On September 3, Heart of Oregon Corps announced a new $100,000 gift from the Oregon Community Foundation in support of a new 3.4-acre centralized youth workforce development campus in Redmond. The new campus will support youth ages 16-24 to learn, grow and become thriving members of our regional workforce.
The contribution from Heart of Oregon Corps to the campus arrives one week before the exciting groundbreaking on the campus that will serve youth in Crook, Jefferson and Deschutes County. The dollars are a critical support to the Legacy 25 campaign, which aims to raise the final $2 million needed to fund the $7.3 million campus before grand opening next fall.
The groundbreaking will be held from 11am-12pm on September 10 at the new campus site. Community, alumni, partners and media are invited to tour the future campus site and learn more about the Legacy 25 Campus Campaign that celebrates Heart of Oregon Corps’ 25th anniversary year with the fundraising campaign for the campus.
“Youth getting skills through workforce development need and deserve a place to learn, grow and thrive in a community setting,” said Rachel Alm, program officer for Central and Eastern Oregon at Oregon Community Foundation. “We are thrilled to support a campus that is investing in young adults in Central Oregon and providing a stronger, brighter future for generations to come.”
The groundbreaking will be held at the new campus site, located at 835 OR-126 Redmond. The event will feature remarks from regional leaders, a tour of the site and a chance to learn about the region-wide impact of Heart of Oregon Corps youth. Campus construction contractor R&H Construction will also serve a grilled lunch to all attendees. Click here to RSVP for the event.
The September 10 groundbreaking will kickstart a busy year of construction. The Redmond site will become the central hub of Heart of Oregon’s programs, while the organization also retains satellite sites in Madras and Prineville. This network of sites will enable rural youth to continue working in their home communities but also connect with peers from across the region for in-depth training at the new campus.
“The need for workforce development in Central Oregon has never been greater, and our current network of borrowed and aging facilities are not able to keep up with the demand for our programs,” said Laura Handy, executive director of Heart of Oregon. “We are so grateful to come together to celebrate the groundbreaking of this campus and the historic moment it represents for Central Oregon. Thanks to generous funders like the Oregon Community Foundation, our region will have a centralized place to provide hands-on workforce training for local youth for generations to come.”
Over the past 25 years, Heart of Oregon has graduated more than 5,000 workforce-ready youth in Central Oregon with a focus on construction, conservation and childcare. Since 2000, Heart of Oregon has partnered to borrow facilities that have been stretched to their limits. The campus will support existing programs and give Heart of Oregon room to address the increasing need for youth workforce development programs in the region.
The campus also features youth-centered cultural elements and trauma-informed design that create a sense of belonging, camaraderie and an inspiring place for Central Oregon’s youth and young adults to learn. A new 6,600-square-foot Campus Center building will create classrooms, office spaces and meeting rooms.
From groundbreaking to completion, the campus project will cost a total of $7.3 million to finish. With the support of generous funders, including the Oregon Community Foundation, Heart of Oregon has raised $5.33 million for the project to date.
Additional funders include Clark Family Foundation, Collins Foundation, Crevier Family Foundation, Deschutes County, First Interstate Bank Foundation, Hayden Homes, Healy Foundation, Marie Lamfrom Foundation, Maybelle Clark Macdonald Fund, MJ Murdock Charitable Trust, PGE Foundation, Roundhouse Foundation, State of Oregon, The Bend Foundation and Tykeson Family Foundation.
The Legacy 25 campaign, which launched this year to raise $2.5 million in Heart of Oregon’s 25th anniversary year, is closing the gap to bring this campus to life. Learn more and make a donation to the campaign on the Legacy 25 website.
Click here to RSVP for the groundbreaking.
About Heart of Oregon Corps:
Heart of Oregon Corps (HOC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering youth and young adults through employment, job training, education and service to Central Oregon communities. With the goal of career readiness, HOC hires and trains 225 youth ages 16-24 annually in the fields of conservation, construction and childcare. Accredited by the Corps Center for Excellence, HOC is committed to training tomorrow’s workforce today and is accepting youth applications now!
