Second Chance Renters Classes with CSC

Community Services Consortium will be holding the Second Chance Renter Rehabilitation classes from 1:30-3:30 at our Corvallis Office, 545 SW 2^nd St. Suite A,  on the following dates:  

July 10, 12, 17, 19, 24, and 26^th.            

          

Topics covered will be:  

How to be a Good Tenant, Landlord/Tenant Issues

Energy Education, Conflict Resolution

Goal Setting, and Basic Budgeting

One must attend all six classes to get a certificate  

Pre-registration is required – space is limited

Please contact Cindy Pratt-DeMarzo if you have any questions.   

The deadline for registering is Friday, June 30th.   

Please forward this on to others you think would be interested.    Thank you.

Cindy Pratt-DeMarzo

Housing Case Management

Community Services Consortium

545 SW 2^nd St., Suite A

Corvallis OR 97333

(541)758-2632

Stand Down for Homeless Veterans Changes Location

By Kendall S. Cable

Contributing Writer

Albany, OR…  United States Navy Veteran Kevin Rose, 68, and his wife of Halsey were living out of a car in 2015. The veteran, who served in Vietnam as a gunner’s mate, set his sights on finding a way out of their situation.  Rose contacted Community Services Consortium (CSC), where he not only was assisted with housing, but also learned about the area’s Stand Down for Homeless Veterans event.

Stand Down for Homeless Veterans is a nationwide movement locally coordinated by CSC in which businesses, agencies, and community partners offer services and items to homeless and low-income veterans. However, all veterans are encouraged to participate. This year, the third annual event will be held September 21 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Linn-Benton Community College, 6500 Pacific Blvd. SW, in Albany. This is a change of venue from Lebanon in years past.

“We decided to move to Albany to be closer to I-5, also Benton County,” said Dina Eldridge, CSC Housing Services Manager. “We just think most of the VA (Veterans Administration) providers are based in Albany. We just hope we get a bigger turnout since it is easier to find.”

Last year 93 veterans, including Rose, attended the event where 56 agencies and organizations offered a hand up such as: mental health and addiction counseling; employment; VA health insurance opportunities; dental van; Samaritan Health Service health screenings; clothing; hygiene products; housing through CSC; camping gear from the Department of Defense; IDs with Legal Aid assistance; free food; benefit assistance from Social Security; and more, according to Eldridge.

“I have never seen such a turnout for veterans my whole life. It was awesome last year,” said Rose. “I never, ever heard of anything like this.”  Rose received clothes sleeping bags, cots, sunglasses, and a haircut. “Stand Down is one of the greatest things I’ve ever seen. It was the first haircut I had in years.”

Around the same time, Rose and his wife also moved into a rental home with CSC’s assistance. He said he is thankful for the help he received from CSC Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF)Case Manager Connie Barkdull, Eligibility Clerk Scott McKee, and Department of Labor Disabled Veterans Outreach Representative Stephen Hickson.

Additionally, Rose said the event served as a place for veterans to meet other veterans. He feels this is very important, especially to younger veterans.

“They should go, if not for anything else, to talk to one another,” Rose encouraged. “There are a lot of vets that still need help. I’d like to see them get it.”

This year’s event is in the planning stages. Sponsorships and cash donations from local businesses and groups who want to help veterans are sought. Food, services, and haircuts are just a few areas of need. Eldridge explained the United States Department of Labor provides limited funding, but the money is specifically earmarked and does not cover such services as the dental van. Transportation for veterans to and from the event is also being coordinated.

Interested businesses and agencies can contact CSC Case Manager Connie Barkdull at 541-928-6335 x 312 or cbarkdull@communityservices.us for more information.  Landlords interested in renting to veterans can contact Eldridge at 541-928-6335 x 324 or deldridge@communityservices.us.  Homeless veterans in need of housing contact McKee at 541-704-7638,  smckee@communityservices.us, or ssvf@communityservices.us. CSC is a community action agency for Linn, Benton, and Lincoln Counties.

*****************

Photo Credit: Photo by Community Services Consortium Staff

Stand Down for Homeless Veterans in Lebanon was attended by 93 veterans in 2016. Homeless and low-income veterans are encouraged to attend this year in Albany.

Second Chance Renter's Rehabilitation Workshops Coming in February

“Second Chance” is for those who are having difficulty finding stable housing because of bad credit or a poor rental history. Even if things are better now, it can be hard to get away from a past eviction or because of property damage that you couldn’t fix.

Consisting of six classes taught by qualified instructors from the community, Second Chance gives you the opportunity to learn about landlord-tenant issues, conflict resolution, energy education, money management, goal setting, and the characteristics of a good tenant.

This education program prepares you for the responsibilities of renting and gives you the skills necessary to be the kind of tenant your landlord will hate to lose!

Second Chance prepares you to approach landlords with confidence and encourages landlords to view prospective tenants with a more open mind.

Topics covered include How to be a Good Tenant, Landlord/Tenant Issues, Energy Education, Conflict Resolution, Goal Setting, and Basic Budgeting. Those who successfully complete all six sessions of the class will receive a Certificate of Completion and a Letter of Recommendation to attach to future rental applications.

Pre-registration is required. To register, or for more information about Second Chance, visit CSC’s website at www.communityservices.us or contact Cindy Pratt-DeMarzo at 541-758-2632 for Linn and Benton counties, and Kacy Jensen at 541-574-2281 in Lincoln County.

UPCOMING SECOND CHANCE CLASSES: ALBANY

Mondays and Wednesdays from 1:00pm -3:00pm at 250 Broadalbin St., 2A (upstairs) in Albany. Registration deadline is Monday, February 13.

Monday, February 27th
Wednesday, March 1st
Monday, March 6th
Wednesday, March 8th
Monday, March 13th
Wednesday, March 15th

Second Chance Renter's Classes Coming in October

“Second Chance” is for those who are having difficulty finding stable housing because of bad credit or a poor rental history. Even if things are better now, it can be hard to get away from a past eviction or because of property damage that you couldn’t fix.

Consisting of six classes taught by qualified instructors from the community, Second Chance gives you the opportunity to learn about landlord-tenant issues, conflict resolution, energy education, money management, goal setting, and the characteristics of a good tenant.

This education program prepares you for the responsibilities of renting and gives you the skills necessary to be the kind of tenant your landlord will hate to lose!

Second Chance prepares you to approach landlords with confidence and encourages landlords to view prospective tenants with a more open mind.

Topics covered include How to be a Good Tenant, Landlord/Tenant Issues, Energy Education, Conflict Resolution, Goal Setting, and Basic Budgeting. Those who successfully complete all six sessions of the class will receive a Certificate of Completion and a Letter of Recommendation to attach to future rental applications.

Pre-registration is required. To register, or for more information about Second Chance, visit CSC’s website at www.communityservices.us or contact Cindy Pratt-DeMarzo at 541-758-2632 for Linn and Benton counties, and Kacy Jensen at 541-574-2281 in Lincoln County.

UPCOMING SECOND CHANCE CLASSES: CORVALLIS

Mondays and Wednesdays from 1:00pm -3:00pm at 545 SW 2nd St. (upstairs) in Corvallis. Registration deadline is October 14, 2016.

Monday, October 24th
Wednesday, October 26th
Monday, October 31th
Wednesday, November 2nd
Monday, November 7th
Wednesday, November 9th

Upcoming Second Chance Classes in April

“Second Chance” is for those who are having difficulty finding stable housing because of bad credit or a poor rental history. Even if things are better now, it can be hard to get away from a past eviction or because of property damage that you couldn’t fix.

Consisting of six classes taught by qualified instructors from the community, Second Chance gives you the opportunity to learn about landlord-tenant issues, conflict resolution, energy education, money management, goal setting, and the characteristics of a good tenant.

This education program prepares you for the responsibilities of renting and gives you the skills necessary to be the kind of tenant your landlord will hate to lose!

Second Chance prepares you to approach landlords with confidence and encourages landlords to view prospective tenants with a more open mind.

Topics covered include How to be a Good Tenant, Landlord/Tenant Issues, Energy Education, Conflict Resolution, Goal Setting, and Basic Budgeting. Those who successfully complete all six sessions of the class will receive a Certificate of Completion and a Letter of Recommendation to attach to future rental applications.

Pre-registration is required. The deadline is Monday, March 21st.

To register, or for more information about Second Chance, visit http://communityservices.us/housing/second-chance-renters-program/ or contact Cindy Pratt-DeMarzo at 541-758-2632 for Linn and Benton counties, and Kacy Jensen at 541-574-2281 in Lincoln County.

UPCOMING SECOND CHANCE CLASSES: CORVALLIS

Mondays and Wednesdays from 1:00pm - 3:00pm at Community Outreach, Inc. building at in 865 NW Reiman in Corvallis. Registration deadline is Monday, March 21st.

Monday, April 4th
Wednesday, April 6th
Monday, April 11th
Wednesday, April 13th
Monday, April 18th
Wednesday, April 20th

Upcoming Second Chance Classes in September

“Second Chance” is for those who are having difficulty finding stable housing because of bad credit or a poor rental history. Even if things are better now, it can be hard to get away from a past eviction or because of property damage that you couldn’t fix.

Consisting of six classes taught by qualified instructors from the community, Second Chance gives you the opportunity to learn about landlord-tenant issues, conflict resolution, energy education, money management, goal setting, and the characteristics of a good tenant.

This education program prepares you for the responsibilities of renting and gives you the skills necessary to be the kind of tenant your landlord will hate to lose!

Second Chance prepares you to approach landlords with confidence and encourages landlords to view prospective tenants with a more open mind.

Topics covered include How to be a Good Tenant, Landlord/Tenant Issues, Energy Education, Conflict Resolution, Goal Setting, and Basic Budgeting. Those who successfully complete all six sessions of the class will receive a Certificate of Completion and a Letter of Recommendation to attach to future rental applications.

Pre-registration is required. To register, or for more information about Second Chance, visit CSC’s website at www.communityservices.us or contact Cindy Pratt-DeMarzo at 541-758-2632 for Linn and Benton counties, and Kacy Jensen at 541-574-2281 in Lincoln County.

UPCOMING SECOND CHANCE CLASSES: CORVALLIS

Mondays and Wednesdays (and one Tuesday due to Labor Day) from 3:00pm - 5:00pm at 545 SW 2^nd St. (upstairs) in Corvallis. Registration deadline is Thursday, September 3rd.

• Monday, September 14^th
• Wednesday, September 16^th
• Monday, September 21^st
• Wednesday, September 23^rd
• Monday, September 28^th
• Tuesday, September 30th

The next chance to take this set of classes will be at our Albany office in November/December.

Socks! Socks! Socks!

20,000 kids and tens of thousands of others experienced homelessness last year, and we're going to do something about it. 

Oregonians are donating 20,000 socks to raise awareness about homelessness and push our policymakers to increase attention and resources to the needs of our community members. $20 million for emergency rental assistance and shelters is on the line.

Sock donations will be piled high on the Oregon State Capitol steps on March 11, the Housing Alliance's Housing Opportunity Day. Afterwards the socks will be donated to folks who need them because they don’t have a warm place to sleep at night.

Help by donating socks today. Every little bit counts! You can drop off donations at any of our office locations:

CSC Corvallis: 545 SW 2nd St., Suite A
CSC Albany: 250 Broadalbin St., Suite 2A
CSC Newport: 120 NE Avery St.

For more drop-off locations and information, visit: https://www.oregonhousingalliance.org/socks/

Thank you for your support!

Sincerely,

Martha Lyon
Executive Director, Community Services Consortium

Upcoming Second Chance Classes in January

“Second Chance” is for those who are having difficulty finding stable housing because of bad credit or a poor rental history. Even if things are better now, it can be hard to get away from a past eviction or because of property damage that you couldn’t fix.

Consisting of six classes taught by qualified instructors from the community, Second Chance gives you the opportunity to learn about landlord-tenant issues, conflict resolution, energy education, money management, goal setting, and the characteristics of a good tenant.

This education program prepares you for the responsibilities of renting and gives you the skills necessary to be the kind of tenant your landlord will hate to lose!

Second Chance prepares you to approach landlords with confidence and encourages landlords to view prospective tenants with a more open mind.

Topics covered include How to be a Good Tenant, Landlord/Tenant Issues, Energy Education, Conflict Resolution, Goal Setting, and Basic Budgeting. Those who successfully complete all six sessions of the class will receive a Certificate of Completion and a Letter of Recommendation to attach to future rental applications.

Pre-registration is required. To register, or for more information about Second Chance, visit CSC’s website at www.communityservices.us or contact Cindy Pratt-DeMarzo at 541-758-2632 for Linn and Benton counties, and Kacy Jensen at 541-574-2281 in Lincoln County.

UPCOMING SECOND CHANCE CLASSES:ALBANY

Mondays and Wednesdays from 10:00am - 12:00pm at 250 SW Broadalbin St. (upstairs) in Albany. Registration deadline is Monday, January 19.

• Monday, January 26th
• Wednesday, January 28th
• Monday, February 2nd
• Wednesday, February 4th
• Monday, February 9th
• Wednesday, February 11th

Happy Retirement Terry, Hello Marisha!

Marisha Johnson has been appointed as CSC's new Director of Housing and Energy Services. Prior to joining CSC, Marisha was the Mental Health Planner for the Oregon Health Authority Addictions and Mental Health Division, where she administered the State’s Community Mental Health Services Block Grant. She also led the statewide initiative to implement Supported Employment for individuals with serious mental illness and staffed the Addictions and Mental Health Planning and Advisory Council.

Before moving to Albany, she was Transitional and Legal Services Coordinator with Battered Persons’ Advocacy in Roseburg, Oregon, where she managed their transitional housing program and worked to provide safety for victims of domestic and sexual violence. She was also a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor II at ADAPT providing substance abuse counseling services for adults and adolescents.

Marisha received an Executive Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Portland State University, and a BA in Psychology from Northwest Christian University.

Marisha is filling the shoes of retiring Director Terry Knoll. Terry took on a number of roles in her 27 years with our agency, excelling in each of them as her dedication to serving our community shined through.

"I’ve known true joy in community service in my various roles as an energy assistance receptionist, intake worker, energy education coordinator, case manager, program manager and department director. My career at CSC has been one learning experience after another and every day I have been inspired through the association with my coworkers." said Terry.

We will all sincerely miss Terry's smiling face, positive outlook, and upbeat personality, and look forward to working with Marisha and continuing to improve housing options for those in need in Linn, Benton, and Lincoln counties! 

Upcoming Second Chance Classes in October

“Second Chance” is for those who are having difficulty finding stable housing because of bad credit or a poor rental history. Even if things are better now, it can be hard to get away from a past eviction or because of property damage that you couldn’t fix.

Consisting of six classes taught by qualified instructors from the community, Second Chance gives you the opportunity to learn about landlord-tenant issues, conflict resolution, energy education, money management, goal setting, and the characteristics of a good tenant.

This education program prepares you for the responsibilities of renting and gives you the skills necessary to be the kind of tenant your landlord will hate to lose!

Second Chance prepares you to approach landlords with confidence and encourages landlords to view prospective tenants with a more open mind.

Those who successfully complete the class will receive a Certificate of Completion and a Letter of Recommendation to attach to future rental applications.

Pre-registration is required. To register, or for more information about Second Chance, visit CSC’s website at www.communityservices.us or contact Cindy Pratt-DeMarzo at 541-758-2632 for Linn and Benton counties, and Kacy Jensen at 541-574-2281 in Lincoln County.

UPCOMING SECOND CHANCE CLASSES: CORVALLIS


Mondays and Wednesdays from 1:00 - 3:00pm at 545 SW 2nd St., Suite A in Corvallis. Registration deadline is Monday, October 6.

• Monday, 10/13- How to be a Good Tenant
• Wednesday, 10/15 - Landlord/Tenant Issues
• Monday, 10/20 - Energy Education
• Wednesday, 10/22- Conflict Resolution
• Monday, 10/27 - Goal Setting
• Wednesday, 10/29 - Basic Budgeting   

HEART to Heart Resource Fair on May 16

The Albany Homeless Enrichment and Rehabilitation Team (HEART) and Community Services Consortium will host the ninth annual HEART to Heart Resource Fair Thursday, May 15, 2014, for individuals and families in Linn County who are homeless or living in poverty. The event is scheduled from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Boys & Girls’ Club of Albany, 1215 Hill Street SE.

Representatives of more than 40 organizations will provide information and help with disability or Social Security benefits; identification; finding a job; health care; housing; help with rent or utility bills; alcohol and drug treatment; and special housing, medical, and employment programs for veterans.

Individuals who need dental care can see a dentist at the Club’s dental clinic for extractions and examinations, first-come, first-served, from 8:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Stylists from SuperCuts will give free haircuts, volunteers from SafeHaven Humane Society will have some pet supplies to give away, and a bicycle mechanic will be on hand to do quick tune-ups.

A limited number of reading glasses, sunglasses, daily living kits, shoes, new socks, items for children, and first-aid kits will be available. Love INC will provide lunch.

The Resource Fair began in June 2006 when the City of Albany cleared out a long-established homeless camp in Simpson Park. The HEART Board of Directors includes representatives of local health and human service agencies, homeless shelters and advocates, the City of Albany, faith-based organizations, and Albany businesses.

For more information about the event, contact 541-917-7507.