Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation Awards Friends $12,000

The Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation (CCUIF) is awarding Friends - Lane County $12,000 to continue the organization's focus on early childhood literacy with our current group of pre-K to third-graders. The gift is one of 83 gifts being awarded to charities, totaling more than $817,000 for its Fall round of giving. Nonprofits receiving awards hail from 7 different counties.

The grant will continue the work Friends Lane County has been pursuing with partners like the UO College of Education and Genesis Summer Reading Academy to help vulnerable children 3rd grade literacy skills by the time they reach that benchmark in their academic careers. The number of children that has surpassed the need for extraordinary literacy interventions has doubled over the last two years.

The CCUIF was founded in 1997 and began its philanthropic activity in 1998. The total giving the CCUIF will have awarded since its beginnings, at the conclusion of this Fall cycle, will amount to $24,071,273. This generosity on behalf of one of Oregon's nine federally recognized tribes and its 1400 members, is humbling.

The mission of CCUIF is to offer assistance in education, strengthen youth and family, provide for positive youth development and add to the quality of life for people in southwestern Oregon. Additionally, the Foundation has put increasing emphasis upon basic needs so more hungry people are fed.

Foundation Director, Carma Mornarich said of the 1/9/24 award ceremony, "The awards presentation is always an exciting time for everyone of the Foundation....I think if ever there were a group of people who had positive determination, it's this group. The Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation supports, admires and is proud of the work that is being done in our communities."