Prison lends a helping hand
SRCI offers donation to help Boys & Girls Club

By Katie Pizza
Argus Observer
Thursday, December 4, 2008 10:43 AM PST

The Boys & Girls Club of the Western Treasure Valley received a $500 donation from Snake River Correctional Institution inmates and staff Tuesday afternoon. (From left) Andres Campos, Harvey Anthony Caron, Mark James, SRCI Superintendent Mark Nooth, BGWTV Executive Director Sunny Haynes, BGWTV Program Director Kristi Wherry and Malheur Commission on Children and Families Management Assistant Angie Uptmor.

Ontario — Two area agencies received a helping hand in the form of a donation from Snake River Correctional Institution inmates Tuesday.

The Boys & Girls Club of the Western Treasure Valley and the Treasure Valley Children’s Relief Nursery each received a $500 check from SRCI inmates. The inmates raised the money through a fundraiser staged in September, SRCI Superintendent Mark Nooth said.

Inmate Harvey Anthony Caron, 54, said the September event normally would pave the way for inmates to buy pizza, chicken or other food not available in the cafeteria for $5 to $6. The inmates are also allowed to watch the latest movie on DVD.

Many inmates, though, decided to instead donate money to a good cause.

“Lots of people were willing to donate their time and their money,” SRCI inmate Mark James said.

ADVERTISEMENT

James said the $500 donations were important ones because it shows they still care about the community they live in.

“We do care about what’s going on out there,” he said.

Nooth said he felt like the Boys & Girls Club played a big part in his life.

“Growing up in, I don’t know if I want to say hood, but a tough neighborhood,” he said. “The Boys & Girls club had a positive impact on my life.”

Nooth said he attended the Boys & Girls Club of New Bedford of Mass. Nooth said he would continue to offer support to the club. Boys & Girls Club of the Western Treasure Valley Director Sunny Haynes said SRCI previously sent an inmate crew to the club’s new 8,000-square-foot building, situated at 2441 S.W. Fourth Ave near Bi-Mart. Haynes said the crew painted the facility, with a return visit to construct cubbies planned for the future. Haynes said the facility did not open its doors Dec. 1 as planned but will open before the end of the year.

Once the facility opens it will provide tutoring, technology programs, arts and crafts, a game room and physical education. Those interested in donating to the organization can call Haynes at (541) 889-4317, or mail donations to 1178 S.W. Fourth St. #2, Ontario, OR 97914. Haynes also said the Boys & Girls Club of Western Treasure Valley’s Web site is also able to accept donations at bgcwtv.org.

Another organization presented with a $500 check Tuesday afternoon was Treasure Valley Children’s Relief Nursery, which seeks to open a relief nursery  will serve children six weeks to 4 years of age, who are at high risk of child abuse or neglect.

“It’s a relief place,” TVCRN Secretary Charlene Pelland said. “A place they can go to be away from stress factors. A happy place.”

The nursery, tentatively slated to open by the end of March, will also provide parent support and referral, parent skills training classes, home visits, respite care and basic needs support for families. Pelland said the goal is to keep families together. Pelland said there are nine such facilities in Oregon, but all on the western side of the state. TVCRN is currently working with Treasure Valley Community College to offer a lab school, which will provide specialized training to TVCC Early Childhood Education majors in therapeutic intervention. Pelland also said TVCRN plans to work with four-year universities to provide further training to students.

Board Chair Judy Gilmore said the nursery has been in the discussion stages for about three years. The nursery operates on the idea of “risk-factors” and helping children and parents overcome those factors, such as alcoholism and drug abuse.

Pelland said the donation was not the first time SRCI has been involved with the organization. SRCI inmates made a dollhouse for the TVCRN to auction, which sold in May for $6,600.