COW CREEK UMPQUA INDIAN FOUNDATION AWARDS $606,815 TO SOUTHERN OREGON NON-PROFITS

ROSEBURG — With inflation rising and charities overwhelmed by demand, the Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation infused Southern Oregon non-profits with $606,815 in donations Tuesday, recognizing and celebrating the challenging work non-profits commit themselves to every day.

The donations brought the foundation’s total amount of giving in nearly 30 years to $27,806,803 benefittng philanthropies in Douglas, Jackson, Josephine, Coos, Lane, Deschutes and Klamath counties. Non-profits in the seven counties that address basic needs and improve quality of life are able to apply for grants of up to $10,000 twice per year.

“Organizations that were already stretched thin are now being asked to do more with less,” said Carla Keene, Chairman of the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians to representatives of the 87 different non-profits who received donations. “We know that during times like this, you rise to the occasion. You get creative with how to spend each dollar. Even more creative than you may be used to. Inflation may be eroding your budgets, but it doesn’t seem to affect the number of people you’re able to reach.”

“When I feel the weight of the world in my life, I think of the Cow Creek Foundation and recall its mission: giving to philanthropies that that feed, educate and strengthen our community,” said Foundation Director Carma Mornarich. “I envision all the benefits that are achieved by giving to these basic needs and remember how the hard work of non-profit organizations eases hard lives. It quiets me and I am once again aware of how much goodness there is in this world.”

Many of the recipients who attended Tuesday’s awards ceremony at Seven Feathers Casino Resort in Canyonville told personal stories that demonstrate how far beyond basics that every dollar has the potential to go.

Hearts with a Mission is based in Jackson County and received $7,500 for a program to assist vulnerable seniors with physical and emotional needs.

“I also want to thank the foundation and the board,” one of their staff members told the crowd. “Eight years ago, my daughter and I received services from Hearts with a Mission when I was caught in addiction. You have been supporting us for 15 years. Thank you for helping us keep the doors open and keep the lights on so more families become stories like this.”

Magdalene Home also received $7,500 to help with staffing a shelter that provides for pregnant and parenting homeless teens.

“We’re celebrating this month one of our volunteers who is graduating from high school, and she lived at Magdelene Home with her mom when she was a baby,” said Kathleen Wilson, director of Magdelene Home.

Total giving in each of the seven counties included:

• $93,500 to organizations that serve multiple counties, such as:
  • Fly Fishing Veterans, $6,000
  • Institute for Sustainability Education and Ecology, $5,000
  • Neighborworks Umpqua, $10,000
• $13,000 to organizations in Coos County, such as:
  • Bay Area Hospital Kids HOPE Center, $10,000
  • Coos Bay Area Zonta Service Foundation, $3,000
• $135,050 to organizations in Deschutes County, such as:
  • La Pine Community Health Center, $10,000
  • Family Access Network Foundation, $7,500
  • MountainStar Family Relief Nursery, $7,500
• $92,610 to organizations in Douglas County, such as:
  • Glide Revitalization, $10,000
  • Elkton Community Education Center, $7,110
  • YMCA of Douglas County, $10,000
• $77,655 to organizations in Jackson County, such as:
  • Ronald McDonald House, $7,500
  • Golden Rule Reentry, $7,500
  • Trusted Homes Community Land Trust, $5,000
• $35,000 to organizations in Josephine County, such as:
  • The Motherline, $10,000
  • Crossing Bridges Therapeutic Riding Center, $5,000
  • Table Rock Foundation, $7,500
• $32,500 to organizations in Klamath County, such as:
  • Klamath Advocacy Center, $10,000
  • Citizens for Safe Schools, $10,000
  • Klamath Basin Senior Citizens’ Center, $7,500
• $127,500 to organizations in Lane County, such as:
  • A Family for Every Child, $10,000
  • FOOD For Lane County, $10,000
  • Ophelia’s Place, $10,000

The guiding principle of the Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation is to assist philanthropies that directly address basic needs such as food and housing, education, health and wellness, community support, and abuse prevention. The foundation was formed in 1997 and began issuing grants in 1998.

For more information, contact Communications Director Lindsay Campman at (541) 529-9159 or lcampman@cowcreek-nsn.gov