Build Our Kids Launches

The Douglas County Commission on Children and Families and the Roseburg Rotary Foundation have kicked off an 18-month program called the Build Our Kids Initiative.

The goal of the initiative is to encourage positive interaction between adults and youth. The objective is to develop healthy, productive youth.

As part of the initiative, adults and youth at five pilot sites will be working on community projects in Riddle, Winston, Drain, Oakland and at the Phoenix School. At the sites, adults will be mentoring youth to build protective factors/assets.

Additionally, the initiative will be unveiling a Web site, created by ITechss, this month. It already is airing television spots that suggest actions adults may use to improve the lives of youth.

The initiative has received funding from the Douglas Community Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation, the Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation and the Whipple Foundation Fund of The Oregon Community Foundation.

Major sponsors are Roseburg Forest Products, DCIPA, FCC Commercial Furniture, Mercy Foundation and Knife River. Community sponsors are Ronnie Bruce, the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians, Coca-Cola Bottlers' Foundation, the Winston Area Community Partnership, the Roseburg Rotary Foundation and Vicki and Perry Murray.