Great Turnout for CSC Benefit and “American Winter” Screening

Nearly 600 people turned out for a free screening of the award-winning documentary “American Winter,” which was also a benefit for Community Services Consortium (CSC), on Thursday, October 3 at the OSU’s LaSells Stewart Center.

The documentary, produced and directed by Emmy award-winning filmmakers Joe and Harry Gantz, follows the personal stories of eight Oregon families struggling in the aftermath of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.

Working together with the nonprofit organization 211info in Portland, the filmmakers were given full access to monitor and record calls from distressed families who were calling 211’s emergency hotline in search of help. They then began following the stories of some of these callers in more depth over several months.

CSC program displays were located throughout the lobby, with representatives educating attendees about the work CSC does in the areas of food and nutrition, housing, education, jobs and finances. The CSC Youth Garden even had a full display of jams, jellies, salsa, and sauces for sale.

Linn County Commissioner Will Tucker kicked off the screening. CSC Executive Director Martha Lyon led the panel after the film, which also included OSU Sociology Professor Mark Edwards, Corvallis Mayor Julie Manning, and 211 Agency Relations Coordinator Emily Berndt.

The benefit raised $2100 for CSC’s poverty-fighting programs, which is a great kickoff to the start of CSC’s holiday giving season. A gift catalog will soon be available on the website, allowing donors to designate the meaningful gift of a CSC program donation in the name of a recipient of their choosing.

Many thanks to the generous local businesses that donated snacks and a coffee service for the event, including Starbucks, Safeway, Trader Joe's, Stoker's VitaWorld, and Odwalla. A special thank you to the LaSells Stewart Center staff (especially Deb Weitzman) for helping us to plan the event and donating the space!

Community Services Consortium (CSC) is a state-designated Community Action Agency serving Linn, Benton and Lincoln counties with housing, nutrition, economic stability, and educational assistance programs since 1980.

To support this project or any of CSC’s poverty-fighting programs and services, visit our website at www.communityservices.us. Donations may be made through our website or mailed to our main office: Community Services Consortium, 245 Broadalbin Street, Suite 2A, Albany, OR 97321.

For more CSC news, visit our blog at http://communityservicesblog.blogspot.com.