Community Kindness is finding new ways to give back to the community
By Shannon Weidemann (McKone) on Wednesday, October 2nd, 2024 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
LA GRANDE- Located in downtown La Grande, Community Kindness of Eastern Oregon appears, on the outside, to be a fun thrift store, combining both American and British culture. However, what is in store is so much more.
Community Kindness of Eastern Oregon is a non-profit thrift store where profits brought into the store are put right back into the community.
A few of the programs and people that Community Kindness of Eastern Oregon works with include:
•Wildflower Lodge
•Santa Letters to children
•Stella Mayfield Elementary School
•Annual Complimentary Christmas Day Buffet
•Twiddle Pup Program which provides developmental toys for autistic children
•Parole & Probation
•More…
Currently, Community Kindness is gearing up for the launch of their first-ever “Men of Union County” calendar. A fun and cheeky calendar filled with men of all shapes, sizes, and ages from around Union County.
The calendar was inspired by the “Calendar Girls”, A British comedy based on the true story of the ladies of the Rylstone Women’s Institute in Yorkshire.
But more than just a fun way to highlight local men, the calendar serves as a fundraiser for Community Kindness. According to Liz Meyer, owner of Community Kindness of Eastern Oregon, the profits brought in by this calendar will go toward a new scholarship program and a youth summer program.
Meyer says the desire to raise money for scholarships and youth summer programs comes from her personal experiences. Meyer tells Elkhorn Media Group that she left school at 15/16 years old and remembers being told a lot in her younger years that “You won’t amount to anything”, “you have to pay attention”, “why can’t you be more like so-and-so.” Meyer says while she feels she has blocked some of that out, the one thing she knows is that while school and retaining information may have been difficult for her back then, she knew that she could work. She loves to work, so she wants to take that knowledge and pay it forward to kids. Meyer says that she has worked with many kids, some of who have great work ethics, but others do not have good work ethics instilled in them, so she wants to continue to be that positive role model and show them how to work hard and better themselves.
Meyer notes that not all the details on the scholarships or the youth summer program are finalized yet, but the calendar money will go towards those two programs.
The Men of Union County calendar will be available for purchase for $22.99, starting October 4, 2024 at 6pm in The Cavern at Community Kindness of Eastern Oregon.
Calendar models will be in attendance to meet in person and sign autographs.
Learn more about Community Kindness of Eastern Oregon at https://ckthriftstore.com/
