Not every grant from Oregon Community Foundation lands with a big splash.

Instead, some investments from the statewide funder create ripples outward that can last a lifetime.

Such is the case with a grant for the Milton-Freewater Chamber Downtown Alliance that supports a childrens’ theater program.

This summer, more than two dozen children participated in a week-long theater project organized by a grassroots group of women determined to help children in this pocket of rural Oregon get exposure to the world of fine arts. They call themselves “Heartistas.”

Founders of the group contracted with the traveling Missoula Children’s Theatre to bring its production of “Treasure Island” to Milton-Freewater. The nonprofit theater organization was founded a quarter century ago on the principle of providing access and removing barriers to community-driven performing arts experiences.

In support of that mission, Heartistas raised enough money through private donations and public partnerships to pay the participation fee for every child involved in the Milton-Freewater production that hit the stage this summer.

Financial support from OCF’s Community Grants Program this year strengthened the fiscal operations for the Milton-Freewater Chamber Downtown Alliance, which acts as the fiscal umbrella for the Heartistas. Its goals are partly traditional: support and promote local businesses and to revitalize the town’s downtown districts. The organization is also working to help the community move past the economic damage wrought by the pandemic by creating events and activities to draw people out and about.

The Milton-Freewater Chamber Downtown Alliance’s board of directors also seek ways to honor the historic roots of the agricultural community that was established here in the 1860s.

Maryelizabeth Garcia was hired as executive director of the organization in 2022, and she brought with her an eagerness to invigorate the town’s offerings for its youth.

For Garcia, the daughter of a career metal fabricator for the renowned Walla Walla Foundry, that naturally meant increasing an emphasis on art endeavors.

“World class art was central to my upbringing,” she explained.

“So when I came to Milton-Freewater, I wanted to bring art-related things for kids. And that’s why we’re involved in Heartistas, they are addressing that gap.”

Garcia calls the Heartistas, “incredibly talented and committed women.”

Having funding come to meet any kind of need feeds an organization in the best possible way, Garcia believes.

“Thanks to organizations like OCF, that is $10,000 that I don’t have to squeeze out of the community. I’m highly aware every ‘ask’ of a business takes away from an owner whom I know and love personally,” she said.

“And with funds like the Foundation’s, I don’t have to look for sponsors for things like Heartistas.”

Echoing the wisdom of experts, Garcia said creative outlets help children to thrive in every area of their lives. The time spent on stage, for example, will show up later in leadership skills.

These experiences are exponentially more valuable as communities regroup and stabilize post-pandemic, working together to mitigate the devastating effects of isolation and uncertainty on their youngest residents, experts say.

Jean-Marie Callan, senior research and learning officer at Oregon Community Foundation, said state-specific research clearly spells this out. Callan was part of the team that produced “Crossroads & Connections: Tracking Oregon’s Progress Report.” It is a comprehensive look at seven subject areas — including education, housing, health, economy and social connections — to assess the components of thriving and healthy communities.

“We looked at a whole variety of things … And we see how our social landscape is really integral to how we live.”

In 2023, nearly half of Oregonians reported feeling disconnected from their community, the report said.

And that, Callan noted, “ripples out with profound consequences. The health effect of isolation and loneliness is akin to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.” The prescription is togetherness, research showed. Having places and reasons to gather benefit everyone in a community, especially the children.

The art experience provides a solid pathway for kids to connect with each other and caring adults. But numbers provided by Oregon’s Department of Education noted those opportunities are not equal across the state, Callan pointed out.

While 90% of elementary school students in suburban areas can access independent art classes, that number drops to 80% for kids who attend city schools and to just 55% for students in rural areas, like Milton-Freewater.

Oregon’s education officials recommend greater collaboration between community arts organizations, such as Heartistas, as well as a closer look at who is participating in local science, technology, engineering and math opportunities.

“Art,” Callan said, “can bring communities together and bridge the divide. And build more ‘belonging’ in our communities.”

Emily Holden couldn’t agree more, as a business owner in Milton-Freewater, mom of two daughters and former highschool educator.

In the winter of 2023 she wondered how to recreate the kinds of opportunities she had as a child growing up in Milton-Freewater. She found the answer in the Heartistas..

The focus of the Missoula Children’s Theatre is productions that feature vast casts of youngsters. That “truly immersive theater experience” had been missing for local kids since about 2010, Holden said.

She added that the Heartistas prioritize keeping it free to participate in Treasure Island and every art event it sponsors for families.

Thanks to help from the Milton-Freewater Chamber Downtown Alliance, Milton-Freewater Area Foundation and the Milton-Freewater Unified School District, that’s a reality, Holden said.

“These kinds of partnerships are vital in small towns, where we really have to depend on each other.”

Maryelizabeth Garcia can add one more to the list.

When organizations like Oregon Community Foundation take note of the needs in a small community, she said, “amazing things can come of that. Every little bit we get, I’m so grateful for it.”

If you are connected to an arts and culture nonprofit in Oregon, you may be eligible to apply for a grant from Oregon Community Foundation’s Arts and Culture Recovery Fund.