STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK

Shannon Nichols was among the first to arrive at a luncheon in which Cox Communications employees were presenting nonprofits with grants pulled together by employees’ contributions.

“They have the best volunteers,” said Nichols, who works for The Advocates. “When we were getting ready to open our THRIVE Kids early childhood learning center, they put together the cupboards, the cribs, the toys, the other furniture. They stuff snack sacks. And now they’re providing us money to start a program to teach toddlers and preschoolers how to recycle.

“We’ll have reusable water bottles and lunch boxes for the children, and we’ll take them to visit The Attic thrift store and the Blaine County Recycling Center. We want to teach these children how to take care of the earth.”

The Advocates were among five organizations that were the beneficiaries of $3,000 grants that Cox Communications employees handed out this past week as part of their Cox Charities giving program.

Employees contributed the money, then decided which organizations they wanted to direct the donations to.

“This program is 100 percent employee directed,” said Guy Cherp, who heads up the Cox Communications office based in Ketchum. “We like to support the community with our treasure and our time. And we love that our employees are engaged in the community, both in giving and volunteering. We work hard with the partners we give donations to create volunteer opportunities with them, too.”

Representatives of organizations were feted over a luncheon of tenderloin strips and chicken marinated in Chimichurri sauce with a buttercream cake created by the Konditorei for dessert.

Victor Watston, store manager for Cox Communications, noted that this year’s contributions leaned toward children.

Those behind honored were:

FAR AND WISE

Executive Director Sam Herrick accepted the grant on behalf of the organization, which provides afterschool math and literary help, outdoor education and other enrichment activities and leadership instruction to 215 students in Blaine County elementary and middle schools.

Herrick noted that Idaho competes every year with the state of Utah to see who spends least on its education. “So, as a result, there’s a gap,” he said.

“Far and Wise is giving resources and removing barriers to help the kids of the Wood River Valley,” he said. “And we have a vocational and trades program helping middle and high school students explore career opportunities.”

FLOURISH FOUNDATION

Ryan Redman, the founder of Flourish Foundation, told Cox Communication employees that his facilitators had an extraordinary last year in what was the first year they focused on teaching emotional literacy to the younger grades.

It was like watching dancing bears, he said, as he watched kindergarteners and first-graders meditate and cultivate mindful awareness.

“It turns out that happiness is a skill we cultivate. Our minds can be our greatest ally but they can also be our greatest adversary,” he said. “Mental health has been designated as one of our community’s biggest challenges. Working with young children we hope we will develop a new level of literacy so that when they grow up and you make a house call they’ll be nice to you!”

THE HUNGER COALITION

Molli Linnett, who accepted the grant on behalf of The Hunger Coalition, thanked Cox employees for helping in the Hope Garden next to the courthouse in Hailey

“Today is evidence of the way you show up for the community,” she said. “I think we all know that nutrition is one of the building blocks. The numbers just came out that more than 40 percent of students in Blaine County qualify for free and reduced lunches.”

The Cox Charities donation will be used to provide 5,000 snacks to afterschool programs.

WOOD RIVER YMCA

Mike Wolter accepted the donation on behalf of the YMCA, which he noted is now in its 18th year. The grant will be used for the Summer Bridge summer school program, which the Y started and conducts every summer with such partners as Far and Wise, the Blaine County School District, Community School and College of Idaho.

The program helps address kids who are falling behind their grade level and keeps kids from the “summer slide” that so many kids experience when they don’t engage in reading or math activities during summer vacation.

“The program is designed so kids can stay on track between spring and fall,” he said.

THE ADVOCATES

Shannon Nichols and Ana Villanueva accepted their donation on behalf of The Advocates’ THRIVE Kids early learning center, which opened in the summer of 2024.

“We know when we need volunteers you’re going to say ‘Yes’ and you’re going to show up,” Nichols told Cox employees.

Nichols said that Thrive KIDS is able to accept 31 preschoolers and toddlers, and those who graduated to kindergarten this year have reported success.

“They know how to make a circle. They know how to stand in line. They know their letters,” she said.

This year, she added THRIVE Kids teachers want to teach their young charges about recycling so they can be good citizens when it comes to the earth. They’ll go to The Attic thrift store and the Blaine County Recycling Center, and they’ll learn to think about the choices they make.