Learn to be good tenant and get a second chance

Second Chance CSC's Renter Rehabilitation is a program for people who have low incomes and who are unable to obtain housing, due to poor credit and/or a poor rental history.

The Second Chance Program is designed to help people gain the skills, strategies, and self-confidence they need to obtain and maintain housing. The next session offered will be at CSC’s Corvallis office at 545 SW 2nd Street, Corvallis from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. on the following days

Workshop Schedule:
March 6th, 8th, 13th, 15th, 20th& 22nd
3:00 – 5:00 p.m.
CSC’s Corvallis Office545 SW 2nd St., Suite A
Must attend all six workshops to receive
certificate!

For more information, please contact
Cindy Pratt at Community Services Consortium (541) 758-2798

Garden Season Begins at CSC

Jesse Hernandez and Jason Swanson are youth that participate in our CSC Youth House Garden project. This project provides quality education, training, life skills and employment opportunities to at-risk youth in Benton County. We have kicked off our 2012 gardening season.

We will be selling our produce at the Corvallis Saturday Market starting in April. Please come visit our booth, speak with our youth about our project, and you will have the opportunity purchase some of our delicious local produce and vegetable starts to take home and enjoy. We hope to see you there.

The Energy Smarts Team spreads at Waverly Elementary School

Waverly Elementary teachers and principal holding copies of the Energy Smarts activity guide.

A program for elementary age kids to learn about different energy resources and smart energy use at school and home did so well last year in one 4th grade classroom at Waverly Elementary School in Albany that it will spread this year to all of the school’s 4th and 5th grades and one 3rd grade class.

Stephanie Bugni, Community Services Consortium’s Energy Education Coordinator, has been working on The Energy Smarts Team program, for the past two years thanks to the generous funding of NW Natural. The Energy Smarts Team piloted in Melissa Straughan’s 4th grade classroom at Waverly last year was so successful, the class got the whole school involved in energy savings. They patrolled their school as part of the program looking for smart energy use, and they left reminders for energy wasters.

With NW Naturals continued support, CSC provided the participating classrooms with copies of the Energy Smarts Team teacher’s guide, activity guides for every students, and enough school supplies to do all the activities in the Energy Smarts Team program!
CSC hopes to see the Energy Smarts Team program spread to new schools and organizations in the future. We would like to give a big thank you to NW Natural for all their support on this project.

If you would like more information on the Energy Smarts Team contact Stephanie Bugni at 541-758-2639 or sbugni@communityservices.us.

Kids Day for Conservation

It’s time for the ninth annual Kids Day for Conservation (KDC) which will be held on Saturday, October 1st from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Benton County Fairgrounds Arena building.

Kids Day for Conservation is put on by over 40 organizations, agencies, and businesses that offer a variety of hands-on natural resource activities suitable for children of all ages. The event is free and open to the public. KDC has been designed to educate and encourage youth to take action for conservation in their community.

Participants will have the opportunity to hold a snake, join the animal parade, learn about recycling, and build a bird house. They can also create recycled art, hear fish tales, and discover the wonders of wetlands. Families can explore energy sources including wind turbines and solar panels and learn how to conserve energy and water. Visit CSC's booth and learn about Energy Education!
Last year over 1800 youth and adults participated in KDC. Attendees said, “It was a great event for kids and adults!” and “It was hard to get my kids to leave, we will definitely come back next year.”

This event will be held rain or shine and there is sure to be exciting and interesting activities for you and your family! A variety of food and drink will be available for purchase.

For more information about Kids Day, call the OSU Extension Office at 541-766-6750.

CSC's Energy Smarts Team Helps Save Energy at School and Home

Last year CSC received a grant from NW Natural Gas to help develop an energy based curriculum for elementary students in a local school. Stephanie Bugni, CSC Energy Education Coordinator, developed a pilot program called the Energy Smarts Team and found a 4th grade classroom at Waverly Elementary School in Albany who was willing to try it out.

For the past 3 months the Energy Smarts Team program has been in place. The class spent the first few weeks learning about energy sources, the difference between renewable and nonrenewable energy sources, how energy is produced and transmitted, and the importance of energy conservation.

After this training, the Energy Smarts Team patrolled their school looking for smart energy use. They spread the word about energy savings by leaving reminder tickets in places they found energy being wasted and thank you tickets where energy was used wisely. After 3 weeks of school patrol, they went home with an assignment to perform their own home energy audit.

The class was rewarded for their hard work with a field trip to Oregon State University. They visited the wave research lab, the new Energy Center and received a tour of the campus.

“The whole class worked hard to learn about energy and teach others in their school and home about positive energy use, but the best part was they had fun while doing it,” says Stephanie Bugni. “The program was so successful that next year, all 4th and 5th grade classes at Waverly will be using the Energy Smarts Team program.”

CSC Celebrated Weatherization Month In October

This is the time of year when temperatures start to fall and many families in our communities turn up the heat. Low-income families don’t always have that option because these household pay 14% of their annual incomes for energy compared with 3.5% of most households. Many low-income families have been trying to catch up with bills because of the last year’s high-fuel prices or are struggling just to have their services reconnected. In fact many of the families are considering how they will make it through the winter without heat.

Community Services Consortium’s (CSC) Weatherization Assistance Program serving Linn, Benton and Lincoln counties addresses these daily energy concerns. The benefits provided through CSC’s Weatherization Assistance Program are many. The program reduces the energy cost by providing free weatherization services to low-income homeowners and renters by installing cost-effective and energy efficiency measures.

While everone’s home is different, it’s possible for a typical household to save $300 or more a year in energy costs through weatherization. During the last 30 years, CSC’s Weatherization program has helped to make over 7,300 homes safer, warmer and less expensive to live in. The dollar savings alone make a big difference for the families.

Remember: Saving energy means saving money!

You can save energy in your home by taking these steps :

· Turn off lights, computers and other electronic appliance when not in use.

· Lower the thermostat and dress warmer. Turn your thermostat down at night and whenever the house is not occupied. Try 68 degrees F during the day and 55 degrees at night.

· Lower the temperature on your electric water heater to 120 degrees F. Turn it off when leaving for extended periods of time.

· Take short showers instead of baths.

· Wash full loads of clothes; use warm or cold water to wash, cold water to rinse.

· Clean dryer lint filter after every use.

Energy Conservation Workshops for People with Low Incomes

Stephanie Bugni, from the Emergency Services Department Presents Energy Conservation Workshop

Sign up for an Energy Conservation Workshop and learn about what affects your energy bill, what are the top 5 highest energy users in your home. Learn all the small things you can do to make a difference on your energy bills.

For attending the workshop to help improve your home’s energy efficiency, you will receive:


a FREE weatherization kit valued at over $65!
A workbook with hundreds of energy saving tips!
you will be eligible for a free home energy audit

To sign up for a workshop:
Contact Stephanie Bugni, Energy Education Coordinatior at (541) 758-2639 or Email sbugni@communityservices.us

Energy Education Workshop Schedule
Albany
Workshops are held at Community Services Consortium, 250 Broadalbin SW, Suite 2A,
Friday, October 15th 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Wednesday, October 27th 10:00 - Noon

Corvallis
Workshops are held at Community Services Consortium, 545 SW 2nd St. – Suite A (upstairs), Monday, October 11th, 10:00 a.m. –Noon
Monday, October 18th, 2:00 p.m. –Noon

Lebanon
Workshops are held at Community Services Consortium, 380 Market St.,
Wednesday, October 13th 2:00—4:00
Friday, October 29th, 10:00 –Noon

Newport
workshops are held at Community Services Consortium, 120 NE Avery St., (Hiland Castle room) Tuesday, October 19th 10:00–Noon
Tuesday, October 19th 1:00–3:00

*Energy Conservation Workshops are held monthly. If you are unable to attend a workshop in your area, please contact Stephanie Bugni at (541) 758-2639 or sbugni@communityservices.us for future workshop dates.

Second Chance Renter Rehabilitation Program

The next session of the Second Chance Renter Rehabilitation program will be held at CSC's
Corvallis office from 5:30-7:30 on the following dates.

Workshop Schedule:

September 20th , 22nd, 27th, 29th and

October 4th & 6th

5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Workshop Topics:

* How to be a Good Tenant
* Landlord/Tenant Issues
* Goal Setting/Self Esteem
* Energy Education
* Financial Fitness
* Conflict Resolution

Participants must attend all six classes in order to receive a certificate. If you know of anyone who is interested in taking the classes, please call Cindy Pratt in the Corvallis office to request a registration form. Registration deadline is Wednesday, May 26th.

Who is the program for?
The course is designed to help the prospective renter help themselves by attending six classes taught by qualified instructors from the community.

Prospective tenants will Learn:
how to demonstrate consistency, trust, and a desire to succeed
how to be a good tenant
how to have a good relationship with the landlord
about Tenant Law and Fair Housing issues
how to set reachable goals
how to repair credit
how to better manage money

For more information, please contact
Cindy Pratt at Community Services Consortium (541) 758-2798

10 Quick Ways to Cut Your Energy Bills

The following energy saving tips come from the 'in the know' energy education folks in CSC's Emergency Services department.

#1 Control your Thermostat
68° is the recommended heat setting for your thermostat. For each degree above you set your thermostat, your heating cost will increase 3-5%. Turning your thermostat down at night and while you are away will lower your energy cost. Once you have set your thermostat to a temperature that works for you, leave it alone, constantly adjusting it cost you money!

#2 Let the Heat Flow
Check and clean or replace your furnace filter once a month during heating season. Vacuum the fins of electric baseboards. Let warm air circulate. Don’t block heat sources with curtains or furniture. Use ceiling fans to circulate warm air, and prevent it from escaping through the ceiling.

#3 Help your windows keep you warm
Low cost improvements to your windows will keep you warm! Closing drapes, shades and curtains will help keep heat from escaping out windows, especially at night! Caulk around window and door frames from the inside to plug air leaks. Using rope foam between sliding window frames can help stop warm air from escaping. Installing low cost plastic window coverings will help keep heat in, while still allowing light to come through!

#4 Plug air leaks in your home
Plugging holes where warm air escapes, will help keep your home warm. Common places o find air leaks: around pluming pipes, under electrical outlets and light switch overs, around windows, around door frames, attic and crawl space hatches, around even vents, Holes can be sealed using spray foam, rope foam, calking, rope calk, and weather stripping.

# 5 Set your hot water heater to 120°
Your water heater is the second largest user of energy in the typical home. Turning down the temperature, can cut the cost significantly.

# 6 Insulate your Water Heater
If your hot water heater is in the garage, basement, crawlspace or even outside, you could save over $20 per year by insulating it! Some utility companies will come and insulate your hot water heater for free! Contact your utility company today to find out if they do.

# 7 Install water saving shower heads and aerators
New shower heads and aerators are easy to install, and can significantly cut down water heating costs. For a 10 minute shower, installing a low flow shower head can save about 15¢ per shower. That is a savings that will really add up over time!

# 8 Wash clothes in cold water
It takes about 40¢ per load in energy costs to wash clothes in hot water. By washing one load a week in cold water instead of hot can save you about $20 a year!

#9 Save Energy with your Refrigerator
Refrigerators and freezers can cost between $8-$20 a month! Using them efficiently can cut this cost! Set your Refrigerator temperature to between 38°-40°. Freezers should be set around 0°. Keep liquids in your refrigerator covered.

#10 Put your energy-saving plan into action
Get your whole family involved. Have each family member try one or two simple changes in the major ways they use energy! Start with heating, hot water and appliances. After your have made energy saving changes, watch for savings on your next full month’s energy bill!

Paring energy costs through efficiency

This article, written by Steve Lathrop of the Albany Democrat-Herald, was published Monday, February 22, 2010.

Stephanie Green and Paul Deatherage are on the move a lot. They might be in Lincoln County one day, in east Linn County the next, and back in Benton County the day after.

Green and Deatherage provide low-income families in all three counties with what is becoming popular money-saving information. Through the Community Services Consortium’s Emergency Services Department, they are educating families on energy efficiency.

“It’s a money-saving perspective that we take,” says Green, the energy education coordinator. “We point out the environmental advantages, but our emphasis is to help people cut costs.”

Green, in her first year with the CSC, is taking the lead on a new program that she says is off to a good start.

She conducts free Energy Conservation Workshops at CSC sites in Albany, Lebanon, Corvallis and Newport, pointing out ways families can lower their energy expenses. “It’s new, but it’s busy. I had 140 people in January workshops,” Green said. “I do three or four workshops at each site every month.”

About 20 people are on hand each session. Most come to the workshops through referrals from the CSC’s Energy Assistance Office. That was the case with Cheri Staker of Albany.

“I knew I needed to get some weatherization and I was sent here. I think it’s going to show me the right way to do things,” Staker said.

Workshops help speed up a process that used to feature one home visit at a time for on-side audits and to provide instruction.

Deatherage still conducts the free home visits and remains busy, but some of the pressure has been lifted because of the workshops.

“The addition of the workshops along with the audit allows us to reach more people,” he said. “I’m able to get the information to those who can’t get to workshops ... the elderly and disabled.” He is able to handle three visits a day, and inspections provide a thorough energy-efficiency analysis.

Workshops include a free kit with energy-saving materials to help attendees get jump-started. Kits include caulk and a caulking gun, spray foam, energy-efficient light bulbs, and thermometers to measure water and refrigerator temperatures.

Home inspections, which are available to workshop participants as well, offer additional weatherization materials. “I have more materials in my truck that are more custom to the clients' needs,” Deatherage said. “And if they need help installing the materials, I can offer that as well.”

Homeowners who have taken the workshop or had an audit can usually qualify for CSC’s free weatherization program, which brings an in-house crew to completely weatherize a home. Funding for the job costs comes from federal and state grants.