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Our final stop on this TWIST, took us to the Boys and Girls Club in Grants Pass. When entering the facility one can’t help but notice the rock garden and this wonderful clay sculpture created by the children in their Arts and Crafts Program.
Our largest turn out on the tour; we shared time with 39 individuals from the surrounding areas. When asked to “share some of the things you love about living here,” it is obvious that the welcoming community and beautiful landscapes win every time. The large group setting allowed individuals to network but also brought to light the common concerns and struggles that exist within Josephine County.
Many of the organizations are already operating within partnerships to address poverty, equal access to quality education, libraries and programming central to the community, including the environment. The Clean Forest Project is busy working to keep the area clean. They have partnered with the Bureau of Land Management and the US Forest Service to organize cleanups, education programs within the schools and increased community awareness. While the illegal dumping in forest and back roads continues, this group is hopeful that with increased capacity they will be in the position to expand the work and continue to keep Josephine County a place that residents love.
Education also remains as a high priority. There were several representatives from various schools present with great concern for the public school system and one individual from a local Christian school. The concerns are timely and relevant and while our K-12 strategic initiative is not immediately addressing the problems for individual schools in this community, we believe Meyer's education initiative will impact the entire state. This news did not discourage the groups in attendance but challenged them to continue pressing for opportunities in the now, to increase resources for the children in their schools.
Overall this segment of the TWST allowed us to connect with a handful of the organizations who have received funding from the Trust over the years. The tour also allowed us to meet groups who look forward to the opportunity to submit a proposal to the Trust. We definitely felt challenged by the numerous questions and scenarios posed but all and all we were honored by the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people and to experience the passion and determination they have to improve quality of life within their communities.
We have one more thing to share. On our way out of town we passed by the art deco styled Rogue Theatre that is now a performing arts music center that showcases national, regional and local artists.
Good-bye for now to the Rogue River and its beautiful Valley; the journey home will be long, with no regret for time well spent…
-Kim Sheng & Sally Yee
