Linn Benton Food Share receives grant from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation

(Photo Left) Steve Davey, Bank of America Market Executive and Corvallis Bank of America manager, Amy Kelsey-Johnson present a check to Mike Gibson, Director of Linn Benton Food Share. (Photo Right) Corvallis Bank of America volunters repackage dried beans at the Linn Benton Food Share warehouse.

"The Bank of America Charitable Foundation is pleased to support the important work of Linn Benton Food Share in feeding families,” said Steve Davey, Bank of America Consumer Market Executive for Greater Oregon. “We are committed to the work you do in our local communities and we are happy to participate in helping you this evening.”

Davey joined Corvallis Banking Center Manager Amy Kelsey-Johnson at the Linn Benton Food Share warehouse to present a check for $42,000 to Linn Benton Food Share on behalf of the Bank of America Charitable Foundation. The check was presented to Mike Gibson, Director of Linn Benton Food Share on Monday, February 28.

“The quality of our service depends on the support we get from the community. And that is why this $42,000 grant from Bank of America is so important to our ability to keep shelves stocked with food at our local food pantries and soup kitchens,” said Gibson.

Fifteen Bank of America employees from the Corvallis branch and family members joined the check presentation ceremony and stayed to volunteer to repack food after the event.

The grant funds will support general operating expenses to distribute food to individuals and families in need in Corvallis and surrounding rural areas. They will also help pay for purchasing staple goods for member agencies serving low income people and paying for fuel costs for picking and transporting food to the agencies such as soup kitchens and shelters.

“Thank you Bank of America for providing funding to help Linn Benton Food Share in its mission of reaching out to all sections of our community,” said Corvallis Mayor, Julie Manning. Mayor Manning was joined by Benton County Commissioner, Annabelle Jaramillo and CSC Executive Director, Martha Lyon in thanking Bank of America and volunteers at the warehouse.

CSC Announces Training and Development and New Hire

Training & Development

Jeni Wells-Whitney, (photo right) a Housing Finance Specialist at Community Services Consortium (CSC) in the Community Housing Services Program, received her Mortgage Loan Originator (MLO) License number (no. 339039) in December, 2010.
MLO licensure complies with the SAFE Act designed to enhance consumer protection and reduce fraud through the setting of minimum standards for the licensing and registration of state-licensed mortgage loan originators. The SAFE Act requires Mortgage Loan Originators to complete pre-licensure education courses, pass two qualified written exams covering federal and state law, and take annual continuing education courses.
Wells-Whitney has worked in the Housing Rehabilitation Loan Program at CSC for the past 16 years.

New Hire:
Community Services Consortium (CSC) welcomes Sandi Brantner (photo left) as a U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) certified Foreclosure Counselor in the Community Housing Services Program. Brantner joins Jon Polansky and Beth Larsen, Housing Resource Coordinators in assisting people with foreclosure counseling, mortgage mitigation, financial budgeting and first-time home buyer counseling.
Brantner has a background in banking and lending. She has worked in Linn and Benton counties as a mortgage loan officer/processor for the past 19 years.

Benton Homeless Connect

Benton Homeless Connect
March 11, 2011
10am – 3pm
First United Methodist Church
1165 Northwest Monroe Ave. Corvallis, OR

Benton Homeless Connect is one way of responding to the Benton County Ten Year Plan to Address Issues Surrounding Housing and Homelessness, which was adopted in 2009 by the Benton County Board of Commissioners.

The Homeless Connect event is based on national criteria established by the Interagency Council on Homelessness. The goal for the 2011 event is not only to provide essential services to Benton County’s homeless population but also to provide the community with a better understanding of the plight of the homeless and those who are close to becoming homeless.

This year’s event will include:

Lion’s Club Medical Screening

Medical Teams International Dental Van

Direct access to social service agencies that will be on hand to help guests with housing, food, and other essential services.

Government agencies that will provide access to identification cards, birth certificates, and social security cards.

Access to haircuts, pet services, bike repair, and more.

For more information or to volunteer, contact Maria McGrew:
541-766-6159 or Maria.McGrew@co.benton.or.us

CSC Hires Healthy Kids Coordinator for Lincoln County

(Photo to left) Cristina Simpson, Healthy Kids Coordinator in Lincoln County

(Photo to right) Tifani Erpelding, Healthy Kids Coordinator in Linn and Benton counties at Benton County Chamber of Commerce meeting.

Community Services Consortium welcomes Cristina Simpson to the Healthy Kids Program as a Healthy Kids Coordinator. Cristina will be serving Lincoln County with the children’s free or low cost insurance program.

“I am so enthusiastic to be working with families and children in Lincoln County,” said Cristina. “I think I’ve been an advocate for children since I was five. Even then, I knew how important it was to support children.”

Cristina has worked for many years with families and children as a social worker in schools and medical clinics. She and her husband served in Honduras in the Peace Corp and both speak Spanish.

Cristina moved to the Oregon coast over two years ago when her husband took a position as Education Specialist at Yaquina Head Light House. They moved from southern Arizona with their daughter.

Healthy Kids is a free or low-cost health care coverage for Oregon children between the ages of 0 - 18 years who don’t have health insurance.

In Lincoln County, call Cristina Simpson at (541) 921-8158.

Healthy Kids Coordinator, Tifani Erpelding recently hosted a table of Health Kids Program information at the Benton County Chamber of Commerce meeting.

If you live in Linn or Benton counties and are interested in the Healthy Kids Program, call (541)758-2620

Head Start Enrolling Now For Fall 2011

CSC Lincoln County Head Start Enrolling Now For Fall 2011

Your child can be enrolled during the school year.
Head Start is the cornerstone of pre-kindergarten education.
Head Start provides education, social and emotional growth, as well as ensuring medical and dental exams.

Head Start provides support and education to families and connections to many local and CSC services.
Call Now (541) 996-3028

Earned Income Tax Credit Can Put Money in Your Pocket

You could be eligible to get more money back from the IRS - as much as $5,666. If you earned less than $48,362 from wages, self-employment, or farming last year, you may qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit - or EITC.
EITC is a financial boost for working people hit by hard economic times. You may qualify for the first time if your financial, marital or parental status changed in 2010.
Eligibility is based on several factors, including the source and amount of your income, or combined income if married, whether you have qualifying children and how many. Workers without children also may qualify.
Four of five eligible people claim and get their EITC. Use IRS's online EITC Assistant to see if you qualify. If so, you must file to get it.

To get help• Go to http://•for free information and forms. And the interactive EITC Assistant can show you if you qualify.
• Visit a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance listed below for free help and tax preparation.
• Use Free File at www.irs.gov
• Find a qualified tax preparer.
• Call 1-800-TAX-3676 for free IRS publications and forms.
• Call 1-800-TAX-4059 if you have access to TTYTDD equipment for the hearing impaired.

Oregon also has an Earned Income Credit available if you qualify to claim the federal EITC. Your Oregon EIC is 6 percent of your federal EITC if you're a full-time resident and 6 percent of your federal EITC multiplied by your Oregon percentage if you're a part-year resident or nonresident. For example: If your federal credit is $400, your Oregon credit is $24 ($400 x 0.06).

Certificate of appreciation for providing affordable housing

Karen L. Chase, Regional Advisor, Department of Oregon Housing and Community Services(OHCS) presented a Certificate of Appreciation to Tom Hatley, Director of Community Services Consortium’s Housing and Community Services Program.

The Certificate of Appreciation goes to Pelican Place for providing affordable housing to Oregonians using Housing Plus dollars. CSC Housing and Community Services purchased and rehabilitated Pelican Place in Newport using a grant from OHCS.

Pelican Place opened in October of 2010. The apartment complex joins Tern House in Newport to shelter individuals and families who were formerly homeless. It will provide twelve units of permanent supportive housing.

Save the Date!

Join us for an important community discussion about aging

The Healthy Aging Coalition of Linn and Benton Counties will be holding community forums in Albany, Lebanon, and Corvallis in the first part of 2011. All community members are invited and encouraged to join the conversations on healthy aging in your community. We are planning on hosting three local community discussions, we ask you to consider attending a forum close to your home. Light snacks and beverages will be provided and car-pooling is encouraged.

Albany: Tuesday March 8th, 3pm to 5pm
at the Albany Senior Center, 489 Water Avenue NW

Lebanon: Tuesday March 29th, 3pm to 5pm
at the Lebanon Senior Center, 80 Tangent Street

Corvallis: Tuesday, February 22nd, 3pm to 5pm
at the Corvallis Senior Center, 26091 NW Tyler Avenue

For more information, contact: Shannon sproctor@ocwcog.org or call (541) 924-4542
Sponsored by HEALTHY AGING COALITION

This event made possible by a Community Health Priorities grant.

Run & Play-a-Thon

Crazy Eight 5K/10K Run & Play-A-Thon

At the Benton County Fairgrounds
Saturday, February 26th, 2011
Run & Play

Crazy Eight Family 5K/10K: 10:00 a.m.
Play-a-Thon 9:00 – 1:00 p.m.

Stroller Friendly 5k-loop it for 10K
Register for the race and get into our Play-a-Thon for free
Call PEP for further information: (541) 766-6713

Fundraiser to benefit the Children of Parent Enhancement Program

Market of Choice kicks off scan program to help meet hunger needs

“This is a really easy opportunity for our customers to give back to their community in a very meaningful way,” said Market of Choice CEO Rick Wright.

(Left to right) Martha Clemons, South Corvallis Food Bank representative, Susan James, Linn Benton Food Share Gleaning and Volunteer Coordinator and Rick Wright, Market of Choice CEO inspect the scanning coupon display at the Corvallis Market of choice.

To help meet the hunger needs in the mid-Willamette Valley, CSC's Linn Benton Food Share's newest community partner, Market of Choice, launched a Scan Program that makes it easy for customers to contribute to Linn Benton Food Share when they shop for groceries.

Those who shop at Market of Choice at 9th & NW Circle Blvd in Corvallis can give to the food program by electing to scan a $1, $5, or $10 coupon, which is added to the customer’s total at checkout and then 100 percent is donated to Food Share. For tax purposes, the store receipt serves as documentation of the donation.

In addition, Market of Choice is donating approximately 5,500 pounds of food per month to Food Share. Donated food includes products that are close to code date but still perfectly fit for human consumption that would otherwise go to waste.

Market of Choice is one of six area grocers in Linn and Benton counties that contribute to Food Share’s Fresh Alliance and Food Rescue programs in this way. Food Share then distributes the food to emergency food pantries, soup kitchens, child and senior centers, shelters and gleaning groups.

“This is very high quality, nutritious food that would otherwise be unattainable to the food bank,” said Ryan McCambridge, CSC Linn Benton Food Share Coordintor.

Community Forum on Housing & Homelessness

February 8 at 7 PM
Corvallis Public Library, 645 NW Monroe, Corvallis

Report on Benton County’s Ten-Year Plan to address issues surrounding Housing and Homelessness
A year ago, the city and the county adopted a broad plan to address homelessness. It is now time to reflect on our progress. This forum is a report to the community on where we are and what is being planned.

Speakers:
Julie manning, Co-chair, Ten-Year Plan Oversight Committee
Mitch Anderson, Director, Benton County health Department
Aleita Hass-Holcombe, Chair, Corvallis Homeless Shelter Coalition
Kari Whitacre, Development Director, Community Outreach

Moderator:
Dagmar Johnson, League of Women Voers, Housing Policy Committee

Online Retirement Estimator Available in Spanish

By Alan Edwards, Social Security Public Affairs in Oregon

Social Security, which has a wealth of information in Spanish at www.segurosocial.gov, has launched its first interactive online service in Spanish: the Retirement Estimator. To publicize the website and the new Spanish-language service, Social Security has enlisted the help of the widely popular and well-respected host of Sábado Gigante, Don Francisco.
“I ask my many friends to go to www.segurosocial.gov, not only for themselves but also to help their loved ones,” said Don Francisco. “There is a lot of great information there. Estimating your benefits and learning about Social Security online in Spanish is so easy.” (Watch a short video with Don Francisco at www.segurosocial.gov/calculador.)
To learn more about the Retirement Estimator in Spanish, read our publication online at www.socialsecurity.gov/espanol/10516.html.
“The Spanish-language Retirement Estimator and the other information available on www.segurosocial.gov will help us provide a broader audience with important information they need to plan for a secure retirement,” said Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security