Cesar Chavez Day of Service and Learning

Garfield Elementary third-graders display their work honoring Ceasar Chavez . The mural is on display at American Dream Pizza in downtown Corvallis.

HandsOn Linn-Benton received a mini grant to celebrate Cesar Chavez Day, 2011. A mural depicting the life and accomplishments of Chavez was created by Garfield elementary students with the assistance of HandsOn Linn-Benton and partners RSVP, American Dream Pizza, and Corvallis High School. The mural is on public display at American Dream’s downtown Corvallis location.

Volunteers spent time educating the students about Chavez, Corvallis High School students created two original pieces of artwork, then mentored 65 third graders to re-create their artwork onto a 30–piece pizza box mural. Students, parents, teachers and other community members celebrated the unveiling of the mural and enjoyed pizza and soda at American Dream on Cesar Chavez Day, March 31st.

The mural will remain on display at American Dream during the entire month of April, educating the community and bringing awareness to the work of Cesar Chavez. A second mural is on display at Garfield Elementary School. The high school students created note cards, using their original artwork, and are selling them for $0.50 each to raise money for art programs at their school.

“No Place to Call Home”

Save the Date for “No Place to Call Home”
May 16, 2011 7:00 p.m.
First Congregational Church
4515 SW West Hills Road, Corvallis

A program about the lives of Corvallis persons who live on our streets, in our woods and under our bridges. Many are afflicted with chronic medical problems, addiction disorders, or mental illness. Some are just ordinary folks who lost their jobs and can’t find work in this economic environment.

The program is about their struggle to survive and our community’s efforts to reach out to these homeless persons. The event is free, but the audience will be invited to contribute to help the Corvallis Homeless Shelter Coalition move more people into safe and stable housing.

We are celebrating the success of the Corvallis Homeless Shelter Coalition in establishing Partners Place, which will be opening later this summer to provide a permanent place to live for some of Corvallis ‘ most vulnerable homeless persons.

To reserve a seat for the program, call(541)752-3605

OSU Food Drive

Mike Gibson, Director of Linn Benton Food Share (left) and OSU President Ed Ray (right) team up to present awards to OSU Departments and students who competed to raise money and food for Linn Benton Food Share. A representative of the S.I.F.E. (Student In Free Enterprise) receives two awards.

Oregon State University broke all records with 540,000 pounds of food collected in 2011

Linn Benton Food Share Director, Mike Gibson presented awards to OSU Departments and Student Groups who competed to collect food and raise money. Each year during February the University community plans a wide variety of food and fund-raising activities to help the hungry. This effort is in conjunction with the Governor's State Employees Food Drive. The resources gathered by county Extension offices, Experiment Stations, Cascades Campus and Centers associated with OSU go to their local food banks. Proceeds from the OSU Corvallis campus benefit the non-profit agencies served by Linn-Benton Food Share. These agencies include local food pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters, day care centers, shelter homes, and gleaning groups in Linn and Benton counties. Linn Benton Food Share is a department of Community Services Consortium. Food Share has a mission that Everybody Eats.