SEE YOU THIS SATURDAY AT
RIVERFRONT FAMILY FEST!
| | |
🫧 🎈 🚁 Bubbles, balloons, helicopters, fire trucks, race cars, school buses and more will be waiting for you this Saturday, August 8, 2026 at Salem's Riverfront Park!
Grab your family and friends and head downtown to this free and family-oriented community event. This health and safety resource fair is FREE to attend. Riverfront Park comes to life, providing a safe and fun place for families to spend time with each other and to build new relationships with other community members. We'd love for you to share our Facebook event.
Tag us in your photos and videos or include the tag #RiverfrontFamilyFest!
| | VOLUNTEER WITH US THIS WEEKEND | | |
With over 4,000 guests in attendance, it takes an amazing team of volunteers like YOU to make our annual FREE Riverfront Family Fest a memorable day for local families. We'd love to have you join us.
We are still looking for help in the following spots:
🎈 Welcoming guests at the gate
🎨 Face painting (Supplies and suggested art provided.)
🗑️ Ground Support to keep Riverfront Park clean and tidy during the event
Sign up today and be part of the team that brings Riverfront Family Fest to life.
| | Riverfront Family Fest is supported by a grant of Transient Occupancy Tax from the City of Salem. | | NOTES FROM THE KITCHEN TEAM | |
At Family Building Blocks, we believe that creating opportunities for learning and growth is just as important as the work we do every day. This year, our kitchen team had the privilege of welcoming Chris, a student intern from Western Oregon University who quickly became a valued
member of the team.
Our Kitchen Team, led by Xavier Duncan, is an integral part of our daily operations at Family Building Blocks, preparing meals every day at our Chelsea’s Place commercial kitchen and distributing them to our classrooms across all our locations. All children and families partnered with our classrooms receive both snacks and lunch while they are at Family Building Blocks.
Here's what Chris had to say after his internship with the Kitchen Team was complete:
| | |
Thank you, Xavier, for giving me the opportunity to be a part of the amazing Family Building Blocks team. As I look back on my time at Family Building Blocks, I feel incredibly grateful for the support, kindness, flexibility, and understanding that you and the rest of the team showed me
throughout my experience there. From the very beginning, everyone made me feel welcomed and valued, and that made such a positive impact on me everyday.
When I first came into the kitchen, I only knew the very basics of kitchen work, and I know that could not have been easy for the team. However, instead of making me feel like I was a burden or a problem, everyone treated it as a learning process and an adjustment. That encouragement and patience gave me the confidence to come to work excited and motivated to learn something new every day. It helped turn an unfamiliar experience into one that I genuinely enjoy
and look forward to.
The amount of skill, knowledge, and passion in the kitchen at Family Building Blocks truly amazed me. Being surrounded by people who care about their work and the kids and families you all support, really inspired me and taught me so much. This experience has left a huge impression on me, and I will always appreciate everything I learned and the people who helped me grow along the way.
Thank you again for your leadership, support, and for making my time at Family Building Blocks such a positive and memorable experience.
- Chris S., Western Oregon University Student Intern
| | CAPITAL CITY LIVE SUCCESS! | | |
What a night! Thank you to everyone who came out to Capital City Live, dressed up, sang loud, and made this past Friday with Jon Pardi and the Kruse Brothers unforgettable. This opportunity to hear live music while supporting children and family in our community is unmatched. Almost 6,000 guests attended the event at the L. B. Day Amphitheater - thank you, Salem, for showing up!
Special thanks to our wonderful team of volunteers who greeted guests with smiles and made the evening run smoothly from start to finish. We are also deeply grateful to our sponsors, staff, community partners, and to Jon Pardi and the Kruse Brothers for an unforgettable night of entertainment.
Stay tuned for future Capital City LIVE! artist announcements - we are ready to do it all over again!
| |
BE A TABLE CAPTAIN AT
DREAM BUILDERS LUNCHEON 2026
| | |
For over 29 years, community members, volunteers, business leaders, and educators have come together to celebrate the power of prevention, supporting countless local children and their families. You are invited to join Family Building Blocks on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, at the Salem Convention Center for the Dream Builders Luncheon. We would love for you to attend if:
- You believe that investing in very young children and their families creates a stronger, more vibrant community for everyone.
- You are excited about the opportunity to connect with fellow community champions.
- You are eager to gain new insights into Relief Nurseries, one of our state's most effective child abuse prevention programs.
- You want to be part of something bigger than yourself, part of a collective effort to ensure every child has the opportunity to live their happiest, healthiest, most fulfilling life.
- You love being inspired by local family stories of vulnerability and resilience.
- You want to celebrate our shared commitment to "Keeping Children Safe and Families Together."
NEW THIS YEAR!
If you sign up to be a Table Captain and fill your table, you will be entered to win 2 tickets to the festive and fun Gala of Trees happening December 4 at the Salem Convention Center.
Every new and renewed Dream Builder's first year donation will be matched by the Maybelle Clark Macdonald Fund!
Connect with Claudia at cvorse@familybuildingblocks.org or 503-566-2132 with questions.
| | THANK YOU PREVENTION PATRON | | |
Thank you to Central Willamette Credit Union for their support of Family Building Blocks as a Prevention Patron. The CWCU Team recently toured our Chelsea's Place location to meet the team and better understand the work of Family Building Blocks. These partnerships directly support children and families.
To learn more about becoming a Prevention Patron, connect with Tayler at therman@familybuildingblocks.org.
| CALL FOR GALA DECORATORS AND SPONSORS | | |
Join us to decorate a tree at Gala of Trees 2026, taking place Friday, December 4 at the Salem Convention Center. Our amazing volunteer tree designers are the heart of our event, creating beautifully themed trees and prize packages to be auctioned off in support of “Keeping Children Safe and Families Together” with Family Building Blocks.
Connect with Kat at khills@familybuildingblocks.org or Gala of Trees Chair, Hannah Fouts-Sparks at hannahoregonrealtor@gmail.com to learn more!
GALA OF TREE SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE NOW! Gala of Trees brings over 500 guests to the Salem Convention Center to kick off the holiday season! Guests will enjoy a incredible evening with wine, a gourmet three-course meal, and the most elaborate holiday tree auction around! Since it began in 1990, Gala of Trees has supported the efforts of many nonprofit organizations serving children in need in Marion and Polk counties. Family Building Blocks is proud to continue this legacy and would love to have your support.
Connect with Tayler to explore sponsorship opportunities for Gala of Trees 2026.
| | |
Tuesday, October 13, 2026
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Salem Convention Center
| | |
Friday, December 4, 2026
5:30 PM - 10:00 PM
Salem Convention Center
| | | | |
