As 2019 comes to a close, local nonprofits are seeking help with a variety of good works – teaching at-risk children, housing families in need, rescuing dogs and cats, serving senior citizens, and more. The Enterprise asked local nonprofits to send us some details on their services and their current needs so we could share it with readers. Here’s a guide to some local organizations that are eligible for tax-deductible year-end donations to continue helping the people of Malheur County.
Ani-care Animal Shelter
Services: Ani-care is an Ontario dog shelter that holds strays until owners can pick them up, and also arranges adoptions for dogs that go unclaimed. The dogs are microchipped, spayed or neutered, and receive their parvo booster. The program also seeks to educate the community about proper care of family dogs.
Total Budget- $60,030.48
Top needs: New location or property to build a better facility, fencing materials and vet bill assistance.
Contact: Amanda Grosdidier
Ani-Care on Facebook, or 541-709-0079
Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Treasure Valley
Services: The program provides supervised after-school care for kids in grades 1st-12th for $10/year, as well as a summer program. Complete, nutritious meals are prepared daily in a commercial kitchen, and light snacks also provided.
Staff members are background checked and trained to offer engaging programs that promote academic success, healthy lifestyles, and good character and leadership. It is not babysitting or daycare, but a youth development program.
Annual operating budget, Ontario Clubhouse: $550,000.
Top needs:
• Support for staff member – new staff members to help serve an average of 1871 children each day.
• Program supplies – Art supplies, sports equipment, games, and even cleaning supplies are needed.
• Help with field trips to sites in the local area, a significant part of the summer program.
Contact: Dana Castellani, CEO
PO Box 876 – Ontario, OR 97918
Elderberry Lane- A Place for Kids Inc.
Services: Elderberry Lane provides day camps for children and adults with disabilities, accessible skill-building opportunities for at-risk hyouth and adults, and mini pony activities for kids and visits to assisted living facilities.
Total annual budget: $35,000
Top 3 needs:
• $1,140 in scholarships for children, at $95 per child.
• Sponsors for Pony Play Days, at $974 each and serving 12 children.
• Sponsors for small group activities for one to five children, at $530 each.
Contact:
4829 Elderberry Lane
Ontario, Oregon 97914
Facebook and Campelderberry.com (undergoing a relaunch)
Giggles & Grace Early Learning Center
Services: Giggles & Grace provides affordable child care for infants and children, providing a safe, faith-based learning experience. It includes preschool and head start programs, and offers services in partnership with other organizations including the Ontario Lions Club and Treasure Valley Community College.
The budget: $893,603 for the current year.
Top 3 needs: More playground equipment, funding for program expansion, and help with more parent and community-engaged events.
Contact: Shawn C. Reynolds, executive director
Giggles & Grace Early Learning Center, Inc.
1260 SW 8th Ave., Ontario, OR 97914
541-889-6141
Malheur Country Historical Society
Services: MCHS has been committed to preserving and restoring the history of Malheur Country since 1973. It provides monthly forums on the area’s history, places and preserves signs at historical places, videos local pioneers to preserve their stories. The group has repaired a local caboose and offers tours during the county fair, and is working to save the 1901 Vale First Bank building on Main Street.
Annual budget: $4,000
The need: Raising $16,500 for an engineering report to use in contracting for repairs of the Vale First Bank, a project that will include roof work and lighting, and to fund living historical videos. Contributions to this organization qualify for the Cultural Trust Foundation credit.
Goal: To have every family in Malheur County become a member of the Society, at $15 per year dues.
Contact: Bonnie Christensen treasurer
Malheur Country Historical Society
P O Box 691
Ontario Or 97914
www.facebook.com/MalheurCoHistoricalSociety/
Ontario Feral Cat Project
Services: The Project provides feral cat population control in Ontario through a process called Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR). Ferals are vaccinated and treated for illness to address feline and human health concerns. The Project also cares for friendly strays and finds new adoptive homes for them.
Annual budget: $70,000
Top needs:
• Financial support to help pay vet bills for neutering cats and treating the ill ones.
• Support and donations to care for the cats at our building and in foster care, including food, non clumping clay litter, and cleaning supplies such as bleach, paper towels, disinfectant wipes.
• Volunteers since the program has no paid staff and relies entirely on volunteers .Contact: Monica Ketcham
Ontario Feral Cat Project
P.O. Box 44
Ontario, OR 97914
www.ontarioferalcats.org
Ontario FFA Alumni
Services: Chartered in 1979 to help support and encourage the FFA chapter, the organization provides scholarships for seniors, sends students to state and national convention and Washington Leadership Conference, helps with speech contests, provides official dress, and many other projects.
Our budget stems from dues of membership; an auction once a year of a shovel and “fund Jar” and donations.
Key project: $9,000 for building repairs
The need: Their FFA building at Malheur County fairgrounds, originally an animal barn, needs a new roof and windows, table and chairs, and storage for permanent records.
Contact: Wendy Kemble, treasurer
Pioneer Nursing Home Health District
Services: Pioneer Place offers three levels of care – Assisted Living apartments, long-term nursing home placement, short-term skilled nursing and rehabilitation services. Pioneer Place also offers outpatient rehab therapies for people who don’t need a nursing home stay. It is a “not-for-profit” facility with a focus on quality care.
Total annual budget in Malheur County: $4,897,351.00
The needs: Donors may be interested in specific projects such as replacement of the kitchen exhaust hood and hood fire suppression system, noted by a recent inspection as obsolete. The first quote for this project: more than $70,000. This project must be underway immediately.
Pioneer Place is partially funded by a Health District bond levy, which paid for construction and remodel of the old facility in 2003. The bond cannot be used for operational costs. The kitchen hood and suppression system may not be affordable without help.
Pioneer Place is seeking help from Malheur County-based 501c3 nonprofits. As a tax-exempt municipal organization, contributions to Pioneer Nursing Home Health District are deductible with the IRS.
Contact: Tom Hathaway, CEO
1060 D Street W., PO Box 222
Vale, OR 97918
www.pnhvale.com
Project DOVE
Services: Project DOVE (Domestic Violence Eliminated) is the sole provider of shelter and support services to victims of domestic violence, sexual Assault and human trafficking in Malheur County. In operation since 1981, it is completely grant funded.
Project DOVE serves 350 to 400 victims per year – operating a 24-hour emergency shelter to help men, women and children; offering advocacy services to victims and survivors; and providing transitional housing units. The nature of these services requires that the project keeps a low profile to help ensure the victims’ safety and security, but may also result in people overlooking the needs during times of donations.
Annual operating budget: $265,000.
Top needs:
• A new computer system – the current one will no longer be supportable in 2020 – to maintain operation and compliance with the state in order to maintain the grant funds. The cost of server and system: $13,000-plus.
• Water barrier replacement and flooring repairs in two of transitional units.
• Additional cameras and an upgrade to the security system.
Contact: Theresa Basford, executive director
Project DOVE 541-889-6316
Treasure Valley Children’s Relief Nursery
Services: Programs to help children and families experience excessive and prolonged stress, to reduce the risk of abuse and neglect by strengthening families. The services, which are free and voluntary for the families, include therapeutic classes, home visits and family connection events.
The budget: $500,000
The needs: Monetary donations, which can be made through the website, help fund programs that make vulnerable children safe, families resilient and the community stronger. The site lists other donation needs including children’s activity items, gift cards for clients to use at stores and gas stations, office supplies, cleaning supplies and personal care products. And people can volunteer to help in the classrooms.
Contact: Lori Harrison, executive director
Treasure Valley Children’s Relief Nursery
7890 S.E. 6th St. Ontario, OR 97914
541-823-2526 b www.tvcrn.org and on Facebook
Vale Community Coalition
Services: The Coalition’s current project is to improve aesthetic and functionality of Wadleigh Park in Vale. It also works on Serve Day in conjunction with Better Together Inc., and provided a Moonlight Madness Shuttle Service as a fundraiser and service to this popular community event.
The coalition is looking to develop a Vale City Parks Master Plan, an effort expected to cost an estimated $20,000-$30,000.
The need:
• A 20% match for Oregon Parks and Recreation Planning Grant
• Future potential matching funds for grants use to implement park improvements
• Future funds for maintenance of park improvements
Contact: Jennifer Tolman
Secretary, Vale Community Coalition
More information available on Facebook
Vale Mural Society
Services: The Heritage Reflections Mural Society was formed in 1992 to beautify Vale, to preserve and pass on Vale’s Oregon Trail History, and to encourage tourism. A collection of murals painted throughout town reflects the region’s history, but requires work to preserve and restore the artwork from the effects of weather and time.
The annual budget has operating expenses – state and federal fees, bank fees, postal expenses, and chamber dues – that must be met before any money can be spent on murals.
The need: The Vale Mural Society needs funding for current repairs and preservation of the murals throughout town. As with many organizations in small rural communities, the Society also needs active members, if Vale wishes to preserve their Oregon Trail history through the murals.
Contact: Heritage Reflections Mural Society
PO Box 370
Vale OR 97918
Valley Family Health Care
Services: Valley Family Health provides primary care, dental care, and behavioral health counseling, operating five medical and two dental clinics in Malheur County. It has a volunteer board of directors with patients or family members of patients comprising at least 50% of the membership.
The agency served 17,709 patients in 2018 – of these, 19.3% had no health insurance, 33.9% had Medicaid, 11.5% Medicare, and 35.3% private insurance. There is a sliding scale for fees, and no one who needs care is turned away.
Budget: With 51% of patients in Malheur County, that share of the budget for 2018 came to $7,318,779.
The need: Donations from the public for a new Patient Assistance Fund, which will help pay charges for VFHC patients who are uninsured and/or are experiencing financial hardship. Patients will be screened by a case manager and must follow their appointment schedule or care plan. Gifts of any size help support the clinics’ work.
Contact: [email protected]
www.vfhc.org
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