Best
Eugene
THE
OF
2018-2019
PHOTO BY TODD COOPER
Best Program for the Homeless:
1. CAHOOTS 341 E. 12th Avenue. 541-342-8255.
Whitebirdclinic.org/cahoots.
2. White Bird 341 E. 12th Avenue.
541-342-8255. Whitebirdclinic.org.
3. St. Vincent de Paul 555 High Street.
541-344-2115; 100 E. 11th Avenue.
541-868-0200. Svdp.us.
You might call the police non-emergency
number to get ahold of Crisis Assistance
Helping Out On The Streets, but as CAHOOTS
employee Brenton Gicker tells us, the
organization “exists, to a large extent, to be an
alternative to the police as much as possible in
situations where a therapeutic mental health or
medical intervention may be more beneficial
than a law enforcement response.” The first
place winner might be in Best Program for the
Homeless, but Gicker says the intervention is
“primarily in situations that involve people who
are struggling with addiction and mental illness,
including but not limited to the homeless.”
Second place winner is White Bird, which is
the home organization for CAHOOTS — and
EW will take a moment here to remind you that
we happily collect donations of warm clothing
for White Bird at our office at 1251 Lincoln
Street. In third is St. Vinnies, which won for Best
Secondhand Shop and has programs all over Lane
County to help those in need. Gicker says that if
you want to support what CAHOOTS does, you
can not only donate money and supplies; you can
also help by “caring about your community and
being outspoken in support of our work and that
of our allies.” — Camilla Mortensen
Best Local Politician:
1. Peter DeFazio
2. Jeff Merkley
3. Kitty Piercy
We don’t love politics lately, but there’s a lot to appreciate in this
year’s top three for best local politician. First of all, Rep. Peter DeFazio is
back again as the area’s top politico. Is it his no-holds-barred demeanor?
Is it how hard he’s worked to turn Congress from red to blue? We like
to think it’s because he loves his rescue dog. Whatever it is, EW readers
love DeFaz, even if he’s not planning a presidential run the way everyone
speculates second-place winner Sen. Jeff Merkley is. Merkley’s always
been a good guy in politics, but this year the way he’s stood up to the
Trump administration, especially on immigration, has earned him a lot of
kudos. Finally, previous winner, former Mayor Kitty Piercy, still manages
to finish in the top three, despite not even being in office anymore. Piercy
still engages with Eugeneans on her Facebook page and clearly EW
readers appreciate being heard. — Camilla Mortensen
PHOTO BY TODD COOPER
Best Nonprofit
1. Planned Parenthood 3579 Franklin Boulevard. 541-344-9411.
Plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-southwestern-oregon.
2. FOOD for Lane County 270 W. 8th Avenue. 541-284-1340.
Foodforlanecounty.org.
3. White Bird 341 E. 12th Avenue. 541-342-8255. Whitebirdclinic.org.
In a country where health care has been typically seen as more
of a commodity than a human right, we’re extremely lucky to have
organizations like Planned Parenthood. And you all seem to agree by
voting it the Best Nonprofit in Eugene. Along with providing services
like contraceptives, gynecological check-ups and testing for sexually
transmitted infections, Planned Parenthood does a lot of outreach and
education about sexual health. It’s now especially crucial that we support
our local Planned Parenthood of Southwestern Oregon in Glenwood, in
light of politics such as statewide Measure 106 aiming to prohibit public
dollars from abortion services. “Health care is not a political issue,” Lisa
Gardner, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Southwestern
Oregon tells us. — Meerah Powell
eugeneweekly.com • November 1, 2018
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