REGION
Friday, June 10, 2016
East Oregonian
Page 3A
Finding ways to defeat homelessness
Summit continues
to confront, attack
the problem of
homelessness
By KATHY ANEY
East Oregonian
Common wisdom says
the irst step to solving a
problem is admitting the
problem exists.
Back in 2011, when
75 people gathered at the
irst-ever Homeless Summit
at Pendleton’s St. Anthony
Hospital, some expressed
frustration that the rising
number of homeless was off
the community radar and that
they were invisible to most.
At this year’s summit at
Blue Mountain Community
College
in
Hermiston,
participants said things have
changed.
“Before, we had to
start every conversation
by proving homelessness
was an issue,” said Jennifer
Richards, case manager
with the Community Action
Program of East Central
Oregon (CAPECO) Moving
Forward program. “There’s
now an understanding that
homelessness is here.”
“When we irst started
doing the summit, it was
mostly
social
service
providers in the room,”
said CAPECO Community
Services
and
Housing
Director Paula Hall. “Now
we have city and county
representatives.”
The number of homeless
is maddeningly dificult to
pin down. During the national
U.S. Department of Housing
and Urban Development
one-day point-in-time count
in January, Umatilla County
volunteers counted 115
people who were homeless,
compared with 86 in 2015.
The exact number is likely
much higher and the county’s
social service agencies may
not be getting the federal
funding they deserve. Getting
a ix on homeless numbers in
Staff photo by Kathy Aney
Participants in the recent Homeless Summit at BMCC in Hermiston brainstorm about what has been effective in
their efforts to eliminate homelessness.
Staff photo by Kathy Aney
Staff photo by Kathy Aney
Discussion leader Zach Knight, of the Blue Mountain Action
Council, talks to a participant about gaps in efforts to help
the homeless.
Paula Hall, of CAPECO, weighs in during the
recent Homeless Summit at Blue Mountain Com-
munity College in Hermiston.
a rural area proves trickier
than in urban America.
“We don’t have perma-
nent shelters,” she said. “We
don’t have a mission on the
corner with homeless people
standing outside.”
The HUD deinition of
homeless includes only
those who sleep outside, in
emergency shelters or inside
places not meant for human
habitation such as garages
and sheds. It leaves out those
bunking temporarily with
family or friends.
“The people doubling up
and couch suring — those
folks were not counted in the
PIT count,” Hall said. “Those
people don’t meet the federal
deinition of homeless, but
they’re still homeless.”
The needs are high, say
those who work locally with
the homeless. Housing and
but they know they face a
long slog to the ultimate goal
of eliminating homelessness.
The irst summit in 2011
led directly to warming shel-
ters in Pendleton and Herm-
iston and an annual event
called Project Community
Connect, where homeless
people or those on the verge
of homelessness receive
food, vision exams, dental
care, clothing, and other
rental assistance programs
struggle to keep up. Waiting
lists are long.
At this year’s summit,
groups of participants gath-
ered around white boards
at either end of the large
space. They used markers to
make two lists titled “What’s
working?” and “Where are
the gaps?”
There was much to cele-
brate in the past ive years,
services.
Project
Community
Connect, which switches
between Pendleton and
Hermiston, also provides a
way for community volun-
teers to meet people who are
homeless.
“Later they might see
someone pushing a cart,”
said Shannon Kruse, of
CAPECO. “They know he
has a story. He has a name.
He has a face. He becomes
human.”
Other
developments
arising from the summits
include a working group
that meets monthly called
Home for Hope that allows
for constant collaboration
between social service agen-
cies.
Each year, the summit
creates another 12-month
blueprint. This year’s group
settled on three objectives
for the coming year, each
to be tackled by a separate
work group. The irst group
will work to launch “urban
rest stops” — places where
people can launder clothing,
take showers and use the
internet. A second group will
explore a way to help reduce
fees for rental applications,
replacement identiication
and other expenditures that
cause angst for those who
struggle with homelessness.
The last group will focus
on establishing a volunteer
coordinator to connect
volunteers with agencies
and organizations that need
them.
“The community wants to
help,” said Jenni Galloway,
who coordinates Umatilla
County’s CARE program.
“They just don’t know how
to help.”
Irrigon City Manager
Aaron Palmquist said people
generally care about the
homeless.
“Once they meet someone
who is homeless and look
them in the eye,” he said,
“empathy overlows.”
———
Contact Kathy Aney at
kaney@eastoregonian.com
or call 541-966-0810.
BRIEFLY
BMCC, CTUIR
renew joint board
PENDLETON — Ofi-
cials from Blue Mountain
Community College and the
Confederated Tribes of the
Umatilla Indian Reservation
renewed an agreement
Wednesday to continue
the joint Native American
Advisory Board.
The board works to
enhance the education of
American Indian students
and educate BMCC students
about the CTUIR.
The Memorandum of
Agreement was signed
during BMCC’s regular
board meeting on the
Pendleton campus by
BMCC President Cam Preus
and Board Chair Ed Taber,
as well as CTUIR Board
of Trustees Chair Gary
Burke, CTUIR Education
and Training Committee
member Kat Brigham and
CTUIR Director of Educa-
tion Modesta Minthorn.
Burke called the docu-
ment “very important for
the future of our tribe and
future of our students, and
all students.”
The Native American
Advisory Board was
originally established
in 2002 and advises the
CTUIR education director
and the BMCC president.
The group provides a forum
for mutual collaboration
and communication and
develops a relationship
for resources and program
development between
CTUIR and BMCC.
The board meets at least
twice each year.
Cooking class
features fresh
produce
PENDLETON — With
the farmers’ market season
here, people can attend
classes to learn how to use
local fresh produce while
creating meals.
Cooking Fresh with
Food Heroes is offered June
through August on the third
Tuesday of each month from
3-5 p.m. at The Salvation
Army, 150 S.E. Emigrant
Ave., Pendleton. There is
no participation fee — in
fact, participants will receive
a $5 shopping token at
each session to be used at
Pendleton Farmers’ Market.
“It’s a cooking class that
supports utilizing locally
grown produce,” said Mary
Ann McCune, WIC manager
at Umatilla-Morrow County
Head Start. “It’s for anybody
who wants to learn how to
cook fresh.”
Each session is a stand-
alone class. People may
register for one or all three
classes. Because of limited
space, those interested
in participating need to
pre-register.
For more information
or to reserve a spot, call
541-966-3354.
Youths invited
to hit the road
PENDLETON — Youths
ages 8-13 are invited to
hit the road during the
Friday Trip program
through Pendleton Parks &
Recreation.
In-line skating at
Skate City and a movie
at Wildhorse Cineplex
are planned for June 24.
Participants need to check in
at 9:15 a.m. at the Pendleton
Recreation Center, 510 S.W.
Dorion Ave. The estimated
return time is 3 p.m.
The cost is $19, which
includes transportation,
skate entry, rentals and a
movie ticket. Youths need
to bring a lunch or money
to buy food for a picnic at
Stillman Park. Registration
is required by Tuesday, June
21.
Friday Trip programs
in July include Chuck E.
Cheese and the Carousel
of Dreams (July 15), Golf
Universe and Get Air
Trampoline Park (July 22)
and Jubliee Lake (July 29).
For more information
or to register, visit www.
pendletonparksandrec.
com or stop by the parks
ofice, 865 Tutuilla Road.
Lordy,
Lordy
Meech
is forty!
Congratulations
to
American Cancer Society
RELAY FOR
LIFE OF
PENDLETON
2016
June 17-18, 2016
6pm-7am
Sunridge Middle School
700 SW Runnion Ave, Pendleton OR
Bring The People, Build the Fun,
Fund The Cure!
www.relayforlife.org/pendletonor
Malcolm Paperitz
Winner of the Tonya’s House
Appreciation Drawing!
Malcolm purchased fl owers from the
Tonya’s House annual fl ower fundraiser
and was entered to win 4 guest
movie passes and 4 Wild Combo snack
packages at the Wildhorse Cineplex.
Thank you to Malcolm and all local
residents who bought fl owers and
helped support us in our annual
fund-raising efforts, and
thanks to Wildhorse Resort
and Casino for their generosity!
For Additional Information Contact:
Carol Preston, Event Lead
541-379-6294; relaypendleton@yahoo.com
Heather Farnworth, ACS Staff Partner
509-783-1574; heather.farnworth@cancer.org
relayforlife.org
|
1.800.227.2345
©2015 American Cancer Society, Inc. No. 008836