Kiwanis awards career grant

Sisters Kiwanis recently awarded a career grant to Lori-Jean Pruitt.

Her award brought the total Kiwanis grant awards past $75,000.

Pruitt's grant is perhaps the most unusual in the history of the program. Lori-Jean, with the aid of the Kiwanis grant, will be attending ATA Tattoo School in Salem. Her objective is to launch a career in cosmetic medical tattooing. There are a number of tattooing techniques that help patients. Procedures include skin camouflage to improve the appearance of persons with skin diseases. Scar camouflage improves the appearance of patients injured in accidents, from burns or surgeries. Tattoos can also help congenital disorders such as cleft palate or beauty marks. These are just a few examples; there are many more physical imperfections that can be improved with cosmetic tattooing.

ATA Tattoo School is an Oregon State certified school but students are not able to qualify for federal student loans. The Kiwanis grant allows Pruitt to pay her tuition and achieve her life-long goal of a professional career that helps others. When she completes the program, she will take an Oregon exam to become a licensed cosmetic medical tattooist.

Sisters Kiwanis awards career grants to Sisters area adults who are seeking a career change. This program, known as the Kiwanis Career Opportunity Fund (COF) assists adults (25 or older) who are financially unable to return to school or retrain for a career change. In recent years, Kiwanis has awarded grants to more than 30 local residents. Examples of recent grants include dental hygiene school, floral design training, and vocational welding classes.

The Kiwanis Career Opportunity Fund provides assistance to start, augment, or complete a career that may include vocational, technical, artistic or general fields of study. Funds are available to qualified residents within the Sisters area regardless of age, gender, disability, marital status, race or current occupation. Kiwanis does not set limitations on potential use of the award.

COF applications are available on the Kiwanis website at http://www.sisters

kiwanis.org/about-us/career-opportunity-fund, at the Sisters Habitat for Humanity office, from the Family Access Network, or by calling 541-410-2870.