Kate Jones and Marty Rifkin, currently of Coremix Capital and previously of prominent health supplement company Avid Health, have been in the business of providing essential nutrition to children since the 1980s. But in 1991, they began to provide life assistance to local youth through a more direct route. That was the year the two founded the KMR Group Foundation, a Vancouver-based nonprofit which offers a number of avenues through which young people can receive aid in their lives.
“We take a two-pronged approach at the foundation,” said Kate Jones. “First, we work diligently with local organizations to sponsor established programs. Second, we identify gaps where a need isn’t being met and create our own initiatives. The goal in both cases is to work hand-in-hand with our partners to educate, feed and shelter children in our community.
“Because the potential to excel is in every child, KMR Group Foundation wants to give children an equal opportunity for success and development through the creation and sponsorship of innovative programs and academic scholarships,” she added.
The scholarship program is one of the most significant aspects of the foundation, providing scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $3,500 per school year and renewable for up to four years. The scholarships are awarded to graduating seniors in Clark and Cowlitz County. Jones indicated that the foundation was aware of a financial gap for students working toward completing their bachelor’s degree in nursing and was hoping to fill it, but that scholars of all fields would be supported.
“The scholarship and internship programs are another example of how the foundation has matured and refined its mission to help strengthen our local community,” said Jones. “Almost 75 percent of students that graduate from WSU Vancouver and Cark College stay in the area. This means the scholarships are not only a gift to the recipients and the dreams they are pursuing, but an investment in the community and its shared future.”
Additionally, Jones talked about the internship program offered by the foundation, specifically how it allowed students “to spend a few months in a business atmosphere getting exposure to what life is going to be like after graduation.”
“We are mentoring our interns to give them the greatest possible chance at future success,” Jones said.
Among the organizations partnered with the foundation to help them achieve their goals of positive community change include The Clark County Food Bank, The Northwest Association for Blind Athletes, Salmon Creek Hospital CAAT Program, Friends of Doernbecher, Bridge The Gap, YMCA Clark County, Raphael House, CDM Services, Pacific Foundation for Blind Children, Jewish Business Network, Chabad of Clark County, and Share, with each organization having its own unique relationship to the foundation – some of which have grown and evolved considerably over time.
Talking about the Share organization in particular, Jones explained that “our relationship with the organization began almost 20 years ago with what is now our Essential Packs Program. The packs are bags filled with life’s daily necessities like toothpaste, shampoo and socks. Children get a plush pet toy, crayons and coloring books added to their bag and everything is distributed during the holidays.
“Kim Hash, Share’s director of development and communication, said the reaction is almost always the same from people getting the bags,” Jones added. “Their eyes light up, they are at a loss of words and finally express gratitude that someone would be so generous to them.”
Although the foundation has grown to become considerably influential, especially within the local region, Jones indicated that new developments looking to fill gaps are always being explored. She cited a recent occurrence wherein a program called Comfort Bag had been instituted, providing plush toys and backpacks to children entering the foster care system to help alleviate the senses of loneliness and fright that the process can sometimes create.
“Tackling the big problems in our community requires long-term planning and sizeable resources,” Jones said. “Ultimately, we want to create replicable, sustainable and efficient community programs in Clark County.”
Editor’s note: KMR Group Foundation is a member of the Vancouver Business Journal’s Strategic Partners Program. To learn more about the program, contact Irene Pettengill at 360.448.6013.
