Leo Gimbel, 8th grader, (left), Ethan Williams, 6th grader, (middle), and Hayden Weir, 7th grader (right)loading up backpacks with bath puffs and socks for foster children on Tuesday.

John C. Fremont Middle School’s Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) delivered over 60 backpacks to the Child Welfare division of the Oregon Department of Human Services on Tuesday. 

The project called “Backpacks 4 Kids” was the group’s last community service project of the school year. Fremont FBLA decided that they wanted to do something for foster kids in their community, so they packed backpacks full of items. The bags included socks, soap, bath puffs, toothpaste, a toothbrush, and a book. 

The bags were delivered just in time for the organization to hand out during their Resource Family Event. 

Karen Parker, social services assistant case aide for certification/foster parent liaison for the Oregon Department of Human Services, said, “Once a year usually in May we put together an event where we show our appreciation to the Resource families.” 

This year’s event was held as a drive thru event at the Wildlife Safari.  “Resources families that attended were provided a gift for the children and the Resource parents received a gift basket. Our local Every Child organization provided them with a prepackaged meal.  Wildlife Safari also gave them the opportunity to go thru the drive thru at no charge during the event, ” said Parker.

Fremont FBLA strives to give back to the community and cause positive change. Foster kids are in a situation out of their control and Fremont FBLA is hoping that the bags will help bring a little comfort during a difficult time. 

Seventh grader Chloe Garcia said, “I enjoyed putting together the backpacks because I know they are for a good cause and will be given to kids in need.”

The group went around to local businesses collecting items and cash donations. Eighth grader Leo Gimbel, “I feel grateful for all the people who supported us.” 

If you are interested in learning more about Fremont FBLA, visit fremontfbla.org.

As of May 1 there were 355 kids in foster care in Douglas County. 

“Foster care is a temporary living arrangement for children who need a safe place to live when their parents or guardians cannot safely take care of them,” said Parker. “We believe that foster care should always be the last possible and temporary option for a child and family when there is a child safety concern. The trauma inflicted on a family by separating them during foster care needs to be carefully considered. If foster care is necessary, reunification should be the primary goal.”

Kids in foster care have the same needs as every other child.

“Foster children need compassion, patience, and empathy from their caregivers,” Parker said. “They need advocacy and support around the trauma they’ve experienced. They need encouragement, and supportive adults who understand there is grief and loss due to being temporarily separated from their parents and families.”

Parker enjoys working with the department. She said, “The best part of working at child welfare is being a cheerleader for parents and children and helping them succeed to get their families back together. I also have the wonderful opportunity to work with our Foster Parents and our great local community partners. I work with Mercy Foundation, The TLC committee, CASA, and ECHO to name a few. We have great businesses in the community that I also work with around Christmas that provide gifts for our foster children. I really love our community and the businesses are very giving.”

Fremont FBLA created the backpacks for slightly older kids. Roughly one-third of the children in foster care are pre-teens and teens.

“We are always in need of foster parents for our teens and pre-teens, families to wrap support around our youth, help them to stabilize in order to prepare for the transition home, or their transition into adulthood,” Parker said. “We also know resilience is built through all kinds of different relationships. When youth have even one supportive adult in their life, it can make a world of difference.”

There are lots of ways people can invest in some of our most vulnerable youth. Parker said, “For those who are able to temporarily open their homes and their families to youth in need of safety and stabilization, foster parenting may be just the thing.”

There are also opportunities to serve and volunteer through our local CASA program and Every Child. Visit  https://everychildoregon.org/myneighbor/ for more information. 

Parker said, “Whether it be a neighbor, friend, relative, or a member of our community, we can make a big difference by reaching out and helping the families around us.”

Chloe Garcia, 7th grader, (front), Hayden Weir, 7th grader,(middle), and Leo Gimbel, 8th grader, (back) loading backpacks for foster children on Tuesday.

Leo Gimbel, an 8th grader, adding books to backpacks for Fremont FBLA’s latest community service project.

Ryne Wilson, 7th grader, helping get the backpacks ready for foster children.

A box full of Valentines to give to the Fremont staff.

The Fremont Future Business Leaders of America wanted to thank the middle school staff for all the work they have done this year. They did this by handcrafting Valentines with a sweet treat and a thank you message on it. FBLA members delivered them to all of the teachers and staff by placing them in their boxes. Students did this on Thursday to ensure that the staff got them before Valentine’s Day.

Zoey Godfrey, a participant in the project and eighth-grader at Fremont Middle School, thinks it is very important to thank the Fremont staff. 

She said, “They help us learn and do so much for us. They also encourage us to try new things and prepare us for all the new possibilities that come our way.”

This small act of kindness could make a huge difference. The staff at Fremont has been going through a lot with COVID-19, and FBLA wanted to try to brighten up the day for the staff.

Kathi Swanson, 8th grade ELA and publications teacher at Fremont, holding up her Valentine.

On Wednesday, November 18th Oregon’s Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) attended the Fall Virtual Leadership Experience. This event was organized by TeamTri, GIANT, and the Department of Education for career and technical student organizations from Oregon.  During the conference, students got the opportunity to listen to inspiring speakers, engage in leadership conversation, participate in trivia showdowns, and earn prizes. Two Fremont FBLA members and thirteen Roseburg FBLA members participated, including three state officers attended.

The event started with a presentation from Scott Cornelius about how to multiply your leadership. In this, he talked about how you have to know yourself to lead yourself. Once you can lead yourself you can lead others. As a leader, it is your responsibility to help others grow into leaders as well.

Next, the attendees learned about how to determine their leadership voice and how to respect others’. The 5 leadership voices were created by GIANT. Leadership voices consist of the following: Nurturer, Creative, Guardian, Connector, and Pioneer. 

Nurturers want everyone to be included and happy. These are the people who are always checking in to see if you are ok. However, they have a fear of conflict.

Creatives are always thinking about the future. They are innovative and have integrity. They are always thinking outside of the box. They tend to be perfectionists and feel like everything and everyone can be better. “Can’t” is not a word in their vocabulary.

Guardians are always following the rules. If you are going to do something they will have a plan. If things are moving steadily they may think there is no reason to improve. Guardians are always asking questions and giving critiques. They may come off a little aggressive but they have good intentions.

Connectors are good at communicating with others. They are very resourceful and are people-pleasers. They are good at coming up with ideas. However, they don’t take critique well and take it personally.

Pioneers are critical thinkers and problem solvers. They are very competitive and have no regrets. They have drive, leadership, and good communication skills. When they have an idea they pursue it. They can seem arrogant or insensitive at times. Around 7% of all people are Pioneers.

 Aiyana Brown, FBLA Rogue Umpqua Region Vice President, who attended the event discovered that her leadership voice was Pinoeer/Guardian. She stated, “I definitely agree that my voice is Pinoeer/Guardian because pioneers are the leaders, and guardians are very analytical, and they question everything.”

Then, the participants each joined a group where they discussed the benefits of their chapter and prepared for trivia. Everyone came back to the group and started a trivia game. They were asked questions related to business and general knowledge.

Next, Scott Williams, an author, spoke with the group about how to accomplish goals and how to lead, not manage. In this, he said, “Great leadership is less about the leader and more about the ship.” He spoke about how when faced with conflict, leaders treat it as an asset, while managers treat it like a liability.

Lastly, the participants went into a session about how to have influence and impact and prepare for a final trivia showdown. Students were given a lot of information about how to be more effective leaders.  The Fall Virtual Leadership Experience was enjoyable and educational for the participants! Brown said, “FBLA’s Fall Leadership Experience was definitely both educational and enjoyable. During the conference, members and officers listened to professional keynote speakers, who showed us how to grow our leadership voices to better communicate and work within a team. We also competed in multiple trivia showdowns, where we learned facts about FBLA and many leaders throughout history: for example, Ruby Bridges, the first Black student to desegregate an elementary school in the south, and Yuri Gagarin, the first person in space. During COVID-19, students don’t have as much face-to-face interaction, so being able to host a virtual conference was an amazing experience for all parties involved. I, and all of the other state officers, met members from every CTSO in Oregon, which is truly invaluable. It was the first time we got to connect with other people from our organization — and with all of the games, trivia, and motivational speakers, it was the most fun I’ve had in a while!”

Fremont Middle School is working to establish an FBLA Chapter. If your child is interested, sign up here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeVVum_zY4pACZR1habDFoAaKyizl_FAnZNkjAST09F27veIg/viewform?usp=pp_url

World Prematurity Day is observed on November 17th every year to expand awareness of preterm birth and the concerns of preterm babies and their families worldwide. About 15 million babies are born preterm each year at about 10% of babies worldwide. Premature birth is the number one cause of death in children under the age of five. 

The first international awareness day for premature birth was created by European parent organizations in 2008. It has been celebrated as World Prematurity Day since 2011. According to Wikipedia, “Parent groups, families, health professionals, politicians, hospitals, organizations and other stakeholders involved in preterm birth observe this day with media campaigns, local events, and other activities conducted on a local, regional, national, or international levels to raise awareness among the public.” In 2013, World Prematurity Day was celebrated in over 60 countries.

If you want to support World Prematurity day, wear purple. Whether it be a shirt, ribbon, or pin you are still supporting premature babies. Happy World Prematurity Day!

World Prematurity Day is observed on November 17th every year to expand awareness of preterm birth and the concerns of preterm babies and their families worldwide. About 15 million babies are born preterm each year at about 10% of babies worldwide. Premature birth is the number one cause of death in children under the age of five. 

The first international awareness day for premature birth was created by European parent organizations in 2008. It has been celebrated as World Prematurity Day since 2011. According to Wikipedia, “Parent groups, families, health professionals, politicians, hospitals, organizations and other stakeholders involved in preterm birth observe this day with media campaigns, local events, and other activities conducted on a local, regional, national, or international levels to raise awareness among the public.” In 2013, World Prematurity Day was celebrated in over 60 countries.

If you want to support World Prematurity day, wear purple. Whether it be a shirt, ribbon, or pin you are still supporting premature babies. Happy World Prematurity Day!

“No economic system is perfect. But the American Free Enterprise system has empowered millions of people in the past. I know, because I saw it with my own eyes.” Marco Rubio, United States Senator, and many others believe in the American Free Enterprise system. American Enterprise Day is celebrated on November 15 every year.

President Jimmy Carter first announced American Enterprise Day in 1980 to honor the system that constitutes the foundation of the United States economy. It is a day that signifies the freedoms granted to American citizens under the free enterprise system. The free enterprise system is the motivation behind capitalism. It gives each American the right to make their own economic choices. American citizens are allowed the right to control their own businesses. The free enterprise system also allows supply and demand, which dictates the price of products. When supply is low, the demand is high. This is another one of the characteristics of the American free enterprise system.

The American Free Enterprise system also gives American citizens the right to entrepreneurship. This means that all Americans have the right to start their own business, create partnerships with other businesses, and to choose their occupation. Overall, the American Free Enterprise system allows American citizens to choose their own futures. Please take a moment today to appreciate our freedom!