November–

December

2012

The Ontario Kiwanis Club presented TVCRN with a $500 check at its Oct. 3 meeting as part of our efforts to raise at least $2,500 at our Baby Quilt Show & Sale. Our program manager, Pat Stephens, gave a presentation at that meeting, accepting the donation from the Kiwanians. The mission of Kiwanis International is “to serve the children of the world.”

The Robert D. and Marcia H. Randall Charitable Trust has awarded TVCRN a $9,000 grant for its home visiting program in 2013-14. This trust was founded to improve and enrich the lives of people in the Pacific Northwest by supporting organizations that provide opportunity to the underprivileged and promote personal responsibility and initiative.

Thank you to the organizations that support the work of TVCRN!

A newsletter for friends of

Treasure Valley Children’s Relief Nursery Footnotes

Third annual Baby Quilt Show is

success; matching grant earned More than 50 quilts and blankets were available for sale at the third annual Baby Quilt Show & Sale, a fundraiser for the Treasure Valley Children’s Relief Nursery. A total of 28 quilts were entered in one of three categories. Shirley Stills and her sister, Janice Hall, both of Ontario, made the quilt that won in the “Cute County Kids” category. Charline Stoaks of Vale won with her entry in the theme “Celebration of Childhood.” Helen Holtz, Ontario, found herself a winner with a quilt featuring the TVCRN logo as well as a variety of animals — each sporting one or more hearts. This third category was “Hearts and Baby Feet.” Winning the People’s Choice Award was a quilt made by Sarah Rule of Ontario, and Lindsay Molinowski of Payette.

Quilters from Adrian to Boise entered this year’s event, which raised $2,852. Numerous toys, blankets, children’s aprons, bibs, hats and other items are still available for sale at the nursery. See inside for more quilt show photos.

AT RIGHT, HELEN HOLTZ and HERBERT MILLER pose with Holtz’s winning quilt in the “Hearts & Baby Feet” (TVCRN logo) category, and with the quilt rack Holtz won (courtesy of Miller Cabinets). Holtz also won a $25 gift certificate to The Charm Shack quilt shop.

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LITERACY & LOVE— At the relief nursery, we know there is a great connection between being read to and learning to read. Additionally, being read to is also a great way to strengthen a bond. Through our home visiting program and parent meetings, we often leave children’s books with parents to encourage reading. Suzanne Bolyard, who serves on the TVCRN Board of Directors, stopped by recently to read to one of our youngsters in the nursery. Adding to books and money collected from family and friends, Bolyard made a donation of $750 worth of books, a flannel story board, and a book stand as part of her doctoral coursework.

Law enforcement leaders have unveiled a new report from Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, calling on state and federal lawmakers to support high-quality early learning programs as a critical strategy to reduce crime, lower corrections costs and save taxpayers’ money. During a visit in late October to the Albina Head Start McCormack-Matthews Center, Portland’s top law enforcement leaders discussed research showing that early care and education must be of high quality to ensure solid, long-term results, including lower crime and tax savings. Multnomah County District Attorney Michael Schrunk, Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office Captain Monte Reiser and Portland Chief of Police Mike Reese participated in the event with Senator Jeff Merkley.

Locally, Ontario Police Chief Mark Alexander, supports the call to support high-quality early childhood programs.

“I agree that getting our kids ready for school and keeping them in school will ultimately reduce crime,” Alexander said. “I believe programs like relief nurseries, Head Start, and the Boys and Girls Club support our kids to help them become successful.”

Alexander credited positive family and peer relation-ships as well as positive relationships with teachers and

mentors as key factors in helping kids stay engaged in

school. Programs like those at Treasure Valley Children’s Relief Nursery help to strengthen the family unit and its support network.

“A stronger family increases the likelihood their children will graduate high school and even go on to college,” the police chief said. “These are not the kids who end up causing disruptions in school and committing crimes. These are the kids who care about themselves, others and their community and want to make a difference.”

Malheur County Assistant District Attorney Erin Landis agrees.

“Programs like the one at Treasure Valley Children’s Relief Nursery are instrumental in preventing child abuse and ultimately save taxpayers money,” Landis, who is also a TVCRN board member, said. “It has been proven that children who are abused and neglected are statistically more likely to be involved in the criminal justice system.”

Landis added, “The cost of incarceration is much greater than the cost of preventing the abuse.”

The group called on policymakers to support efforts to strengthen the quality of early learning and work to ensure more children have access to these programs.

Law enforcement leaders join Oregon senator to tout

early childhood education as crime-fighting tool

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Our Wish List: New or used microwave oven

Label maker

Sanitizing wipes (Lysol or

Clorox type for wiping down

toys after each class session.)

* * *

We thank: Marilyn Ohler at Electric

Beach for donating the use of 144 S. Oregon St., for our third

annual Baby Quilt Show & Sale.

Michael Braden & Front Door Business Services for

regularly donating some bookkeeping services to TVCRN.

Glorian Crosby, Tom Jost,

Jonathan Gillen, Lorinda DuBois, Tara Snow, Glynna

Day, and Becky Clark for supporting TVCRN with recent

donations!

THE THIRD ANNUAL BABY QUILT SHOW & SALE has grown each year, both in terms of the quantity and the variety of items for sale. “We believe we have perhaps the nicest quilt show prizes in the Northwest,” said executive director Kathie Collins. “It’s because of the support we receive from so many local quilters and artists that we’re able to put together such a wonderful event that also raises money for our programs.”

We thank these quilters & craftsmen for

making items for our Baby Quilt Show & Sale:

Billie Berria-Wilson

Jane Brandt

Elaine Brent

Kathie Collins

Evelyn Dame

Laura Davis

TeriAnne Finnerty

Helen Foss

Elaine Grout

Janice Hall

Karen Hollis

Helen J. Holtz

Melisa Hovey

Barbara Huck

Sylvia Johnson

Lindsay Malinowski

Lorraine Martin

Linda McLaughlin

Randy Miles

Vicki Murakami

Rose Novotny

Pam Olenik

Linda Quinn

Sarah Rule

Donna Runnels

Bill Spears

Pat Stephens

Shirley Stills

Charline Stoaks

Phyllis Voigt

Special thanks to TVCRN Board Member Judy Gilmore

who purchased a quilt featuring our TVCRN logo for

$200, donating it to the nursery for future display!

588 W. Idaho Avenue

Ontario OR 97914

Board Chair: Paul Bentz

Board Vice Chair: Erin Landis

Board Secretary: Tawni Maxwell

Board Treasurer: Jonathan Gillen

Executive Director: Kathie Collins

Program Manager: Pat Stephens

Phone: 541-823-2526

Website: www.tvcrn.org

Safe Children. Strong Families.

Successful Community.

What is a Relief Nursery? A relief nursery is a combination of services focused on the

prevention of child abuse and neglect. It’s an idea based on

hope — and a concept that does so much more for our

community. By reducing stresses and teaching parenting

skills, we help fragile families focus on raising children who

are ready for academic learning. By better preparing

children for school, we help to reduce behavioral problems in

school classrooms. We help to reduce Foster Care placement

and the time a child is Foster Care.

New Oregon license plate to be released soon TVCRN is proud to announce that Oregon’s non-profit license

plate, Keep Kids Safe will be released this fall! We urge

advocates of child abuse prevention to

purchase this license plate, which will

generate a sustainable source of

revenue for relief nurseries and other

proven child abuse prevention efforts

in our state. More than 11,000 Oregon children were

confirmed victims of abuse in 2010 and nearly half of these

children were under the age of 6.

www.facebook.com/TVCRN

Facts related to our Children A child’s brain is 40% developed at birth and 80% developed

by age 3.

In 2010, there were 11,188 cases of child abuse and neglect in Oregon.

In Malheur County in 2010, of all founded victims of abuse, neglect, or threat of harm, 50% were children ages 5 years and younger.

There are 7,768 children in Malheur County. Of these, 5,225 live in poverty.

By the age of 4, the average child on welfare is likely to have had 144,000 FEWER encouraging words spoken to him and heard 84,000 MORE discouraging words about his behavior than the average child in a working-class family.

Under chronic stress, adrenaline creates scars in our blood vessels that can cause a heart attach or stroke, and cortisol damages the cells of the hippocampus, crippling one’s ability to learn; a tragedy for an infant or toddler.

BANK OF THE WEST recently presented TVCRN with a $500 grant. Accepting the donation from branch manager Amanda Anderson (left) was Tawni Maxwell, secretary of the TVCRN Board of Directors. The funds will help pay for needs in the nursery’s therapeutic classroom and home visiting program.