local business
february 9
"Touch the Heart of a Child” Fundraising Campaign Begins

The Friends of Sacagawea “Touch the Heart of a Child Auction and
Health Center volunteers are busy dis- Benefit” to be held on this year on May
tributing bright pink and gold hearts to 15 at the Olde School so that all pro-
local businesses for their annual Buy a grams may continue next year.
Heart and Touch the Heart of Child fund-
Said the Sacagawea Program
raiser. Pink hearts may be purchased at Director and St. Helens School District
various local merchants as well as the Nurse Robin Loper, RN, BSN, “This is a
health center for a dollar do-
nation and the gold hearts for
five. The center, which opened
in 2000 at the Lewis and Clark
grade school, is like having a
doctor’s office in the school.

Sacagawea Health Cen-
ter currently does not bill for
services and relies on a com-
bination of state funding, in-
kind services, private donations
grants and fundraising. Due to
budget cuts in the last year, Sa- Touch the Heart of a Child raises money for
cagawea has seen a substantial the Sacagawea Health Center in St. Helens
decrease in funding yet has been
able to continue this year with all ser- time above all times with all the layoffs
vices intact. The Friends of Sacagawea and uninsured families that we need to
hope to ramp up fundraising this year be running at full steam providing these
with an additional raffle and increased much needed services to all children.”
participation in their major fundraiser Studies have shown through early di-
agnosis and intervention school based
health centers help reduce the spread
of infection and contagious diseases,
reduce absenteeism and save money by
decreasing the number of visits young
people make to emergency rooms for
non-critical care. This fall when the
H1N1 alert was in full swing, the health
center provided over three hundred
H1N1 and regular flu vaccinations to St.
Helens School District students.

The hearts being sold for the
campaign have space for donors to put
their name or that of their loved one and
will be displayed throughout the month
of February. The St. Helens Community
Federal Credit Union is the major event
sponsor and will be actively encourag-
ing their members to give support to a
very worthwhile local organization.
Tammy Paulson, Marketing Associate at
the St. Helens Community Federal Cred-
it Union stated, “In the past, we have
contributed to these types of fundraisers
with larger organizations, however in the
current economy, we feel it is more ben-
eficial to contribute to the children of our
Alleggra Poetter and her
friends have been raising
money to help survivors of the
Haite earthquake. The girls
have held three bake sales
and are raffling a handmade
blanket. You can purchase
raffle tickets at the Sentry
Market. Look for a feature
story in the next issue of Ver-
nonia’s Voice. Pictured from
left-right: Aleggra Poetter,
Sofia Wolf, Payton Wolf, Paige
Cieloha and Megan Ely. Not
picture: Lily Buchanan.
2010
19
local community.“

Sacagawea Health Center has
an on staff Licensed Nurse Practitioner
and currently offers primary health care
services to all St. Helens School Dis-
trict students in grades K-8 with medi-
cal oversight by Legacy Health System.
The center serves several hundred chil-
dren per year. Mental health services are
provided in partnership with Columbia
Community Mental Health and is of-
fered at the High School as well.

Sacagawea’s board is currently
in the process of exploring expansion of
primary care to the High School. Sports
physicals are also available to all St.
Helens School District students for a
nominal fee.

Sacagawea Health Center is
located at 1060 Eisenschmidt Lane
the Lewis and Clark Campus near the
swimming pool. Their phone number is
503.366.7645 and hours of operation are
Monday, Tuesday and Thursday during
regular school hours. Sacagawea Health
Center is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organi-
zation, federal tax ID # 27-0324050.
The U.S. Census Bureau is
hiring Census Takers
$15.25/hr.
Temporary, part-time work (20-40 hrs/wk)
Paid Training and Reimbursement for
Authorized Mileage.
For more information call
1-866-861-2010
www.2010censusjobs.gov
The U.S. Census Bureau is an E.E.O employer. Bilingual applicants encouraged to apply.
Photo: Clatskanie Chief
The longest 72 hours
you’ll ever spend at home.
Are you prepared?
A winter storm hits and the power goes out.
Rain swollen rivers flood the region. Icy condi-
tions keep you stuck at home without heat.
Even though our emergency teams in Columbia
County are equipped for the unexpected, severe
winter weather could leave your family stranded
for days. Columbia 9-1-1 urges your family to
prepare a 72-hour kit that will help you survive
for up to three days.
Communication. Keep fresh batteries in a porta-
ble radio and a fully charged cell phone on hand.
Pack all of these items in a large waterproof tub or
garbage can and store it in an easily accessible place.
Go to www.redcross.org for more detailed ideas.
Finally, when the weather is threatening, or
there’s a disaster of any kind, stay informed.
Listen to the radio, or if you have power, rely
on the internet for updates. Follow emergency
instructions as best you can. Columbia 9-1-1 asks
for your help in keeping the emergency phone
lines clear---only call 9-1-1 for life-threatening
emergencies. As always, we will be assisting
emergency personnel around the clock to keep
everyone in our communities safe.
Water. Provide a gallon of drinking water per
person per day.
Food. Store a generous supply of canned or
dried foods; include a can opener. Remember
your pets too.
Light. Have a flashlight at the top of the tub;
extra batteries are a good idea.
Warmth. Your kit should have a blanket for
everyone, plus warm clothes, hats, gloves and
socks. Plan to layer up.
First aid. For starters, a kit should have ban-
dages, gauze, tape, antiseptic, pain medication
and scissors.
Your family should also have a disaster plan.
Discuss where to meet inside and outside your
own home, what to do if you are separated and
whom to call for help or to leave messages.
Include phone numbers for utilities and our local
public information call center. Also consider
making plans with your neighbors.
Columbia 9-1-1
Communications District.
Always there.
P.O. Box 998 St. Helens, OR 97051
Administrative Office: (503) 397-7255 Non-emergency Dispatch: (503) 397-1521 1-800-696-7795
www.columbia911.com