Mid Oregon Credit Union’s Spring 2026 fundraiser benefits SMART Reading™ in Central Oregon schools. Mid Oregon members and the community raised $3,108 this year. One hundred percent of the funds stay in the community where they are collected and are used to support the SMART Reading programs in those local schools.
“Since 2024, our Mid Oregon members and staff have raised more than $12,740 for SMART,” said Kyle Frick, SVP Marketing and Community Relations. “We are proud to support this amazing program that provides children reading, literacy, and learning skills that improve their achievement in school and life!”
Mid Oregon and Republic Services also partnered to support SMART Reading by collecting donations during four free shred events in Bend, Madras, Prineville and Redmond and served over 230 households. These events are held annually on the first Saturday after Tax Day and help the community reduce fraud risk by reducing sensitive paperwork.
SMART's role is to provide children with two proven ingredients for literacy success: one-on-one reading time and access to books. In their One-to-One SMART program, volunteers model the joy of reading and/or support the child’s efforts to read independently during shared reading experiences. Students also choose two books per month to keep and read with their families to help continue their learning.
“Reading is a critical skill for kids, enabling them to succeed in school and beyond. Right now, over 60% of Oregon third graders are not reading on grade level.” said Jennifer Zardinejad, Central and Northeast Area Director of SMART Reading. “This is a huge concern for our whole community because third grade is the pivotal year when kids are expected to transition from "learning to read" to "reading to learn."
