Melanie Heard and others involved in the Children’s Repertory of Oregon Workshop put in a lot of time and hard work to bring the joy of the theater to kids in Florence. There’s one magical moment that makes it all worth it.
“The moment that curtain opens, there’s electricity,” she says. “There’s nothing like it. And to be able to provide that for the community and for the children and their families, that’s such a blessing and such a gift.”
When Melanie first started C.R.O.W. in Florence in 2011, they faced many challenges. Oregon Pacific Bank played a major role early on in helping their fundraising dollars count. OPB offers special banking services for nonprofit organizations that can help them save money, such as OPB’s charitable checking program and discounted merchant services. But OPB didn’t stop there.
“They’ve done fundraising, they’ve done sponsorships, they’ve put ads in our program,” Melanie says. “They are always there for phone calls and questions and needs.”
Oregon Pacific Bank goes the extra mile because we know nonprofit organizations are a vital part of the community, says Kim Erickson, SVP and Team Leader/Residential Lending Manager in Florence. “Oregon Pacific Bank does so many things for nonprofits because there’s a multitude of organizations that make a community thrive.”
Kim says C.R.O.W. is especially close to her heart because her daughter has been involved in the program. She loved seeing her daughter and other children blossom while acting and singing in stage productions.
“It’s a completely different outlet for kids,” Kim says. “Without C.R.O.W., they would not have this opportunity.”
Melanie says those experiences are a big part of what makes the arts a “magical place.”
“There are just some kids that need that in their lives,” she says. “They need to have those opportunities to express themselves and to be who they really are, and the arts provide that.”
Melanie says Oregon Pacific Bank understands the work C.R.O.W. is doing and she’s glad to have our support.
“OPB really sees the merit in what we do, and they help us in ways that a normal bank wouldn’t,” she says. “Everything they do comes from the heart, and we are so grateful.”
