Coos Bay Garden Club Scholarship Fundraiser
Portland State University - Effecting change Capstone project
Sonia Novak - August 2022
Mission Statement
My goal of partnering with the Coos Bay Garden Club was to use my background in Social Science and Business Management to create more visibility for the CBGC, while also teaching children about the importance of environmental stewardship. I made a considerable effort to teach the kids about why ladybugs are so special. Bees and rabbits also came into the discussion when some children got the idea to paint them! The level of creativity was astonishing, as you will see from the slideshow.
For a $5 fee children were also given a one year membership to the Coos Bay Garden Club’s Coastal Sprouts Youth Garden Club. The membership signup form had questions to think about such as “What is your favorite plant?” and “What type of gardening do you enjoy?” Asking children these thought provoking questions is the first step in creating awareness of the natural world and the impact our participation makes within it.
For a $5 fee children were also given a one year membership to the Coos Bay Garden Club’s Coastal Sprouts Youth Garden Club. The membership signup form had questions to think about such as “What is your favorite plant?” and “What type of gardening do you enjoy?” Asking children these thought provoking questions is the first step in creating awareness of the natural world and the impact our participation makes within it.
Background
The Coos Bay Garden Club is affiliated with the Rogue District of Oregon State Federation of Garden Clubs. The OSFGC and its 2,119 members in 69 affiliated statewide clubs are united through the common purpose of a providing education, resources, and networking opportunities for its members. Their mission is to promote the love of gardening and engagement in acts of civic and environmental responsibility, while addressing the targeted area of environmentalism and preservation of Oregon’s natural resources.
The Conservation Pledge
“I pledge to protect and conserve the natural resources of the planet earth and promise to promote education so we may become caretakers of our air, water, forest, land and wildlife.”
-OREGON STATE FEDERATION OF GARDEN CLUBS
-OREGON STATE FEDERATION OF GARDEN CLUBS
My Project
I am so delighted to have raised $300 (in just a matter of hours) for the Coos Bay Garden Club’s scholarship fund. I taught people of all ages and abilities not only techniques for rock painting, but also some really interesting ladybug facts that most adults didn’t even know. I promoted the event on social media and through an advertisement in the South Coast Shopper. Mary Kerr, the president of the Coos Bay Garden Club was also very helpful in organizing the event. I would also like to thank my teenage helpers Tiernan, Ray and Kylah. I couldn’t have pulled it off without them! I plan on continuing my affiliation with the CBGC by offering to create a website which will provide push-button access to receive donations and membership fees and dues. I also plan on making this an annual springtime event, and I am excited about asking “Lady Bug Landing Community Garden” to be a fundraiser affiliate for next years rock-painting class.
The event itself was incredibly fun. I met people from all over the state who were visiting the Coos Bay area and had seen the advertisement in the South Coast Shopper. One woman brought her three children because her oldest daughter won the CBGC scholarship a few years ago, and she wanted to participate in this activity as a way of giving back! Another participant was a man hired by the Nurses Union to gather signatures for a petition to recall elected board members from the community owned hospital (Bay Area Hospital) for allegations of negligence. We had something of a “roundtable discussion” surrounding the issues at the hospital. By creating this space for people to gather together informally to talk about complex social, political and environmental problems, it created a sense of unity and appreciation for one another regardless of our political affiliations.
The event itself was incredibly fun. I met people from all over the state who were visiting the Coos Bay area and had seen the advertisement in the South Coast Shopper. One woman brought her three children because her oldest daughter won the CBGC scholarship a few years ago, and she wanted to participate in this activity as a way of giving back! Another participant was a man hired by the Nurses Union to gather signatures for a petition to recall elected board members from the community owned hospital (Bay Area Hospital) for allegations of negligence. We had something of a “roundtable discussion” surrounding the issues at the hospital. By creating this space for people to gather together informally to talk about complex social, political and environmental problems, it created a sense of unity and appreciation for one another regardless of our political affiliations.
Click the following link to access news about the petition to remove elected board members from Bay Area Hospital
Click here to sign the petition
Event Slideshow
Surprising ladybug facts
Click to set custom HTML
surprising_ladybug_facts.docx |
Dedication
This project is dedicated to Cassie Spiker. Her mother lives out of state, but she heard about the Ladybug project on social media and decided to make a donation to the scholarship fund. Cassie loved ladybugs, but unfortunately she passed away shortly after her 13th birthday, following a prolonged battle with cancer. Cassie’s mother said everyone loved her for her moxie, joy for life, and her strength and determination. She was first diagnosed with Ewings Sarcoma at the age of four. Her smile, her strength, and love for life were an inspiration to all. She never cried or felt sorry for herself. She was quick to always help others even though she was ill. She passed away very shortly after her fourth diagnosis and is missed very much by her loved ones. Cassie, her mother Penny, and her grandmother all share a special connection with ladybugs, and there are even ladybugs engraved on her tombstone. May her spirit of giving and appreciation for life be an inspiration to us all.