The South Benton Community Enhancement Association, aka SBCE, partners with Alpine Community Center to provide opportunities for our community. Members of the ACC Board of Directors also serve on SBCE’s board and the two non-profits have a memorandum of understanding that allows them to save money by combining back-office services. SBCE arose form the work done by the Monroe Strategic Planning Task Force in the mid 1990’s, and received its non-profit 501(c)(3) status in 1999.

OUR MISSION:

Bringing the communities of South Benton County together to preserve the distinct heritage we cherish, foster community livability, and provide a positive environment for our youth and families.

OUR PROGRAMS:

ART IN THE PARK offers a safe, fun environment for six weeks of structured daily art and education activities for children ages 5-14, and it also provides five high school students with local summer jobs (two more work as substitutes) while collaborating with other local programs including the Monroe Branch of the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library’s Summer Programs, the Monroe School District’s Free Summer Meals Program, and the Snack Pack program.

READ ON WHEELS provides early literacy support by providing four weeks of visits by a bus stocked with books that comes right to children’s own driveways. Families sign up in advance, the bus comes one day a week and the child boards the bus, selects a book to read to our staff or have read to them by our staff, then selects a different book that they get to keep.Books are offered in both English and Spanish and the use of the bus (including insurance and fuel) is donated by the local Crowson Bus Company.