Outreach, Staff

Candy Cane Lane for Foster Kids 2024

March 31, 2025

ASB volunteer Kathy Anger helped to staff a PAWSitive Choices booth for ASB volunteer Lindsey Kealey at the annual Candy Cane Lane in Redmond. Each December Candy Cane Lane provides free Christmas gifts for families caring for foster children. Coordinators Brian and Jamie Giannettino and their boys do a fantastic job soliciting, collecting and displaying many hundreds of donated presents of all kinds for resource parents to “shop through” to provide amazing toys and gifts for the children.

Lindsey could not attend this year’s event as she was required to isolate while supporting her husband Thomas following his bone marrow transplant. Kathy Anger and Char happily passed out copies of Lindsey’s new PAWSitive Choices book “Fox Tries New Foods” during the event promoted by the Central Oregon Foster Parents Association. The funds for the books were provided by a grant awarded to Lindsey to promote improved health and nutrition by the Central Oregon Health Council. It’s always a very touching experience meeting the amazing adults who choose to care for and house foster children.

Donations

Fundraiser for ASB Leader/PAWSitive Choices Author Lindsey Kealey

March 26, 2025

Our awesome PAWSitive Choices curriculum author and former program leader, Lindsey Kealey, experienced a real set-back this past summer when her husband, Thomas, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia. Lindsey was scheduled to fulfill a couple of grants awarded by the Health Council of Central Oregon and the Boys and Girls Club of Central Oregon over the summer and fall. However, she was unable to do most of the work as she had accompany her husband as a caregiver as he prepared for and was given a bone marrow transplant in Portland. It was a brutal summer, fall and winter of chemotherapy, radiation, numerous brain, bone and spinal testing for Thomas. Lindsey remained by his side morning, noon and night as he endured the treatments to help him battle his cancer.

To assist the Kealeys with the significant financial challenges they are facing ASB volunteers held a fundraising garage sale in the fall. Some of our former adult leaders rallied together to donate a wide variety of items to raise money to help offset the medical costs for such an expensive procedure. We were overwhelmed by the generosity of our community to help this wonderful couple. Happily Thomas has been deemed cancer free after more than 8 months of treatments. He awaits a second bone marrow transplant this spring to boost his immune cells. The Kealeys as well as their family and friends are VERY grateful for the gift of new life given to Thomas by an 18 year old woman from France. We are so thankful that she made a PAWSItive Choice!!

We are anticipating a second garage sale/fundraiser mid June to continue to support the Kealeys. If you would like to donate to this cause with either things to sell or by making a financial donation, contact Char at afterschoolbuddies@gmail.com.

High School Club

“Service Over Self” Awarded from the Rotary Club

March 26, 2025

SERVICE OVER SELF AWARD: In May Charlotte Lowrey-North was awarded a $500 scholarship by the Rotary Club of Greater Bend. Charlotte, now a graduate from Summit High and a student at the University of Oregon, was selected because of her excellent service as a high school ASB Big Buddy.

Outreach, Study Buddies

What’s New? Trunk or Treat for Foster Kids

March 26, 2025

Although we are not currently hosting weekly after school programs, our Buddies are still busy with activities to care for our community.

TRUNK OR TREAT is an event hosted by the Department of Human Services for families caring for foster children. The 3 teens pictured below are all former Big Buddies for the 2023 Study Buddies program and also attended ASB’s THRIVE! when they were in middle school as Little Buddies! Kids in a variety of costumes attending this event were given all kinds of treats celebrating the fall holiday.

Fun, General Info, Study Buddies

Study Buddies Serve Foster Families

October 23, 2023

Buddies from 2023, family members and friends worked together to fill darling handmade tote bags with birthday party supplies for families serving as resource (foster) families. We gathered under the ASB tent at Char’s house to sort, fill and decorate 26 tote bags for youngsters and teens in the tri-county area. Birthday bags will be delivered by case managers/social workers to bring cheer and encouragement to those sharing their homes with kids needing care.

After the bag filling project, volunteers were treated to lunch, fall crafts and games. The time went fast – too fast – as we celebrated serving others and reuniting with our friends from last years.

General Info, Study Buddies, Uncategorized, Volunteer

Volunteer Opportunity for Spring 2023

March 31, 2023

After School Buddies is in search of a couple of more female Big Buddy mentors to serve our group of 3rd grade girls for the spring term of Study Buddies. We’d love to find 1-2 adult women and 2 high school girls to join us on Wednesday afternoons from 2:30-5:00 until May 31st.

Study Buddies meets at Antioch Church across the street from Bend High School. The program includes lessons on social and emotional skill development, tutoring time for academic success and community and family outreach projects. Adult volunteers must pass a background check. The program meets upstairs so mobility is important.

To contact us click HERE OR contact Charlene Schulz, Director, at 541 390-3046 by text or phone or email her at afterschoolbuddies@gmail.com.

General Info, Opportunities, Volunteer

It’s Getting Close! Enroll your Daughter in the Winter 2023 Term for ASB “Study Buddies”

December 28, 2022

ASB started the new program “Study Buddies” last spring after a long hiatus due to the pandemic. We are so happy to tell you that it’s back for 2023!! IT’S TIME TO ENROLL YOUR DAUGHTER NOW!

Study Buddies is a new FREE program offered by After School Buddies (ASB) for girls in grades 2-6 who need encouragement with academics, improved confidence and/or self-care. Study Buddies volunteers are committed to helping young girls socially, emotionally and academically become strong, resilient and confident young women. Each child enrolled will be partnered with mentors (“Big Buddies”) and will spend time with girls (“Little Buddies”) similar in age. Girls will be engaged in homework and academic skills support accompanied by time spent developing social and emotional skills through a variety of fun, interactive conversations and games. Community service projects will also be included!

PARENTS OF GIRLS GRADES 2-6…there are two sessions of Study Buddies on Wednesdays to choose between – either from 1-3 pm or 3-5 pm. We meet at Antioch Church across the street from Bend High School. The program is FREE!!! – just sign up your child and get her to the session weekly.

Programs sessions are limited to 6 “Little Buddies” in each session so don’t delay in reserving a spot for your child. Complete the linked Study Buddies Enrollment Form to enroll your child. We will contact you to confirm processing of your child’s application.

ADULTS AND TEEN LADIES: We are currently training new adult and teen ladies to serve as mentors/ tutors to girls grades 2-6 on Wednesday afternoons from January 25-March 8th. Our terrific experiences last spring encouraged us to reach even more young girls and provide them with new social/emotional skills and academic support blended with FUN activities and even community service projects.

Adults and college students – if you would like to join us to make a real difference in a younger girl’s life click HERE. High school ladies – we need you too! Click HERE and let us know you are interested in learning more!

For further information please contact – Char Schulz at afterschoolbuddies@gmail.com
or TEXT or call Char at 541 390-3046.

Fun, General Info, Internship Opportunities, Volunteer

ASB “Study Buddies” is Back!

March 14, 2022

We are pleased to announce that ASB launched a new after school program entitled “Study Buddies” for girls in the foster care system in April 2022 . Offering after school tutoring/mentoring on Wednesday afternoons for girls “in care” (1st-10th grade) (and potentially their female foster family siblings) ASB volunteers provided help in reading, writing, math, art or other academic areas. In addition, the “Little Buddies” experienced the joy of having their own Big Buddy mentor(s) to help them improve self-confidence and resilience in a 2-hour weekly session held in Bend.

Elementary girls who are not in foster care also benefited from this FREE opportunity to improve self-confidence related to academic or social/emotional skills.

For more information text Char Schulz at 541 390-3046 or email her at afterschoolbuddies@gmail.com.

Program Lessons, Staff, Stories

Former Big Buddy is Rocking It!

April 23, 2021

Lindsey Brown Kealy served as a Big Buddy for ASB more than 10 years ago working both with the Midtown Buddies program and later directing the Elk Meadow elementary program. Lindsey graduated from OSU Cascades with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Human Development and Family Sciences and then went on to earn her Masters of Arts in Teaching also from OSU Cascades. Her university work, as well as her experience teaching in public schools, helped her craft a curriculum, PAWSitive Choices, that integrates neuroscience, social and emotional learning, and problem solving into a program that helps children thrive. Lindsey is also the author of the PAWSitive Choices podcast.

PAWsitive Choices is a trauma-informed social and emotional learning curriculum that teaches children to make positive choices, solve problems collaboratively, learn from mistakes, and set goals. This system has the key components to help a classroom run smoothly: visual aids, problem solving, goal setting, data tracking, emotional regulation, and family communication. Teach students all these systems simply by reading Bear’s Amazing Brain, reference the easy-to-use implementation guide for support, and get families on board with the PAWsitive Choices Family Connections. The Home Edition of PAWsitive Choices helps students build and apply the social and emotional learning skills with their families.

We are looking forward to working more closely with Lindsey and putting her curriculum to work in various situations to improve the lives of students and families in Central Oregon. Already PAWSitive Choices has been put to work in 13 classrooms throughout the Bend Lapine School District.

Congratulations, Lindsey, on such a successful start to your company!

Fun, General Info

Merry Christmas from ASB!

December 9, 2020

Even though we can’t meet in person due to COVID restrictions – we still want you to know that we wish you a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and a very SAFE and HEALTHY NEW YEAR. Let’s all pray that 2021 will be SOOO much better for us in all kinds of ways. Hope to see you in person in the new year! (Note – this photo was taken in 2019 so we were not aware of COVID issues yet. )