January 13, 2011-Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation Awards $80,500 to Ten Non-Profits in Douglas County

Canyonville, Oregon...At the Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation (CCUIF) Grant Awards Presentations in Canyonville at 10 a.m. on Thursday, January 13, 2011, at Seven Feathers Convention Center, ten non-profit organizations in Douglas County will receive a total of $80,500.

In Douglas County, the ten grants awarded are: CASA of Douglas County, Inc., for $10,000 to assist in funding an additional supervisor to help supervise and support CASA volunteers as they advocate for abused and neglected children; Elkton Charter School for $9,000 to assist with the purchase of playground equipment at Elkton Elementary School; Family Development Center for $10,000 to assist with providing child abuse prevention services to the high risk families of southern Douglas County; Phoenix School of Roseburg for $6,000 to provide funding for the Phoenix-UCC Pathways college preparation program; South Douglas Food Bank for $8,000 to assist with the purchase of food and costs of utilities; St. Joseph's Community Kitchen for $5,500 to support the operating costs associated with providing bi-weekly hot meals to guests; Sutherlin FFA Alumni for $10,000 to provide funding for the construction of a greenhouse at Sutherlin High School (recipient of the Buss Rondeau Award); Sutherlin-Oakland Emergency Food Pantry for $4,000 to purchase bread and other food items; FISH of Roseburg for $8,000 to fund the FISH Emergency Food Program, and United Community Action Network (UCAN) – Food Bank for $10,000 to help offset costs of operating and expanding the perishable food recovery program with local food retailers.

According to Executive Director Carma Mornarich, "It's obvious when reviewing the list of grant recipients in Douglas County that the Board's concern for hunger continues to be high on the list but the Foundation's interest in assisting with youth education is right up there. The grant awarded to Phoenix School of Roseburg's Pathways college prep program is an example. What that program achieves is remarkable."

Ten Non-Profits in Douglas County Receive $80,500 from the Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation

Phoenix School of Roseburg serves at risk youth and graduates 60 high school students a year who would not otherwise graduate. Recognizing that under-education and under-employment are cyclical, Phoenix, in tandem with Umpqua Community College, instituted a Pathways program that is required for graduation. The Pathways program is designed to overcome barriers to post secondary education. Phoenix School has increased the number of its graduates attending college from 7-9% in 2006 to 27% in 2009. The goal of the program is to have 2/3rds of all Phoenix graduates attending college by 2012.

"The Phoenix Pathways Program is an example of community partnering for the betterment of others. The other 52 grantees have similar examples of great work done by many folks with the goal of community improvement," Mornarich continued.

During this 28th round of giving, the CCUIF awarded $444,587 to 53 organizations in their seven county service area that includes: Coos, Deschutes, Jackson, Josephine Klamath, and Lane Counties, in addition to Douglas County.

Since its beginning in 1997, the CCUIF has awarded a total of $10,846,628. The CCUIF's mission is to offer assistance in youth education, to strengthen youth and family, to provide positive youth development, and to add to the quality of life for people in the Cow Creek Tribe's seven county area in southwest Oregon.

The Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians has a long tradition of giving back to communities where the Tribe lives and works. In 1997, the Tribe formalized this philanthropic tradition by establishing the CCUIF. Grants are awarded semiannually, in January and June.

Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation decisions are made in addition to the philanthropic decisions made by the Cow Creek Tribal Board.