Document text
Click Here 41 °F Forecast | Road Cams Wednesday, February 4, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend January 24, 2004 Donna Taylor of WinterSpring Center for Living with Loss and Grief asks a question during a workshop held Thursday by the Oregon Community Foundation. The foundation is preparing to award the first grants from the Reed and Carolee Walker fund. Mail Tribune / Jim Craven Nonprofits vie for Walker grants By JONEL ALECCIA Mail Tribune As organizers prepare to disburse the first grants from the $29 million legacy of an Ashland couple, cash-strapped nonprofits across Jackson County are clamoring for a share. Representatives of dozens of local agencies packed meeting rooms this week to find out about the first $1 million from the Reed and Carolee Walker fund. "When there’s money, it’s like an ant hill," joked Rita Sullivan, director of OnTrack Inc., a Medford substance abuse treatment center. Sullivan hopes her agency, rocked by state budget cuts, will be among those to benefit from the largest gift ever to the Oregon Community Foundation and the largest single philanthropic gift in the history of the state. Advertisement Up to $1.5 million annually is expected to be awarded from the fund starting in May. According to the wishes of Reed and Carolee Walker, the funds will pay for programs to help poor people, particularly children, in Jackson County. But exactly which programs will benefit has nonprofit agency directors and fund-raisers biting their nails. Brenda Rosch, a volunteer with the WinterSpring Center for Living with Loss and Grief, couldn’t wait to confer with her agency’s director, Donna Taylor. "I think we fit," said Rosch, after hearing a description of the Walker Fund programs. "I hope we get a little piece." Andria Kiernan, coordinator of Konaway Nika Tillicum, an Ashland education program for Native American youth, said her agency is "desperate" for new money. Suzi Aufderheide hopes to apply for $10,000 to upgrade the kitchen that feeds hungry people at Talent United Methodist Church. She expressed gratitude for the Walkers’ bequest. "I think it’s wonderful, don’t you?" she said. To start, funds will be distributed from two programs. One will target substance abuse, dental care and mental health services for children in poverty. The other will pay for short-term, emergency assistance for individuals and enrichment for children in need. A third program aimed at long-term projects will begin next year. Agencies will be able to apply for annual grants of about $25,000, said Amy Cuddy, coordinator of the Walker Fund. Several agencies could collaborate on larger projects for more funds, she added. Interest in the fund has been overwhelming, Cuddy said. Two informational meetings were packed with standing-room-only crowds. One worry, in fact, is that there are too many people interested in the new funds. To help screen requests and save time for applicants, Cuddy and OCF organizers are requiring a two-page pre- application letter due Feb. 12. "The worry was, are we just going to be flooded with every idea anybody could float?" Cuddy said. Applications will be screened by a committee of local reviewers, she said. The Walker Fund was created in 2003 after Reed Walker’s death at age 77. He and his wife moved to the Rogue Valley from Idaho in 1988, in part because it was a good place to grow roses. The family’s legacy was fueled by Anheuser-Busch, makers of Budweiser beer. When the Walker family sold its Kansas City, Miss., bakery to the firm in the early 1940s, members were paid in stock. Reed Walker never sold his shares, which gradually increased over the decades. The Walkers were described as an unassuming, frugal pair. He liked to fish; she cared about children and gardening. Carolee Reed, who died on her 66th birthday in 1999, was a former single mother. Her concerns for the needs of families and children spilled into the couple’s bequest, said OCF representative Kathleen Davis. Both of the Walkers worried that there weren’t enough resources to help local poor people. An exhaustive study last summer confirmed their hunch. "The Walkers were right," Davis said. "There are huge needs in Jackson County." Reach reporter JoNel Alecciaat 776-4465, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times