Looking for a few good Southern Oregon Heroes!

I’ve been writing a lot lately about cooperatives and the important role they play in our communities, from providing employment to making contributions to benefit various organizations, charities, and events. Their impact and involvement help our local communities thrive. In many ways their ongoing commitment to Southern Oregon could be described as heroic. Well… I’m not done writing about the impact a dedicated volunteer or organization can have yet! This blog is devoted to another aspect of community involvement, namely those quiet heroes who, out of the goodness of their hearts, go above and beyond their regular days’ work and responsibilities to positively impact the lives of others – better known as “Community Builders. ”

Today, we’re launching the Fourth Annual Rogue Federal Community Builder Campaign. We’re asking you to tell us who you think is the most devoted, unselfish, inspirational “Community Builder” in Southern Oregon. We know that there are many folks out there who are working hard to make Southern Oregon a better place to live. But we need you to tell us who they are. Think about the folks you know that put in long hours volunteering for the benefit of others; those amazingly unselfish folks that give of their time, their talents, and their treasures. You know who they are, the folks that you look up to, the folks that truly make a difference and most often the folks that do these amazing things without any desire for recognition and reward. These are the people we consider worthy to be recognized as Rogue Federal Community Builders.

From now until March 7, go to www.roguefcu.org to read about past winners and their outstanding contributions to Southern Oregon. Then while you are there, take some time to nominate someone as this year’s Community Builder. We will review all the nominations and choose 10 finalists whose efforts rise to the top. Then, from March 16-24, you will have the opportunity to vote for your top 3 favorites. We’ll recognize all 10 finalists and announce the winners at our Annual Meeting on Tuesday, March 27, at 5:30 PM. The person who receives the most votes will receive $1,000 to further their cause or benefit a charity of their choice. Second and third place will receive $500 each.

The staff and volunteers at Rogue Federal Credit Union take pride in our efforts to recognize the folks that truly make a difference in Southern Oregon. I feel that, as a cooperative, we have a responsibility to give back, not just to the members of our community who participate with us cooperatively, but to every citizen who plays a role in making Southern Oregon a better place to live. If our community succeeds our cooperative succeeds.

So won’t you help us identify who those unsung heroes are and nominate them today? Let’s show them our support for all that they do.

Chamber Leadership Program

If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time, you know that I love to talk on-and-on about the importance of supporting our local community. I have experienced the impact of community support first hand and also value the satisfaction felt when you get out and live local by helping others.

I have been fortunate, over the years, to work with various local organizations that help make Southern Oregon such a great place to live. As I look back, one organization that consistently stands out is the Chamber Leadership Program, organized by the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce. Each year several dozen community members, most of them local businesspeople and professionals, sign up for the chamber's leadership program, to work on a project that helps others around Southern Oregon Each class selects one project from the dozens of community proposals submitted, based on need and the viability of the project, and then spends the next few months fundraising and securing resources.

In the past, some of the projects completed by the Chamber Leadership Group have included building a handicap accessible playground for children at Fichtner Mainwaring Park, building a classroom for the Southern Oregon Child Study and Treatment Program boys’ home. The year I participated in the Chamber Leadership Program, we built a playground at the Kids Imagination Discovery Space in Medford.

Another great organization in the Rogue Valley is the Medford Gospel Rescue Mission. The mission helps to provide thousands of families each year with clothing, shelter and food. Last year, over 90,000 free meals were served through its Main Ingredient restaurant. This year, the Chamber Leadership group has chosen to build a Community Garden for the Medford Gospel Rescue Mission. This Community Garden will not only provide a reliable source of healthy food for the restaurant, but also give the beneficiaries of the restaurant an opportunity to participate in the growing and preparation of their own food. This will allow community members to learn the essentials of gardening and the importance and benefits of eating healthy, unprocessed foods.

I couldn’t think of a better opportunity to make a big impact on folks right here in Southern Oregon than by our participation in this project. The Chamber Leadership Program is looking for help from the community as they turn what is currently a grungy asphalt parking lot into a 4,000 square foot flourishing garden that produces healthy food for the community.

If you have any resources available or would like to donate time, money or materials, please contact the 2012 Chamber Leadership Program on their Facebook page at Gospel Garden Project.