Upon receiving a Community 101 grant from The Oregon Community Foundation for a second year, Marshfield High School, Coos Bay, OR administrators again chose the Marshfield Z Club to handle the 2023 program. Per grant requirements Z Club members surveyed the student body to determine what students believed were the most important community needs in Coos County. Survey results determined substance abuse and addiction was the major problem in Coos County. Z Club members proceeded to research local nonprofits and hosted speakers familiar with the problem and from the programs identified as addressing this problem at club meetings. In addition to the $5,000 grant from OCF, Z Club contributed $500 the club had earned. During a ceremony at Marshfield at the end of May 2023, the following grants were awarded: Alternative Youth Activities $1,316; Coos County Friends of Public Health $500; Nancy Devereux Center $1,026; HIV Alliance $1,366; and Waterfall Community Health Center $1,316.
Z Club President Kiri Goodson said: “Working through the Community 101 program has been truly enlightening. Not only did we learn about the grant writing and review process, but we also learned the impact of substance abuse in our community and programs that are working to help solve it.”
Marshfield Z Club is a student club of Zonta International, sponsored by the Coos Bay Area Zonta Club. The Z Club describes itself as a “community action club,” and it is active with school and community service projects. The club provides an opportunity for students to develop leadership skills, to become more involved with the community, and to explore career opportunities.
Administered by the Oregon Community Foundation, Community 101 is a program that provides student leadership and civic engagement through charitable giving. The Ford Family Foundation helps fund the program at Marshfield. Over the last 22 years, Community 101 has taught civic engagement, grantmaking, leadership and teamwork skills to Oregon students; approximately 22,550 Community 101 students have granted $5 million to thousands of organizations throughout Oregon, volunteered 100,000 hours and raised more than $200,000 to give to causes they care about. For information about how to become involved or to support a class at your local school, please contact Katie Dearing, Oregon Community Foundation, [email protected] or 503-227-6846.
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