Everyone was touched by the wonderful ASL interpreted performance of The Diary of Anne Frank on March 9 at the Pentacle Theater. And the play raised over $1,500 for Friends of OSD! It was a wonderful event. Thanks go to the Pentacle, FOSD Board Members and all who attended.
Thank you to Everyone who joined us in having fun and raising funds at Vine Gogh on January 23, 2016!
In the past (8-10 years ago), the Family Learning Program was an event that brought families of deaf and hearing impaired students to the School for a week during the summer. The costs were included in the School’s budget, and it was one of the most successful and anticipated activities of the year. When budgets were cut, some tough decisions had to be made, and the Family Learning Program was eliminated. Since that time it has been the hope of school administrators that other funds could be found to re-establish the Program.
During 2013, Board members successfully acquired private foundation grants and income from fundraising activities to re-establish a more modest weekend Family Learning Program that was held in October 2013 and April 2015. A number of families attended, with children of all ages. OSD’s dietary staff prepared delicious meals for families who were housed in OSD’s dormitories. Moms really enjoyed being able to relax, to eat without doing all the chores, and to get to know other parents.
Educational workshops for parents were included. During the workshops, the children were divided into age groups for supervised activities including swimming, captioned movies, and a bouncy house. The families commented on how grateful they were to be able to take part in this weekend–there was bonding time, and moments of reflection and appreciation for the deaf children in their lives.
Thanks to funding from THE SALEM FOUNDATION, the OCF JOSEPH E. WESTON PUBLIC FOUNDATION, the JUAN YOUNG FOUNDATION and Friends of OSD fundraising activities.
The Advisory Council held its most recent meeting on April 24, 2015. After luncheon, they heard an update on OSD by the Director, on FOSD by the President of the Board, on FOSD-funded projects by teachers and viewed the new Powerpoint and website. They also had a very productive brainstorming session. Rocky Jastak was awarded the first Advisory Council Member of the Year certificate for her extraordinary contributions. Congratulations, Rocky!
Thank you to those who joined us for our Annual Fun-Raiser: an afternoon of art! You can tell by the photos that we all had a good time while raising money for our cause!
The FOSD mission and purpose is to support the enhancement of programs and services for students at OSD beyond the State’s funding responsibility*. The FOSD Board has identified four initiatives for which awards may be granted: education, cultural activities, innovative programs and minor capital improvement projects.
Founded by a small group of dedicated people in 2006, FOSD was established to support the students at the Oregon School for the Deaf (OSD). From that beginning, Friends of OSD has grown into a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with an all-volunteer Board of Directors. In 2014, FOSD created an Advisory Council of 15 members.
The Friends of OSD Strategic Plan provides direction as the nonprofit continues to expand. We are proud to say that 95% of all grants and donations go directly to programs that benefit students.
*The State of Oregon is responsible for operating programs and services for the students at the Oregon School for the Deaf (OSD). Federal case law establishes the expectation that special education services provided by a school be reasonably designed to ensure students make progress. Friends of OSD will not replace or supplant the responsibilities of the state.
