MountainStar luncheon raises $74,000 for child abuse prevention
MountainStar Family Relief Nursery hosted its 11 th Annual Children’s Expedition Luncheon at the Riverhouse Convention Center on October 6 th . With 250 guests in attendance, the child abuse prevention nonprofit raised $74,000 in support of its programs that help strengthen vulnerable local families living in crisis.
Two supporters of MountainStar, David and Shelley Butler, contributed a generous leadership gift of $25,000 that helped inspire attendees to donate as well.
Twenty-eight table hosts helped gather interested attendees, while Gavin Hepp of Webfoot Painting volunteered as the emcee of the event. MountainStar expressed its gratitude to sponsors for their support: Pahlisch Homes contributed $10,000 and held the Title Sponsor designation, while Bigfoot Beverages, BendBroadband, Merkle RKG, Lumbermens Insurance, RBC Wealth Management, and Robin & Troy Bailey also donated toward the event. The Riverhouse Convention Center and VisualThinking Northwest both contributed in-kind services toward the cause.
MountainStar broke the mold this year, sharing a TED Talk with guests instead of the traditional video about its programs. The TED Talk featured Dr. Nadine Burke-Harris, a pediatrician who talked about the relationship between childhood trauma and negative adult health and behavior outcomes.She delivered apowerful statement about the detrimental long-termimpacts on children who live with ongoingtoxic stress. (You can watch it here: http://www.ted.com/talks/nadine_burke_harris_how_childhood_trauma_affects_health_across_a_lifetime?language=en)
Because that’s the population MountainStar serves, the pediatrician seemed to be speaking directly about the importance of the organization’s work. Introducing the video, MountainStar Executive Director Tim Rusk said, “If we want to help children and families who live on the margin of society, then we need to understand how their lives are different. The good news is that there is a growing collective understanding about the impact of toxic stress, trauma and chaos on our children. PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder, makes sense when we’re talking about soldiers in conflict or police on the line of duty, but studies are showing the impact is more severe for children who are abused or neglected…this information needs to be part of our dialogue about the health, vitality and prosperity of our community.”
MountainStar has a unique opportunity to partner withhigh stress familiesto helpprevent adverse childhood experiences and support the resiliency and health ofboth children and their parents. The 2015 Luncheon carries the organization toward its goal of raising $400,000 from private individuals and businesses this year so that it can reach more children and families in need. You can donate and learn how to get involved at www.mtstar.org or you can call 541-322-6820.
About MountainStar Family Relief Nursery
MountainStar Family Relief Nursery’s mission is to prevent child abuse by working with families living in crisis in Deschutes, Jefferson, and Crook counties. The households served have an average of 18 risk factors for child abuse and neglect, including poverty, homelessness, mental health issues, domestic violence, and substance abuse. MountainStar provides crisis intervention and nationally-accredited therapeutic classes for babies and toddlers, as well as other services aimed at strengthening these vulnerable families. Young children represent half of the victims of child abuse in Oregon and need someone to intervene on their behalf when they are at such a critical stage of development. Relief Nurseries have documented success in reducing family risk factors for child abuse and neglect, improving family functioning and self-sufficiency, and reducing foster care utilization. For more information about MountainStar or to learn how to get involved, please visit www.mtstar.org or call (541) 322-6820.
