OCSRA awards $6,000 in grants, scholarships

OKANOGAN - Okanogan County School Retirees’ Association provided $6,000 for schools and community projects in 2022-2023.

Educators receiving $300 school grants were:

• Brewster Elementary School: Cindy Brown and Jennifer Reynolds, “Feeling Buddies” Toolkits to help young children deal with emotions.

• Okanogan Schools: Heather Downey, life skills: shopping for groceries, cooking, and raising food via hydroponics; Rebecca Hallam, flexible seating.
• Tonasket Elementary: Scott Olson, art supplies to record science activities Omak East Elementary: Melissa George, 2 grants: art supplies for math, science, and writing projects and math manipulatives and games.

• Community Service Grants were awarded to: “Our House” Cancer Care of NCW, $100; Conconully Food Bank, $100; Wauconda Food Bank, $100; Okanogan County.
 

• Community Action Council-Weatherization Program, $300; Bulldog Bites Food Bank for  Okanogan Outreach School, $450; WVC at Omak-Gas Cards for Students, $450; Meals on Wheels-Okanogan area, $250; Meals on Wheels-Omak area, $250;

Scholarship donations included $400 to Washington State School Retirees’ Foundation for high school scholarships and OCSRA’s $1500 Scholarship to Marilyn Oestreich of Omak. Oestreich plans to receive her teaching degree from Grand Canyon University this year. She is currently a paraprofessional at Omak East Elementary.