Three Rivers Foundation Boosts Oregon’s Economy with $720,000 in Grants to Local Nonprofits, Including Springfield Chamber
Three Rivers Foundation, established by the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians as the charitable arm of the Three Rivers Casino Resort, proudly announced the award of more than $720,000 to support the missions of 95 nonprofit organizations across Oregon. One of those recipients was the Springfield Chamber Foundation, which makes a positive community impact by strengthening economic development and community revitalization in supporting the initiatives of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce.
Paige Walters, Director, Advocacy & Economic Development; Foundation Director, Development & Partnerships at the Springfield Chamber, accepted the $4,000 award on May 10th at the awards luncheon at Three Rivers Casino in Florence. Debi Creager, CFO/COO at Chambers Construction, Springfield Chamber board member, and Springfield Chamber Foundation board member, was also on hand to accept the award.
“It’s an honor to receive this grant from Three Rivers Foundation, an organization that does so much for nonprofits in our community. Their contribution will support the Chamber’s WorkReady Student Access Pass program, creating meaningful connections between local students and businesses.”
– Paige Walters, Director, Advocacy & Economic Development; Foundation Director, Development & Partnerships, Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce
Demonstrating its commitment to community enrichment, the Three Rivers Foundation distributed funds to a diverse range of nonprofits in sectors ranging from healthcare and education to combating food insecurities and enriching the lives of children.
“It makes my heart feel good. It’s just awesome that we can help these folks make an impact on their organizations and their communities,” said Chief Doug Barrett, Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians
Nonprofits in Coos, Curry, Douglas, Lane, Lincoln, Harney, and Multnomah counties were awarded funding. Each received up to $40,000 to continue providing services for Oregonians.
“We provide peer support services for new, expectant and grieving families or anything that a family might need to heal and recover from postpartum depression, loss of their pregnancy or infant and infertility,” said Lyndsie Leech, WellMama Executive Director. “This grant is particularly meaningful for us because we are trying to expand these services into some of the more rural areas. We recognize that the more isolated you are, the more you need those in-person services.”
“We got a $10,000 check for our Natural Resource program at Siuslaw High School for drones,” said Amy Tregoning, Siuslaw High School teacher. We are teaching kids how to use them because they are being used increasingly in the natural resource field – think wildfires and population densities. We hope to train our students and get them to take their pilot’s license before they leave high school so that they can start a career a bit further ahead of everyone else.”
“It’s massive; the amount that Three Rivers Foundation can contribute to everyone in the local community is immense. We couldn’t get nearly as much done as we have without these types of contributions,” said Stephen Beale, Florence Food Share Operations Manager. The Florence Food Share was granted $10,000.
“One in two families can’t afford enough to keep their baby clean, dry, and healthy. There is no state or governmental assistance for diaper support, so $10,000 goes a long way in our small nonprofit,” said Teresa Baur, Lane County Diaper Bank Founder.
The North Bend Police Department was a first-time grant recipient. “We are purchasing individual first aid kits for any type of emergency, anywhere from a traumatic crash or active shooter. It’s going to get them prepared now that we have the money from the foundation,” said Captain Ed Perry, North Bend Police Department.
“On our project, we are trying to expand our technology in our electives and social-emotional learning classes,” said Cece Howell, Business Manager at Siuslaw School District. “This grant will go to our podcasting team.”
The foundation requests applications at the beginning of each year and will continue to award impactful grants each year.
Three Rivers Casino Resort
Owned and operated by the Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians, Three Rivers Casino Resort has strong ties to the surrounding community along the Central Oregon Coast. As one of the largest employers in the area, Three Rivers provides resources and opportunities for both tribal and non-tribal members of the region. In addition to providing local jobs, Three Rivers sponsors local arts programs for professional and children’s theater and donates to dozens of local and regional nonprofit organizations. It has become a pillar of community support; the philanthropic spirit of Three Rivers Casino is felt deeply on the Central Oregon Coast and statewide. For more information, visit threeriverscasino.com.
About the Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua, & Siuslaw Indians
The Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians are made up of 3 tribes (4 Bands): 2 bands of Coos Tribes: Hanis Coos (Coos Proper), Miluk Coos; Lower Umpqua Tribe; and Siuslaw Tribe. The tribes trace their ancestry back to the aboriginal inhabitants of the South-Central coast of Oregon. For more information, visit ctclusi.org.
