COOS BAY – Efforts on behalf of abused children will receive a $15,000 boost from the Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation.
The Kids’ Hope Center in Coos Bay will spend the money on medical equipment used in sexual abuse investigations. Program Director JoAnne Shorb said properly equipped exam rooms will help the center be a “one-stop shop” for victims and their families.
“When you have families that are in chaos and living with a lot of stress, getting to one more appointment doesn’t always happen,” she explained.
Kids’ Hope, an agency of Bay Area Hospital, investigates abuse allegations from communities throughout Coos County and beyond. It follows a “medical model” of abuse investigations, focusing primarily on meeting the physical and emotional needs of victims. This “kid-friendly” approach enhances prosecution efforts as well.
In 2013, the center’s first year of operation, about half the clients referred for medical services failed to keep their appointments. Reasons include the risk of lost wages, transportation problems, and the anxiety of victims awaiting appointments. Setting up exam rooms inside the center itself eliminates follow-up visits.
The Cow Creek grant covers more than half the initial cost of basic exam rooms. The first priority is purchase of a colposcope, a device used for examining sexual assault victims. The center is seeking additional grants to cover the rest of the cost.
Two separate rooms will serve victims of physical abuse and sexual abuse, so children won’t be intimidated by equipment that won’t be used in their cases.
Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation, based in Roseburg, is the philanthropic arm of the Cow Creek Band of the Umpqua Tribe of Indians. It makes grants each year to non-profit organizations in Douglas, Coos, Lane, Deschutes, Klamath, Jackson and Josephine counties.
Since its beginning in 1997, the Cow Creek Foundation has awarded more than $10 million in grants.
“We just feel really privileged to receive funding from them for this,” Shorb said. “The reach of this will be huge.”
The grant was presented Jan. 7 at the tribe’s Seven Feathers Convention Center in Roseburg.
Additional Contact Information
Barbara Bauder, Chief Development Officer, Bay Area Hospital – (541) 269-8543, barbara.bauder@bayareahospital.org
JoAnne Shorb, Program Director, Kids’ Hope Center – (541) 266-8806, joanne.shorb@bayareahospital.org
Carma Mornarich, Director, Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation – (541) 957-8945, www.cowcreekfoundation.org
