News and Stories

New funding opportunities from the federal government are adding urgency to an old concern — that rural Oregon continues to leave dollars on the table through unclaimed federal grant program funding.

As The Ford Family Foundation navigated the tumultuous events of the last two years, our staff and Board took a hard look at how we can be the most effective stewards of the generous gifts from Kenneth Ford and Hallie Ford.

Life can be challenging for children who live with chronic health conditions. When they also experience adverse family or community circumstances — poverty, foster care, substance abuse or the death of a parent — their chances of thriving decline dramatically.

With the blessing of founding members, the Ford Scholar Alumni Association dissolved as an independent nonprofit in 2021 and moved under the umbrella of The Ford Family Foundation.

Jayden Asumendi spent most of the last school year away from his peers, doing his schoolwork at his home in the Roseburg area. And, like many of his peers, Jayden struggled in the new learning atmosphere.

In 2016, Mario Jimenez Sifuentez published ‘Of Forests and Fields: Mexican Labor in the Pacific Northwest.’ His book shares the story of Mexican immigrants who, out of view of most Oregonians, became the foundation of our agriculture economy.

As the French Creek fire burned in the night outside of Glide on Sept. 7, Abigail Malek posted to social media: “If you have friends out there, check with them to see if they need any help.”

An innovative partnership between agriculture and economic development in the mid-Willamette Valley is promising to flip the script on traditional startup and entrepreneurship activities.

When Roseburg author Alison Hinson published her children’s book Mabel and the Fire, she had no idea how quickly it would become relevant in her home county.

When it comes to keeping the most vulnerable residents safe and healthy, the actions of community leaders throughout Oregon demonstrate that community building and public health create a powerful combination.