By Kathy Cook Hunter
Three organizations in Silverton are in the spotlight this month as they deal with the downward turn of the economy. Community contributions help support Silverton Together, the Silverton Hospital Foundation and Silverton Area Community Aid – two of them are in the midst of fundraising drives.
Silverton Together
Brenda Sturdevant, Silverton Together manager, said her group’s annual effort for support, Keep It Together, began in mid-November and in one week had received $2,500 in contributions. The goal is $25,000.
“It will probably come in until the end of December,” Sturdevant said, reminding “It’s good for a tax break.”
“This is the most supportive town I’ve ever been in,” added the manager, who was hired this fall. “We have 50 volunteers, if you can believe that!”
Volunteers stuffed envelopes for the mailing, she said. The Silverton High School special education class came to help and challenged by Silverton Together board members to see which group could stuff the most envelopes easily defeated the board. For their efforts, they won free bowling and pizza.
“The class is also filling out applications so they can come in and get some job skills here,” Sturdevant said.
A classroom of Scotts Mills students came over to help and Robert Frost School students are having a coin drive to raise funds for the campaign.
“We’re encouraging community involvement and support,” she added. “The campaign is over at the end of the year, but we would always accept donations in January. What’s so great is everything that comes in goes right back to the community.”
She thanked Silverton Hospital for its generosity in providing Silverton Together with free meeting facilities and annual volunteer appreciation dinner, noted that the City of Silverton gives free office space and utilities at the Community Center and emphasized her group’s partnership with the school district.
Silverton Hospital Foundation
At Silverton Hospital Foundation, Director Tony Dworak said there’s no active fundraising at this time. “We just completed a campaign for the emergency room, and we surpassed our goal,” he said.
“The goal was $311,000 and we raised $342,000,” said Kate Robertson, development specialist for the foundation. “It will expand from eight to 12 beds. It’s very busy, and that drove the need for the expansion. Maybe by the end of the year we will have it in place.”
“Our mission is to support the charitable mission of the hospital,” Dworak said, “and every bit of money we raise goes toward it.”
The foundation, largely comprised of community and business leaders, has for 13 years contained a support group called the Founders Society. Members contribute at least $1,000 per year to the foundation.
Dworak says it’s too early to tell if donations will go down in the coming months with the faltering economy.
“Our membership level is pretty steady, and I haven’t noticed any difference,” he said. “The vast majority (of the members) know they’re in it for the long term. In a tough time, the importance of our mission only grows.”
Agreed Gene Oster, foundation president, “Even in slower times, the base support keeps on giving.”
“The yearly support may vary but we know it’s there,” Dworak said.
“We will continue to support other charities as a hospital and as a foundation. We see the same goal: Improve the quality of life here. We are teammates rather than competitors, and we want to see everyone do well.”
Silverton Area Community Aid
Sally Eliason, SACA director, said there were approximately 9,000 pounds more food contributed this year over last. “The food donations were up this year by about 15 percent, but the need is up by 30 percent,” Eliason said. “We are hanging in there – we’re not in trouble, but we could be.” Financial donations this year have been about the same but “the need here is up, too.”
SACA helps its clients pay for prescriptions, utilities and transportation, among other items, she said, and its income has remained fairly steady as new community groups step in to help. “We hope our regular donor base is able to continue to give,” she said. “Everybody’s feeling a little pinched – we’re trying to stay on our toes and get the information out to new donors on how to help.”
Contributions to each of these non-profit organizations are tax deductible. For information, call Silverton Together at 503-873-0405; Silverton Hospital Foundation, 503-873-1790 and SACA, 503-973-3446.
