Relief Nursery, Inc.

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Four generations of our family (ages 5 to 77!) will be participating in the 2025 "Run To Stay Warm" in Eugene, Oregon on Nov. 23 to support Relief Nursery, Inc., a local public-benefit nonprofit organization. More than a dozen family members will take part, most of them in the 5K event but also in the Half Marathon.

We are pleased to raise funds for Relief Nursery and to help keep this remarkable and highly effective local nonprofit organization going and growing. Through its rich menu of programs and activities, Relief Nursery works to fulfill its core commitment to safeguard children from abuse and neglect. We urge you to join us in supporting Relief Nursery by pledging your tax-deductible donation now. Together, we can make a difference! Thank you.

What started as a fun way to get exercise, quickly became a way to raise awareness, get involved, meet new friends, and have fun!

After a little over 2 years in the running community, I have had the pleasure of fundraising for a variety of causes here in Texas. But now as I prepare for the Eugene Marathon, I have the pleasure of reconnecting with my Oregon community and fundraising for the Relief Nursery! With deep connections to the Relief Nursery from my time with the Eugene

Emeralds, this cause is close to my heart and home.

As I complete each training mile, I look for everyone’s support by donating to the cause. Thank you in advance!

Relief Nursery is local nonprofit that serves low income, highly stressed families with young children, ranging in ages from infant to five years. All services are free to families, and include the Therapeutic Early Childhood Program, home visiting, respite childcare, parenting education, substance use disorder recovery support, mental health services, transportation, food pantry and clothing closet.

Our existing play structure is more than 30 years old, and the wood posts are deteriorating, as is some of the plastic. With your help, we can upgrade to a new, safer and more durable structure.

Why is this important? Relief Nursery serves hundreds of children each year. One of our core beliefs is that children thrive outdoors and in nature, and should go outside every day for fresh air, movement, socializing, and creative play. In fact, our teachers intentionally design curriculum meant for the outdoor playground and garden spaces. Our playgrounds and play structures are high-traffic, high-use areas throughout the entire year, including summers.

Trillium Community Health Plan has generously donated a lead gift of $1500 toward our goal of $10,000. Additionally, we have applied for grant funding toward this important project.

Will you help us get to the finish line?

To learn more about Relief Nursery, please visit www.reliefnursery.org

My name is Rhonda and I’m so excited to join the Relief Nursery’s Run for a Reason Team at the 2026 Eugene Marathon! So why am I running on behalf of the Relief Nursery? Simply put, I firmly believe in the work they are doing to support the most vulnerable members of our community. Reflecting back on my childhood, I wish a place like the Relief Nursery was available to my parents. A place where they could have consistent, loving, uplifting childcare for their three girls. A place where they could receive guidance on positive parenting strategies and a respite when things got too tough. And a place where their addiction and mental health struggles could be addressed from a place of unifying our family for the safety of all of us. Now as a mother, I know wholeheartedly that the way in which we set children up to thrive from the very beginning is by making sure their parents are well supported, healthy, and guided into being the excellent caregivers, nurturers, and role models we all want to be for our kids. And as a prevention scientist, the research and findings on the benefits of strength-based approaches like the one the Relief Nursery uses is clear: They are disrupting the cycle of abuse by supporting families early. Prevention, through child and family centered approaches, is how we ensure that families stay unified and that children grow up in communities dedicated to their flourishing. Thank you so much for contributing to the Relief Nursery’s work through your generous donations. Every dollar raised goes directly into programming and supports for Relief Nursery families.

I am pleased to participate in the Eugene Marathon 5k Run on behalf of Relief Nursery and to raise funds to keep this remarkable and highly effective local nonprofit organization going and growing. Through its rich menu of programs and activities, Relief Nursery works to fulfill its core commitment to safeguard children from abuse and neglect. I urge you to join me in supporting Relief Nursery pledging your tax-deductible donation now.

Gary Coombs was born in Santa Barbara, Calif. as were both of his parents. He attended local schools and U.C. Santa Barbara, before going on to graduate school at UCLA, where he earned his Ph.D. degree in anthropology. He also holds a graduate certificate in museum studies from the University of Delaware.

Gary taught briefly at UCLA and the University of New Mexico, before returning home to become executive director of the Institute for American Research. He joined Goleta Beautiful’s board of directors in 1980 and became chairman of its Goleta Depot preservation committee. After the successful reopening of the historical landmark at its new home at Lake Los Carneros County Park in 1982, Gary became the founding director of the South Coast Railroad Museum — a position that he held until his retirement in 2015. During this period, Gary served for a number of years on the Santa Barbara County Parks Commission and the Santa Barbara County Historical Landmarks Advisory Committee. Dr. Coombs has conducted research on a variety of subjects in archaeology, local history, and social anthropology. He has published a number of books, articles, and other works in these various subject areas.

In 1990, he traveled to Washington, DC, to accept an award on behalf of the South Coast Railroad Museum at a White House ceremony hosted by First Lady Barbara Bush and attended by the president.

Gary has two daughters, eight grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren. He now lives in Eugene, Ore., where he enjoys golfing, running, reading and travel.

You can make a difference by donating today to Relief Nursery, Inc..

Relief Nursery prevents the cycle of child abuse and neglect through early intervention that focuses on building successful and resilient children, strengthening parents, and preserving families.