Oregon Jewish Community Youth Foundation Annouces Awards

The Oregon Jewish Community Foundation has announced that its Oregon Jewish Community Youth Foundation (OJCYF) awarded a total of $29,000 at their last allocation meeting. These funds were raised by the youth at their annual benefit dinner, Compassion in Action, in April.

This year, 28 students comprising two groups participated in the program that gives teens hands-on experience in researching nonprofit organizations, assessing their needs, and making tough choices as to which should receive funding through grants. Twenty-two students in Group A followed the traditional curriculum of conducting site visits and allocating funds while the six veteran Group B students who have been in the program for several years mentored group A and took on internships at various non-profit organizations.

Fifteen Jewish and eight secular organizations through the Portland Metro Area answered OJCYF’s spring request for proposals, applying for over $66,000 in funding. This year, the areas of most concern for the students were Jewish children’s camp scholarships for special needs children, teen homelessness and emergency aid.

More information on the Oregon Jewish Community Youth Foundation is available on the Foundation website.