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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 15, 2020)
Wednesday, January 15, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon HOMELESS: Definition is more expansive than many are aware Continued from page 1 liaison. She explained that this term includes children and youth who are: " Sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hard- ship, or a similar reason (sometimes referred to as <doubled-up=). " Living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camp- ing grounds due to lack of alternative adequate accommodations. " Living in emergency or transitional shelters, or aban- doned in hospitals. " Staying in a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings. " Living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard hous- ing, bus or train stations, or similar settings. " Migratory children who qualify as homeless because they are living in circum- stances described above. Under law, homeless chil- dren and youth have certain rights and protections to help ensure that they have access to education and other ser- vices. This includes transpor- tation to school, any services for which the child/youth is eligible including nutrition, talented and gifted support, English language programs, special education, and more. Family Access Network is an important support for many of the families who are defined as being homeless, according to Cooper. FAN assists with school supplies, clothing (including winter coats and supplies), accessing healthcare, and much more. Cooper says that the biggest misunderstanding locally is that many people do not know that Sisters has an issue with homelessness among children and youth. People may not be able to see or know that we do have chil- dren living in vehicles and in tents or are doubling up in houses with other families. Last year 22 of the students fell in the <unsheltered= cat- egory, while 12 were doubled up and seven were <unac- companied= individuals. Unaccompanied means that a minor is somewhere without a parent or legal guardian. Not surprisingly, accord- ing to statewide data for Oregon, homeless students lag in attendance rates at school and subsequently do not perform as well on measures of learning or on being on track to graduate on time. However, according to the Oregon Department of Education, the gap has less- ened in recent years, in part because of better awareness and support on the part of school districts. Theresa Slavkovsky, who works for FAN as a family advocate along with Cooper, said, <Any homeless client (individual, child, family, couple) is served in the same manner as any client com- ing to FAN. The process of a simple intake and then refer- ral to local, county, and/or state services to assist with their situation.= She says that she has seen the arrival of more affordable housing helping previously homeless families. The source for immedi- ate help locally for people lacking shelter in the winter months is the Sisters Cold Weather Shelter, which opens each evening dur- ing the coldest months for people, including families in need of protection from the winter elements. Doors open at 6 p.m. A meal is provided in the evening along with a warm, safe place to sleep if people choose to stay the night. Operation of the shelter is shared by some churches in Sisters. According to the NeighborImpact website, the Sisters shelter will be held at the New Hope Christian Center campus, which is man- aged by Westside Church, through February 1 before rotating to the Church of the Transfiguration Episcopal Church. Both facilities are located on Trinity Way west of downtown Sisters. So far this year, the shelter has not housed any children according to John Miller, one of the volunteers. Volunteers with the shel- ter have also helped people acquire shelter, including a couple of camp trailers and cold-weather gear, which has resulted in fewer people com- ing in for help at the shelter itself, according to Miller.. In addition, the relatively mild weather has kept the numbers at the shelter rela- tively low this winter, aver- aging fewer than six people checking in per night for a meal or to stay over. For those seeking more information about resources for the homeless, the Homeless Leadership Coalition is a regional service provider for homeless people. Their website has a compre- hensive list of resources for individuals and families, as well as information on how to volunteer to help. Says Cooper, <As a com- munity we want to make sure people 4 children and youth in particular 4 are provided with shelter, food, safety and education here in Sisters.= The Nugget Newspaper Crossword By Jacqueline E. Mathews, Tribune News Service — Last Week’s Puzzle Solved — This Week’s Crossword Sponsors WELL PUMP SERVICE Pump & Electrical Contractor PRESSURE TANKS • CONSTANT-PRESSURE SYSTEMS FREQUENCY DRIVES • MOTOR CONTROLS • PUMPS A Division of 24-HOUR EMERGENCY SERVICE Sisters Owned CCB#178543 Zach 541-420-8170 Head-to-Toe Glow Stone Crop Restorative Bodywrap & Treatment • Full-body exfoliation buffs away dry, itchy skin • Soothing restorative wrap detoxifi es, hydrates • Contouring body cream targets fat cells Enjoy a 30-minute LED facial as wrap processes. $ 125 Essentials Skincare Karen Keady Esthetician/Owner 541-480-1412 | 492 E. Main Ave. Mon-Sat Flexible Hours | SistersEssentials.com 19