Hayden Homes donated $100,00 to the Heart of Oregon Corps.

Heart of Oregon Corps received a $100,000 donation April 13 from Hayden Homes in support of its centralized campus campaign.

The donation was given at the Redmond Chamber of Commerce event held at the existing HOC training center and site for the future campus. It is located at 835 E Hwy 126 Building #4.

The event included tours of the existing facility, an update on HOC’s visionary Campus Campaign, remarks from alumni on the value of HOC’s innovative youth-focused workforce development programs, and a check presentation from Redmond home builder Hayden Homes.

“With this campus expansion, Heart of Oregon Corps will be able to grow the workforce development opportunities for young adults in Central Oregon, preparing career-ready workers for the construction industry,” said Deborah Flagan, vice president of community engagement at Hayden Homes in a release. “To address the housing affordability crisis, we need more housing to be built across the state.”

The HOC Campus Campaign is an $8 million fundraising effort that consists of a remodel of the existing warehouse building and covered equipment bays in addition to a newly-constructed building customized for HOC’s dynamic workforce training and youth development services.

The centralized campus will result in efficiencies in travel, equipment usage, and staffing; enable HOC to enhance current services through youth job skills training, educational activities, and youth leadership; and expand services by partnering with other groups to offer trainings/classes, further meeting the needs and reducing barriers to success of the young adults in Central Oregon.

Through its “work-earn-learn” model, Heart of Oregon Corps hires and trains 225 young people, ages 16-24, annually in four key areas: conservation, construction, childcare, and customer service. Program participants work on hands-on projects that benefit the Central Oregon community; earn wages, stipends, and scholarships that increase economic self-sufficiency and financial literacy. They also learn workforce soft skills and leadership skills.

Through HOC’s six programs, students complete vocational certifications, earn high school diplomas and GEDs, or take college courses.

“This generous donation from Hayden Homes has brought us to 45 percent complete on our fundraising goal for the Campus Campaign,” said Leanna Williams, Heart of Oregon Corps’ development manager.

First Story, a nonprofit founded by Hayden Homes that is dedicated to affordable homeownership, also celebrated its partnership with Heart of Oregon Corps at the April 13 event. First Story works with Hayden Homes to build houses for families who then purchase the home through a 30-year, zero-down, zero-interest loan.

First Story has provided experiential classrooms at home building sites for five YouthBuild projects since 2011 and will partner again with YouthBuild participants from Heart of Oregon Corps in fall 2023 to build another home.

To learn visit heartoforegon.org/campus-campaign.