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Grants support puffin' and paint Schneider fund provides money for prenatal classes and care in White City and for after-school and art activities by Kids Unlimited By JONEL ALECCIA Mail Tribune The three expectant couples puffing through pretend labor pains at the White City Community Health Center never knew Florence Schneider. Neither did the rowdy crew of first- through sixth-graders swirling fingerpaint in the Oak Grove Elementary School cafeteria. But two years after the death of Schneider, a longtime Ashland leader, children and pregnant women in two of Jackson County's most vulnerable communities are benefiting from the legacy of her passion. Two grants totaling nearly $90,000 - with options for more in future years - have been awarded to the Health Care Coalition of Southern Oregon and Kids Unlimited of Medford. They're the first grants since the William and Florence Schneider Fund was boosted to more than $6 million upon Florence Schneider's death in 1999 at age 85. And those who knew the Schneiders say the initial projects are particularly suited to the fund's goal: "serving individuals at risk for social and economic hardship." "I'm still hearing Florence's voice echoing in my head, knowing that these would be near and dear to her heart," said Susan McLaughlin, senior program officer with the Oregon Community Foundation, which administers the fund. "We wanted to particularly focus in White City and west Medford because those are a really good place to start." The new, multi-year grants provide $49,000 for the first of three years to the Health Care Coalition of Southern Oregon to tackle high infant mortality rates and related needs in Jackson County. They also provide $40,000 for the first of five years to Kids Unlimited of Southern Oregon to sustain and expand programs ranging from free after-school care and low-cost summer camps for low-income kids in west Medford to a youth art gallery and teen dance club downtown. "A lot of hard work has gone into what we've done," said Tom Cole, director of the agency that has grown to serve some 2,000 kids a month. "And the Oregon Community Foundation has recognized what we've done with so little and they've chosen to invest in us." "It's a tremendous opportunity for us," agreed Peg Crowley, director of the Jackson County Community Health Center, which operates the Health Care Coalition. "It's helps us get the message out that early prenatal care is important and we'll find a way to make care happen for you." Already, the Schneider investment has made a difference for couples enrolled in the only childbirth education classes offered in White City. Medford residents Chris and Jillian Luka, both 26, said they couldn't afford the $50 fee for hospital-based classes as they prepare for the birth of their first baby. For $1 a class, the couple is learning to huff and puff through pretend contractions in preparation for the real thing. "This is more in our price range," Jillian Luka said. For Brenda McDaniel, 21, and her husband Sean, 25, of White City, the convenient location ensures they'll adequately prepare for the birth of twins in March. "It's kind of like a tool kit," said Liz Cano, the registered nurse who teaches the class aimed at reaching 450 women this year. "It's basic, necessary things. It provides them with insight and helps them prepare for relaxation and comfort during labor." The new money comes just after two new federal Family Foundations grants of more than $4.5 million aimed at tackling local infant mortality, but the Schneider funds will cover costs that federal dollars do not, Crowley said. For Kids Unlimited, the new funds are targeted toward hiring administrative staff and building infrastructure, Cole said. That will mean more resources to help kids like Melissa Quezada and Lupita Vargas, 8-year-olds enrolled in free after-school care at Oak Grove Elementary School. "Tom! Read with me!" begged Lupita, one of 35 kids in the program that offers daily homework assistance. Cole never knew William and Florence Schneider, but Crowley did, and she believes the Ashland couple would be pleased. "Children and young people and healthy babies, investing upfront to get changes, that was always what they were about," Crowley said. Reach reporter JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.