BEND – Pronghorn on Tuesday announced the launch of the first annual Pronghorn Foundation Family Wishes Campaign. As part of the campaign, the Pronghorn Foundation will donate $5,000 to the Deschutes County-based Family Assistance Network (FAN) in an effort to grant five local families in need their holiday wishes. The Family Wishes Campaign is the first of its kind in the Bend area.

The Pronghorn Foundation was established so that Pronghorn’s developers and subsequent members could contribute to the improvement of the surrounding community of Bend. Funds for the Foundation are generated by a $2,000 transfer fee for each single-family residential homesite sold. Additional funds are raised through charity golf tournaments, concerts and Pronghorn member donations and are distributed to worthwhile causes and non-profit organizations that improve the quality and livability of the Central Oregon community.

“The Pronghorn Foundation’s dedication to improving the quality of life for children and families in Oregon made for a natural partnership with the Family Assistance Network,” said Tom Hix, managing partner of Pronghorn Investors, the developer of Pronghorn. “We are proud to introduce an annual holiday tradition that will have meaningful, direct impact on the people of our surrounding communities and hope this encourages others to mirror the effort.”

FAN provides Family Advocates in public schools, linking children and families to health and other needed services including free wellness and dental clinics for children of families with no insurance. FAN also helps qualified families navigate the often complicated and confusing process of applying for social services. The Family Wishes recipients were chosen by FAN by identifying those holiday wishes would have the greatest long term impact if granted. The five selected families each received a donation valued at approximately $1,000 from the Pronghorn Foundation.

“The Pronghorn Foundation’s Family Wishes Campaign provides each of these families with much more than just a holiday gift, it improves their lives for the long term,” said Julie Lychee, program director for the Family Assistance Network. “We greatly appreciate the Pronghorn Foundation’s commitment to serving families in need in our community and we look forward to a lasting partnership.”

Each Family Wishes story shares a common bond of providing a means for a better life. Recipients include:

• A grandmother who took custody of her five-year-old grandson two years ago due to her daughter’s substance abuse problems. Left without a permanent home, and unable to afford the upfront costs to secure and apartment, grandmother and grandson have been forced to take up residence for the last two years in a local weekly-rate motel. The Pronghorn Foundation provided the deposit necessary to secure the apartment so the two could stabilize their lives in a home of their own.

• A single mother who, amid working and caring for her two children, recently completed her GED with help from the Family Access Network, finishing at the head of her class. To better provide for her children, she wished to continue her education early childhood education so she can bring her skills to the local school district as a teacher. The Pronghorn Foundation has covered the cost of credit fees for two classes, as well as the necessary books and materials. In addition, funds have been provided funds to cover childcare for her two children while she attends classes.

• A single (and expectant) mother of two who is homeless after being a victim of domestic violence. She recently discovered at a doctor’s appointment that her unborn baby has cancer and will require a variety of medical treatments. The Pronghorn Foundation will fund daycare services from December through June of 2006 so that the mother can endure the necessary treatments during her remaining six months of pregnancy.

• Having fled an abusive relationship, a hardworking mother of three who recently secured a domestic violence grant for housing to start life over with her children. Forced to start over with nearly nothing, The Pronghorn Foundation bought bunk beds for her two boys, a twin bed for her daughter and new dressers for all three children allowing them to have basic furniture as they move into their new home.

• A mother of three whose family has faced multiple tragedies, taxing each of them emotionally and financially. With three children of her own, this mother’s sister died, leaving her in care a fourth child and a grandmother. Shortly thereafter, the recipient’s husband died, leaving the family again facing the loss of a loved one. The family has pulled together, attending grief counseling and even reaching out to others who have lost loved ones, but they have struggled financially to make ends meet. The Pronghorn Foundation funds granted the family’s holiday wish of one cord of firewood and one month’s paid rent for the family of six.

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