April 2026 Sunriver Scene - Flipbook - Page 17
Sunriver Women’s Club awards $92,250 to local nonprofits
South Deschutes County
is among the most vulnerable
rural communities in the region. Nearly 20% of residents
live below the federal poverty
line, with a median household
income estimated between
$38,000 and $50,000, well
below Oregon's average.
The Sunriver Women’s Club
is committed to assisting south
Deschutes County residents
in need. Net proceeds of Art
Meets Wine in Sunriver, the
Sunriver Art Fair, business
partnerships and direct donations are awarded twice
annually. In March, 14 local
nonprofits received funds totaling $92,250; each recipient
was closely aligned with one or
more of the club’s philanthropy
priorities. Hunger prevention
was the focus of the club’s
end-of-year Power of Giving
campaign.
Hunger Prevention:
Everyone should have
adequate, nutritious food.
• Council on Aging Central
Oregon was awarded $5,000
toward their Meals on Wheels
SDC program, which provides
reliable, nutritious meal delivery to clients’ homes by trained
volunteers who conduct regular
wellness checks and provide social connection to older adults
and adults with disabilities who
are unable to shop or cook for
SRWC
continued from page 16
President’s message
The Sunriver Women's Club
is a vibrant group of women
who have a great time socializing and at the same time are
committed to making a meaningful and positive impact in
our community. One of our
two major fundraising events
is Saturday, May 30, which is
Art Meets Wine in Sunriver
at SHARC. Space is limited,
so get your tickets early to
enjoy wine, art and great food.
All proceeds support south
Deschutes County nonprofits.
As we transition seasons,
plans are underway for the
hiking, cycling and kayaking
adventures. There are other
events and gatherings scheduled. There is always something
fun going on. Monthly coffee
breaks and happy hours for
members also are open to prospective members to find out
more about us, so please join in.
Sunriver Women's Club
is a welcoming place to
meet other women while
doing great things for our
community. For information
on upcoming events, visit www.
sunriverwomensclub.org.
–Brigitte Bourret,
SRWC president
themselves.
• Giving Plate was awarded a
$5,000 to support the Fighting
Hunger & Feeding Hope: Kids'
Korner Snack Pack Weekend
Food Bags program, which
ensures nearly 70 students aged
5 to 18 do not go hungry over
weekends.
• La Pine Community Kitchen received $10,000 to purchase essential proteins, dairy,
fresh produce and shelf-stable
supplies to ensure their food
pantry shelves remain stocked.
The pantry is open twice weekly and currently serves approximately 1,900 individuals each
month, representing more than
1,200 households. A $9,000
award will support 1,500 hot,
nutritious, well-balanced meals
served Tuesday to Thursday
at the La Pine Senior Activity
Center. The ongoing Community Hot Meals & Connection
program is designed to reduce
food insecurity and social isolation among seniors and vulnerable residents who face fixed
incomes, mobility challenges,
disabilities, and limited access
to affordable groceries.
• St. Vincent de Paul of La
Pine received $6,000 to expand
their integrated Food Access
and Self-Sufficiency Support
Program, a rural hunger prevention initiative designed
to ensure reliable access to
nutritious food for households
facing significant barriers. The
program delivers food boxes
and hot meals directly to homebound seniors, people with
disabilities, single mothers, and
caregivers who cannot consistently access traditional pantry
services due to transportation,
health limitations, or caregiving
responsibilities.
Child abuse and neglect
Prevention and Intervention:
Every child should grow up
in a nurturing environment
free from abuse and neglect.
• CASA of Central Oregon was awarded $6,000
to recruit, train and support
Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs) to serve south
Deschutes County children as
they navigate foster care until
they are established in a safe,
stable, and legally secure, lifelong family. CASA expects
to serve 32 south Deschutes
County youth in 2026.
Education and youth
development: Every child
and youth should receive the
support they need to succeed
in school, giving them the
knowledge and skills to
become productive members
of their community.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters
received $10,000 to support
10 middle and high school
students at-risk of dropping
out. Participants are paired
with a mentor and case manager who collaborates with
parents/guardians and school
staff to develop a plan based
on identified barriers to success
and provides targeted strategies
to keep students on track to
graduate.
• Camp Fire Central Oregon received a $10,000 grant
toward their after/no school
programs that offer a fun and
safe environment for kids to
grow and learn outside of the
school day at Three Rivers and
Rosland Elementary schools.
• Friends of the Children
Central Oregon received
$10,000 to expand their services in La Pine, enrolling 16
additional youth and hiring
two full-time professional mentors to ensure youth facing
the highest levels of risk have
consistent, relationship-based,
trauma-informed support from
a mentor, kindergarten through
high school graduation.
• Heart of Oregon Corps
received $5,000 toward their
eight-week summer job program through Central Oregon
Youth Conservation Corps’
partnership with the U.S. Forest Service, which will provide
minimum wage positions plus
career and college exploration
days for five local youth aged
16-18.
• SMART Reading was
awarded $2,000 to provide
14 books for each La Pine and
Rosland kindergarten student
and selected Rosland second
graders to receive take-home
books in addition to books
that classroom volunteers read
to students weekly. According
to the most recent state test
results, only 39% of Oregon
third graders are reading at
grade level at a critical turning
point when students transition
from learning to read to reading
to learn.
Physical and mental health:
Everyone should have access
to quality health services that
improve physical and mental
health, help them cope
with adversity, and build
resilience.
• Girls on the Run teams of
13 girls at Three Rivers and 12
at La Pine Middle School, each
led by three volunteer coaches,
gained skills to manage their
emotions, formed positive peer
connections and increased their
physical activity. The $3,000
award supports program materials and participation in the
Central Oregon Community
College Turkey Trot.
Safe Housing: Everyone
should have a safe, healthy
and secure home.
The $10,000 grant award
will allow Habitat for Humanity of La Pine Sunriver to
complete critical home repairs
for approximately eight lowincome households, primarily
seniors and veterans on fixed
incomes.
• Thrive Central Oregon
received $1,250 to support
safe housing for families and
individuals by assisting up to
25 south Deschutes County
families with funds toward a
housing application fee.
Community grants totaling
$96,500 were awarded to 20
nonprofits and public schools
in 2025. The next grant application opportunity is in the fall.
Consider making a donation
or setting up recurring donations
to the Sunriver Women’s Club
Community Grant Program
at sunriverwomensclub.org/
donate.
APRIL 2026 SUNRIVER SCENE
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