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On Sept. 10, more than 150 champions, community members, regional and state leaders, and Heart of Oregon staff and youth gathered at the site of Heart of Oregon Corps new $7.3 million, 3.4-acre central location in Redmond to break ground on Central Oregon’s first workforce development campus.
It was an emotional and inspiring event as several speakers described the profound role of Heart of Oregon’s programs throughout the region, especially in providing skilled workers to address chronic workforce shortages in construction, childcare, wildfire risk reduction and conservation.
Speakers included State Senator Anthony Broadman, East Cascades Works Executive Director Heather Ficht, Heart of Oregon Corps Executive Director Laura Handy, and Heart of Oregon alum and board member Jasmine McCool, who described the powerful impact Heart of Oregon Corps has had in her life and the outcomes of her fellow alumni.
“I would not be who I am today without Heart of Oregon Corps,” said McCool, who graduated from Heart of Oregon in 2017 and now works in childcare. “I’m sober, I have a job I love and I just bought my first house so my kids have a safe and stable place to grow up.”
Heart of Oregon is celebrating its 25th anniversary and the construction of its new campus with the Legacy 25 capital campaign. The effort is raising $2.5 million in the organization’s 25th anniversary year to close the gap on the $7.3 million needed to bring the 3.4-acre campus to life in time for a grand opening in fall 2026. The campus will support youth ages 16-24 with job training, certifications, and support to transition into thriving careers in our region’s workforce.
In an outpouring of support for the project, individuals at the groundbreaking gave $5,810 on-site. An unexpected and major $100,000 gift was also made on the day of the groundbreaking by the Joseph & Elizabeth Hoffart Charitable Foundation. The foundation had previously contributed $37,500, bringing their total support for the campus to $137,500.
“To say that we are grateful doesn’t begin to address the feelings in our hearts about the gifts we have received to make this campus a reality,” said Laura Handy, Executive Director of Heart of Oregon. “We do not often find solutions that address multiple challenges–in this case, training underserved young people to address our region’s greatest economic, social and environmental challenges. For our donors who understand this impact, and are giving so generously–thank you a million times over.”
$5.605 million has been raised to date, with $1.695 million left to secure. Recent gifts have helped to tap a major $500,000 matching gift from the Maybelle Clark Macdonald Fund, which doubled gifts of $100,000 or less. Only $17,000 remains of the match–the proceeds of which have helped Heart of Oregon cover key costs as construction gets underway.
The new campus will include a 6,600 square foot Campus Center building offering classrooms, office spaces, meeting rooms, laundry, showers and a kitchen. It will feature 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. The campus site is rounded out by a 14,000 square foot warehouse, six large covered equipment bays, and a central courtyard for gathering and quiet reflection.
Major funders of the project include Clark Family Foundation, Collins Foundation, Crevier Family Foundation, Deschutes County, First Interstate Bank Foundation, Hayden Homes, Healy Foundation, the Joseph & Elizabeth Hoffart Charitable Foundation, Marie Lamfrom Foundation, Max & Marie Anna Richter Family Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation, Maybelle Clark Macdonald Fund, MJ Murdock Charitable Trust, PGE Foundation, Roundhouse Foundation, the State of Oregon, the Tykeson Family Foundation and The Bend Foundation.
The full celebration can be viewed here on Facebook Live.
To learn more and give to the Legacy 25 campaign visit www.hoccampus.org.
