CSC Helps the Homeless

Albany Partnership for Housing and Community Development acquired and rehabilitated two properties with the help of the Community Services Consortium. 

The residences are available to Albany’s homeless who are trying to redirect their lives. Those staying at the locations will have the opportunity to learn a variety of life skills such as parenting, personal finance and budgeting.

The Albany City Council voted unanimously to exempt the two properties owned by the Albany Partnership for Housing and Community Development from paying city property taxes.


For more information click on the Albany Democrat Herald article.

Welcome to HandsOn Willamette!

After careful consideration, HandsOn Linn Benton and our counterpart to the north, HandsOn Mid-Willamette Valley, have made the decision to join forces and become HandsOn Willamette. Similar missions and a united goal to help volunteers flex their amazing muscles throughout the community made this a very easy decision for all involved.

So what does this mean for you? Well not very much will change. You will still have access to the wide variety of service opportunities on the HandsOn website. You will still be able to track your volunteer hours in your HandsOn account. However, you will need to update your bookmarks! HandsOn’s web address has changed to www.HandsOnW.org. You now will also see opportunities across Linn, Benton, Marion, Polk and Yamhill Counties. All of your volunteer opportunities, connections and service records are saved there. You just need to reset your password to access your volunteer account. Enter your username in the Login box in the top right corner and click “Forgot Password.” A temporary password will be emailed to you. If you happen to have a HandsOn account with HandsOn Linn Benton and HandsOn Mid-Willamette Valley, let us know! We can merge the two together to make it easier for you to be a volunteer superhero spanning the valley.

Thank you for your support of HandsOn Linn Benton over the years. We are so excited to see what the coming years will bring as HandsOn Willamette. If you have any other questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to drop us a line. We are here for YOU, the volunteer!

Want to know more? Check out this article in the Statesman Journal.

Defense and Offense Matter in Football and in Preventing Improper Payments

By Alan Edwards, Social Security Public Affairs

Making proper Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments is no game. But improving our accuracy has some similarities to a good football strategy. You’ve got to be strong on both defense and offense.

Social Security is committed to reducing improper payments. Our goal has always been to pay the right person the right amount at the right time. And we’re highly successful at doing that.

In paying retirement, survivors, and disability benefits to more than 55 million people each month, our accuracy rate is over 99 percent. When it comes to Supplemental Security Income – the means-tested program for elderly, disabled and blind people who have limited income and resources – our payment accuracy is about 91 percent.

As with a good game of football, we need a game plan to improve payment accuracy. Here is ours.

On offense, we check and recheck our benefit computations and recipient information. That’s done at kickoff, before we ever make a payment.

On defense, we have game plans, or strategies, to collect funds back from the person we improperly paid, especially if the error was the result of a beneficiary failing or incorrectly reporting an event that affects his or her payment amount. When an individual commits fraud in order to receive payments not due, we prosecute him or her to the fullest extent of the law.

We will continue to work on offense and defense in our efforts to perfect our game plan and to make each and every payment a touchdown. Learn more about what Social Security is doing to prevent improper payments by visiting our website on the subject at www.socialsecurity.gov/improperpayments.

If 2013 is Your Lucky Year to Retire, Perpare Now

By Alan Edwards, Social Security Public Affairs

Do you plan to begin receiving Social Security retirement benefits early in 2013? If so, now is the time to prepare. We recommend you apply up to four months before you want your retirement benefits to begin.

These days, you no longer need to travel to an office or wait in line to apply for benefits. You can do it from your home or office computer. The Social Security website at www.socialsecurity.gov makes the process easy and convenient.

You can complete your application for retirement benefits in as little as 15 minutes. In most cases, after you submit your online application electronically, that’s all you have to do. You’re done. There are no forms to sign or additional paperwork to complete. In rare cases where we need additional information, a representative will contact you.

Not ready to retire yet? Perhaps you want to plan ahead and begin considering your options regarding when to retire. In that case, you’ll want to visit Social Security’s website to use our convenient and informative retirement planner at www.socialsecurity.gov/retire2. Here you can find out just how close you are to meeting your financial goals and then “bookmark” the website to apply for retirement benefits whenever you are ready.

We encourage people at any stage in their working career to use the Retirement Estimator for an instant, personalized estimate of future retirement benefits. Find it at www.socialsecurity.gov/estimator.

Remember that you’re always first in line when you go online, to www.socialsecurity.gov.

Here’s to a lucky 2013. If you’re planning to retire and begin receiving Social Security benefits in January, start the year off right by applying online now for Social Security benefits.

CSC Wins Big for Albany Family!

  Submitted by: Jon Polansky Housing Resources Coordinator
Community Housing Services

A family that does not speak English (sister-in-law interpreted) was referred to Community Housing Services by a relative after being declined by their bank for a loan modification. They had been encouraged by a mortgage broker before the bubble burst to refinance their home with a first and second mortgage. They could no longer afford both mortgage payments and the value of the house was now equal to or less than the combined total of both mortgages. The hardship was caused by the husband losing his job in farming. His spouse has a seasonal job in a food processing plant. The husband is reemployed now as a janitor.

The Good News is:

These clients are currently approved for a trial payment plan that will lead to an affordable loan payment for their first mortgage. Their payment for the first mortgage is about to be reduced by $265 dollars per month for principal, interest, real estate taxes and insurance.

AND, the great news is:

The homeowners just received a letter from their bank stating their second mortgage of over $19,000 is being fully forgiven due to the Principal Foregiveness Program!

  

For more information about Community Housing Services contact:

Jon Polansky, Housing Resources Coordinator

Community Housing Services

250 West Broadalbin, Suite 2A

Albany, OR 97321

Ph: 541-704-7651

Toll Free Ph: 866-245-1780

Fax: 541-967-9307

Email: jpolansky@communityservices.us

Healthy Kids at the Corvallis Farmers Market

On Wednesday, July 18, Healthy Kids Coordinator Jeannie Ramsey hosted a Healthy Kids information table at the Corvallis Farmers Market. Coloring pages and crayons were available at a kid’s activity table, and flying discs were distributed.

If you know anyone under the age of 19 who is an Oregon resident and who is uninsured or underinsured, the Healthy Kids program can help.

Call or email Jeannie Ramsey at 541-928-6335 Ex. 335 jramsey@communityservices.us for more information and an application or renewal assistance, or stop by the Healthy Kids table at the Corvallis Farmers Market on Wednesday, September 19, 2012.

Lincoln County Head Start Enrolling Now!

A Note from the Director:

Hello Friends, (in Head Start everyone is referred to on site as a “friend”) - 

Due to the large waitlists last year we are encouraging everyone to apply early. Now is the time for anyone with children 3-5 who are eligible to apply. All Lincoln County Head Start sites (Lincoln City, Newport, Toledo) have applications stored outside the front doors. We can mail them and people can come on site to fill them out. Please encourage friends or family members who may be interested. Many thanks! Have a great week.

Suzanne Miller, PhD

Director Child Development Services/ Lincoln County Head Start

Community Services Consortium

http://www.communityservices.us/

Foreclosure Mediation Counseling offered for Lincoln County Homeowners

CSC has been awarded the contract to serve Lincoln County homeowners who are seeking pre-mediation counseling in Lincoln County. Last March, the state Legislature passed Senate bill 1552, which provides that homeowners facing a non-judicial foreclosure (i.e. not through a court proceeding) have the right to a mediation session with their mortgage holder to work out a settlement to their delinquent situation. Homeowners going to mediation must meet with a HUD approved foreclosure counselor, free of charge, prior to the mediation to go over how the process works, the options they have available regarding their mortgage, and assistance with filing the required paperwork prior to the session. Counselors may also accompany homeowners to the mediation session upon request. CSC will offer these pre-mediation counseling services to homeowners in Lincoln County.

Beginning July 11, homeowners who are in default will receive a letter from their mortgage holder explaining that the foreclosure process now includes the opportunity for mediation, where the homeowner and a representative of their mortgage holder can have a face to face meeting facilitated by a professional mediator, who is there to ensure that both sides are able to voice their concerns and come to an agreement on how the default will be handled. This process is aimed at giving the homeowner the opportunity to talk to a real person from their bank or mortgage servicing company who has decision making capability, instead of facing endless dead end phone calls and attempts to reach someone with authority at their lending institution.

Homeowners must pay $200 for the mediation session. Those who are low-income may request a waiver of this fee, and have it reduced to as low as $50. Pre-mediation and foreclosure counseling offered by CSC is free to all homeowners who request assistance, however.

Staff is being trained and will be in place to assist homeowners with pre-mediation counseling soon. In the meantime, anyone worried about possible foreclosure may call 1-866-245-1780 and speak with our HUD certified foreclosure counselor about their options.

Heartfelt Letter of Thanks to Linn Benton Food Share

Linn-Benton Food Share makes a difference in the lives of thousands of community members in need.  They supply and glean over a million pounds of food each year and have thousands of volunteers helping prevent hunger and providing food security.

Letter of Thanks to Linn-Benton Food Share

Barrel to Keg Fundraiser is a Huge Success!

July 14, 2012 - The Barrel to Keg Relay raised over $20,000 for the CSC's poverty fighting programs.  The final numbers are still being counted, after a long weekend of fundraising festivities.  The events kicked off with a Founders Dinner the night before the race, July 13, at Harris Bridge Vineyard, the starting line sponsor for the relay. This scenic country vineyard is the perfect setting to nestle into a relaxed evening among the vines.  Friends, sponsors and supporters enjoyed an evening of history, storytelling, great food and good friends all for a great cause.

Saturday morning the little country vineyard came to life with the buzz of 450 runners and walkers, piles of volunteers, and numerous family and friends gathered to cheer them on. The runners/walkers set out in waves to traverse the nearly 70 mile course through the backcountry. 




"Four Angry Beavers" take First Place Overall at the Barrel to Keg Relay 2012.

Most had teams of 6 people, and some with teams four sharing the distance through each of the 11 exchanges. But one team of "Four Angry Beavers" stood out!  They took the overall fastest finish with an average speed of 6.39 minutes per mile.  Rogue Ales Brewery in Newport's South Beach sponsored the Finish Line. Rogue's new warehouse was the perfect place for fun, music, food, massage, henna tatoos and beverages!  Even the Oregon Coast Roller Derby Girls skated around to add more fun and fundraising to the party!  For all the race results go to http://www.barreltokeg.com/  results tab.  Photos will be posted on the website soon.  To see photos immediately go to www.facebook.com/BTK.Relay

But that's not all, once the foot race was off and running, the folks at Harris Bridge Vineyard got to work on re-setting the place for the Barrel to Barrel Picnic to support CSC's fundraising efforts. Over 170 people participated in the picnic and enjoyed a fantastic afternoon.

CSC would like to thank all the sponsors, 80+ volunteers, and 450 runners and walkers for participating in the Barrel to Keg Relay and supporting Community Services Consortium's poverty fighting programs.

Next Year's race is set for the third Saturday in July:  Barrel to Keg 110K Relay, July 20, 2013.
For more information go to www.barreltokeg.com

Red, White and Blue BBQ! Fundraiser for RSVP

Check out the good eats of famous Chef Matt Bennet during the Red, White and Blue BBQ July 8 at 1 P.M. !!  Enjoy all the fun:  Silent Auction, Live Music, Great Food and Raffle Prizes.  A fun day to be have by all ages.  The amazing event is a fundraiser for RSVP.  Tickets are available at the Albany Chamber of Commerce, Sybaris Bistro, and Community Services Consortium's Albany RSVP Office.  For additional information call: 541-812-0849.

National Letter Carriers Food Drive Results

Linn Benton Food Share posted the results from the National Letter Carriers Food Drive held June 12.
This years total topped the results from last year.
Local community results.

Corvallis: 26,552 pounds; cash $330

Albany: 27,599; cash $270

Lebanon: 11,050

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the food drive. The food from the food drive stays in Linn and Benton counties.