Redmond, Ore. — Heart of Oregon Corps has broken ground on what will become Central Oregon’s first workforce development campus, a $7.3 million project designed to train young people for high-demand local jobs.
More than 150 community members and leaders gathered Sept. 10th at the 3.4-acre site in Redmond, where state officials and alumni emphasized the program’s role in addressing workforce shortages in construction, childcare, and wildfire risk reduction. The organization raised a total of $211,620 that day during its groundbreaking ceremony.
The nonprofit, now marking its 25th year, is building a 6,600-square-foot campus center with classrooms, offices, and youth-focused spaces, alongside a warehouse and outdoor gathering areas. The facility is slated to open in fall 2026.
Heart of Oregon reports $5.6 million raised so far, leaving $1.7 million to secure. Recent gifts include a surprise $100,000 donation from the Joseph & Elizabeth Hoffart Charitable Foundation during the groundbreaking, bringing the foundation’s total contribution to $137,500. The project also benefited from a $500,000 matching grant from the Maybelle Clark Macdonald Fund.
Executive Director Laura Handy said the campus will provide training and certifications for youth ages 16 to 24 by preparing underserved young people to meet the region’s workforce needs.
“We do not often find solutions that address multiple challenges–in this case, training underserved young people to address our region’s greatest economic, social and environmental challenges. For our donors who understand this impact, and are giving so generously–thank you a million times over,” said Handy.
Mr. Alderman is an investigative journalist specializing in government transparency, non-profit accountability, consumer protection, and is a subject mater expert on Oregon’s public records and meetings laws. As a former U.S. Army Military Police Officer, he brings a disciplined investigative approach to his reporting that has frequently exposed ethics violations, financial mismanagement, and transparency failures by public officials and agencies.
