Roundhouse Foundation

Roundhouse Foundation Supporting creative solutions to the unique challenges associated with rural culture and landscapes of the Pacific Northwest

On a stretch of Oregon coast near the California border, an all-volunteer radio station is trying to bring the community...
05/21/2026

On a stretch of Oregon coast near the California border, an all-volunteer radio station is trying to bring the community together and keep people informed about issues that matter to them. KCIW Curry Coast Community Radio provides local news updates, real-time natural disaster reporting, and hosts programs for and by residents.

Prior to the station’s founding in 2014, the few local papers weren’t able to report on news in a way that kept citizens informed. “Without information that’s fair and accessible, people don’t have any way to know what’s going on in their community and who’s behind what’s going on in their community,” said Lori Stoddard, KCIW’s news director.

Learn more about KCIW on our blog here: https://roundhousefoundation.org/grant-stories/curry-county-radio-tunes-into-community-voices/

Post location: Curry County

Beth Mastel-Smith started the Dementia-Friendly Baker County initiative and what a difference she and, now, her team of ...
05/19/2026

Beth Mastel-Smith started the Dementia-Friendly Baker County initiative and what a difference she and, now, her team of trainers and volunteers are making in the lives of seniors in Eastern Oregon.

“It upsets me when anyone is stigmatized, but when you stigmatize an older person, who's experiencing changes that are no fault of their own, I feel like I should do what I can to make a difference,” Beth Mastel-Smith says.

Learn more on our blog > https://roundhousefoundation.org/grant-stories/dementia-friendly/

Photo courtesy of Lisa Britton/Baker City Herald

Athena’s Gem Theater restoration wins Oregon Heritage Excellence Award The Gem Theater in Athena, Oregon sat vacant on M...
05/13/2026

Athena’s Gem Theater restoration wins Oregon Heritage Excellence Award

The Gem Theater in Athena, Oregon sat vacant on Main Street for more than fifty years before a group of volunteers came together to bring it back to life. The project, led by local music teacher Rob McIntyre, began in 2006. He had no idea the effort would span two decades.

In April, McIntyre was honored with an Oregon Heritage Excellence Award for his work on the Gem Theater and its neighboring Star Saloon building. The heritage commission chose to highlight McIntyre and the Gem Theater largely because of this dedication to youth involvement, a rarity in similar preservation efforts. “Kids are the future of everything,” McIntyre said. “And we have to find a way to involve them in these projects.”

Learn more on our blog > https://roundhousefoundation.org/grant-stories/athenas-gem-theater-restoration-wins-oregon-heritage-excellence-award/

05/13/2026

Athena’s Gem Theater restoration wins Oregon Heritage Excellence Award

The Gem Theater in Athena, Oregon sat vacant on Main Street for more than fifty years before a group of volunteers came together to bring it back to life. The project, led by local music teacher Rob McIntyre, began in 2006. He had no idea the effort would span two decades.

In April, McIntyre was honored with an Oregon Heritage Excellence Award for his work on the Gem Theater and its neighboring Star Saloon building. The heritage commission chose to highlight McIntyre and the Gem Theater largely because of this dedication to youth involvement, a rarity in similar preservation efforts. “Kids are the future of everything,” McIntyre said. “And we have to find a way to involve them in these projects.”

Learn more on our blog > https://roundhousefoundation.org/grant-stories/athenas-gem-theater-restoration-wins-oregon-heritage-excellence-award/

CASA of Eastern Oregon has operated since 1996 and their services now span seven counties, the largest geographic footpr...
05/08/2026

CASA of Eastern Oregon has operated since 1996 and their services now span seven counties, the largest geographic footprint in the state, with over 30,000 square miles. Their goal is to give every child they serve a trained voice who knows them personally.

When a child is suspected of being a victim of abuse and neglect, they enter a complex system of courts, judges, monitoring and potential separation from their families. For the children that CASA serves, having a CASA advocate can make a profound difference.

Learn more on our blog> https://roundhousefoundation.org/grant-stories/advocating-for-children-in-eastern-oregon/

In November 2025, Roundhouse Foundation piloted a slow-cooker program to give 100 slow cookers away through four Oregon...
05/04/2026

In November 2025, Roundhouse Foundation piloted a slow-cooker program to give 100 slow cookers away through four Oregon nonprofits. Food insecure community members don’t just need access to healthy food but also the ability to cook it. Slow-cookers—which families can use to make one-pot meals—can be an important time-saver.
Learn more on our blog > https://roundhousefoundation.org/grant-stories/slow-cooker-program-gains-steam/

📚 Congratulations to Executive Director, Erin Borla, for receiving a 2026 Library Supporter of the Year Award. This reco...
04/28/2026

📚 Congratulations to Executive Director, Erin Borla, for receiving a 2026 Library Supporter of the Year Award. This recognition was announced by Oregon Library Association on April 24th and reflects Erin's dedication to rural libraries, understanding their critical roles as ‘third places’ in communities; reading and learning hubs; centers for borrowing tools such as canners, dehydrators, and more.

💬 Quotes below are from Erin’s nomination and supporting statements. Thank you State Library of Oregon and Libraries of Eastern Oregon for this honor.

📘 “Erin’s support for libraries reflects a deeply personal investment in their success and in the communities they serve. She has consistently recognized that libraries are essential civic institutions—places where people gather, learn, connect, and access opportunity—and she has worked to ensure that rural libraries have the resources they need to fulfill that role.
-Wendy Cornelisen, State Librarian

📙 “In a year of turmoil and challenge for libraries, Erin and Roundhouse stepped in not to “save” libraries, but to work in partnership and collaboration with organizations already in the space, LEO and the State Library included, to fi ll in the gaps around awareness, impact, and funding.”
-Stephanie Chase Executive Director, Libraries of Eastern Oregon

📸 Photos are stills from the Libraries of Eastern Oregon video series and images by Union Carnegie Public Library

Demand is high for a new Certified Nursing Program at Glendale High School in rural Douglas county. Some students travel...
04/27/2026

Demand is high for a new Certified Nursing Program at Glendale High School in rural Douglas county. Some students travel 35 miles to get to the program, getting up at 4:30 in the morning to make it to class or clinical training hours on time. Without it, students would have to pay thousands of dollars to get the same training at the local community college. Now they can graduate and get a local, well-paid job right away.

Learn more on our website> https://roundhousefoundation.org/grant-stories/glendale-high-school-certified-nurse-training-program-helps-students-get-jobs-close-to-home/

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Sisters, OR
97759

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