Funds raised stay local and support in-school reading engagement programs for kids.    

Mid Oregon Credit Union Spring 2025 fundraiser began on Monday, April 7 to benefit SMART Reading™. Mid Oregon members and the community are invited to donate online or at any one of Mid Oregon’s branches. One hundred percent of the funds will stay in the community where they are collected and be used to support the SMART Reading programs in those local schools.   

“In 2024, our Mid Oregon members and staff raised $5,900 for SMART,” said, Kyle Frick, SVP Marketing and Community Relations.  “We are proud to support this amazing program that provides children reading, literacy, and learning skills that improve their achievement in school and life!” 

SMART’s role is to provide children with two proven ingredients for literacy success: one-on-one reading time and access to books.  In their One-to-One SMART program, volunteers model the joy of reading and/or support the child’s efforts to read independently during shared reading experiences. Students also choose two books per month to keep and read with their families to help continue their learning.  

“Reading is a critical skill for kids, enabling them to succeed in school and beyond. Right now, over 60% of Oregon third graders are not reading on grade level.” said Jennifer Zardinejad, Central and Northeast Area Director of SMART Reading. “This is a huge concern for our whole community because third grade is the pivotal year when kids are expected to transition from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.”  

Online donations can be made at: https://www.midoregon.com/community/smart-reading-fundraiser.shtml