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

Runners & Walkers: Save the Date July 14, 2012

The second annual Barrel to Keg Relay will be July 14th, 2012. Starting at the Harris Bridge Vineyard in Philomath, Oregon, teams of 2,4, and 6 runners will split the 110K distance over 12 legs. Walking teams will go half the distance: six legs.

This is a scenic relay through the beautiful back country of the Oregon Coast Range, starting from Philomath wine country, over the majestic Yaquina Bay Bridge to the famous Rogue Ales Brewery at Newport’s South Beach Marina.

CSC is participating in a new foreclosure prevention program

The Mortgage Payment Assistance Unemployment Program (MPA-U) is a new foreclosure prevention program from the Oregon Homeownership Stabilization Initiative (OHSI). MPA-U helps approved homeowners pay their mortgages for up to one year, or up to $20,000, whichever comes first. MPOA-U is available to qualified homeowners that are currently receiving Unemployment Insurance.

Program qualifications include, but are not limited to:
Participant must be receiving Unemployment Insurance at the time of application
Participant property must be a single-family, detached residence
Participant property must be a primary residence
Participant may not be in active bankruptcy

Take the eligibility test
An online eligibility test with full eligibility information and a program application is available on
http://www.oregonhomeownerhelp.org/
Community Services Consortium will be processing applications and supporting participants through the program in Linn and Lincoln counties.
Willamette Neighborhood Housing will assist participants in Benton County

Open House for Volunteers at the Food Share Warehouse

Susan James, CSC Gleaning and Volunteer Coordinator at Linn Benton Food Share program holds Open House for volunteers on the last Thursday of the month from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at the the Linn Benton Food Share warehouse in Tangent. The next open house will be February 23rd, 6pm - 8pm. The warehouse is located at 33747 Looney Lane, Tangent 97389.

“Everyone is welcome,” said Susan “It is a good chance to see if you like volunteering. We usually repackage bulk food such as rice or cereal. Sometimes we sort and box canned food.
People from all over the community work together for a couple of hours. We couldn’t do our job of providing food to people who need it without the help of hundreds of volunteers and thousands of volunteer hours.

Some of the reasons people volunteer are:
I want to teach my daughter about community service.
I think community service is important. I have time and so I thought this is how I should be spending it. Food Share is an essential program.
I find it disturbing how easy it is for a family to fall into poverty and I want to help.

CSC Homebuyer Workshops in Lincoln County

This eight hour workshop helps prospective homebuyers learn how to successfully navigate the home buying process.

If you’re planning on buying a home in the next few months or next few years—this class is for you. Learn how to search for and evaluate homes, work with housing industry professionals and gain knowledge and confidence with the home purchase process. You’ll receive a certificate at the end of class that may help you to qualify for a number of assistance programs.

Tuesday & Thursday, Feb. 7, 9 14 & 16
6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Umpqua Bank
1250 North Coast Hwy, Newport

Tuesday & Thursday Apr. 17, 19, 24 & 26
6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Beacon Crest Apartments Family Center
2897 NE 47th St., Lincoln City

Register by emailing Beth Larsen at blarsen@communityservices.us or calling 541-704-7647

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.

Show your love for Dutch Bros coffee and Linn Benton Food Share!

On Valentine's Day, Feb 14, all 16 oz drinks can be had for $1.00 and three cans of food at Dutch Bros. locations in Albany, Corvallis, Lebanon and Sweet Home

Food collected during this one-day drive benefits Linn Benton Food Share and it's network of 74 agencies.

Healthy Kids Window Display at Footwise

Jeannie Ramsey, CSC Healthy Kids Coordinator, and Maria Powell, CSC Intern, collaborated on a window display to promote the Healthy Kids program in Corvallis.

The Display, designed by Maria, will be in the Footwise shoe store window on the corner of Monroe and Third streets in Corvallis until the mid-February.

Healthy Kids provides healthcare coverage for Oregon residents up to their 19th birthday. For more information on the program, contact Jeannie at 541-928-6335 ex. 335, or jramsey@communityservices.us

Trevor Thibert, 9 years old has a history of donating to Food Share

Trevor Thibert last year at age 8 when he donated $404.32 to Food Share from his earnings at the farmer's market and a match from his grandfather.

Trevor Thibert, aged 9, donated to Linn Benton Food Share for the third year in a row. He played his fiddle with his grandfather at the Corvallis Farmer’s Market this summer to raise money for Linn Benton Food Share. Last year he raised around $202 at the market which his grandfather matched for a $404 donation. Three years ago he asked his friends to bring a donation of canned food for Food Share to his birthday party instead of presents.

This year Trevor reached his goal of earning $250 (plus 66 cents) at the Corvallis Saturday Farmer’s market and talked his father’s boss into matching his donation with a check for $250.66. Trevor and his brother, Brayden and their parents brought their donation of $501.32 to Linn Benton Food Share this month.

Linn Benton Food Share salutes you, Trevor. The money will go to buy nutritious food for people in Linn and Benton counties who need the food this winter.

Cheadle Challenge Adventure Run Volunteers

Throughout late October and early November, CSC YouthBuild AmeriCorps students volunteered over 15 hours to help the Lebanon Community Foundation (LCF) prepare for the first-ever Cheadle Challenge Adventure Run that occurred on November 12, 2011. The event was held at Lebanon Community Park near Cheadle Lake and funds raised will benefit the LCF, as well as the Oregon Military Support Network. Over 300 runners participated in Cheadle Challenge, including eight YouthBuild students who were given complementary registrations by the LCF as a gracious thank you for students’ efforts. Such efforts included trimming blackberry bushes and removing brush to clear several trails along the course of the Adventure Run. In addition, students assisted with creating obstacles and even built an 8-foot tall wall which runners had to climb over during the first mile of the 3.6-mile race!

AmeriCorps*VISTA Team Spends the Day Learning About Homelessness in Benton County and Giving Back

CSC’s Building BridgesAmeriCorps-*Vista Leader, Katherine Finch, right, gives the fridge a thorough washing, while Melissa Poole, left, VISTA member at ChristWalk Supportive Transitional Housing in Lebanon helps organize the cabinets.

Last month, on November 16th, the ‘Building Bridges’ VISTA team gathered together for an educational, entertaining and service-filled team day.

The group started their day at Community Outreach Inc.(COI), a local agency that provides services and assistance to the homeless and poor individuals in the mid-Valley area. They toured the facility and learned about its services and resources from Volunteer Coordinator, Gerry Perrone.

They moved on to COI’s Supportive Permanent Housing Program, located in Benton Plaza. They assisted Case Manager and Coordinator, Angie Dahlke, clean, organize and decorate the community room for the holiday season. The team was joined by residents of the housing units for a hot apple cider social, accompanied with holiday-themed games and goodies made by the programs women’s group.

After a dinner at Downward Dog restaurant, that was graciously partially donated by the restaurants’ owner, Cloud Davidson, the members headed to the Oregon State Campus to attend the OSU Center for Civic Engagement’s faces of Homelessness Panel Discussion. Representatives from Jackson Street Youth Shelter, COI, OSU’s Human Services Resource Center and community members shared their personal and work-related experiences with the issues of hunger and homelessness. Commissioner Jay Dixon provided attendees with an update to the progress on “Benton County’s 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness.”

The day was considered to be a huge success by all, and the team parted knowing a little more about homelessness and poverty in Benton County. They felt positive about being able to give back through their volunteer project.

CSC Open House

Martha Lyon, Executive Director and Sharon Barricks from Citizens Bank at Greeter meeting at CSC.

Albany Greater Area Chamber of Commerce held their Greeters meeting at Community Services Consortium at 250 Broadalbin, Albany on the second floor of Two Rivers Market. The Greeters meeting paved the way for CSC’s Open House held from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00.

Sharon Barricks from Citizens Bank won a prize for guessing the increase of emergency food box requests July through September over the same period last year. The correct answer was 15%.

Executive director Martha Lyon hosted the event and talked about CSC’s services to low-income families in Linn, Benton and Lincoln counties.

The consortium is one of 18 community action networks statewide. It offers programs in energy, housing, education and nutrition. The Albany regional office is on the second floor of Two Rivers Market.

For more information about Community Services Consortium, call 541-928-6335 or email albany@communityservices.us.