Endowment
We Need Stable Funding
We estimate that we are currently reaching more than 20% of the northern Willamette Valley's vineyards and their workers. Our annual rate of client growth shows that there are many more workers yet to reach, which drives our need to provide additional services and seek additional funding.
Currently, ¡Salud!’s outreach programs are funded entirely from the proceeds of the annual ¡Salud! The Oregon Pinot Noir Auction. The past 16 auctions have raised over $6 million. As generous as ¡Salud! supporters have been, however, recent economic conditions indicate that we need to stabilize funding for the core operations of the outreach program without relying solely on the success of the annual auction.
The Leda Garside Endowment Fund
¡Salud!'s most important assets are the bicultural medical professionals who work to provide healthcare and outreach services. We have initiated a $1.7 million endowment to help fund the position of ¡Salud! Services Clinical Manager. The endowment interest income will allow us to provide a consistent level of service and shelter us from the economic cycles that can impact charity auctions.
To establish this endowment, Ronni Lacroute, co-owner of WillaKenzie Estate Winery, made a $500,000 lead gift. Her generous donation was made in honor of the dedicated ¡Salud! Services Clinical Nurse Manager, Leda Garside, R.N., BSN. Leda is credited with the success of the outreach program over the past ten years. She has been instrumental in creating relationships and developing programs that have improved the health and wellness of the seasonal vineyard workers and their families. Leda has been appointed to the Oregon Health Services Commission by Governor Kulongowski and she has been honored by the Oregon Health Forum, the Community Health Partnership, and the National Association of Hispanic Nurses, among others.
We invite you to join us in support of this essential service. Without the seasonal workforce, growing and harvesting much of the produce and crops that we enjoy would not be possible. We see this as a small way to honor these workers and their families and show that we respect their hard work on our behalf.