The Oregon Community Foundation’s Post

🚨 The future of our community's children is at stake! 🚨  Early childhood literacy is a critical issue that needs immediate attention. Recent statistics from the 2024 KIDS COUNT Data Book by the Annie E. Casey Foundation reveal alarming challenges in California, where 69% of fourth graders are not currently reading proficiently. This alarming statistic threatens their academic success and life prospects, with minority and low-income children being hit the hardest. A staggering 82% of fourth graders in California who qualify for free or reduced lunch are currently not meeting reading proficiency standards.   We cannot ignore these stark disparities! When children develop strong literacy skills, they unlock their full potential for academic and lifelong success. United Way of San Diego County is tackling this crisis head-on, but we need your help. Supporting early literacy is a vital investment in our community's future prosperity. By donating to United Way of San Diego County, you help break down barriers and open doors to educational and economic success for all.  Give today and be a champion for educational and economic equity to ensure all our community's children, individuals, and families have a bright future! 🌟📚 https://lnkd.in/gdHwRsGW

We are thrilled to announce that Big Brothers Big Sisters Services, Inc. has been selected by the National Partnership for Student Success Hub as a 2025 Community Collaboration Challenge! 🎉 Thanks to generous support from the Leon Lowenstein Foundation, the NPSS Hub will distribute a total of $163K in micro-grant stipends to 23 communities around the country. We're excited to be able to bring together diverse local stakeholders—including schools, nonprofits, families, and community leaders—to work towards a common goal: providing evidence-based #StudentSupports for learners in our community. 📚 From tutoring and mentoring programs to post-secondary and wrap-around supports, these efforts are designed to reduce #ChronicAbsenteeism and foster #StudentSuccess. So, what’s next? 🤔 We’ll be working hard over the coming months to build, collaborate, and implement solutions that will help our students thrive—while sharing our progress and learnings with the NPSS Hub and our local community partners. Stay tuned for updates, and thank you to all the partners and stakeholders who are helping make this possible! ⬇️ Visit the NPSS website to view all awardees: https://lnkd.in/gvNSe6nG

🎒📚 Back to School: Thriving Together! 📚🎒 As students across Canada head back to school, it’s not just about pencils and books—it’s about ensuring every child has the support they need to thrive. Nonprofits are stepping up in incredible ways to make this possible: Nourishing Young Minds: Programs like Breakfast Club of Canada - Club des petits déjeuners are ensuring that no child starts their school day hungry, providing nutritious meals that fuel learning and growth. Building Confidence Through Sports: Nonprofits like KidSport Canada/SportJeunesse are giving kids the chance to participate in sports, helping them develop teamwork, confidence, and lifelong skills. Empowering Through Education: Organizations like United for Literacy formerly Frontier College are providing tutoring and literacy programs, making sure every student has the tools they need to succeed academically. Supporting Mental Wellbeing: With initiatives from charities like Kids Help Phone , students are gaining access to mental health resources that help them navigate the challenges of school and life. Equipping for Success: Nonprofits like True North Aid are ensuring that students have the school supplies and clothing they need - even in the remote north! - so they can focus on learning without worry. As we gear up for another school year, let’s celebrate the nonprofits working tirelessly to support our children and communities. Together, we can ensure every student has the opportunity to succeed—both in and out of the classroom. #BackToSchool #KidsInSchool #CommunitySupport

Happy Children’s Day 🧡🎉. As we celebrate children’s day, let’s reflect on the importance of education. Education is the cornerstone of a thriving society, and it is especially vital for children. It serves as the foundation for personal development, equipping young minds with the knowledge, skills, and values needed to navigate and contribute positively to the world. Education aids critical thinking, creativity, and self-confidence, empowering children to break the cycle of poverty and build a better future for themselves and their communities. For street children, particularly girls, education is a lifeline. It offers a path away from the vulnerabilities of street life, including exploitation, child labor, and early marriage. Through education, these children gain the tools to transform their lives, achieving economic independence and societal respect. Moreover, educated girls are more likely to raise healthier, better-educated families, creating a ripple effect that benefits entire communities. Call to Action: We all have a role to play in ensuring that every child, especially those most vulnerable, has access to education. Look around you,whether it's your neighborhood, your workplace, or your community, identify children who are out of school and help them find a way to enroll. Support local schools and educational programs, volunteer your time, or donate resources. Advocate for policies that prioritize education for all children. Together, we can make a difference. Let’s ensure every child, regardless of their circumstances, has the chance to learn, grow, and achieve their dreams.

🎉 Big News from the Student Basic Needs Coalition! 🎉 We’re excited to share that SBNC has been awarded a $100,000 grant from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. This grant will enable us to expand our peer navigator program to more community colleges, helping thousands of students gain access to SNAP benefits and tackle food insecurity. Community colleges are a vital gateway to education for students from low-income backgrounds, yet many eligible students still face barriers to receiving SNAP benefits. The SNAP gap—where students miss out on benefits they’re entitled to—can have serious consequences, from increased stress to lower academic performance. Thanks to this generous grant, we’re expanding our peer navigator program, where student leaders with lived experience guide their peers through the SNAP application process. These peer navigators play a critical role in reducing stigma and making the process more accessible. We’re also creating a new full-time Campus Program Manager role to oversee these efforts and ensure more students get the support they need. This initiative is about more than just increasing SNAP enrollment—it’s about creating a sustainable model that can be replicated across other schools, amplifying our impact. We’re incredibly grateful to the Annie E. Casey Foundation for their commitment to this crucial work. Stay connected with us as we continue to push forward in our mission to make college more affordable and accessible for all students. Learn more about this initiative and how you can get involved: https://lnkd.in/gsYfE7dz #SocialJustice #StudentAdvocacy #SNAPGap #FoodInsecurity #CommunityColleges #StudentLeaders #SBNC #HigherEducation #CollegeAccess #PeerSupport #NonprofitOrganization #EducationEquity #StudentSuccess #CampusCommunity #AdvocacyWork #SocialImpact #StudentAffairs

We’re excited to launch our campaign to support LEAF Scholars and their families during emergencies. By supporting students with essential resources like rent, groceries, and technology, we can remove financial barriers for first-generation college students, enabling them to focus on their education and succeed.🎓🌱 How Your Donation Helps: 🌟$180 (or $15/month): Emergency groceries, transportation, or textbooks. 🌟$300 (or $25/month): Mental health counseling or utility bills. 🌟$600 (or $50/month): Rent assistance or laptop repairs. 🌟$1,200 (or $100/month): Medical emergencies or professional development. LEAF Scholars, primarily first-generation Latinx students from East San José, face unique challenges that your support can help overcome. Together, we can ensure no student has to choose between a financial emergency and their future. Join us in making a difference: https://lnkd.in/gEpGuWbZ #LEAFScholars #FundTheFuture #EducationEquity #FirstGenSuccess

💬 Imagine This A young person without stable family support must navigate life’s toughest milestones alone—finding housing, applying to college, securing a job. Now imagine that same youth with a community behind them: a mentor, a scholarship, and a network cheering them on. 📊 The Impact of Support Youth with foster care experience often face: Higher rates of unemployment and financial insecurity. Limited access to stable housing and mental health resources. Lower college graduation rates compared to their peers. Foster Progress changes this narrative by offering the support needed to succeed. But we can’t do it without you. 📢 Be the Difference Your donation today fuels mentoring programs, scholarships, and opportunities for youth in foster care. Help us reach our $17,500 goal by year-end and transform lives. 👉 https://lnkd.in/euQfKCA Students like Jocelyn continue to inspire us with her incredible grit and resilience. 💪 #FosterCare #Advocacy #EndDisparities #SupportFosterYouth #YearEndAppeal

We began in 2010 with hearts full of compassion and a powerful drive to solve one of the biggest, overlooked needs of children living in deep need: a pair of shoes that fit and were fit to wear. All we knew at the time was the needs were huge, and the children were suffering. We did not know exactly how to begin, so with help from the University of Dayton we looked at other organizations working in this space across the country. We made our first mistake by basing our process on what we found in our search. We made a trial run with 17 children in Dayton Public Schools. Like the other organizations we researched, we asked a school contact to gather sizes for a group of children in need of shoes. We then bought those shoes and delivered them to the school. It was a 100% failure. None fit. We quickly learned the obvious. Our goal was not to just say we were helping; our goal was to truly help. We knew then that feet must be measured correctly and shoes must be tried on. Otherwise, the whole process was pointless. Looking back it is incredulous we had to learn that the hard way. When we buy shoes for ourselves or our own children, we first have correct measurements, and then we try the shoes on. Within 48 hours of our first failure, we designed our own measuring device and implemented a whole new process. Thirteen years later, that process is still in place because it is the only one that works. Any other process lets many children down in a horribly sad way. Can you imagine a child needing and hoping for a new pair of shoes and then being given a pair that does not fit, with no replacement possible? Of course not. We replaced all of the first round of shoes that did not fit with shoes that did and started the wonderful journey of S4TS. We travel with at least 2,000 pairs of shoes from various brands. If we still don't have what a child needs, we have a process for special-ordering shoes. This process is hard work, and it requires dollars, supporters, and an army of caring volunteers to help, but it is worth it. The children in our community are all of our children, and they need us. As we gear up for the summer and the upcoming school year, we need more volunteers and funders. If you, your group, your business, or anyone you know would like more information on how to help, let us know! We would love to talk. You can reach us at Kris@shoes4theshoeless.org John@shoes4theshoeless.org Thank you! #bringrelief #easesufferng

Friends of Undaunted Futures: Giving Tuesday is a time of reflection and gratitude. At Undaunted Futures, we are deeply thankful for the opportunity that mentoring provides for empowering individuals, fostering resilience, and connecting underserved youth with compassionate role models like you. Mentorship is more than guidance; it is meant to be an enduring legacy of inspiration and transformation for those lives that we touch. Your experience and insight can play a pivotal role in shaping the futures of the youth that we serve. As we learned from our new partners, Cornerstones and Opportunity Neighborhoods (ON), there is so much need right here in Northern Virginia. A recent poll conducted by their staff and partner organizations identified more than 100 potential mentees!  To manage this demand, we will be conducting monthly onboarding with smaller cohorts throughout 2025. Our first cohort, consisting of about a dozen students from the Reston and Herndon communities, are in the process of being matched with mentors. For those new to Undaunted Futures, here’s how our mentoring works: ·        1:1 Mentorship: tailored to foster meaningful connections ·        Flexible Participation: mentoring can be conducted virtually, with opportunities for in-person events. ·        Commitment: we ask for at least one semester, though longer commitments are encouraged We invite you to consider becoming a mentor and changing the life of a youth in our community. You can sign up – and find more details  – through the Contact Us section of our website. We also encourage you to share this opportunity with friends who might be interested. Thank you for considering this opportunity to share your life experience and generosity of spirit. Together, we can create brighter futures for the next generation. Warm regards, The Undaunted Futures Board of Directors About Cornerstones:   Cornerstones is a nonprofit that provides a variety of support services to the local community. Learn more at www.cornerstonesva.org About Opportunity Neighborhoods (ON):  Opportunity Neighborhoods is a county-wide initiative and framework that is focused on child and youth successes and creating opportunities for youth and their families to thrive.  Learn more at https://lnkd.in/djxatHsx Together these organizations provide vital services to families in Reston and Herndon, and Undaunted Futures is proud to partner with them to bring mentorship opportunities to those who need them most.  

Education is the key to a brighter future, and these incredible Texas-based nonprofits are making a difference! 1️⃣ The Texas Education Foundation – Providing scholarships and resources to underserved students. 2️⃣ A+ Texas – Supporting teachers with innovative tools and professional development. 3️⃣ Texas Literacy Initiative – Promoting literacy through community-based programs. 4️⃣ The Texas Alliance of Black School Educators – Advocating for equitable education for all students. 5️⃣ Mission Possible Texas – Empowering youth through after-school programs and mentorship. These organizations are paving the way for a more inclusive and accessible education system in Texas. Let’s support their efforts! #EducationMatters #NonprofitSupport #TexasEducation #TechForGood #PledgeSoftware