Community Builders

This week I am taking the liberty to talk about something that is important to me and Rogue Federal Credit Union. In our effort to be part of the solution for Southern Oregon we decided that is was time to recognize the unsung heroes in our community. Starting in February we introduced our Community Builders program and asked Southern Oregon to tell us who they think are the key people out there helping to build a better community and why. We received numerous nominations and 775 people voted to select the winners. The winners will receive a $500 donation to the cause of their choice. The winners selected by the community as making a positive difference for Southern Oregon are:

Matt Sampson, Southern Oregon Regional Director with Sparrow Clubs, the nation's only youth-based charity of its kind. Sparrow Clubs provide financial and emotional support for critically ill children and their families, and they also empower young people to help a child through charitable service experiences. For more information about Sparrow Clubs and their mission check out http://www.sparrowclubs.org/

Burnadine Bratton, serves as a volunteer for ACCESS as the pantry coordinator at the Seventh Day Adventist Church. ACCESS is the largest food pantry in Jackson County and has been helping county residents break the cycle of poverty since 1976. For information about all of the programs that ACCESS offers visit http://www.access-inc.org/

Bea Ryan, founder of Our Foster Kids, an organization that takes action by improving the quality of life for the children in foster care in Josephine County. Her program focuses on providing gifts and other critical supplies for every child with an open Department of Human Resources case in Josephine County. Check out Bea’s website at http://www.ourfosterkids.com/

Congratulations to our winners. We live in an amazing community and I want to truly thank our winners and everyone else out there working hard every day to make our community a better place to live. We are all winners when we work together!