10A
THE DAILYASTORIAN • FRIDAY, JUNE 19, 2015
Poverty: ‘It was the first roof over their heads in months’
Continued from Page 1A
“Connect die Dots,” is held
on the last Tuesday of each
month from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30
p.m. in the Judge Guy Boyington
Building, 857 Commercial St.
Childcare &
Development
Opportunities
|
Education
Opportunities
Success stories
While much of the event
Wednesday revolved around
how those in poverty may have
been failed, Clatsop Communi
ty Action staff did share success
stories.
John Coy, a veteran’s case
manager, spoke about a family
of four who came to CCA while
living in their car. Coy helped
the husband, who was a veteran,
get qualified for certain veter
an’s programs. From there, Coy
assisted the family with transi
tional housing and, eventually, a
permanent home.
“It was the first roof over their
heads in months,” Coy said.
Case manager Viviana Mat
thews described her experience
assisting a homeless domestic-vi-
olence victim who was a mother
of three. The woman came to
CCA ready to change her life,
and Matthews gradually worked
with her over multiple years.
“I was just another tool in her
)pportunities
for Diverse |ïü
Positive
Networks
Living Wage
Jobs & Skillec
Workforce
JOSHUA BESSEX —The Daily Astorian
Viviana Matthews, a case manager with Clatsop Community Action, holds up a board
showing resources and needs during a group discussion session.
life,” Matthews said.
Marlin Martin, director of
CCA’s regional food bank, gave
a presentation detailing how the
food bank is doing its part in ad
dressing poverty.
Each year, the food bank
distributes about 1.5 million
pounds of food in Clatsop Coun
ty, enough to produce more than
1.2 million meals. The food
bank is distributing 200 percent
more food than five years ago.
“We are trying to recreate
a new format that we think, at
the end of the day, we are pro
viding better lives and helping
people out of poverty 20 years
down the road because they
won’t have diabetes or some of
the diet-related diseases that are
keeping them in poverty,” Mar
tin said. “That is what we do.”
Making a fabric
The conversation started
Wednesday with a talk by Jim
Tiemey, the executive director
of the Community Action Team,
a nonprofit serving Columbia,
JOSHUA
BESSEX—The
Daily
Astorian
Marlin Martin, director of the regional food bank, speaks
at the Barbey Maritime Center Wednesday.
Clatsop and Tillamook counties.
The nonprofit oversees Clatsop
Community Action.
Tiemey explained how every
one in the Barbey Center Wednes
day lias a role to play in curbing
poverty and homelessness.
“Together we make a fab
ric that represents a safety net
to catch people,” Tiemey said.
“Weaving the fabric is what it is
all about.”
Plaza
Jalisco
CLATSOP
POWER
A uthentic
ì
M exican
C uisine
EQUIPMENT, INC
SALES • SERVICE • RENTALS
TAKE
DAD OUT
$2° FF
Sunday, June 21 st • 3 pm 10pm
-
D inner S pecials
‘Carne” (Meat)
Dishes!
16oz. Bone-ln Ribeye
Baby Back Pork Ribs
Sweet & Smokey Half
Chicken
STIHL
Easy Start
HONDA
Power
Equipment
IfUfMUDE
Halibut Neptune
C*gp
NOW OPEN TILL 10PM
EVERY NIGHT
THRU LABOR DAY
|E
J ohn D eere
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK
DINE IN OR ORDERS TO GO
34912 HWY 101 BUS • ASTORIA
503-325-0792 • 1-800-220-0792
FAMILY DAYS Sunday and Monday
212 8TH AVE., ASTORIA
503-338-4440
503-738-7009 • 2427 S. Roosevelt
Hwy 101 South • Between Motel 6 & Guesthouse Inn
David Lum
John Toyooka
George Kurns
Brad Cloe
Peter Blodgett
Rich Gauthier
Randy Hollaway
Frank Pellham
Ken Kirby
Dan Gentry
David Ferraro
Bill Graffius
Orvis Odegard
Ismael Flores
JD Devine
Duce Brock
Zack Whitsett
Mike White
Steve Law
Nate Whisnant
sa®
Donny Lindholm
Rick Pace
Jason Malena
Casey Murphy
Josh Ford
Andy Adams
Andy Harms
LUM'S
AUTO CENTER
www.lumsautocenter.com