(Mid Oregon’s Bend team members serve the community at the Old Mill branch on Free Shred Day | Photo courtesy of Mid Oregon Credit Union)
Mid Oregon Credit Union is celebrating the success of its Spring 2025 fundraiser, which generated over $3,750 to support literacy efforts in Central Oregon. One hundred percent of the funds raised will directly benefit the six local communities where the donations were collected.
From April 7-25, Mid Oregon members and the wider community showed their generosity by making donations at credit union branches, online at midoregon.com, and over the phone.
Adding a personal touch to their giving, many donors wrote messages on cut-out books, sharing cherished book titles, favorite authors, inspiring quotes, and words of encouragement for young readers.
Mid Oregon’s annual Free Shred event, held in partnership with Republic Services on Saturday, April 19, also played a significant role in the fundraising success. This popular event not only provided valuable fraud and identity theft protection to over 250 participants but also collected $1,193 in SMART Reading donations. An impressive 6,600 pounds of documents were securely shredded across Bend, Madras, Prineville, and Redmond.
The funds raised are specifically allocated to support literacy initiatives within each of the six communities where they originated: $629 for Bend community, $1,092 for La Pine community, $144 for Madras community, $415 for Prineville community, $463 for Redmond community, and $1,015 for Sisters community.
SMART Reading provides children with two essential elements for literacy success: dedicated one-on-one reading time and access to books. Through their One-to-One SMART program, volunteers model the joy of reading and support children’s independent reading efforts during shared reading experiences. Participating students also get to choose two books each month to build their home libraries and encourage continued reading with their families. With over 60% of Oregon third graders currently not meeting reading benchmarks, this is a critical time for improving literacy rates.
“Mid Oregon members and SMART Reading committed to make an impact to improve literacy in Central Oregon’s communities,” stated Kyle Frick, SVP of Marketing and Community Relations at Mid Oregon. “We are consistently impressed by the generosity of our members in support of these valuable community initiatives.”
Jennifer Zardinejad, Central and Northeast Area Director of SMART Reading, added, “We’re so grateful to Mid Oregon, their members, and the community for contributing to SMART Reading’s work in Central Oregon. Amazing things are possible when the community comes together to ensure kids have the books and reading support they need to thrive!”
About Mid Oregon Credit Union:
Mid Oregon Credit Union is a full-service, member-owned financial cooperative headquartered in and serving Central Oregonians since 1957. With over 50,000 members in Deschutes, Jefferson, Crook, Wheeler, Lake, and North Klamath Counties and close to $779 million in assets, Mid Oregon partners with members to meet their financial needs and to help them achieve their dreams. Mid Oregon was named a Top Workplace in Oregon and Southwest Washington for 2022, 2023, and 2024. It was also ranked the #1 credit union in Oregon by Forbes for 2023 and 2024 and received the Bend Bulletin’s Best of the Best of Bend Community Choice Award in the credit union category for 2023 and 2024.
About SMART Reading:
SMART Reading is a children’s literacy nonprofit that serves kids in Oregon’s highest need schools with two ingredients critical for literacy and learning success: one-on-one reading time and access to books. SMART Reading mobilizes volunteers to read with PreK through third-grade children, building confidence, literacy skills and a love of reading. SMART Reading provides a meaningful way for Oregonians to make a direct impact in their communities. Since 1992, SMART Reading has steadily grown to become Oregon’s largest volunteer literacy program. Kids in the program receive 14 new books throughout the school year to keep and read with their families.
midoregon.com • smartreading.org • 877-598-4633
