National Letter Carriers Food Drive a Success

Volunteers sort food on the dock of the Albany Post Office under the supervision of Ryan McCambridge, Linn Benton Food Share Coordinator, on the day of the carriers food drive.

In another successful nationwide food drive, the National Association of Letter Carriers collected 70.2 million pounds of food on May 14, at a time when hunger is a growing problem.

In Linn and Benton counties, the Letter Carriers Food food drive was under last years results by -19.83 percent.

These are the local community results.

Corvallis: 28,053 pounds of food
Albany: 25,418
Lebanon: 9,635
Total: 63,106

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

Free Dental Clinic in Albany

Announcing a Free Dental Clinic for Children ages 5-18 at the Boys & Girls Club of Albany. The Boys & Girls Club is located at 1215 Hill St SE, Albany OR 97322. 541-926-6666, Contact Danielle Monday through Friday 9:30-5.

Danielle Smith, Health Service Coordinator, Boys & Girls Club of Albany
541-223-3925 or Email:Danielle@bgc-albany.org

HEART to Heart Resource Fair Serves 154

A Young boy admires his free haircut given by SuperCuts at the Resource Fair.

Community Services Consortium participated in the The May 12th HEART to Heart Resource Fair for the homeless and others living in poverty in Linn and Benton counties. The fair was held at the Boys and Girls Club in Albany and was the largest Resource Fair to date with 154 people checked in.

CSC's Emergency Services gave out 132 pairs of reading and sunglasses glasses, assisted 20 people with Identification applications, and talked to people who are homeless about housing. Other CSC staff gave out information about Healthy Kids medical insurance for children without insurance, participating in employment programs, birth certificate applictions and telling their stories.

Larry Larios and Connie Barkdull from Community Services Consortium help people apply for birth certificates. They speak with a young mother at the Resource Fair

The event was sponsored by the Albany Homeless Enrichment and RehabilitationTeam (HEART. Besides CSC, among other agencies represented were Super Cuts, the Department of Motor Vehicles, Social Security, Veterans Administration, Linn County Alcohol and Drug Treatment, Albany Helping Hands, the Corvallis Bicycle Collective and many other agencies.

Community Housing Services Foreclosure Program

Jon Polansky and Sandi Brantner, HUD Foreclosure Counselors at CSC.

A Foreclosure counseling client recently said “It was a miracle. We were just one day away from losing our home to foreclosure when a friend gave us a number they had seen on a CSC brochure. We called CSC in sheer desperation and by the next morning foreclosure counselors had contacted our bank. Not only were they able to get the foreclosure stopped but they advocated for us and we were able to modify the loan terms to half the interest rate we had been paying. We couldn't even get the same person at the bank to talk to us. We are in our home today because of Jon Polansky and the Foreclosure program."

Although most of the problems are not as dramatic and not all foreclosure issues will be resolved in this way, Jon Polansky and Sandi Brantner, from CSC’s Community Housing Services Foreclosure Program, know banking, loan, and foreclosure issues. Because they have HUD training in foreclosure and have backgrounds in lending, they know the language. They can help you see all your options and advocate on your behalf. If you would like to talk to a foreclosure counselor, call (541) 758-2630.

CSC 'Building Bridges' now accepting applications for VISTA Members

A former Americorps*VISTA team at CSC.

The CSC ‘Building Bridges’ AmeriCorps*VISTA Program is now accepting applications for VISTA Members. This is a great opportunity to learn new skills, give back to your community, and to fight homelessness in Linn, Benton, and Lincoln counties. VISTA Members serve full time for one year and receive a living allowance of $858/month, preventative health coverage, student loan forbearance, $5,350 for school loans or future education, and much more! It is a life changing experience! Contact Tifani Erpelding at 541-758-2641 or terpelding@communityservices.us.

CSC Clients Benefit From Computer Donations

Community Services Consortium’s Emergency Services Program and Information Technology department worked together to pass on donated computers to clients. Two families who received the donations came to our attention.

One young family moved to Oregon to care for a dying family member with promises of housing and employment. Unfortunately, after their family member died, they were left with no housing or job. The couple spent a cold winter with their toddler in a borrowed van which they parked on a street. They have since transitioned to CSC permanent housing with goals for self-sufficiency which include schooling for the mother in business management.

The father of the family is on disability and has new medical issues leaving the couple to worry about his ability to care for their child while the mother is in school. The donated computer makes a huge difference in their lives, by allowing the mother to stay at home, take on-line classes for her pre-requisite courses and monitor her husband’s health issues. It gives them both confidence they can move toward achieving their family goals.

A mother and daughter were the second household to receive a computer. They left a domestic violence situation to live with a family member, but moved to a local shelter when it didn’t work. After a referral, CSC found the mother’s achievement goals were a match for sustainable employment and a transition to permanent CSC housing.

Mother and daughter have been walking to the city library after school to work on the library computers for school work. Both their lives have been greatly improved after receiving a donated computer. They won’t be rushed by the library’s hour limit on computers, the daughter can complete her homework in an unhurried manner, and the mother can begin her
pre-requisite course work on-line at home before fall registration and the path toward her career goal.

CSC acknowledges the powerful impact the donated computers have had on these two households and many thanks are sent the donor’s way.

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.”

Leadership Corvallis Volunteers at Linn Benton Food Share Warehouse

Elizabeth Westland welcomes Leadership Corvallis team members.

Leadership Corvallis repackaged and sorted food at the Linn Benton Food Share Warehouse on April 26th.

“Many hands make light work as the proverb goes,” said Elizabeth Westland, a member of Leadership Corvallis who called upon Leadership members And their families to volunteer for the warehouse event. “We are gaining personal experience as volunteers and helping people who need food.

“We appreciate the work of Leadership Corvallis,” said Susan James, Linn Benton Food Share Volunteer& Gleaning Coordinator . “They were enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers who repacked and sorted close to 5,000 pounds of pounds of food.”

Linn Benton Food Share is a program of Community Services Consortium, the Community Action Agency of Linn, Benton and Lincoln counties.

CSC Information Technology Department Upgrades the Server Room

Community Services Consortium's IT Department has an ideal combination of spirit, they work hard and they love fun! This combination worked for them one Saturday in late March when they spent 12 hours to upgrade, spiff up and organize the server room with donated equipment and expertise.

Under the supervision of Elaine Lahey, Director of the CSC IT department, Larry Larios and Randy McKay, CSC employees , worked with JJ Maclean and Rob Rotert of Catalyst Technology Group who donated their time as consultants on the server room project.

Fred Long, Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Trustee in Eugene and customer of Catalyst, donated the server rack enclosure, which has been key to the upgrade, as you will see by following this link to a video by Elaine Lahey called The Server Rack Project.

Community Services Consortium Receives Grant to Train Low Income Teens

Sue McGuire-thompson, Albany CSC Operations Manager receives a grant award from South Albany High School Community 101 program for $975. The grant money will provide job/work skills and experience for teens with low income through the River JAVA Coffee Kart.

Community 101, a program of The Oregon Community Foundation, with major support from the PGE Foundation, is a classroom based program that provides students opportunities to be involved in their communities through grantmaking and volunteering.

Students work together to identify community needs, research nonprofits, conduct site visits, review grant applications and make funding decisions. Each classroom has $5,000 to award in grants to community nonprofits.
C101 represents an innovative collaboration of schools, businesses and charitable organizations. Students acquire the tools to bring about positive change in their communities.

Artists Donate Mural For Lincoln City Head Start Site

Mural Artists Rory Lehrman, right, and Evan Peterson, left

Community Services Consortium's and the Lincoln County Head Start program are the recipient's of Newport mural artists, Rory Lehrman and Evan Peterson. They painted the beautiful murals at the CSC Head Start Lincoln City and and Newport sites. The mural at Lincoln City was finished in time for the dedication ceremony of naming the Head Start building for Dean-Stephen Kauffman.

The community minded artists from Newport donated their work. They were also assisted by film-maker, Devin robinson. Community Services Consortium and CSC's Lincoln County Head Start Program are honored to be a recipient of their creativity.

CSC Honors Dean-Stephen-Kauffman in Lincoln City

Photo to Left Lincoln County Commissioner Don Lindly, Dean-Stephen Kauffman, Lincoln County Commissioner Bill Hall, CSC Lincoln County Head Start Director, Suzanne Miller, and CSC Executive Director Martha Lyon.

Photo Right, Dean Stephen and Suzanne Miller.

A CSC Head Start event to honor Dean-Stephen Kauffman couldn’t have picked a nicer day on April 8th. The sun was shining and over 80 people came to honor the Lincoln County Head Start benefactor. Because Dean-Stephen's work has been so instrumental in bringing the Head Start School in Lincoln City to a high level of parental involvement and academic achievement, the school was named in his honor.

Eleven of Dean-Stephen's family from San Francisco and from around the State came to participate in the festivities. CSC governing board members and Lincoln County Commissioners Bill Hall and Don Lindly, Lincoln City Mayor Dick Anderson, CSC Executive Director Martha Lyon, and Annie Soto, Executive Director of Head Start Lane County all spoke of the life-long philanthropic work of Dean-Stephens.

CSC Lincoln County Head Start Director Suzanne Miller was the Master of Ceremony, "This is our chance to honor and thank Dean-Stephen Kauffman, he is an exceptional humanitarian and has been an extraordinary mentor to parents and staff at Head Start." A plaque that dedicates the school building to him will hang in the school vestibule.