Family Access Network receives $50,000 grant for Central Oregon families

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Family Access Network has received a $50,000 grant from the Marie Lamfrom Charitable Foundation to support services for children and families across Central Oregon.

The funding will help provide resources for students and their families, including housing and utility assistance, clothing, school supplies, and youth development programs. Organization leaders say those services are critical in helping remove barriers that can impact a child’s ability to succeed in school.

“This continued partnership with the Marie Lamfrom Charitable Foundation is vital in providing our local families with access to needed resources,” said Tasha McFarland, board chair of the FAN Foundation. “We are so grateful for their generosity and to work on strengthening our community together.”

Family Access Network, founded in 1993, places advocates directly in schools to connect families with essential services. The organization currently has 28 advocates serving 66 sites across Deschutes, Crook, and Jefferson counties.

According to FAN, its programs reach more than 7,600 children and family members each year, working to address the impacts of poverty and help students come to school ready to learn.

The Marie Lamfrom Charitable Foundation, established in 1998, supports initiatives across Oregon focused on education, health, arts, and community well-being.

More information about the Family Access Network is available at familyaccessnetwork.org.