Head Start Enrolling Now For Fall 2011

CSC Lincoln County Head Start Enrolling Now For Fall 2011

Your child can be enrolled during the school year.
Head Start is the cornerstone of pre-kindergarten education.
Head Start provides education, social and emotional growth, as well as ensuring medical and dental exams.

Head Start provides support and education to families and connections to many local and CSC services.
Call Now (541) 996-3028

Earned Income Tax Credit Can Put Money in Your Pocket

You could be eligible to get more money back from the IRS - as much as $5,666. If you earned less than $48,362 from wages, self-employment, or farming last year, you may qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit - or EITC.
EITC is a financial boost for working people hit by hard economic times. You may qualify for the first time if your financial, marital or parental status changed in 2010.
Eligibility is based on several factors, including the source and amount of your income, or combined income if married, whether you have qualifying children and how many. Workers without children also may qualify.
Four of five eligible people claim and get their EITC. Use IRS's online EITC Assistant to see if you qualify. If so, you must file to get it.

To get help• Go to http://•for free information and forms. And the interactive EITC Assistant can show you if you qualify.
• Visit a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance listed below for free help and tax preparation.
• Use Free File at www.irs.gov
• Find a qualified tax preparer.
• Call 1-800-TAX-3676 for free IRS publications and forms.
• Call 1-800-TAX-4059 if you have access to TTYTDD equipment for the hearing impaired.

Oregon also has an Earned Income Credit available if you qualify to claim the federal EITC. Your Oregon EIC is 6 percent of your federal EITC if you're a full-time resident and 6 percent of your federal EITC multiplied by your Oregon percentage if you're a part-year resident or nonresident. For example: If your federal credit is $400, your Oregon credit is $24 ($400 x 0.06).

Certificate of appreciation for providing affordable housing

Karen L. Chase, Regional Advisor, Department of Oregon Housing and Community Services(OHCS) presented a Certificate of Appreciation to Tom Hatley, Director of Community Services Consortium’s Housing and Community Services Program.

The Certificate of Appreciation goes to Pelican Place for providing affordable housing to Oregonians using Housing Plus dollars. CSC Housing and Community Services purchased and rehabilitated Pelican Place in Newport using a grant from OHCS.

Pelican Place opened in October of 2010. The apartment complex joins Tern House in Newport to shelter individuals and families who were formerly homeless. It will provide twelve units of permanent supportive housing.

Save the Date!

Join us for an important community discussion about aging

The Healthy Aging Coalition of Linn and Benton Counties will be holding community forums in Albany, Lebanon, and Corvallis in the first part of 2011. All community members are invited and encouraged to join the conversations on healthy aging in your community. We are planning on hosting three local community discussions, we ask you to consider attending a forum close to your home. Light snacks and beverages will be provided and car-pooling is encouraged.

Albany: Tuesday March 8th, 3pm to 5pm
at the Albany Senior Center, 489 Water Avenue NW

Lebanon: Tuesday March 29th, 3pm to 5pm
at the Lebanon Senior Center, 80 Tangent Street

Corvallis: Tuesday, February 22nd, 3pm to 5pm
at the Corvallis Senior Center, 26091 NW Tyler Avenue

For more information, contact: Shannon sproctor@ocwcog.org or call (541) 924-4542
Sponsored by HEALTHY AGING COALITION

This event made possible by a Community Health Priorities grant.

Run & Play-a-Thon

Crazy Eight 5K/10K Run & Play-A-Thon

At the Benton County Fairgrounds
Saturday, February 26th, 2011
Run & Play

Crazy Eight Family 5K/10K: 10:00 a.m.
Play-a-Thon 9:00 – 1:00 p.m.

Stroller Friendly 5k-loop it for 10K
Register for the race and get into our Play-a-Thon for free
Call PEP for further information: (541) 766-6713

Fundraiser to benefit the Children of Parent Enhancement Program

Market of Choice kicks off scan program to help meet hunger needs

“This is a really easy opportunity for our customers to give back to their community in a very meaningful way,” said Market of Choice CEO Rick Wright.

(Left to right) Martha Clemons, South Corvallis Food Bank representative, Susan James, Linn Benton Food Share Gleaning and Volunteer Coordinator and Rick Wright, Market of Choice CEO inspect the scanning coupon display at the Corvallis Market of choice.

To help meet the hunger needs in the mid-Willamette Valley, CSC's Linn Benton Food Share's newest community partner, Market of Choice, launched a Scan Program that makes it easy for customers to contribute to Linn Benton Food Share when they shop for groceries.

Those who shop at Market of Choice at 9th & NW Circle Blvd in Corvallis can give to the food program by electing to scan a $1, $5, or $10 coupon, which is added to the customer’s total at checkout and then 100 percent is donated to Food Share. For tax purposes, the store receipt serves as documentation of the donation.

In addition, Market of Choice is donating approximately 5,500 pounds of food per month to Food Share. Donated food includes products that are close to code date but still perfectly fit for human consumption that would otherwise go to waste.

Market of Choice is one of six area grocers in Linn and Benton counties that contribute to Food Share’s Fresh Alliance and Food Rescue programs in this way. Food Share then distributes the food to emergency food pantries, soup kitchens, child and senior centers, shelters and gleaning groups.

“This is very high quality, nutritious food that would otherwise be unattainable to the food bank,” said Ryan McCambridge, CSC Linn Benton Food Share Coordintor.

Community Forum on Housing & Homelessness

February 8 at 7 PM
Corvallis Public Library, 645 NW Monroe, Corvallis

Report on Benton County’s Ten-Year Plan to address issues surrounding Housing and Homelessness
A year ago, the city and the county adopted a broad plan to address homelessness. It is now time to reflect on our progress. This forum is a report to the community on where we are and what is being planned.

Speakers:
Julie manning, Co-chair, Ten-Year Plan Oversight Committee
Mitch Anderson, Director, Benton County health Department
Aleita Hass-Holcombe, Chair, Corvallis Homeless Shelter Coalition
Kari Whitacre, Development Director, Community Outreach

Moderator:
Dagmar Johnson, League of Women Voers, Housing Policy Committee

Online Retirement Estimator Available in Spanish

By Alan Edwards, Social Security Public Affairs in Oregon

Social Security, which has a wealth of information in Spanish at www.segurosocial.gov, has launched its first interactive online service in Spanish: the Retirement Estimator. To publicize the website and the new Spanish-language service, Social Security has enlisted the help of the widely popular and well-respected host of Sábado Gigante, Don Francisco.
“I ask my many friends to go to www.segurosocial.gov, not only for themselves but also to help their loved ones,” said Don Francisco. “There is a lot of great information there. Estimating your benefits and learning about Social Security online in Spanish is so easy.” (Watch a short video with Don Francisco at www.segurosocial.gov/calculador.)
To learn more about the Retirement Estimator in Spanish, read our publication online at www.socialsecurity.gov/espanol/10516.html.
“The Spanish-language Retirement Estimator and the other information available on www.segurosocial.gov will help us provide a broader audience with important information they need to plan for a secure retirement,” said Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security

Getting Your Social Security Income Verification is Easy

By Alan Edwards
Social Security Public Affairs Specialist in Oregon

For many reasons, you may need written verification of your Social Security benefit amount – for an energy assistance program or for subsidized housing. Perhaps a major purchase and you need a bank loan. Or maybe you’re applying for state benefits or moving into a new apartment or home.

If you need verification of your income from Social Security, obtaining it is easy and convenient. Please go to www.socialsecurity.gov. Then look in the left column under “Top Services,” open the “Services for people currently receiving benefits” section, and select “Request a Proof of Income letter” to get a letter that verifies your Social Security benefit information.
You can use this letter for any reason that someone requires proof of your income. It is also an official document that verifies your Medicare coverage, retirement or disability status, and age.

It takes about 10 days for you to receive the proof of income letter in the mail. If you need one sooner, you’ll want to call us at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) or visit your local Social Security office.

Get your benefit verification by visiting www.socialsecurity.gov/beve.