Community Fund presents second quarter grant awards

By Nicole Montesano

Smoke Signals staff writer

The Spirit Mountain Community Fund has awarded $104,023,484 since its inception in 1997, spread among 3,512 grant recipients. On Wednesday, June 17, the fund celebrated its second quarter check presentation in the Governance Center Atrium.

Tribal Council members Matthew Haller and Tonya Gleason-Shepek attended the event. Tribal members Anthony Quenelle and Jordan Mercier opened the ceremony with a drum song. Haller, who also serves on the Community Fund Board of Trustees, gave the invocation.

Community Fund Program Coordinator Angela Schlappie noted that, with the cuts many organizations have faced under the current administration, the Community Fund was able to fund only about 8% of the large grant applications, and 9% of the small grant applications.

The check presentation featured speakers from two of the organizations: Rose Haven, a day shelter in Portland for women, children and marginalized genders, and Health Equity Coalition of Marion, Polk and Yamhill counties, a community coalition offering rapid response, training and other services for immigrants.

Other grants included diabetes education, teaching children about estuary stewardship, providing food for those in need through the Grand Sheramina Food Bank, providing hazardous situations equipment and training for the Southwest Polk County Fire District, providing essential items for families with new babies and a program that gives terminally or chronically ill children a chance to play with puppies.

Health Equity Coalition of Marion, Polk and Yamhill counties founder and Executive Director Salvador Pantoja told the audience that, “As an immigrant myself, I have personally experienced many of the barriers, fears and uncertainties that families face when navigating systems that were not designed for their needs in mind. I also know the power of opportunity, community support and people who believe that every person deserves to live with dignity, safety and hope.”

Pantoja came to the United States as a teenager with his family.

“Today, many immigrant families across Oregon and in our nation are experiencing tremendous fear and uncertainty due to the increased immigration enforcement,” Pantoja said. “Parents worry about what will happen to their children. Families worry about losing their homes, their income and their sense of security. Too often, they lack access to accurate information and trusted resources. The funding we are receiving today will support our rapid response for immigrant relation justice project … a community centered initiative that provides ‘know your rights’ training, family emergency planning and asset protection through our durable power of attorney assistance and authorization and coordinator rapid response support.”

Pantoja said that “families leave not only informed but prepared. They leave with a plan to protect their children, their finances and their future. This funding will allow us to expand our educational workshops, strengthen our volunteer network and reach more families across Marion, Polk, Yamhill, Clackamas and other counties that request our support. Most importantly, it will help us ensure that families have the tools, information and support they need during some of the most challenging moments of their lives.”

Rose Haven Grants Manager Bailey Bushart said the day shelter is serving about 120 people a day.

“Last year, we served 4,442 guests, including 1052 children and 1,660 brand new individuals. And that represents a 20% and 10% increase over the previous year. So, we see so many more people every single year, especially after moving into our new, much bigger shelter,” she said. “We’re meeting a ton of different needs, from the basics of restrooms, showers and other hygiene supplies to food.”

She continued, “We served over 72,000 meals last year, including snack bags as well. We’re giving food away, supplies for guests, so tents, tarps, sleeping bags, diapers, formula, and pet food.”

Medical assistance is also available through an onsite clinic and a mobile van run by Multnomah County, along with assistance in enrolling in the Oregon Health Plan and SNAP, finding resources for housing and employment, and other issues.

Community Fund Interns Cheyenne Haller and Billie DeLoe drew names to give beaded necklaces to grant recipients, presenting them to representatives for Pile of Puppies, Parenting with Intent and Friends of Netarts Bay Watershed Estuary Beach and Sea.

They drew names to present a Tribal blanket to Pantoja, on behalf of Health Equity Coalition of Marion, Polk and Yamhill counties. The blanket was designed for the Community Fund by Tribal member and Tribal Digital Communications Manager Matthew Williams in 2024, to commemorate reaching $100 million in grants awarded.

Tribal Council and Spirit Mountain Community Fund Board of Trustees member Matthew Haller, left, shakes hands with Health Equity Coalition of Marion, Polk and Yamhill Counties Executive Director Salvador Pantoja as he and Community Fund Program Coordinator Angela Schlappie gift a Tri-logoed blanket Pantoja won in a raffle drawing during the fund’s second quarter check presentation in the Governance Center Atrium Wednesday, June 17. (Photo by Michelle Alaimo)

Seven large grants were awarded, for a total of $302,950, to the following organizations:

• ANDARES, for building a resilient Latine community in Benton County, $31,950;
• Bambinos, for taking baby essentials to remote communities in Polk County to improve health access, $25,000;
• Clackamas Service Center Inc., for saving CSC’s food operations and warehouse in Clackamas County, $50,000;
• Growing Ancestral Roots, for food, culture and belonging for immigrant family wellbeing in Benton County, $46,000;
• Health Equity Coalition of Marion, Polk and Yamhill counties, for rapid response for immigrant justice, $50,000;
• Oregon Health & Science University Foundation, for community cooking education and food access for diabetes care in Polk County, $50,000;
• Parenting with Intent, for continued services for foster youth in Clackamas County, $50,000.

Six small grants were awarded, for a total of $45,000, to the following organizations:

• First Unitarian Portland, for hygiene for homeless neighbors at 13 Salmon Shower Project locations in Multnomah County, $7,500;
• Friends of Netarts Bay Watershed Estuary Beach and Sea, for teaching stewardship in its youth programs in Tillamook County, $7,500;
• Grand Sheramina Food Pantry, for hunger relief in Yamhill County, $7,500;
• Pile of Puppies, for its program of giving chronically and terminally ill children an experience of being surrounded by puppies, in Multnomah County, $7,500;
• Rose Haven, for intake and crisis stabilization program, in Multnomah County, $7,500;
• Southwest Polk Fire District, for hazardous situations training and equipment, in Polk County, $7,500.