Community Fund awards $1.4 million to children, Elders and the environment

By Nicole Montesano

Smoke Signals staff writer

Due to an “atmospheric river” of heavy rains and threats of flooding the preceding day, Tribes from around Oregon stayed home  Wednesday, Dec. 10, when the Spirit Mountain Community Fund held its fourth-quarter check presentation at the Governance Center Atrium. The Tribe had asked them not to risk traveling in dangerous conditions, Community Fund Grants Coordinator Jesse Knight said. They were honored with an announcement of their awards in absentia.

The presentation featured speakers from two organizations: Grace Center for Adult Day Services of Corvallis and Assistance League of Salem-Keizer.

Total funding for the fourth quarter grant awards was $1.4 million, with 28 grants awarded. The event marked an overall funding total to date of $103.2 million and 3,482 grants.

Tribal Council Chairwoman Cheryle A. Kennedy told the assembled guests that the grants “are not about giving back” but are rather a continuation of the Tribe’s ancient cultural practice of potlatch. Kennedy gave a brief history of the Tribe, following a prayer and welcome drum song by Tribal Council Secretary Jon A. George.

Tribal Council Vice Chair Chris Mercier and Tribal Council members Toby McClary, Tonya Gleason-Shepek and Kathleen George also attended the ceremony.

Community Fund Executive Director Angie Sears told the audience that because of federal funding cuts, competition for the grants has grown so intense that the fund was only able to fill 9% of the large grant requests and 13% of the small grant requests.

Grace Center for Adult Day Services Community Outreach Coordinator Cassie Cruze told the audience that her agency offers respite care for adults with neurocognitive disorders and those in rehabilitation, with the goal of enabling adults to remain in their homes for as long as possible. It received a $50,000 grant.

One of the center’s goals is to provide culturally appropriate care, Cruze said, as adults with dementia and related disorders react best to the smells, sounds and languages of their youth. She recalled a woman who had grown up in Haiti, saying that “just having hibiscus tea and some simple foods that we could make brought this woman alive.”

The center also runs a support group for caregivers, led by a certified therapist. Cruze said helps them to learn coping techniques from each other and to feel less isolated.

The Assistance League of Salem-Keizer works to meet critical needs of low-income children as part of Operation School Bell. It received a grant of $7,500.

Representative Toni Phipps told the audience that the all-volunteer league makes about 50% of its operating funds by operating two thrift shops. It uses the funds to purchase clothing and shoes for children in the school district, a number of whom are homeless. It also offers grants to teachers to help them purchase specialty items for their classrooms.

“This grant will help us so much in being able to meet the needs of our community,” Phipps said.

After presenting the grant awards, the Community Fund drew names in a raffle, presenting beaded necklaces to representatives from the Oregon Coast Aquarium, Oregon TRIO Association and the Grace Center. It presented a Tribal blanket to McMinnville Area Habitat for Humanity.

Assistance League of Salem-Keizer’s Toni Phipps speaks about the nonprofit during the Spirit Mountain Community Fund’s fourth-quarter check presentation in the Governance Center Atrium Wednesday, Dec. 10. (Photo by Michelle Alaimo)

The fund awarded 11 large grants totaling $585,000 to the following organizations:

• Domestic Violence Resource Center Inc., Washington County, for domestic violence survivor legal fund, $50,000;
• Elevate Oregon, Multnomah County, for culturally responsive mentoring; empowering diverse youth to success, $50,000;
• Grace Center for Adult Day Services, Benton County, for dementia and post-rehab care with counseling and support group services, $50,000;
• Juliette’s House, Yamhill County, for Juliette’s House Year of Hope, $50,000;
• Liberty House, Marion County, for trauma-focused therapy for children and families, $50,000;
• Ophelia’s Place, Lane County, for youth empowerment program to promote safe school environments, $50,000;
• Oregon Coast Aquarium, Lincoln County, for Sis-Xa Xwee-Nish Marine Wildlife Center, $100,000;
• The Arc of Lane County, Lane County, for Arc Park, a play destination for children of all abilities, $100,000;
• Water Watch of Oregon, Multnomah County, for protecting and restoring water and river flows in the Willamette Basin, $25,000;
• Yamhill Community Care, Yamhill County, for social-emotional learning programs, $35,000;
• Yamhill County CASA, Yamhill County, for expanding capacity, $25,000.

The fund awarded nine small grants, totaling $63,750, to the following organizations:

• Assistance League of Salem-Keizer, Marion County, for meeting critical needs of low-income children, Operation School Bell, $7,500;
• Bridgeworks Oregon, Marion County, for Pony Express Journal, Best Issue 2025, $3,750;
• McMinnville Area Habitat for Humanity, Yamhill County, for 2025 townhouse build, $7,500;
• Northwest Alliance for Alternative Media and Education, Multnomah County, for building out new space and program to serve underserved populations, $7,500;
• Nuu-da’ Mv-ne’, Lincoln County, for Nuu-wee-ya’, Nuu-da’-ye’: Creating a Dv-ne Cultural Action fund, $7,500;
• Oregon Health and Education Collaborative, Lane County, for deepening innovation, $7,500;
• Oregon TRIO Association, Multnomah County, for sustaining educational equity in Oregon, $7,500;
• Rahab’s Sisters, Multnomah County, for operational support for access to holistic health care, $7,500;
• Street Roots, Multnomah County, for year one of operating support for showers and laundry, $7,500.

Eight Tribal grants totaling $799,159 were awarded to the following Tribes:

• Burns-Paiute Tribe, for gathering center solar installation, $100,000;
• Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua & Siuslaw Indians, for Culture is Prevention, $100,000;
• Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, for STAHS – Sustaining Culture and Community, $100,000;
• Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, for community safety and policing project, $99,159;
• Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, for its Txtayma Food Truck Park, phase two, $100,000;
• Coquille Indian Tribe, for Coquille Indian Tribe properties comprehensive assessment, $100,000;
• The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, for renewal of the museum’s permanent exhibit and support for Camp Naimuma, $100,000;
• The Klamath Tribes, for public safety infrastructure, $100,000.