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Swedemom Center of Giving and MacHub
Passionate about making a difference in the financial stability
of charitable organizations
What We’re Up To
Welcome Interns!
This summer, Swedemom Center of Giving welcomed another group of interns! We're happy to be participating in the McMinnville Economic Development Partnership Summer Internship program for the fifth time. Each intern's skills have already developed and they have all been able to provide deliverables in their efforts so far. They will be able to take their projects into their individual job opportunities in the future, demonstrating great proof of their abilities and proving their experience in their chosen fields. Although their internship has come to an end, we're excited to keep working with them on a part time basis while they continue their education this year.
Lassen Anderson is an upcoming sophomore at Chemeketa Community College and is studying Multimedia. She is from Eugene, Oregon, and hopes to become a traveling videographer and create videos that move and inspire people. In her spare time she is either in the gym rock climbing or out on a hike.
Jamie O'Connell, a senior this coming fall at George Fox University, is another one of our interns this summer. He is majoring in Computer Science and he is the captain and center back of the men's soccer team. He is originally from Ireland and hopes to be happy doing something he loves whether that involves software development, coaching soccer, or a mixture of both.
Benjamin Harper is also an upcoming George Fox University senior. He is currently majoring in Computer Science with Cybersecurity. He is originally from Lafayette and strives to make any business he works at a better place than when he joined it. He hopes to continuously grow in his knowledge and experience even long after he's retired. He enjoys reading and taking time to be with friends and family in his spare time.
Annika Sellke is an upcoming Junior at Texas Christian University. She is triple majoring in Mathematics, Philosophy, and Economics and has been assisting us in data analytics this summer. She is originally from Grants Pass, Oregon. In her spare time, Annika loves reading and learning languages. She has been studying Chinese lately and reads Sci-Fi and Epic Fantasy novels.
The work this group of four interns has completed this summer has been so exciting to watch. With Lassen's specialty in video creation and photo editing, she created a video about the history of Swedemom, LLC for their eBay page, with an immediate result of more visitor conversions to sales! Lassen’s video can be found in the write up below. Benjamin and Jamie are working on computer programming and algorithms, while Annika is working on data analysis. The team is implementing a program and algorithm that produces production analytics for Swedemom administrators to look at, developing a useful tool to optimize the business. The functioning program was built in only 8 weeks! Click the link below to read the full write up of this year's MEDP cohort and check out the YouTube video to learn more about it! This video was made by Lassen Anderson and Dominic Humlie of the McMinnville WORKS program.
Celebrating 6 Great Years
Happy 6th Birthday SCOG!
On this most exciting occasion of the year, Swedemom Center of Giving (SCOG) would like to share its milestone birthday of 6 years! On August 26th SCOG was born as a 501(c)3 organization. We talked with Founder/Executive Director Cami Nyquist and Operations Manager/Administrator Amy Potter about the organization they have poured their heart and soul into. Here is what they have to say about their favorite memories and how SCOG has grown over the years.
What is your fondest memory about SCOG?
“One of our fondest memories is when we had a luncheon celebrating our third anniversary. It was a joining of community members and partners with us to fully understand what we do and where we were going to grow. We were celebrating with some great community leaders including our co-founder Jeb Bladine.”
What do you remember about SCOG’s transition?
“The day we received the official notification that we had been granted our 501(c)3 status, it had been a trying year as we had been figuring out how to navigate forward without Yamhill County Gospel Rescue Mission as they moved ahead with their capital campaign for their new buildings. Cami and I had gone to the post office and the letter was in the mail. When we opened it up and read the congratulations, we both cried many tears of joy and then looked at each other and said, ‘Now we have a lot to do!’”
What is SCOG’s biggest accomplishment to you?
“The biggest accomplishment is how much we've grown! When COVID hit many organizations failed due to the shut down. However, we were able to stay open, add staff, adjust how we received donations and served donors and the community. Our efforts did not go unnoticed and we have received multiple community awards and increased our partnership base.”
What has changed the most over the years?
“Where we serve and how we serve. Previously we partnered with out-of-state organizations in Chicago, IL; Show Low, AZ; and Providence, RI. We used to only partner locally with organizations that also wanted to create a new revenue stream through the sales of excess donations. Now we've included partnerships with organizations that directly put the donated goods into the hands of those that need them and sell the rest.”
What other hubs were formed that SCOG administrated?
“Other Hubs included Cornerstone Community Outreach, Lucille Resale, Monarch, Living Hope Centers, New Beginnings, Homeward Bound Pets, Habitat for Humanity ReStore, St. Vincent de Paul, Hope on the Hill, Friends of Chehalem House, and quite a few others.”
SCOG has been a growing bud in the winter and as summer comes it has blossomed with the love and effort from not only the founders but the community as well. Our success over the years should be taken as a sign of proof of what can happen with care, passion, and a loving community. Thank you all for the support over the years and we hope you help us celebrate this organization's 6th birthday! You only turn 6 once!
Partner Spotlight: Habitat for Humanity ReStore
MacHub would like to thank Steve Long, the McMinnville Area Habitat ReStore manager for the past 11 years. Steve has been a great supporter of MacHub since 2015 and has journeyed with us since the beginning. He was able to catch our vision quickly of combining technology and stuff to create a compassionate output for those in need. He has been a big cheerleader for us while also fulfilling his many duties as the ReStore Manager. When Covid hit, they were no longer taking donations but saw an opportunity to help by letting us use their truck to continue helping the community. Steve was a big help in getting MacHub started with donations during that time. Since then we have retained the partnership by using their truck and picking up donations for their clients as well as ours. We will miss working with Steve but we are excited to continue our relationship with the new team at the ReStore. The partnership between our two organizations has allowed us to help the community in countless ways. We appreciate Steve for his support in our mission and all his hard work in the community. We wish him luck in his next adventure!
Get To Know Our Team
Lois Costine is a weekly volunteer on Wednesdays with SCOG and enjoys using her time to help the community. She has come in with open arms to our team and was generous enough to share about herself and thoughts about her time volunteering.
Why do you volunteer?
“I volunteer to help others who have not been blessed with the security in life that I have enjoyed.”
Why have you volunteered with SCOG specifically and have you gotten to know anyone?
“My daughter worked with Cami and introduced me to Swedemom. The Wednesday volunteer group is an amazing group of people, Elizabeth, Beth, Glen, Dick and the Swedemom team and interns have all been welcoming and helpful.”
What do you do while volunteering?
“I love to sort through a box of items and find a treasure in the bottom. It could be a keepsake, collectible item or a treasured memento from a long ago trip. Often the items are nostalgic items. You never know what you may find.”
Do you have a specific moment while volunteering that you would like to share?
“At Christmas it was rewarding to assemble Christmas Tree sets to help the Lions Club. Getting supplies for someone moving into a new housing situation is always nice. Donors make it possible to supply items for those less fortunate. The Yamhill County community is lucky to have a resource like MacHub and Swedemom.”
Lois is one of many who help us continue our goal to help others by using her specific knowledge and passions. SCOG is dedicated to being and sharing good examples of excellence in our community. We are grateful to Lois for everything she has done for us over the years and are inspired by her knowledge and generosity.
Click the button below to learn more about how you can volunteer and share your knowledge with us. Thank you for your support.
Recently we were given $500 from the Lafayette Community Grant. We would like to say thank you for this donation! It will be going into a special fund where we will be accepting donations for a new box truck for MacHub to make pickups and deliveries of donations safer and easier. If any of our generous supporters would like to donate to this cause, click the link below to give to our PayPal Giving Fund. Thank you for your support!
A Division of Swedemom Center of Giving (501c3)
Summer Sales With MacHub!
Find everything you need to brighten your home, wardrobe, and yard! You can find fantastic deals every day, shop for a local cause, and help the planet with MacHub! Through our partnership with Swedemom, we have an online shopping platform that makes it easy and safe to browse our stock of furniture, collectibles, décor, and more.
Mark your calendars in September and October for MacHub's Online Auctions! With a wide variety of items and prices, there is surely something for everyone!
Registration is FREE and there is currently NO BUYER PREMIUM.
MacHub's Next Pre-loved and Useable Items Online Auction:
Bidding begins at 8:00 AM on August 19th and begins closing on August 24th at 5:30 PM.
To view our catalog, click the button below to go to the HiBid auction site. Be sure to check back often! New lots are being added every day!
Looking for an opportunity to volunteer or share your skills? Wednesdays are volunteer days at MacHub! We invite you to join our volunteer base to help serve our community and have fun while doing it! We are always looking for people to help, especially those who have knowledge with specific products. If you'd like to participate or learn more about our volunteer opportunities, please visit our website below or email us at volunteers@machub.org for more information!
Every day is Earth Day at MacHub! We strive to give unused items new homes to keep them out of the landfill. Consider participating in our next auction from August 19-24 and help support us in our efforts!
Help ensure the future of our organization!
If you appreciate what we are doing, we welcome your financial support. Donate today through Swedemom Center of Giving or email for more information at donations@machub.org.
You can help spread the word about Swedemom Center of Giving and MacHub! Share this newsletter with your networks and be sure to like and follow us on social media. Thank you for your support!