Tag DIFFERENCE MAKERS
Retired Salem couple fixes up homes for resettled refugees
Janet Neuberg, left, stands with friends Jim and Joan Stembridge outside the Stembridge home in south Salem. (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) Jim and Joan Stembridge didn’t set out to spend their retirement years as landlords. But after purchasing and remodeling their third rental home this year,…
Wildlife enthusiasts devote their time to saving injured animals
Jessy Gill shows the songbird habitat at the Turtle Ridge Wildlife Center. (Aubrey Wieber/Salem Reporter) Jessy Gill was raised taking in injured animals. She watched as people brought over birds and small mammals with broken bones and other ailments for her mother to mend. “When…
Radio producer provides venue for community issues
Melanie Zermer at KMUZ studios last Friday morning. Zermer, 61, is one of the station’s founding board members and is working to make the station a hub for local news and music. (Troy Brynelson/Salem Reporter) Melanie Zermer’s peers call her “tireless.” “Oh I’m feeling kind…
In 15 years, Salem Dream Center has grown to help hundreds of kids through its mentor program
Renee Oviatt helps a Salem Dream Center youth swing from a rope at The Rock Boxx Climbing Gym. (Aubrey Wieber/Salem Reporter) Fifteen years ago, Craig Oviatt wanted to help children born into poverty escape things like food insecurity, a lack of education and criminal records.…
Shifting political climate inspires local activist
When former Attorney General Jeff Sessions was fired in November, Pam McCollum quickly mobilized about 400 people to a rally in downtown Salem to show their concern for President Donald Trump’s use of executive power. (Aubrey Wieber/Salem Reporter) Pam McCollum worked for years as a…
Salemtowne man collects 18,000 cans and bottles a year for charity
Chuck Zobrist inspects a bag of bottles and cans dropped off by a neighbor. (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) Chuck Zobrist doesn’t drink much soda or beer. But the 80-year-old has become a fixture at the North Salem Bottle Drop, where he turned in more than 18,000…
Gym manager hustling on behalf of nonprofits, services
Michele Vanderyacht, general manager at Epic Fitness, helped organize several fundraisers this year. (Troy Brynelson/Salem Reporter) Michele Vanderyacht decided recently she wanted to spend more time giving back to the community, and she has done so with the help of the gym she manages. “I’m…