Linn Benton Food Share receives grant from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation

(Photo Left) Steve Davey, Bank of America Market Executive and Corvallis Bank of America manager, Amy Kelsey-Johnson present a check to Mike Gibson, Director of Linn Benton Food Share. (Photo Right) Corvallis Bank of America volunters repackage dried beans at the Linn Benton Food Share warehouse.

"The Bank of America Charitable Foundation is pleased to support the important work of Linn Benton Food Share in feeding families,” said Steve Davey, Bank of America Consumer Market Executive for Greater Oregon. “We are committed to the work you do in our local communities and we are happy to participate in helping you this evening.”

Davey joined Corvallis Banking Center Manager Amy Kelsey-Johnson at the Linn Benton Food Share warehouse to present a check for $42,000 to Linn Benton Food Share on behalf of the Bank of America Charitable Foundation. The check was presented to Mike Gibson, Director of Linn Benton Food Share on Monday, February 28.

“The quality of our service depends on the support we get from the community. And that is why this $42,000 grant from Bank of America is so important to our ability to keep shelves stocked with food at our local food pantries and soup kitchens,” said Gibson.

Fifteen Bank of America employees from the Corvallis branch and family members joined the check presentation ceremony and stayed to volunteer to repack food after the event.

The grant funds will support general operating expenses to distribute food to individuals and families in need in Corvallis and surrounding rural areas. They will also help pay for purchasing staple goods for member agencies serving low income people and paying for fuel costs for picking and transporting food to the agencies such as soup kitchens and shelters.

“Thank you Bank of America for providing funding to help Linn Benton Food Share in its mission of reaching out to all sections of our community,” said Corvallis Mayor, Julie Manning. Mayor Manning was joined by Benton County Commissioner, Annabelle Jaramillo and CSC Executive Director, Martha Lyon in thanking Bank of America and volunteers at the warehouse.

CSC Announces Training and Development and New Hire

Training & Development

Jeni Wells-Whitney, (photo right) a Housing Finance Specialist at Community Services Consortium (CSC) in the Community Housing Services Program, received her Mortgage Loan Originator (MLO) License number (no. 339039) in December, 2010.
MLO licensure complies with the SAFE Act designed to enhance consumer protection and reduce fraud through the setting of minimum standards for the licensing and registration of state-licensed mortgage loan originators. The SAFE Act requires Mortgage Loan Originators to complete pre-licensure education courses, pass two qualified written exams covering federal and state law, and take annual continuing education courses.
Wells-Whitney has worked in the Housing Rehabilitation Loan Program at CSC for the past 16 years.

New Hire:
Community Services Consortium (CSC) welcomes Sandi Brantner (photo left) as a U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) certified Foreclosure Counselor in the Community Housing Services Program. Brantner joins Jon Polansky and Beth Larsen, Housing Resource Coordinators in assisting people with foreclosure counseling, mortgage mitigation, financial budgeting and first-time home buyer counseling.
Brantner has a background in banking and lending. She has worked in Linn and Benton counties as a mortgage loan officer/processor for the past 19 years.