.......... pg. 14-15

Multitude of services help local seniors .. pg. 12-13

Central Oregon manifests the spirit of giving Life here in Central Oregon is pretty good. It’s a beautiful place, filled with adventure, culture, and a genuine sense of community. That’s why so many people visit here and seek to call it home.

But things can get rough sometimes — for children, families, the elderly. Fortunately, we’re blessed not only with exceptional natural beauty

and a pioneer spirit, but also with the spirit of giving. You’d be hard-pressed to finds a more generous community.

Dedicated local people staff and volunteer for an array of nonprofits committed to making life better for all Central Oregonians.

They are enabled to do their invaluable work by the generous support of a giving community — you and me.

We can help by volunteering our time, by making in-kind contributions, and by making direct monetary donations to these organizations that truly define the spirit of Central Oregon.

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief The Nugget Newspaper

A special section presented by The Nugget Newspaper

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Partners in Giving • The Nugget Newspaper • November 3, 2021

Building a

stronger community through outreach

Living in Sisters may look like living in paradise to folks who visit here — and in many ways it is. But even in this beautiful place, people fall on hard times, and the community falls into discord. Fortunately, there are always people willing to step up and step in with a helping hand or a good word to help keep us on an even keel.

Vast Church is a non-denominational Christian church in Sisters that manifests its values by reaching out to help those in the community who could use a hand.

“There’s ways that we come beside people who are needing help,” said Greg Everson, who leads the church’s outreach program.

Those ways are varied, and tailored to meet a range of needs. It could be someone who needs help getting food or medicine, someone who needs transportation, or someone who just needs a hand with snow removal or home and yard work or repair. It could be someone who needs a light in the darkness of personal struggles.

“We don’t have professional counseling,” Everson noted. “But we can direct someone to a professional counselor if initial outreach isn’t enough.”

The whole of the Sisters

community can avail itself of the church’s outreach.

“It’s not just for people in our church,” Everson said. “They don’t have to come to our church to receive our help… If someone has a need, they can always call us.”

A message may be found — but only if it’s desired.

“Part of what we do is share God’s word — if they’re interested,” Everson said.

The Sisters community can help Vast Church help others through direct, targeted donations to the church’s emergency funds.

“One hundred percent of that would go right to that; it wouldn’t be used for anything else,” Everson said.

And the community can also help by alerting the church to anyone who could benefit from its outreach.

“If anybody sees anybody that has a need — call us,” Everson said.

Vast Church can be reached at 541-719-0587.

Citizens4Community (better known as C4C) grew out of a time when Sisters was in a state of turmoil, with fractious public discourse that kept people from feeling comfortable engaging in community work.

It started with a mission to

Sisters is stronger when we help one another ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/CHINNAPONG

promote civility, collaboration, and civic engagement — a mission that continues, and has taken on a range of forms.

C4C helps other organizations connect and collaborate, and helps individuals find ways to volunteer constructively in the community.

The group actively seeks to form community-building coalitions.

“We talk about Sisters as a welcoming place,” said Executive Director Linda Cline.

C4C had a focus on food security over the past year, helping to facilitate development of a resource book for people in the community, a community kitchen offering meals, and the FEAST program to help Sisters identify projects to

implement that help strengthen the local food system and build community food security.

C4C will put a lot of emphasis this year on helping the community determine the future of the Sisters Elementary School site, which will become available for other uses once a new school is built at the west end of town.

Participation is the most important role community members can play.

“We would love to have more community-builders join us,” Cline said.

Learn more about C4C and find ways to build the Sisters community at www.citizens4community. com.

The Nugget Newspaper

Serving those who Nothing is more critical to a healthy society than offering a helping hand to those who have served the nation in her time of need.

Central Oregon Veterans Outreach (COVO) offers a hand up to our local veteran community when they need it. The organization offers a range of programs to help veterans, from assistance navigating the medical system to outreach to the homeless veteran population.

COVO relies on help from the community. There are many ongoing needs that the community can help fill through direct donation.

One of the most-requested items is gas cards. Many veterans have a vehicle, and while they’re trying to get to work, lack of fuel can be a very real obstacle. A $20 fuel card to a local station can help keep a person gainfully employed and able to travel to necessary services.

Durable medical equipment is one of the higher-demand items in the outreach program. If you have a walker, wheelchair, shower chair, boots, crutches, etc. – COVO can get those items to people with a temporary or permanent need.

Other ongoing needs include: • Clothing for all ages, genders • Winter clothing of all sizes • Propane (1 lb. disposable cans) • Camping equipment — tents,

• November 3, 2021 • Partners in Giving

served America

shelters, tarps, stoves, lights • Canned food of any kind; highprotein is especially helpful • Backpacks and duffel bags • Bedding and blankets • Housewares • Hygiene supplies for men and women • Infant and baby supplies Donations are accepted at the COVO facility, 61510 S. Hwy. 97, Ste. 100, in Bend, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday-Friday. Call 541-383-2793 or email covo@covo-us.org with questions before donating.

Many veterans miss the camaraderie and sense of mission and purpose they found in the military.

A loss of a sense of connection can combine with trauma to lead a veteran into a dark place. Warfighter Outfitters combines that sense of connection with the healing power of outdoor activity.

The program is evolving to take in a wide range of activities — from hunting and fishing to rafting and hiking.

“We do a little bit of everything,” said board member Nicole Harbert.

“We’re trying to do as many outdoor things as possible.”

The pandemic has forced the outfitter to work with smaller activities and adventures, but they’ve still managed to get veterans out

into the woods and on the water together — with all the benefits that brings.

Harbert, like all the board members of Warfighter Outfitters, is herself a veteran, and she understands the high stakes involved in trying to help veterans restore connection.

“I personally know three people who killed themselves with trains,” she said. “People shouldn’t know that many people who killed themselves.”

Veterans are encouraged to

We appreciate your monetary donations, fuel cards, propane, camping equipment, clean clothing for men/women/children, bedding, high protein canned goods, durable medical equipment, and more.

More info visit covo-us.org or call 541-383-2793

Warfighter Outfitters is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity that provides fully guided and outfitted trips for veterans at no charge.

100% of Donor Dollars Goes to Operating Costs All guides and board members are veterans.

There are no paid employees. Warfighter Outfitters is 100% volunteer-based and only spends donor dollars on basic operating costs of fuel and food.

Would you consider making a donation to Warfighter Outfitters?

541-719-0565 warfighteroutfitters.org

reach out to find out how to engage in Warfighter Outfitters’ outdoor activities via the website at www. warfighteroutfitters.org.

Community support has been vital to the group’s mission.

Donations of time, outdoor equipment, or funds are all welcome.

“It’s all equally valuable to us,” Harbert said.

Direct donations can be made through the website — and donated dollars can go a long way. A $25 donation can put a veteran out on the water for a fishing trip.

We have programs to help veterans with rent, utilities, food, basic needs, and more...serving Deschutes, Crook, & Jefferson Counties.

61510 S. Hwy. 97, Ste 100, Bend

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Partners in Giving • The Nugget Newspaper • November 3, 2021

Filling the table at the holidays — and beyond The holiday season is supposed to be a time of feasting and fellowship. Putting that extra bit of holiday cheer on the table can be challenging for some of our neighbors in Sisters.

Ray’s Food Place has stepped up each year for the past 10 years to “Stuff the Truck,” in a food drive that provides a little extra sustenance for folks in need in Sisters.

“We put together bags of groceries and have those available for customers to purchase,” said Store Manager Jeff McDonald.

Those bags are in turn donated to Sisters Kiwanis Food Bank for distribution to those in need. Ray’s takes care of delivery.

The bags are purchased for $20, and contain $25 worth of food.

Ray’s donates the difference.

“More than anything, it’s a vehicle for everybody to participate in the [giving] by having them here,” McDonald said.

Over 10 years, the store has averaged 805 bags sold; last year, they distributed 930.

“I think we did just over 10,000 bags through our whole company last year,” McDonald said.

Sisters Kiwanis Food Bank is a vital resource in the Sisters community.

“Without a doubt, the Food

Bank is the thing that we do that has the biggest impact in the community,” said Kiwanis Club of Sisters President Jim Cunningham.

The Food Bank also conducts a massive food distribution program to help families enjoy a good holiday dinner. But the Food Bank is just one of a multitude of giving programs undertaken by this very active Sisters service club. By its own estimation, the club “supports fellow Sisters residents when emergency needs arise. It offers scholarships to many graduating seniors, and awards grants to dozens of organizations that have significant impact on the well-being of children and families.

“The club also gives ‘opportunity grants’ to many deserving adults in the community to help them better their position in life. Other service projects include: cleaning highways, reading to children, improving city parks, sponsoring scout troops, manning blood drives, collecting eye glasses and cell phones, arranging community presentations, maintaining an entrance sign to our city, teaching kids poison awareness, and helping screen children for health problems, said Cunningham.”

All of these efforts are supported by fundraising events and activities

that, in turn, provide enjoyment for the Sisters community — events like the annual Sisters Rodeo Buckaroo Breakfast, Run to the Top at Hoodoo, an antique sale, and (running Thanksgiving through Christmas) a See’s Candies sale out of a trailer in the Ray’s parking lot.

“All the revenue that we get from all these programs goes to programs in the community,” Cunningham explained.

The best way the community can help Kiwanis in its mission is to support these events and

fundraisers. Eat the breakfast, make the run, buy the See’s Candy.

Cunningham said that, “the Food Bank is pretty solvent right now,” though donations are always appreciated.

The biggest impact for direct donations is to provide unrestricted funds that can be directed to whatever program needs them most.

Donate to Sisters Kiwanis at www.sisterskiwanis.org, or mail a check to Sisters Kiwanis, PO Box 1296, Sisters, OR 97759. Donations are tax deductible.

Kiwanis Club of Sisters On a Mission of Giving Year-round The Kiwanis Club of Sisters has been serving Sisters Country since 1977.

In addition to the SISTERS FOOD BANK, we provide FINANCIAL SCHOLARSHIPS for Sisters High School seniors.

Sisters Kiwanis also SUPPORTS YOUTH ORGANIZATIONS such as: Circle Of Friends • Family Access Network Sisters Park & Recreation District SMART (Start Making A Reader Today) Heart of Oregon Corps Healthy Start • Camp Sunrise and others as the need arises.

Local donations fund the CAREER OPPORTUNITY FUND which provides grant money to Sisters residents that wish to improve, or change, their careers.

To Donate or Volunteer call 541-588-6441

Sisters Kiwanis Club is a totally volunteer organization so 100% of the money raised goes to the charities we support.

The Nugget Newspaper

• November 3, 2021 • Partners in Giving

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Partners in Giving • The Nugget Newspaper • November 3, 2021

Setting kids on the road to

By Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief Central Oregon is a familyoriented community, a wonderful place to grow up. But the road isn’t smooth for every child. In fact, for some, it can be dark and rocky. Many face social and economic challenges that cast a cloud over their futures. Fortunately, the region is home to a range of nonprofit organizations that — with the support of this generous community — work to lift that cloud and light a path toward success.

J Bar J Youth Services is the region’s largest provider of services to youth and families, with multiple programs to help at-risk youth get on track.

“For a lot of those kids, they’ve sort of fallen through a trap door, so to speak,” said Eva Gill, the organization’s executive director.

Whether they’ve run afoul of the juvenile justice system, are struggling at home (or have run away), are pregnant or homeless, or are simply struggling in life, J Bar J Youth Services has programs that help them find their way.

The J Bar J Boys Ranch, which was established in 1968, is a 28-bed residential facility serving young offenders, ages 13 to 18, in need of court-ordered rehabilitation

services. Here they learn to be aware of their thought process and the way their choices define their lives — and to make decisions that will help them succeed.

“Teaching the kids to be more mindful helps the kids to recognize that process and make better decisions,” Gill said.

Other programs provide crisis intervention and family intervention; emergency shelter; street outreach to at-risk youth — all, as Gill says, in an effort to “move them along on their road to independence.”

Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Central Oregon operates under the J Bar J Youth Services umbrella, serving a wide range of youth — at-risk or not — on the principle that everyone benefits from having a mentor who invests time, interest, and caring in our lives.

Kindred Connections mobilizes and equips volunteer families and 10 area church communities to provide support while parents work to secure stability for their families.

They help provide mentoring relationships for parents and temporary housing for children to families in crisis who lack a safety net.

Community support is vital to J Bar J Youth Services.

“There are a couple of our

independence & success

programs (Kindred Connections and Big Brothers, Big Sisters in particular) that can use a lot of volunteers,” Gill said.

“Some of these programs are completely donor funded,” she noted. Donors can target programs “if there’s something that pulls at their heartstrings.”

Unrestricted funds are very helpful in meeting needs where they are. Community members can donate directly through the website at www.jbarj.org. In-kind donations of everything from shoes to a Starbucks card can enrich a young person’s life and help them achieve a sense of normalcy, Gill notes.

Keeping kids well clothed is not just necessary for their physical well-being — it’s an important part of their sense of themselves.

Through its Operation School Bell, Assistance League of Bend clothes 2,000 kids a year in Central Oregon.

With the support of the community, the all-volunteer organization provides shopping opportunities for young people in need so that they can pick out their own clothing.

“It’s a self-esteem builder,” said member volunteer Gia Hartmeier.

“The kids hold their heads higher and feel better about themselves.”

J Bar J Youth Services helps at-risk youth get on track for success. photo provided

Some of Assistance League of Bend’s programs have been put in abeyance by COVID-19 restrictions — but they are expected to come back. These include cooking and nutrition classes for fourthand fifth-graders and an annual Breakfast with Santa.

While the main focus is on Operation School Bell, Assistance League of Bend also provides handmade hats, shawls, and knockers for people undergoing cancer treatment.

See YOUTH SERVICES on page 8

The Nugget Newspaper

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• November 3, 2021 • Partners in Giving

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Partners in Giving • The Nugget Newspaper • November 3, 2021

YOUTH SERVICES: Many

organizations stand in the gap for local youth in need

Continued from page 6

“We also give some hats to the homeless as well,” Hartmeier said.

Volunteer knitters are welcome, and direct donations are critical to Operation School Bell. More information can be found at www. assistanceleague.org/bend/.

A bicycle can be the center of a young person’s life — a means of transportation and the key to adventure and a sense of freedom.

For the past seven years Blazin Saddles bike shop in Sisters has been providing two-wheeled treasures through an annual holiday bike-donation drive.

“We’re looking for bikes in goodor-better condition,” said owner Casey Meudt.

Both donors and potential recipients can contact the shop at info@ blazinsaddleshub.com.

The drive will start November 15 and run through December 15.

Volunteers to help clean up bikes and get them ready for distribution, and to match people with bikes, are welcome.

“We’d love to have people help if they’re interested,” Meudt said.

The drive is not limited to kids.

Anyone who would benefit from having a bike is a candidate to

receive one — families who want to ride together; a person who might ride to work.

Over the seven years of the drive, Blazin Saddles has provided 400 bikes.

Nonprofits that help children and families need to focus on that mission, without worrying about facilities and overhead. Deschutes Children’s Foundation provides physical space across four regional campuses for nonprofits to operate in, along with free property management services. That means 21 organizations including Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Central Oregon, Family Access Network (FAN); Cascade Youth and Family Center; CASA of Central Oregon; KIDS Center; NeighborImpact and many other nonprofits can devote their financial and personnel resources directly to their missions.

“We take care of that [building space] so that they can focus on helping children and families,” said Deschutes Children’s Foundation Executive Director Amy Ward.

The financial savings to the nonprofits is very significant.

“They save, collectively, over $800,000 a year,” said Ward.

That’s $800,000 that goes directly into services for the Central Oregon community.

Ward noted that CASA of Central Oregon moved into a Deschutes Children’s Foundation

Deschutes Children’s Foundation envisions a commu-

nity where all children and families e. have the resources they need to thrive.

At our four welcoming locations, costs are lowered, resources are shared, and more vulnerable people find the help they need. Donations support our mission to provide the space and support where nonprofits succeed at helping children and families.

To donate: deschuteschildrensfoundation.org/donate-today/

space and saw an immediate $20,000 impact on their budget.

There are additional benefits.

Co-locating related services makes them more accessible to families.

The organization fundraises to support its mission, but direct online donations at www.deschutes childrensfoundation.org are vital.

“Small donations really do add up and make a difference over time,” Ward said. “We’re just so grateful for the community support, and also proud of all the work being done by our partners.”

Pursuit of some kind of posthigh school education or training is a vital part of life success.

Since 2008, Sisters Graduate Resource Organization (GRO) has helped the Sisters community provide scholarship support to hundreds of graduating high school seniors.

The impact has been enormous, reflecting a $1.5 million reduction in student debt.

Program Director Laura Kloss notes that some students “wouldn’t be able to pursue higher education without the support.” Others are able to attend their program of choice thanks to GRO scholarships.

Many first-generation college students have benefited from community scholarships, along with mentorship provided through the Sisters School District’s ASPIRE program.

Assistance League of Bend clothes 2,000 Central Oregon youth each year through its Operation School Bell program that allows young people in need to pick out their own clothing. photo provided

Kloss says that she has seen “just an outpouring of gratitude” from students.

“Every student who applies receives a scholarship,” she noted.

There are 66 different scholarships on offer from individuals, nonprofits, corporations, and small businesses — all organized and facilitated by Sisters GRO. “Typically, the minimum amount is $1,000,” said Kloss.

The community can support Sisters GRO through establishing scholarships, or supporting the Sisters GRO endowment. To find out how to donate, create a scholarship, or volunteer, visit www. sistersgro.org and click on “Get Involved.”

The Nugget Newspaper

• November 3, 2021 • Partners in Giving

Stability offers chances for the unhoused

By Sue Stafford, Correspondent

What began in 1979 as a small group of Bend residents delivering food boxes to needy families has evolved into a 501(c)(3) social service agency meeting emergency needs for food, utility, and prescription assistance, and vouchers for propane and clothing, treating their clients with dignity and respect.

St. Vincent de Paul has expanded their mission to provide transitional housing in revamped hunting cabins where a studio apartment rents for $350 a month and a one-bedroom with garage rents for $550 a month. The rent from these units helps provide some of the other services they offer.

The latest project being undertaken by the agency is St. Vincent’s Place, a new village just starting construction and hopefully ready for occupancy by April 2022. The village will have 10 individual 100square-foot units plus a community building with three bathrooms (two ADA), two showers, a kitchen and dining area, and laundry room.

Residents will be formerly unhoused adult men and women who desire to change the direction of their lives by participating in a structured, supportive,

goal-oriented program. The goal is to offer a pathway from homelessness to permanent housing.

Adjacent to St. Vincent’s Place will be the site manager’s home.

The manager will be a certified mental health counselor whose job will be to structure the individual program for each resident.

Every resident will be paired with a volunteer coach who will coordinate with the counselor to design a tailored plan of action for their assigned resident.

Executive Director Gary Hewitt said he expects most residents to be in the program for 24 months; some longer, others shorter. All residents will participate in a matching-funds savings account. St. Vincent de Paul will match funds up to $3,000, generating $6,000 to be used for first month’s rent and deposit when moving from St. Vincent’s Place.

Hayden Homes is the general contractor on the village and is doing the work at cost. They are attempting to recruit subcontractors who will also work at cost.

Their charitable arm, First Story, has donated $20,000 to the project. All appliances are also being discounted.

“We are most grateful for the generosity of Hayden Homes in

making this project possible,” Hewitt said.

Small things can mean a lot.

“A man came into St. Vincent’s office looking for a food box and how to get some identification.

We were able to help with both, and afterward he thanked us for being a ‘springboard’ into self-sufficiency. Sometimes it doesn’t take much.”

Bethlehem Inn’s mission is to transform lives together through shelter, help, and hope for adults and children struggling with homelessness and poverty. Since 1999, the inn has provided critical shelter services for thousands of individuals and families. The organization is the largest emergency shelter east of the Cascade Mountains that provides services for adults and children in crisis.

Bethlehem Inn is a private nonprofit that provides an inclusive, safe, secure, and accountable environment for adults and families through the provision of a highbarrier emergency shelter and circumstance-related programs and services. As a high-barrier shelter, residents must remain free from alcohol and substances, cannot be a registered sex offender, and must hold themselves accountable while working to achieve their personal

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goals during their stay. The shelter program operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Every night, the inn’s Bend shelter has the capacity to provide services for up to 140 adults and children, a place to sleep in warmth and safety, receive nourishing meals, and access to essential services. The inn’s Redmond shelter, which is scheduled to open in November, will provide the same level of services for up to 88 adults nightly (no families at this time).

A $2.7 million Oregon Community Foundation Project Turnkey grant made it possible to expand services to Redmond. This funding enabled the organization to purchase and convert an existing motel into Redmond’s first year-round emergency shelter.

There are many ways to help the adults and children staying at Bethlehem Inn. Financial donations enable the inn to provide staffing and shelter services to assist the residents in transitioning from crisis to stability. In-kind donations are always needed. Visit www.bethleheminn.org for a comprehensive list including seasonally appropriate clothing, hygiene products, and food items. The website also has information about volunteer opportunities.

ST V I N C E N T D E PAU L’S M I S S I O N …

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O S 

ST. VINCENT’S PLACE Built by Hayden Homes.

10 sleeping units with a community building housing bathrooms, showers, a kitchen, dining area, and laundry room.

Your donations also help families with the cost of prescription medications, propane vouchers, food/meals, utility assistance, and clothing vouchers at local thrift stores.

ST. VINCENT’S PLACE, BEND

For more information on how you can help:

541-389-6643 | www.stvincentdepaulbend.org

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Partners in Giving • The Nugget Newspaper • November 3, 2021

Creating

safe havens in Central Oregon

By Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

A home of one’s own is the rock of stability on which to build a satisfying life. It is a haven from life’s storms. It is the place where family memories are made.

Yet for many, finding that stable abode is a challenge. That’s why local nonprofits step up to help our neighbors find this key element of security and happiness in their lives.

A home, no matter how fine or well-crafted, is just walls and a roof until it’s furnished. For some of our neighbors, furnishing their abode is a major challenge — even managing secondhand purchases can be out of reach for folks who are just starting out or starting over in difficult circumstances.

That’s where Furnish Hope steps up and steps in.

A 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Furnish Hope “started with a vision where the most marginalized families in our community would have a place to call home including beds to sleep in and tables to gather around,” as its website, www. furnishhope.com, states.

“We furnish an average of 30 homes a month now, for families in need,” said cofounder Deborah Asato.

Their work covers Deschutes, Jefferson, and Crook counties.

Asato, who is chief operations officer, works with CEO Megan Martin and cofounder and CFO Mary Barlow. They, in turn, work with a host of volunteers and partners who make the work possible.

Furnish Hope serves foster youth who have aged out of the system, people who are transitioning out of recovery, people leaving dire living situations, including abusive ones.

“We get most of our referrals through FAN (Family Access Network),” Asato said.

The organization takes donated furniture and places it in houses, turning them into real homes.

Community support is vital to the effort. Some 70 volunteers receive, clean, repair, and deliver furniture.

“Volunteer time is huge,” Asato said.

Donating gently used furniture, housewares, kitchen items, linens, and other items helps turn those empty houses into homes.

Drop-off donations are accepted Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 to 11 a.m. at 1006 SE 9th St. in Bend.

A list of acceptable items is available on the website.

“We do have a shortage of

dressers, always,” Asato said. “It’s the most-requested item, and one we have a hard time filling.”

Direct financial support is also critical. Donations can be made through the website.

“Any gift is appreciated, and goes further than you might think,” Asato said.

A commitment of $25 a month can be transformational.

“It can make quite an impact, especially for someone who is starting over, and really doesn’t have anything.”

Community partners have provided warehouse space, and gas cards to help with delivery. Sisters Ace Hardware and Home Styled in Sisters have stepped up to help.

To volunteer, or to donate, visit www.furnishhope.com.

Hayden Homes is one of the most active builders in Central Oregon and the Pacific Northwest.

They have been doing yeoman’s work in helping to keep home ownership in reach in the face of skyrocketing prices.

Regional Director Chris Davis says that Hayden continues to be committed “to build the highest quality at the lowest possible cost.”

He notes that, “We are one of the most affordable new homes

you can buy, and that’s in all our markets,” Davis said. “And it’s the same thing in Sisters.”

Through its affiliated nonprofit First Story, six families have been able to become first-time homeowners in Hayden Homes’ McKenzie Meadows subdivision.

A total of 10 First Story homes will grace the neighborhood, dedicated to affordable housing for families qualifying at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) threshold of 80 percent or below of Adjusted Median Income (AMI). The homes are sold through First Story’s 30-year noninterest loan program.

Hayden Homes is striving to create a community feeling for all of the families that live there, with a community park, proximity to schools, and “a safe, stable atmosphere” for all residents.

Hayden Homes employees are behind the giving program. Over 80 percent contribute to the nonprofit through a regular payroll deduction, and Hayden Homes provides a 100-percent company match for every donated dollar.

For more information about Hayden Homes and First Story, visit www.hayden-homes.com/ community-giving.

The Nugget Newspaper

• November 3, 2021 • Partners in Giving

DONATION TRUCK

at Sisters Ace Hardware

Saturday, November 13, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

We Need:

Dressers

Twin Sheets/Comforters

Bedside Tables

Furnish Hope transforms empty houses into welcoming homes for families in need of furnishings and household essentials.

Sisters Ace Hardware and Home Styled are partnering to further the Furnish Hope mission. Visit Sisters Ace Hardware or Home Styled to see a bedding bundle and donate $25 for a bundle for a family.

373 E. HOOD AVENUE

251 SUN RANCH DRIVE

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT FURNISH HOPE GO TO FURNISHHOPE.COM

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Partners in Giving • The Nugget Newspaper • November 3, 2021

Multitude of services

By Sue Stafford, Correspondent As the people at Council on Aging of Central Oregon (COACO) say, “Aging doesn’t come with a road map.” They are here to help adults 60 and older who are looking for support and services to stay healthy, safe, and connected.

Denise LaBuda, director of communications for COACO, told The Nugget, “Lack of access to

Council on Aging’s “Chef Bill” prepares meals for area seniors. photo provided

help local seniors

affordable, healthy food and cost of living increases have significantly impacted the quality of life for many Central Oregon seniors living on fixed and limited incomes.”

Add to that, isolation and loneliness, and caregivers who are overtaxed, and the need for services by seniors is acute. Staff and 450+ volunteers work tirelessly to meet their needs, with the support of generous donors.

Council on Aging should be the first call (541-678-5483) when an elder or their caregiver/family needs information on local resources, services, and programs while they are still living in their own home. There are a multitude of areas of help available to elders in Deschutes, Crook, Jefferson, and North Klamath counties and they are all free of charge.

Just a few of the ways COACO can help include: Meals on Wheels and grab-n-go lunches, home repair programs, family caregiver support, Caring Connections (keeping seniors connected with a weekly phone call and wellness check from volunteers), home and personal care services, paid respite care, legal assistance, senior health insurance benefits assistance, and health promotion and disease prevention.

“The community can assist COACO in our mission by referring clients to us, volunteering in a variety of roles, and by donating on our website, www.councilonaging. org/donate, or by mail to 373 NE Greenwood Ave., Bend, OR 97701,” said LaBuda.

Partners In Care provides patient-centered care for individuals who have a medically diagnosed chronic or terminal illness. They help people facing serious illness by providing the highest degree of comprehensive nursing care and physical therapy at home. Those with end-of-life decisions to make can choose how their final days will be spent. Most clients or patients are age 65+ and are referred to Partners In Care by their physician for home-health or hospice services.

The entire 10,000-square-mile Central Oregon region is served by their nurses, physical therapists, home health aides, and volunteers who work out of hubs in Bend, La Pine, and Redmond. At any given time, over 400 patients receive either Home Health or Hospice care from an interdisciplinary team of caregivers. Additionally, palliative care consultations are provided in clinical settings and Transitions clients receive

Grab-n-go meals were packed in bags festively decorated by local children. photo provided

periodic nonmedical check-ins by both staff and volunteers. Overall, about 1,000 patients, clients, and family caregivers are supported by this independent nonprofit organization.

By utilizing home health, seniors are able to receive expert advice and care, to improve their health condition without having to leave their home. Both at home and in a hospice house, those who have received a terminal diagnosis receive compassionate and respectful care. Peace of mind for patients

The Nugget Newspaper and their families comes from knowing there is a full continuum of care available through Partners In Care, as well as strong coordination with other acute and postacute providers and organizations with complementary missions.

The greater Sisters community responded generously this year to support a capital campaign to build a new 12-bed hospice house to better serve the whole region. As the campaign nears completion, over $500,000 is still needed in order to open the new facility on time and within budget.

According to Marlene Carlson, director of development, “Probably the best way to support Partners In Care is to remember their name when seeking help for symptom management and improved quality of life during a serious illness.” They can be reached at 541-382-5882 or online at www. partnersbend.org.

Shibui Spa, a healing center and spa on the FivePine campus in Sisters, has a special “Gift of Giving Back” campaign in which people can nominate someone special in the community to receive the gift of a massage or facial.

Is there someone who has undergone chemotherapy or a challenging life situation and could use the health benefits of a massage? Is there a person in your life, or in the community, who always

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makes sure others’ needs are met and could use their own special pampering, but doesn’t have the money to indulge? How about a lonely senior who would benefit from the touch of a massage or facial?

The staff at Shibui invites Sisters residents to share those stories of special people by submitting a letter of nomination. Tell them why the person deserves some special attention. Those letters are read by the staff and a deserving individual is chosen to receive the gift of healing touch.

For more information, contact Liz Wolfe at 541-549-6164.

JOIN US FOR OUR

GIFT OF GIVING CAMPAIGN Every year Shibui Spa offers special people in our community, who may have overcome extraordinary challenges, the gift of gratitude and a facial or massage.

Share a story of someone who may not have the means to spend on themselves but could use the gift of wellness through the healing touch of a facial or massage.

Send your stories for consideration to: info@shibuispa.com ShibuiSpa.com | 541-549-6164 720 Buckaroo Trail, Sisters

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Partners in Giving • The Nugget Newspaper • November 3, 2021

Caring for our

By Ceili Cornelius, Correspondent Animals are a vital part of life in Central Oregon. From wild creatures we encounter in the forest and high desert, to companion animals with whom we share our lives, we care about the animals. Several local nonprofits are dedicated to improving the lives of our fourlegged and winged friends.

Street Dog Hero is a nonprofit organization that strives to rescue dogs found on the street, provide them medical care, and the potential for a forever home.

Street Dog Hero started offering spay and neuter clinics to help keep the population of stray dogs down. Founder Marianne Cox, started the organization in 2017 to save dogs found on the streets after she and her daughter volunteered at the Humane Society and saw how many strays were out there.

Some of their rescues come from Asian meat markets or the streets of Mexico.

“We strive to make a long-term difference in these dogs’ lives by offering fostering for them as well as vet care and offering clinics for families that cannot afford care, and spaying and neutering services,” said Cox. They partner with rescue

furry & feathered friends

organizations across the country to provide care for the dogs. Within Central Oregon, their biggest impact is through the clinics and vet services they began last year.

“We do clinics all around, particularly in the rural areas where vet care is hard to come by, so we not only help street dogs but also dogs within families in need of care, in turn making the dogs and families happier and healthier,” Cox said.

Street Dog Hero is always looking for homes to foster dogs, as well as donors and volunteers for the clinic, since all clinic costs come out of pocket. Street Dog Hero hopes to expand its clinical services and available foster homes so that dogs find their forever home. You can learn more about Street Dog Hero and how to help at www.streetdoghero.org.

Native Bird Care is a Sistersbased organization dedicated to helping the feathered creatures that inhabit local backyards. Elise Wolf, founder of the organization, focuses on caring for all avian creatures native to Central Oregon. She has worked in avian care for 13 years and was involved in environmental advocacy for 30 years prior to that.

She started seeing birds in our area in peril and wanted to provide a place and service to care for them.

The nonprofit offers rescue services in the Central Oregon area.

“We deal with all birds except raptors and owls here,” said Wolf.

The group relies exclusively on volunteers and other rescue agencies around the state. The organization provides medical care to birds that are injured as well as to baby birds that have been orphaned.

They also provide quite a bit of education on native birds to the public, so the public can better learn to care for the birds in our local area and backyards.

Native Bird Care also works to study diseases that plague the bird population.

“We save lives of birds, and without care they are a dead bird.

We provide the public a place to call if they come across an injured bird,” said Wolf.

Wolf and Native Bird Care are always looking for more volunteers to assist rescue efforts, as well as donations for the medical care services, food, and supplies they offer.

Call 541-728-8208.

Deschutes River Conservancy (DRC) works to maintain the natural habitat and find solutions to stream flow on one of our main water sources in Central Oregon, the Deschutes River.

As a nonprofit, they provide

education on water use, stream flow, and restoring water accessibility across the local region.

Marisa Hossick, communications director for DRC spoke with The Nugget about the work that DRC strives to achieve through volunteer efforts, fundraising, and community support to help impact the future stream flow and accessibility of water from the Deschutes River.

“We try to put out a lot of information to help people understand the bigger picture and how everything fits together in our region,” said Hossick.

Most of their work is made possible by grants and fundraising that they do year-round in the community. For Sisters specifically, Hossick sees the benefit of a tightknit community that cares for its environment, manifested through partnerships with the community involving Whychus Creek.

“We see huge partnerships happening and all the work that’s been done to have that creek flowing year-round is awesome,” she said.

The impact of the work DRC does is huge because they are working to preserve the natural environment while also catering to and working with a growing population, as well as addressing the effects of climate change on our rivers.

The Nugget Newspaper “Our mission is tricky because we run into the problem of what exactly the call to action is — however, the best way for the community to give back is to really educate themselves, work with us on funding, and dig into how our water system works here so we can all better work together,” said Hossick.

She wants the public to understand that water is something we can’t not think about, and that it is a finite resource that we must strive to preserve. Learn more about the Deschutes River Conservancy’s work at www.deschutesriver.org.

Equine Outreach Horse Rescue is a local entity of Equine Veterinary Center, founded in 2004 as a nonprofit to provide rescue and care for horses in need. They typically rescue horses in poor home situations, or senior horses that need veterinary care.

Then they strive to give those rescue horses a forever home through fostering.

Deb Dunham, development director of the program, assists in organizing the marketing, fundraising, and volunteers, while also taking care of the horses on the ranch.

“We provide a number of ways of outreach, especially by taking in horses from around our local community,” she said.

They also often treat various medical conditions a rescue horse might have upon entry into the

outreach program.

One of the largest impacts the outreach program has on the community is the transformation that is seen in a rescue horse from the time they come in to the time they find a home. Part of the organization’s mission statement emphasizes the importance of human connection with horses: “We raise the standing of equines in our community through education and an introduction to the transformative power of horses. We also model compassion, speak out against animal abuse, and promote responsible equine guardianship.”

The nonprofit works with Equine Veterinary Center for medical care, but mostly uses volunteers to help with the horses.

“The whole program is really rewarding for everyone involved — the horses and the volunteers,” said Dunham.

To give back to Equine Outreach program, Dunham encourages the public to volunteer.

Direct donations are vital.

“The main thing we also need is sponsorships for the horses,” she said. “The cost of care for each horse is lofty due to medical care costs and feed costs. Anyone can be a donor and sponsor a horse in need.”

For more information visit www. equineoutreach.org.

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Sponsor a

Rescued Horse for the holidays!

Equine Outreach is a nonprofit horse rescue in Bend.

We accept abused, neglected, abandoned, senior, or medically compromised equines. We also have several horses in need of sponsors to cover feed, shelter, medications, veterinarian and farrier costs.

TO DONATE AND HELP CHANGE THE LIVES OF OUR RESCUES, VISIT

www.EquineOutreach.org volunteer@equineoutreach.org

STREET DOG HERO Saving dogs from lives of NEGLECT, HUNGER, AND ABUSE around the world OUR MISSION:

To see our adoptable dogs, to apply to foster or volunteer, or donate:

STREETDOGHERO.ORG

• Vetting, sterilization, and transportation of Mexican street dogs and rescuing dogs from the South Korean meat trade for adoption in the U.S. • Free and low-cost spay/neuter and veterinary care to t underserved communities in Oregon and beyond.

• Advocacy, education, and outreach to make lasting positive change in the lives of animals.

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Partners in Giving • The Nugget Newspaper • November 3, 2021