CSC Saves Low-Income Residents Money While Supporting the Local Economy

Thanks to Community Services Consortium (CSC), both low-income residents and local businesses are benefitting from green technology installations in Corvallis, Albany, and Newport. The design and installation of 282 kilowatts of solar photovoltaic (PV) arrays were made possible through CSC’s Sustainable Energy Resources for Consumers Program (SERC).



Solar PV panels at Community Outreach, Inc. in Corvallis

Between July 2011 and March 2012, solar PV panels were installed in 10 single-family residences and three multi-family buildings. The multi-family buildings include Samaritan Village, an 82-unit senior living facility located in Corvallis; Pelican Place, a 12-unit building housing domestic abuse victims and the homeless in Newport; and Albany Helping Hands, a homeless shelter in Albany.

The solar PV systems are grid-connected, non-battery systems, which is the least expensive option to install. The system is connected to the electric provider, so any excess energy can be sold back to the provider in the form of credits or sent to Oregon HEAT, a local energy assistance program.

All labor for the projects was sourced in Oregon. Five separate Oregon solar companies were employed, and twice that many in electrical and mechanical subcontractors.



Workers install solar PV panels at Albany Helping Hands

All solar modules, inverters, and balance of systems were either made in America or Oregon. Some Oregon manufacturers used include SolarWorld and Sharp for solar modules, and Advanced Energy for inverters. More than $1 million was spent on labor and materials for the projects, which has provided a great boost for Oregon businesses. 

The SERC program, an extension of the CSC’s Weatherization Department, provides renewable energy measures to reduce electricity expenses to agencies serving people who are at 200% or below the poverty threshold.

CSC’s Weatherization Assistance Program accompanies SERC by providing energy audits and applied energy saving measures to improve local energy savings. Energy conservation and efficiency measures ensure that the solar electric renewable energy measure yields maximum energy savings.

The US Department of Energy funds the SERC program. They, along with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, provided $90 million nationwide ($7 million to Oregon) for SERC projects. CSC was one of just five agencies to receive funds from Oregon Housing and Community Services based on our outstanding record of service.

2012 Resource Jam of Linn County

The third annual Resource Jam of Linn County was held on October 10, 2012 at the Linn County Fair & Expo Center. Sponsored by Community Services Consortium (CSC), this annual event brings together social service providers from all over the county to hear about programs each organization has to offer low-income residents of Linn County.

Presentations were made by 16 different agencies and organizations, including speakers representing different CSC departments. The aim is to let providers know what other services are being offered in the county so that they can direct their clients to the right resources. Tables were set up for each organization to provide brochures, posters, business cards and other printed materials for attendees to pick up and share with co-workers. A total of 66 people were in attendance, representing 29 local agencies and organizations. The event was very well received and will continue as an annual event. 

If your organization would like to participate in next year’s Resource Jam, contact Dina Eldridge at CSC: 541-928-6335, ext. 324 or deldridge@communityservices.us.

Senator Wyden Visits Philomath Gleaning Program





Sen.Wyden with Philomath HS seniorTimmy Thomas and
his mom, Trish. (Amanda Cowan/Mid-Valley Sunday)

A recent article in the Corvallis Gazette Times highlights Senator Ron Wyden's visit to the Philomath Community and the local gleaning program. 

 

CSC's Linn Benton Food Share thanks Senator Wyden for his kind words regarding gleaners and for his work on poverty issues.

Gleaning and Volunteer Programs Coordinator Susan James has coordinated the gleaning program for Linn Benton Food Share for the past eleven years.  "I believe it is a wonderful opportunity for low-income people to help themselves and others," James said, "Our gleaning program consists of 14 gleaning groups in Linn and Benton Counties with a membership of over 6,800 low-income members."

Every other Wednesday, over 70 gleaners spend the day at the Linn Benton Food Share warehouse repackaging over 9,000 pounds of donated bulk frozen vegetables into family size portions. The vegetables are then distributed throughout the 14 gleaning groups as well as shared with local food pantries and soup kitchens. The gleaning repacks start at 10:00 a.m. and the gleaners usually finish repacking the vegetables around 1:00 p.m. After the repack , the groups return to their distribution sites and distribute the nutritious vegetables to their members and other agencies.

Linn Benton Food Share Gleaning Repack Schedule for Fall 2012:

Wednesday, September 5^th

Wednesday, September 19^th
Wednesday, October 3^rd
Wednesday, October 17^th
Wednesday, October 31^st
Wednesday, November 14^th
Wednesday, November 28^th
Wednesday, December 12th

For more information contact

Susan James, Gleaning and Volunteer Programs Coordinator

Linn Benton Food Share

545 SW 2nd Street, Suite A

Corvallis OR 97333

541-758-2645

Donate to Linn Benton Food Share

Loan Preservation Assistance Now Open to Distressed Homeowners

Distressed homeowners in Linn and Lincoln Counties can now apply for the Loan Preservation Assistance program at www.oregonhomeownerhelp.org.

Loan Preservation Assistance is the newest program offered by the Oregon Homeownership Stabilization Initiative designed to help Oregon homeowners that have recovered from a financial hardship but have past-due payments threatening foreclosure. The Loan Preservation Assistance program will preserve their existing mortgage by paying off past due payments and fees in order to bring their mortgage current. By doing so, homeowners are more likely to avoid foreclosure.

For qualified applicants, the Loan Preservation Assistance program will make a one-time payment for the total amount of past due payments and fees up to $20,000, the maximum dollar limit, which will be sent directly to their mortgage lender or servicer to bring their mortgage current.

The Loan Preservation Assistance program has new opportunities to apply every two weeks on Wednesdays at noon, please check the program page at www.oregonhomeownerhelp.org for availability schedule. The program was initially available as a pilot in select counties, but is now open to all homeowners in the state of Oregon. Community Services Consortium is the local program provider for homeowners in Linn County at our Albany office, and in Lincoln County through our Newport office.

The Oregon Homeownership Stabilization Initiative website provides helpful information about the application process, including a how-to video that answers the most common questions about the program. To learn more watch the “How to Apply” video and take the eligibility questionnaire and to apply visit www.oregonhomeownerhelp.org.

Once launched statewide, the Loan Preservation Assistance program aims to help an estimated 2,000 Oregon homeowners avoid foreclosure. The Oregon Homeownership Stabilization Initiative is managed by Oregon Housing and Community Services and has already provided more than $60 million in assistance to more than 4,500 Oregon homeowners.

Homeowners without internet access can visit Community Services Consortium in Albany at 250 Broadalbin Street SW, Suite 2A or in Newport at 120 NE Avery Street or call 503.986.2025 for alternative solutions.

CSC Career Tech Whiz Kid Banking on Business Education

Star Carrera (left). Photo by Jim Fossum/News Guard

By Jim Fossum, The News Guard

Estrella "Star" Carrera attended Career Tech High School to help identify a business she might be interested in pursuing, and — for the time being, at least — she's done that.

Some day, she hopes to own one.

Barrera is among a group of middle- and high school-age students or recent graduates who have taken advantage of the Neighbors For Kids' Youth Entrepreneurship Program designed to open doors for aspiring youth to get started in the business field.

"My dream is to one day own a business," said Barrera, who has developed “Starlicious Cookies and Treats.” “So, it's definitely shown me that you need a lot of effort and help from all the people you can get. It's showed me how to manage a business, how to actually run a business."

The second-year program, which utilizes skills and business practices learned from Network For Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE, pronounced nifty) curriculum, is designed to inspire youth from low-income communities to recognize lucrative financial opportunities and plan for successful futures.

For the full story, pick up the Sept. 12 edition of The News Guard or read it online.

 

Note: The News Guard article mispelled Carrera's last name with a "B" instead of a "C".

 

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/