Volunteers in this small community resurrected an old cabin devastated by the 1996 flood into an attractive community center. Read more
This grant funds two new buses to allow more youth to benefit from education, civic engagement, and safety, while improving Oregon's cultural and natural landmarks.
This year, MMT-funded buses are helping hundreds of young people to develop greater character, responsibility, and self-confidence through Northwest Youth Corps (NYC.)
NYC is the Pacific Northwest's largest and oldest youth conservation corps program. Our participants are active teens and young adults who love the outdoors and seek an opportunity to make new friends as part of a challenging and structured, team-based environment.
NYC's new vehicles feature rear dual wheels, improved storage for better access to tools, and giant lime-green footprints and the text 'challenge, education, teamwork, and leadership', to make visible to all the core elements of NYC programs.
Other text on the sides and back of the buses, 'Leave your footprint on the world' and 'blazing trails, making tracks,' tells of the NYC legacy of environmental stewardship and our message of exciting outdoor adventure.
This year, these new buses carried more than 200 youth and staff throughout Oregon. Crews enhanced trail and restored meadow for the Coos Bay BLM, did trail work for the Pacific Crest Trail; rafted across the McKenzie River to remove noxious weeds on Rodman Island; traveled to Beazell Memorial Forest, Aumsville County Park, Stub Stewart State Park, the Lewis and Clark National Historic Park, and to the Salem BLM Table Rock Wilderness.
Said one participant: "I've learned more about myself and my potential, by being put into impossible situations and being trusted to make it happen. Along the way each (staff member) has helped me to do my best to be successful. True discovery is seeing what everyone else has seen and thinking what nobody else has thought. I've seen a lot of places and I'll carry those memories forever."
During the program, youth benefit from formal education during the day and each evening. "We learned how a pond turns into a meadow using sediments, and also about the succession of the forest. We learned about native and invasive blackberries. I learned how to identify trees such as the Douglas fir and the big leaf maple," wrote one youth.
Many youth return to NYC year after year. "All in all, this session of Northwest Youth Corps has been one of the greatest ever, we've completed all of our projects, completed all of our hours, and had a lot of fun doing it. Friendships were made, hardships were endured, journeys were taken, but in the end, we all pulled through and made it. A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. NYC is that step. '
As a non-profit organization, NYC relies on the generosity of individuals, foundations, and businesses to help move young people toward greater responsibility through challenging and meaningful education and work projects.
Thank you Meyer Memorial Trust for helping more youth take that first step through Northwest Youth Corps.
submitted by:
Natalie Whitson
Northwest Youth Corps
Find out more about this organization at its website: www.northwestyouthcorps.org
Echo Community Center Renovation:
1916 Beauxarts-style building was renovated to house a community center in the 2nd floor ball room, city hall, and library.
This National Register of Historic places building was renovated to create a building that is not only beautiful, but very functional. MMT provided the largest grant--a $100,000 challenge grant, which helped the city raise over $500,000 to totally renovate the building. It now houses a 3000+ sf ft library (just 800 ft before), an auditorium/ball room and city offices. The library houses not only 12,000 volumes of books, but a childrens room with a TV & VCR/DVD so children can come to the library after school and summers and do homework, access computers, watch movies or tv or put on their own puppet show. There are now 7 public access computers and with more room collections of audio books and musical cds were added and the collection of videos & dvds has grown to several 1000. Echo only has a population of 700 and no video store, so this service is much appreciated.
The auditorium has a raised stage which is used by the city council as a council chambers, for bands or awards presenations. A kitchen, that many visitors envy, was created out of 3 small dressing rooms off the stage, and the maple auditorium floor was refnished. The auditorium is used for numerous events sponsored by the city, the school and social clubs and civic groups each year from the kids Halloween party to conferences and town hall meetings to bazaars. It is also rented out to the public for dances, weddings, receptions and dinners.
The community takes great pride in the building and its renovation, which was done in a manner to preserve the historic character of the building. Six years later (2006) visitors still praise the vintage-style light fixtures, the Victorian inspired carpets, the moldings, replica vintage street lights, the courtyard, sidewalks & planters and other touches that make the renovation unique and beautiful--and without the MMT grant, it probably would never have happened.
Echo is a community know for its history and historic buildings and sites. MMT has helped us with a number of small grants from an arboretum to park restrooms and from tennis courts to enhancements for a new bike path/pedestrian path project on the main highway. We have used these project to build a base for other improvements in our town that we add to each year. Visit our website and get a taste of Echo.
Submitted by:
Diane Berry
City of Echo
Find out more about this organization at www.echo-oregon.com
Matched public school Title I funds to serve more HIPPY families, supporting and training parents in their role as first and most important teacher of their preschool children. Encouraged parents to volunteer in schools; helped children be school ready.
Meyer Memorial Trust allowed HIPPY to develop new partnerships with Morrison Center and Boys and Girls Clubs in provision of Incredible Years classes and childcare during the class time. Meyer Memorial Trust also allowed HIPPY to provide services to an additional 15 children.
A love of learning begins at home.
HIPPY accomplishes this healthy beginning through:
(1) TRUST & SUPPORT - Paraprofessional home visitors, recruited from the community served - preschool parents themselves - deliver service to 12 - 15 other preschool parents over a 30-week program year.
(2) TRAINING - An unmatched curriculum of parent and child activities instrinsically fun for children and scripted for a novice teacher (the parent). Weeks and years build upon each other as the age 3 curriculum is the base for age 4 and age 5 to give children 20 minutes a day of practice with pre kindergarten skills, playing with their parent.
(3) ROLE-PLAY is the primary instructional method between the coordinator and home visitors at weekly staff meetings, and between home visitors and parents for one hour a week in each parent's home. Role-play gives hands on practice and encourages play and fun. It is a non- threatening way to learn.
(4) Home visits and 13 - 15 group meetings a year encourage parents to become active community members and volunteers in the schools.
The Chalkboard Project's public opinion research done in 2004 ("the most comprehensive poll ever conducted...") by Davis Hibbits & Midghall, Inc. asked about perceived obstacles to children's school success and found that 83% of respondents answered, "direct parental support".
HIPPY fosters direct parental support daily in parents of preschoolers.
There are only two HIPPY programs in Oregon currently. In Washington County we hope to serve 143 children in 2006-2007. In Portland (through Portland Public Schools) they expect to serve 60 - 80 children.
There are six state HIPPY offices in the US - Texas, California, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida and Nevada. There are 5 additonal HIPPY State Contacts in Hawaii, Alabama, Louisiana, Maryland and Rhode Island.
Let's grow HIPPY in Oregon and encourage and train more low income and second language families BEFORE SCHOOL to develop the habit of providing direct parental support in their children's education.
HIPPY costs $2,000 a year per child in Oregon.
submitted by:
Nancy Monroe
Oregon Child Development Coalition Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY)
Find out more about this organization at www.ocdc.net and www.hippyusa.org.
Proven, successful parent support programs including Parenting Now! education and outreach, Parent Help Line, parent training for high risk families, and the Parent Knowledge Base.
The Parent HelpLine (PHL) has been a huge asset for Lane County parents. Miriam is just one example. Miriam had used the PHL many times to talk about her challenges as a parent. At one difficult point, she was connected through the PHL to a local agency that works specifically with parents in crisis. Through the PHL referral Miriam?s family avoided a potential catastrophe and, through an ongoing relationship with the same agency, is now stronger and more stable than ever.
The PHL provides parents like Miriam access to not only parenting support and advice but also access to services that meet parents' unique and individual needs. The PHL partnership understands that parents' concerns aren't just about parenting and children, they can be about their own mental health, domestic violence in the home, financial problems and more. The PHL's unique ability to directly transfer parents like Miriam to the relevant service assures that parents get the help they need when they need it so they can get back to being loving and caring parents. There are 1,000s more callers just like Miriam who have benefited from and will continue to benefit from the Parent HelpLine.
Parenting Now! is our universal parenting education project. Parenting Now! is a positive, strength-based curriculum, designed to be inviting to a wide range of parents with young children. Since the project began, over 30 volunteers have been trained in PN!, over 19 groups have been offered and about 100 parents and grandparents have been helped. Groups have been held throughout Lane County, from Florence to Oakridge, and are offered in churches, Head Start centers, community centers, schools and libraries. A mother shared her experience, 'I learned different ways to let my son know he's valued and respected.'
A father shared that the class 'really showed me that I'm not alone when it comes to concerns of raising my kids.' The Parenting Now! project has helped us to train and support local volunteers who support parents in their own communities.
The Parent HelpLine and the Parenting Now! project fill two critical needs in Lane County. 1. A place to call for non-judgmental support and 2. easy to access parenting education. The Meyer Memorial Trust grant has been crucial to the success of these projects and the success of the overall Success By 6 initiative.
submitted by:
Eden Cronk
United Way of Lane County - Success By 6
Find out more about this organization at its website: http://www.cherisheverychild.org/
MMT funded our after-school programs currently operating in Title One schools in Washington and Multnomah Counties. One aspect of the program gives students the option for an overnight experience at Camp Namanu.
Jonathan seemed slightly nervous on the way to his first overnight trip to Camp Namanu. The second oldest of four, and a big fourth grader, he hunkered down, sitting alone in the bus seat with headphones on.
This was his first year in Camp Fire, and he hadn’t fully committed to the program yet. While he did think that Camp Fire was more fun than going home and watching TV, he had gone from being reserved in the first few weeks to playing the “class clown�?. He was clearly a good student, however, who liked school and his site-coordinators were hoping that this trip to Namanu might just tip the scales and help get Jonathan more interested in taking a leadership role in Camp Fire.
“There is something magical about Camp Namanu. When you get kids out in nature and out of their regular routine, something else is available that helps them build more independence and teamwork.�? Katie Johnson, Director of Namanu
An overnight at Namanu was the perfect prescription for Jonathan’s success! “Camp was awesome!�? he says, “I liked everything.�? He overcame his fear of sleeping in a cabin, felt independence in going out by himself in a boat and - with limited access to his father, who lives in a different city – he found a male mentor in Camp Fire whom he could relate to.
Even more subtle and profound is the fact that Jonathan started to act like a leader. He participated in activities with excitement and became more a part of the group. This enthusiasm has been carried back to the after-school program. “Jonathan is more invested now in Camp Fire. He’s much more likely to participate and is always giving us high fives.�? reports De Moskal, Site Coordinator at Minter Bridge Elementary School.
In summing up his experience at Camp, Jonathan said, “There’s a big ole rock at Camp Namanu and if you go around it three times you get to make a wish. I wished for cool days at Camp Fire.�?
submitted by:
Stephanie Torres, Special Events and Communications Manager
Camp Fire USA Portland Metro Council
Find out more about this organization at its website: http://www.portlandcampfire.org/
