April 2026 Sunriver Scene - Flipbook - Page 16
Friends, fun & philanthropy
sunriver women’s club
www.sunriverwomensclub.org
During Child Abuse Prevention Month, Sunriver Women’s Club highlights year-round impact
April is National Child
Abuse Prevention Month, and
the Sunriver Women's Club is
reaffirming its long-standing
commitment to protecting
children and strengthening
families throughout Central
Oregon.
While April brings special
focus to the issue, child abuse
prevention is not just a seasonal
effort for the club.
It is one of its core pillars.
Child abuse and neglect
prevention and intervention is
one of the five priority areas of
the club’s Community Grant
Program, ensuring that organizations serving vulnerable children remain a funding focus.
The local picture: Child
abuse in Deschutes County
Child abuse and neglect are
not abstract issues in Oregon.
They are real challenges affecting thousands of families
across the state. Data from the
Oregon Department of Human Services shows that 532
children in Central Oregon
(Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson counties) were identified
as abuse victims in the most
recent reporting year, with
many victims 6 years old and
younger.
These statistics underscore
why prevention, early intervention, and community support
are vital parts of the broader
effort to keep children safe and
families strong.
A long-standing
commitment
For decades, the Sunriver
Women’s Club has combined
volunteerism and philanthropy
to support children and families in south Deschutes County.
Through its Community Grant
Program, the club distributes
funds raised through annual
fundraisers and donations to
nonprofits across Central Oregon, focusing on five pillars:
child abuse and neglect prevention and intervention, education and youth development,
physical and mental health,
hunger prevention, and safe
housing.
Supporting local services
KIDS Center in Bend, CASA
of Central Orego and Friends
of the Children Central Oregon are some of the nonprofit
organizations supported by
How the community
the Sunriver Women’s
can help
Club.
Residents can support
• KIDS Center prothe club’s philanthropic
vides medical evaluwork by participating in
ations, forensic inits two signature annual
terviews, and family
fundraisers.
advocacy services when
• Art Meets Wine in
there are concerns
Sunriver 3 to 7 p.m.
about abuse, helping
Saturday, May 30, at
ensure children receive
SHARC.
compassionate, coor• The Sunriver Art Fair
dinated care in a safe
is Aug. 7 to Aug. 9 in The
environment.
Village at Sunriver.
• CASA of Central
These popular events
Oregon recruits, trains
bring
the community
and supports Court
together
while generAppointed Special Adating significant fundvocate (CASA) voling for the club’s Comunteers who advocate
munity Grant Program.
for children in foster
Community members
care due to abuse or
also may take part in the
neglect. These trained Sunriver Women's Club member Gwen
club’s
end-of-year giving
community volunteers Gamble volunteered at Friends of the
campaign. Donations are
work one-on-one with Children Ranch in early September to get
always welcome through
children, gathering in- ready for its biggest fundraiser of the year.
formation and making They served food grown by the children in the the club’s website.
National Child Abuse
recommendations to program.
Prevention
Month serves
the court to help enas a reminder that safeity and permanency for vulnersure each child’s best
guarding children is a shared
interests are represented. By able children.
• Friends of the Children responsibility. Awareness, eduproviding consistent adult
support during uncertain and matches youth who are facing cation and community engageoften traumatic times, CASA the greatest obstacles-such as ment all play important roles in
volunteers help promote stabil- poverty, housing instability, prevention.
The Sunriver Women's Club
family substance abuse, inremains
focused on year-round
volvement in the foster care
action.
By embedding child
system, exposure to violence,
abuse
and
neglect prevention
and other traumatic childhood
and intervention within its
experiences-with professional
formal grant priorities, the
mentors for 12 or more years.
club reinforces its belief that
The model was founded on safe, supported children are
research showing that the single the foundation of a healthy
most important factor in over- community.
coming childhood adversity is
For information, visit www.
a long-term, nurturing rela- sunriverwomensclub.org
tionship with a consistent and
Turn to SRWC, page 17
caring adult.
Monthly Ladder Fuels Pickup
Program is Underway!
Keeping Sunriver Firewise!
Who: SROA Public Works Department & SROA Owners only
(contractors excluded)
What: Roadside pickup of ladder fuel materials or debris,
including:
• branches or limbs • seedlings • large shrubs or brush such
as bitterbrush, manzanita, and juniper
When: Starts the 1st Monday of each month,
April-October, weather and schedule permitting.
Where: All lanes in Sunriver are checked once a month;
there is no need to call for pickup!
How: Neatly stack material parallel to the lane, where it
will be collected by Public Works crews.
Why: To support Sunriver owners in meeting community
Ladder Fuels Reduction standards.
For more guidance: sunriverowners.org/lfrpickup
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APRIL 2026 SUNRIVER SCENE
