Community Food for Creswell ($1,764) – is a local “food pantry” program that partners with FOOD for Lane County and the Oregon Food Bank. It provides free 3-5-day food boxes up to 16 times per year to low income families in Creswell. This year’s award provides funding to upgrade their walk-in cooler shelf system allowing for improved storage capacity and better food organization. Other kitchen equipment will also be purchased along with furniture and an office copier. Our local food pantry is a critical resource for families without enough food. Creswell First! and the city are pleased to be able to help them achieve this mission of distributing food to those in need.

WomenSpace, Inc. ($2,326) – is a program that provides direct client aid for Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) survivors in Creswell. The city funds are used for a program providing basic needs to survivors of domestic violence and their children. Last year they served ninety-two Creswell residents with their crisis line, support groups, walk-in, shelter, and rural advocates. With the city funds they were able to provide financial support for seven of those residents. They helped pay for rent, bus passes, utilities, and phone services. In addition, they matched the city funds with other funds to provide direct client assistance totaling $5,920. With the city’s help WomenSpace will be able to assist victims in reclaiming their personal power and begin living lives free from violence, fear, and abuse.

Creswell Food 4 Kids ($1,500) – is a local program focusing on feeding Creswell students. The funds are used to help with a 4 Kids Weekend Food Program. The Creswell Food 4 Kids program is a vital source of food to needy hungry children within our community. With the grant, we supply food for an entire weekend to over 70 children within the Creswell School District each and every week that they are in school.  Without the grant many of our children would go without sufficient food over weekends and school breaks. The program purchases food that children can prepare easily by themselves because many are left without help. Every Friday the program ensures that a child is given enough food for two breakfasts, 4 snacks, and four entrees as well as loaf of bread each week. Food costs are $1,000 – $2000 each month. There are no paid staff. All work is done by volunteers.

Creswell Clubhouse ($500) – the clubhouse has a mission of providing an after-school program where young people practice reading skills, receive help with homework, utilize computers, and participate in educationally enriching activities. Many families cannot afford the fees necessary to support the program and these children need scholarships to cover part of the cost. School counselors and the school principal help identify children that are in special need of the program and in need of scholarship support. The city funds will be used to support the scholarship fund.

Creswell Family Relief Nursery ($2,500) – Family Relief Nursery’s Creswell Therapeutic Early Childhood Classroom opened September of 2016. The class is able to serve 17 children at risk for child abuse and neglect from the Creswell area. Funds from Creswell First! will be used to purchase a safe outside play structure for children aged 1 year to 4 years old. No outside play structure for this age group is currently available at the Creslane elementary school. Many of these children do not have outside play opportunities where they live. The FRN therapeutic model requires outside play every day and is required under the Oregon Association of Relief Nursery Certification.

Creswell Elementary Parent Teacher Association ($2,500) – Funding was approved to support a Garden Education Project. Elementary children will cultivate a love of learning to grow healthy food. Every subject taught in the classroom can be highlighted and enhanced via a school garden. Language arts can be taught through poems constructed via observation in the garden, math through planting and harvest calculation, science in tracking weather and seasonal patterns, social studies through heirloom plants or historical culinary plants from around the world, and art through botanical illustration projects. The garden will be planned, built, and in use this spring.

City of Creswell ($2,500) – Funding was requested for the projected Cobalt Activity Center’s Community commercial kitchen. Creswell First! strongly supports the development of the kitchen for the purpose of feeding low income families, teaching them how to cook nutritious meals, and how to preserve foods. We know the total cost of creating the kitchen will far exceed our contribution, but we want to go on record as Creswell’s local foundation supporting the project Our maximum award is $2,500, which we are committing to the project. We want to see the kitchen created and in use in our community.

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Creswell High School ($2,000) – Funding was approved for the “Every 15 Minutes” program held March 13th and 14^th, 2018. Funds supported this drunk driving prevention program. It involves 22 students directly who are involved in a mock accident, transported to an off-site location, and the next day participle in a full assembly with parent invited. The entire experience was video recorded. There was also be a hands-on driving simulator for two days and continued education around safe driving