8 THE CHARBONNEAU VILLAGER December 2021
SpringRidge at Charbonneau
By KERRY PHILLIPS
SpringRidge resident raises scholarship money for students
Longtime Oregonian Sharon Wright has always been the first to raise her hand for volunteer projects — big or small . From serving as a school board member to raising funds for scholarships at SpringRidge at Charbonneau , the retirement community she calls home , Sharon continuously gives her time and talents .
“ It makes me feel good to be of service ,” she said . “ My joy comes from seeing others happy .”
It is the smiles on the faces of young adults that led her to her most recent volunteer initiative . She spearheaded a jewelry sale at SpringRidge to raise funds for the Graduates Scholarship program , which provides scholarships for high school seniors working at the community to attend college . To date , over $ 120,000 has been awarded to more than 65 students .
Sharon says the idea for the jewelry sale started when neighbor Clair Simmons approached her about helping him sell some of his late wife ’ s jewelry , with proceeds going toward the Graduates Scholarship . Her past experience selling jewelry online , coupled with her extensive background in fundraising , led her to reimagine Clair ’ s vision on a much larger scale .
“ In addition to Clair ’ s pieces , I thought I would add some jewelry from my collection as well ,” she said . “ Then I decided I ’ d ask our neighbors to donate their vintage , costume jewelry and accessories to raise even more money .”
The event was a smashing success , raising more than $ 700 for the scholarship program . Sharon says she hopes to make it an annual event and is already soliciting donations from her Spring- Ridge and Charbonneau neighbors for the 2022 sale .
“ The servers , most of whom are high school students , are fantastic ! They are so polite and truly are one of the highlights of our day . They ’ ve become foster-grandchildren ,” said Sharon . “ It ’ s such a tremendous honor to help provide scholarships for them to attend college .”
And , Sharon takes the role of fostergrandparent seriously . Most recently , she delivered Halloween-themed baskets of goodies to the dining staff . She is also an avid baker who enjoys whipping up batches of cookies and pies for her neighbors .
“ Though I enjoy baking and cooking , the joy is not in the eating the treats but giving them away and making others ’ day ,” she said . “ I ’ m always receiving thank you notes . It feels so good to see the appreciation on a neighbor ’ s face when you deliver a bowl of soup when they arrive home from the hospital or when a staff member stops to thank you for delivering cookies to the business office .”
She credits SpringRidge ’ s maintenance-free lifestyle with being able to spend each day as wishes — whether being of service to others , spending quality time with her poodle , Dee Dee , or playing pinochle and trivia with her
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friends at the community . She also looks forward to the monthly outings planned by the Zest Department to venues in and around the Portland area .
When asked if she had any plans to slow down , Sharon laughed : “ If there is more money to be raised , another project to be done , I ’ m going to be the one to say , ‘ Let ’ s do it !’ Your life doesn ’ t end simply because you ’ ve gotten older . You can do a lot more good in this world . People think charity or giving back has to be done on a large scale . But all it takes is making a difference in the life of one person .”
If you ’ d like to donate items to the 2022 jewelry sale , please contact Zest
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Shirley Treadwell , Sharon Wright and Jenny Hansford at the SpringRidge jewelry sale which raised funds for scholarships .
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Director Cindy Foster .
Nestled on an impeccable , 10-acre parcel of natural beauty and serenity , SpringRidge at Charbonneau is located in one of Oregon ’ s most desirable master-planned residential communities . The SpringRidge at Charbonneau campus offers a comprehensive menu of lifestyle options , including CARF accredited independent living as well as assisted living and memory care services . For more information or to schedule a personal tour of Spring- Ridge at Charbonneau , please call 503-446-6250 or visit www . Spring- RidgeatCharbonneau . com .
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