November 2025 Sunriver Scene - Flipbook - Page 26
Local nonprofits receive $44,000 in community grants from Sunriver Women’s Club
Too often, families and individuals in south Deschutes
County must choose between
paying for food, rent, utilities,
medicine, gasoline, clothing or
other necessities.
Members of the Sunriver
Women’s Club are committed
to being an agent of change in
south county.
Net proceeds of $44,000
from the club’s Art Meets
Wine in the High Desert and
Sunriver Art Fair, business
partnerships and donations to
the SRWC Community Grants
Program were awarded to eight
local programs closely aligned
with the club’s philanthropy
priorities:
• Child abuse and neglect
prevention and intervention:
Every child should grow up in
a nurturing environment free
from abuse and neglect.
• Education and youth
development: Every youth
should receive the support
needed to succeed in school,
giving them the knowledge
and skills to become productive
members of their community.
• Hunger prevention: Ev-
eryone should have adequate,
nutritious food.
• Physical and mental
health: Everyone should have
access to health services that
improve physical and mental
health, help them cope with
adversity and build resilience.
• Safe housing: Everyone
should have a safe, healthy and
secure home.
Hunger prevention grants
In south Deschutes County,
the cost of groceries has risen
20% since 2021. Grocery and
transportation options are
limited.
South county has one of
the highest rates of senior
citizens per capita in Oregon,
with more than 25% of residents older than 65. Many are
homebound or unable to cook,
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creating an urgent demand for
ready-made, healthy meals.
The club awarded $20,000 to
improve food security through
the work of three local nonprofits.
• Care & Share Community
Outreach ($4,000) provides
monthly food boxes to south
county residents.
• La Pine Community Kitchen received $7,000 for 1,750
free hot meals served Monday
through Friday.
The community kitchen also
provides access to a food pantry,
clothing, hygiene products,
diapers and formula. It serves
as a hub for other crucial services provided by community
partners.
• The High Desert Food and
Farm Alliance ($9,000) coordinates with Meals on Wheels
to provide interested La Pine
recipients with Fresh Harvest
Kits, ready-to-make meals
that feed four with fresh local
produce, a recipe and pantry
staples.
Previous recipients reported a
reduction in isolation, renewed
enjoyment in meal preparation,
improvements in their health,
and discovering new types of
produce during the 19-week
program.
Safe housing Grants
Homelessness in Deschutes
County has risen by nearly
30% in a year.
For the estimated 300 unhoused people in the La Pine
area, propane is critical for both
heat and cooking from October
through April, when overnight
temperatures often dip below
freezing. Forecasts predict a
minimum 50% increase in the
need for propane assistance
and 30% increase for electricity
assistance.
• A $10,000 award to St.
Vincent de Paul La Pine will
fund 353 3.375-gallon propane
tank vouchers serving 90 to
111 individuals/households
and provide 20 households
with $200 in utility assistance.
Serving the elderly and families
with young children will be
prioritized over others.
St. Vincent de Paul partners
with the La Pine Shell station
so the voucher for propane
includes access to a shower and
self-serve laundry.
The nonprofit also delivers
meals provided by the La Pine
Community Kitchen in coordination with Meals on Wheels
and has begun to provide stepby-step wrap-around services
to enable clients to become
self-sufficient.
Child protection grants
According to the KIDS Center, the number of children
in need of intervention and
treatment for child abuse is increasing, driven by several factors including financial-based
stressors.
• The SRWC awarded
$6,000 to the KIDS Center,
which accepts referrals from
law enforcement and Child
Protective Services and provides several steps of evaluation
and therapy for children.
• MountainStar Family Relief
Center, in its La Pine office,
works to prevent child abuse
by intervening with and assisting struggling families with
children aged 0-3 years old.
MountainStar was awarded
$4,000 for necessities that reduce stressors that can lead to
child abuse.
Education and youth
development
Nature-based learning enhances curiosity and a desire
to learn, making learning more
exciting and memorable.
To focus on providing enrichment activities for children,
the Sunriver Nature Center
and Observatory received a
$2,500 grant award toward
scholarships for summer camp,
making these experiences affordable for more students in
south county.
Sports are associated with
lower rates of stress, anxiety,
depression, body image issues
and suicidal behavior.
The SRWC awarded $1,500
for partial or full scholarships to
the Southern Deschutes Volleyball Association, which offers a
club volleyball experience for
girls aged 10 to 17 years old
who reside south of Lava Butte.
How to apply for a grant
SRWC accepts grant applications twice a year. The next
period begins mid-February.
Community members can donate to the Community Grant
Program by visiting sunriver
womensclub.org/donate.
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NOVEMBER 2025 SUNRIVER SCENE
