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MountainStar Family Relief Nursery is a highly visible, highly respected local non-profit in Central Oregon. We provide crisis intervention and a therapeutic classroom for babies and young children aged 6 weeks to 4 years old. These children come from families with an average of 20 risk factors for child abuse and neglect, including low income, substance abuse, unstable housing and family violence.
We work with multiple agencies to provide comprehensive services that keep these children safe and support parents’ efforts to provide a loving home and strong start for their children. Our Outreach Program provides a safety net and support system for over 200 children and families each year. Our Therapeutic Classroom teachers and volunteers work intensively with over 70 children per year to address their social, emotional and physical needs..
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| A Special Message from Tim Rusk, Executive Director |
Over nine months and hundreds of volunteer and staff hours went into the planning and preparation for MountainStar’s third annual Children’s Expedition Luncheon. This year’s event was our largest ever, with more than 435 personally invited guests filling the beautiful ballroom at the new Riverhouse Convention Center.
During our one-hour event, I am pleased to announce that multiple attendees enrolled in the Children’s Expedition Society, where members pledge a minimum of $1,000 per year for five years. Over $141,000 in single-year and multiple-year donations were given or pledged to MountainStar on the day of the event, and additional contributions/pledges from the luncheon are continuing to arrive on almost a daily basis!
Personally, I was incredibly proud to be in a room filled with so many concerned citizens who were there to learn more about and support MountainStar’s program to prevent child abuse and neglect in our community. To begin 2008 with such hope for continued progress and fewer financial worries, we have many to thank, including: |
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435 Guests who heard our story |
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Over 193 Guests who made donations or contributed in other ways. |
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13 new or renewing Members of the Children’s Expedition Society who pledged a minimum of $1,000 per year for 5 years. (renewing members paid off previous pledge and recommitted to a new pledge.) |
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Pahlisch Homes whose announcement of a lead gift from proceeds from the House of Healing helped to raise the bar of giving for others at the luncheon. |
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Matt & Leslie Day’s in-kind donation of a van to be used in our Angel Transport program also helped inspire luncheon guests to support MountainStar. |
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40 Table Captains who were responsible for speaking to more than 600 people about MountainStar and filling the luncheon with 435 guests. |
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Business Sponsors for Children’s Expedition Luncheon, whose generous contributions covered the cost of the luncheon. This year’s sponsor’s included: Combined Communications, Memorable Gifts, Bank of the Cascades, Green Planet, Norman Building and Design, Stereo Planet, Visual Thinking, Cutter Communications/Bend Living, Birdies 4 Babies, Brad and Melissa Kent, Brooks Resources, Bryant, Lovelien & Jarvis, Merrill Lynch, Pronghorn, Bill Brimacombe Financial Securiy Advisors, Chase Home Financing, Community First Bank, Edge Wireless, Norma DuBois (Coldwell Banker), Shelly Hummel (Coldwell Banker), South Valley Bank, Office Depot, and Shackelford Hanson & Parr. |
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Raffi from www.memorablegifts.com who donated the beautiful “key to our success” key chain gifts. |
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Dave Stalker from Visual Thinking who spent countless hours to produce the inspiring MountainStar video that premiered at the event. |
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Kathy Murch who produced the “Our MountainStar Family” slideshow that showed us: “It takes a village to raise a child.” |
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Fran Satterfield and Natalie Vieu who lovingly made the children-inspired centerpieces that graced our luncheon tables. |
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Carl Davis who graciously emceed the event and kept the one-hour program on schedule. |
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Beverly Pahlisch who moved us with her own story and then very effectively called us to action as the pledge program speaker. |
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MountainStar Staff who as “MountainStar’s Program” inspired the community to support children at-risk, as well as provided a helping hand with many aspects of the event itself. |
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MountainStar Board Members who hosted tables and provided support before and after the event. |
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Our families have daily needs for items that help them gain stability and strength. We welcome donations any time. Clothing needed is for children 6 weeks to 4 years. |
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Gas Vouchers for our Bus |
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Grocery Store Gift Certificates |
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Shoes and Socks |
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Winter clothing, boots, coats |
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Quality toys, books for babies & toddlers |
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Food for emergency food boxes |
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Volunteers for our Programs |
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A Message from
Senator Ben Westlund |
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Alyce Hatch Center |
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Commission on Children & Families of Deschutes County |
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Crook-Deschutes Education Service District |
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Deschutes Children's Foundation |
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Deschutes County Human Services |
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COBRA |
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Central Oregon Community College |
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C O Pediatric Associates |
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Child & Family Mental Health |
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Family Access Network |
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Family Court Advocate |
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Family Resource Center |
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Family Trax |
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Healthy Beginnings |
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Healthy Start |
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HeadStart |
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KIDS Center |
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Ready 'Set' Go |
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Relief Nursery Association |
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Relief Nursery, Inc. of Eugene |
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Services to Children & Families |
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MountainStar Family Relief Nursery is a strength-based program modeled after the 25 year old, highly successful Relief Nursery, Inc. located in Eugene Oregon. MountainStar is one of nine Relief Nurseries statewide and the only program located east of the Cascades. |
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Services We Provide |
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Therapeutic Classroom Program
Creates a safe, predictable, empowering  environment where at-risk, distressed infants and children can thrive. The majority of our children receive therapeutic support, because they are experiencing social, language, intellectual, emotional and physical delays. If not dealt with at an early age, these problems will negatively impact their ability to learn in school, function independently and develop positive relationships throughout their lives. |
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Outreach Program -- Provides crisis intervention and ongoing services for high-risk families. |
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5 Core Services – All families are eligible for (1) parent support and referral; (2) parent skills training classes; (3) home visits; (4) respite care; and (5) basic needs support. |
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Angel Transportation – Most of the children and families we serve at MountainStar do not have any means of transportation. In 2006 MountainStar purchased a used 14-passenger bus and began transporting children to our Therapeutic Classroom and families to our parenting classes. |
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A Safe Haven – MountainStar Family is a safe haven for children; a place of education, support and community for parents; and a nexus where multiple Service Providers work together to assist high-need families and children. |
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