Marshall Fundraising Management
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Mail Tribune
May 02, 2008
Medford funds proposed homeless teen shelter
Public hearing convinces City Council to allocate $216,000 in federal grant money to nonprofit group
By Meg Landers
MEDFORD — Following an emotional public hearing that lasted nearly three hours, the Medford City Council voted unanimously late Thursday to give $216,000 in federal funds to a new shelter for homeless teens.
Amber Hill of Medford told the council she and her mother have taken in at least 13 homeless children in the past five years. "It's hard, you know?" she said, breaking down in tears. "If they're being hit, mentally abused, sexually abused, why go home?" Homeless youths need a safe place, she said. "If we can do it, let's do it," she said, and the audience exploded into applause.
The hearing was to consider the allocation of $614,230 in Community Development Block Grant funds. Hearts with a Mission nonprofit organization requested $216,000 to help purchase and renovate a house on Edwards Street for an emergency shelter for homeless teens. The shelter will provide males and females, ages 10 to 17, with a secure environment for 72 hours and link them with other service agencies. Councilman Bob Strosser said he struggled with an organization at such an early stage requesting such a large amount of money. He'd prefer the nonprofit had its business plan, including funding for operations, worked out in detail.
Kevin Lamson, founder and president of Hearts with a Mission, said "concepts don't sell," adding that they need to have a building before donors and supporters will get behind them. He estimated operating costs will be $468,000 annually. Marshall Fundraising Management, an Ashland-based fundraising consulting firm, will be handling fundraising and provided a support letter to the Council, which helped allay one councilman's concerns.
Bill Hale, one of more than a dozen rugged-looking Harley-Davidson bikers supporting the shelter, said he learned in the past two months about homeless youths when two of his teenage grandchildren ran away from home. They returned with rough stories, he said. "I really saw a need," said Hale, a member of a Christian ministry motorcycle club. But Karen Blair, a real estate agent, and member of the Housing and Community Development Commission that recommended approval, said she was troubled that it was such a new organization and it was requesting such a large sum of money. "I question the sustainability of a program like this only because it's taking the fast track," she said.
Reach reporter Meg Landers at 776-4481 or e-mail mlanders@mailtribune.com.
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Mail Tribune
May 01, 2008
Nonprofit seeks house for homeless teens
Hearts with a Mission will seek federal Community Development Block Grant money allotted by the city of Medford
By Meg Landers
A budding organization is seeking $216,000 in federal money disbursed by the city to establish an emergency shelter for homeless teens. "Youth do not belong in a shelter, youth belong in a family," said Kevin Lamson, president of Hearts with a Mission, a nonprofit organization. "But a lot of times there are families out there that aren't the best place for a youth to be in, for whatever reason. This is a huge need in our area."
A Medford City Council public hearing is scheduled for 7 tonight to consider the allocation of $614,230 in Community Development Block Grants, a portion of which could go to Hearts with a Mission to buy a house on Edwards Street. Every year the council holds a public hearing to review the spending of the CDBG funds. Lamson said he's served on the board of Helping Hands International, a disaster relief organization, for four years, and the work inspired him to help those in need locally.
The Medford resident said a third party has already purchased the house, and if awarded the grant the organization would buy it for $200,000. The house was once a group home for Living Opportunities. Many teens have been kicked out of their homes, live in abusive homes or face other dangerous situations, said Lamson. The shelter would provide teens with a safe, secure environment for 72 hours and link them with other services if needed, such as drug treatment programs, he said. The residential care facility would provide temporary emergency shelter to teenagers through a Christian-based approach, though Lamson said there's no church responsible for the organization and clients would not be required to attend church.
Planning is still in the early phases, though Lamson said he's optimistic that things can move fast. "I would love to have it open before the snow flies," he said, but added, "we haven't even started to raise the funds to renovate it yet." Marshall Fundraising Management, Ashland-based fundraising consulting firm, will be handling their fundraising programs.
Medford Police Chief Randy Schoen supports the idea of an emergency teen shelter, though statistics on homeless teens in Medford were not readily available. "The police department really doesn't know how big a problem it is," he said. As long as the organization works closely with law enforcement and community services and takes precautions to weed out predatory teens or adults, he said, it can provide a needed service. Lamson said precautions will be taken to prevent problems like those at the youth shelter in Talent seven years ago. In 2001, state and county investigators closed the Community Works Youth Diagnostic Shelter in Talent after two workers were charged with sexually abusing eight teenage clients. One was sentenced to six years in prison, the other to four years. He said motion detectors can alert others if someone enters or leaves a room. He also plans to do extensive background checks and fingerprinting of all staff and volunteers. "You have to take all the safety precautions you can," he said.
The CDBG funds, from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, total $614,230. That's down 3.5 percent from last year's $636,217, said Louise Dix, neighborhood resource coordinator for Medford. CDBG funds are based on population and poverty statistics, Dix said. Though Medford's continue to worsen, the federal government is allocating less, she said. The annual grant goes to urban areas for assistance for affordable housing, public health and safety and other services for low- and moderate-income residents.
The council holds a public hearing every year to receive information on the proposed distribution of the funds, as recommended by the Housing and Community Development Commission. In addition to the Hearts with a Mission project, proposed allocations include $50,000 to the Salvation Army for city utilities for the Hope House Transitional Shelter, $35,000 to the Housing Authority of Jackson County to rehabilitate a West Main Street apartment complex, $20,000 to the Medford Senior Center and others.
Reach reporter Meg Landers at 776-4481 or e-mail mlanders@mailtribune.com.
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Ashland Daily Tidings:
May 1, 2008
Community pours out support for David Gabriel
Community members raised more than $11,000 at a benefit to help with the medical expenses of local performer David Gabriel. Gabriel had emergency, life-saving surgery in October and was hospitalized at Ashland Community Hospital for two weeks. Expenses were $57,000 and, even with insurance, Gabriel still owed more than $24,000. The "David Gabriel Benefit Variety Show" on April 20 at the Ashland Historic Armory, helped put a dent in that bill.
"There was an amazing outpouring of love from the community for David Gabriel," said Joy and Larry Marshall of Marshall Fundraising Management, an Ashland-based fundraising and events management firm that produced the event pro bono. Marshall Fundraising Management represents local, regional, national and global non-profit organization clients. They advise on fundraising strategies and organize special events to build awareness, visibility and funding income. They donated their services to their friend, David, on a pro bono basis.
The Armory donated the venue and participants donated their performing talents, including The Hamazons, Laura Derocher (Gabriel's life-partner), Paula Flowers, Renee Hewitt, Heather Hutton, Karen Lovely, Richard Williams, Gayle Wilson and Camelot Theatre's Livia Genise and radio talk-show host Jeff Golden as co-emcees.
Gabriel himself performed with his Beatles cover band, The Nowhere Men, also featuring Dave Marston, Brent Norton and Joe Cahoon.
Individual donations and sponsorship dollars combined to raise $12,963.43, which, after expenses, netted $11,667.32 for Gabriel's medical bills, the Marshalls said. Ashland Community Hospital has agreed to accept this amount as payment in full toward Gabriel's hospital balance. Subsequent donations will be used to offset his doctor's bills.
Gabriel offered his thanks to everyone who donated their time, talent, money and other gifts.
"My heart is full with gratitude and appreciation," Gabriel said. "Your combined gift relieves a huge burden. The world feels like a safe place to be. It makes me want to give more of myself""my time, energy and resources""whenever I can."
The issue of universal health care also surfaced during the show. "While it feels great to come together to support one of our own, we should also remember that there's no other affluent country in the world where friends would have to do this on their own," co-emcee Jeff Golden said in his opening statement. "The system more or less told David Gabriel: 'Here's a huge bill for the procedure to save your life and we don't care that it's much more money than you have. Life's tough — deal with it.'"
Gabriel only had "catastrophic" medical insurance, which paid a portion of the debt.
"We all deserve to have our healthcare needs met," Gabriel said. "Let's continue to envision and work toward a U.S. health care system that truly works for everyone."
Gabriel has appeared at The Camelot Theatre many times, most recently as the Baker in "Into the Woods" and the fiery John Adams in "1776." With Laura Derocher and friends, David conceived, co-wrote, co-produced and co-performed an original musical variety show, "Divine Lunacy." He recently was featured in a winter tour with Rogue Opera's "Opera in the Schools" program. David will be appearing at the Camelot Theatre May 29 through June 15 in "Spotlight on Tony Bennett" and all donations from that program shall also be included in the fundraising campaign.
Until all bills are paid in full, donations will continue to be accepted at Umpqua Bank, 250 N. Pioneer Street, Ashland, OR 97520. Donors, please make checks payable to: David King (David's legal name) Medical Expense Fund.
Marshall Fundraising Management Formed;
Marshall Consultants Celebrates 40th Anniversary
ASHLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Joy and Larry Marshall of Ashland, OR announce the formation of Marshall Fundraising Management. Larry states: "Joy's passion has always been in the non-profit arena and, given her success in that field, along with our good fortune in life, decided she wanted us to continue to give back to society. So, we now will offer our dual business background and non-profit fundraising experience and talents by creating Marshall Fundraising Management where we will advise and assist regional, national, and global non-profit clients in their fundraising efforts".
They will also assist philanthropic organizations, as well as private and corporate foundations, in assuring that their contributions are directed wisely, are cost-effective, and achieve their desired results.
The firm's principals are seasoned business and non-profit Consultants and each have some of the highest credentials of any full-service non-profit fundraising consultancy in the West. Larry and Joy's past clients, together and individually, have included Avon Foundation, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, Children's Miracle Network, Ford Foundation, Consumers Union, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Memorial-Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, United Jewish Appeal, and the United Way (regionally and nationally) to name a few. Recent and current local clients include the National Kidney Foundation (of So. OR), Community Health Center (Jackson County, OR), and the Camelot Theatre Company (Talent, OR). Their new website is: www.MarshallFundraising.com.
Joy's major involvement for over 15 years had been with the Children's Miracle Network (CMN was founded by Marie Osmond and her family), both on the management staff, and as a Consultant to, many of its over 175 children's hospital foundations in the USA, Canada and Mexico. She has guided hospitals for children in creating successful corporate-sponsored fundraising events and cause-branding programs. She was the Executive Producer of CMN's annual local broadcast, aired on KABC-TV from Disneyland, while heading CMN fundraising at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles.
Both are Managing Partners of Marshall Fundraising Management, and integrate their individual skills. Larry advises clients in PR and Marketing Communications strategy and programs, building their awareness and visibility. These efforts support Joy's fundraising, development strategy, and special events planning, programming and execution. They partner with their clients' internal staff to achieve the most successful results. They plan also to have a network of Strategic Partners regionally, nationally and globally, to be announced shortly.
Larry is also the Founder and CEO of Marshall Consultants, www.MarshallConsultants.com, the sister company of Marshall Fundraising Management. It is now celebrating its 40th Anniversary as the first executive search and management consulting firm specializing in Public Relations, Corporate and Marketing Communications and Investor Relations. Formerly based in New York City for over 35 years, with Western offices in Seattle and Los Angeles, the firm relocated to virtual offices in Ashland, OR. They have represented major non-profits, and over half of the Fortune 500 and evolving companies, as well as leading PR counseling firms. It focuses on a limited number of senior-level searches from a select group of regional, national and global clients.
They conclude, "We wish to represent clients who serve compelling, and potentially high-visibility causes, with ambitious non-profit fundraising or philanthropic giving objectives, and where we believe that our skills will make a difference. We assist them in 'doing well by doing good'".
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Joy & Larry Marshall, Managing Partners
Marshall Fundraising Management
660 Pracht Street
Ashland, OR 97520
541-488-3121
Fax: 541-488-9302
Email: info@MarshallFundraising.com
Website: www.MarshallFundraising.com
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