SpilyayTymoo
Warm Springs, Oregon
May 25, 1995 :5
General Assistance program helps recipients overcome barriers
Submitted and written by
Tricia Sahme
Background
When the General Assistance
(GA) program was initiated by the
BIA in Warm Springs October 1,
Regular GA Program
Welfare rolls increase;
unemployment rate remains
high; greater reliance on non-
indian work force; requires
large programs to provide
services
piants are
jdlnthe
dependency J
n
I si Recipients
If trapped
cycle
Self-Sufficiency Program
Welfare rolls decrease;
unemDlovment droDs: more
jobs held by tribal members;
self-relant and healthy
T"l Job & Independence
1989, no one knew what the effect
would be in our community. Within
three years, the number served in
creased to an average monthly
caseload of 361 and yearly expendi
tures of $744,815. The program was
effective in processing applications
to get people on welfare but was not
equally effective in assisting recipi
ents to get off welfare. In the summer
of 1992, a joint effort between the
Community Work Project, Tribal
Social Services and BIA Social Ser
vices, G A recipients were referred to
these work projects and G A expendi
tures and the number of persons re
ceiving welfare started to level off.
Also that year, an analysis of the GA
caseload was done to determine why
people were on GA.
There is a public perception that
welfare recipients want to be on wel
fare. There is also a perception that
they get a big monthly check that
kills any incentive to work. Neither
of these perceptions were confirmed
by a survey done in November 1992.
At that time, 35 percent of all current
GA recipients responded to a ques
tionnaire about these issues. Ninety
eight percent stated they did not want
to be on welfare and only did so when
they had no other options. They fur
ther indicated they would be willing
to participate in a program of 20
hours or more per week that would
help them get work and get off wel
fare. The maximum GA grant for a
single person is $310 per month if
that person pays for rent or house
payments and $2 1 7 per month if they
do not. The GA grant is a subsistence
grant to meet only the basic needs.
The research on welfare indicates
that while there are certain individuals
who attempt to exploit the welfare
system, most are people caught up in
a system and can not find a way to
escape the trap of dependency cre
ated by the system. This is particu
larly true of the GA program oper
ated by the BIA. The GA program
does a good job of getting applicants
approved for a grant but does little
else to help them become self-reliant.
If the recipient can't do it on their
own, the likelihood is they are des
tined to remain on welfare for an
indefinite period of time. However,
to assist those on welfare with two or
more barriers to becoming self-sufficient
requires an investment up
front. Which makes more sense, a
monthly investment of $300 that participants to attend a variety of
will likely go on indefinitely, or to ..activities for a minimum of 20 hours
invest the necessary resources to help '-,'pcr week. In addition to receiving
those welfare recipients become self- .. their GA grant, they would receive
reliance but who, without this assis-' ' ' ah incentive of $26 per week if they
tance, will not likely escape the trap?- had' no unexcused absences for that
Self-Sufficiency ' week. In addition, if they completed
acii-sumciency is aeiinca as De- me ium tour-week course, they re-
ing able to depend on one's own
resources, while this is a noble ob
jective, it is not completely possible
for an individual to be completely
self-sufficient. As human beings, we
can't do all things so it's necessary to
rely on others but our objective is to
be as independent as we can be. This
enhances a positive image of our
selves, increases self-esteem and
makes us feel good about ourselves.
Self-Sufficiency Program
A. Charter
Vision That every person above
the age of 18 becomes as indepen
dent and self-reliant as possible.
Mission To help people get off
welfare and go to work.
Provide a system of services and
resources that assist recipients to re
move barriers to self-sufficiency so
that 30 recipients on welfare find
employment by December 31, 1995.
Reduce GA caseload by June 30,
1996.
B. Program
The Self-Sufficiency program for
welfare recipients was approved as a
demonstration project September 1,
1 994. The first month was devoted to
locating program space, recruiting
and training staff and implementing
program linkages. The first Life Skills
course started October 1994, and
since that time, five courses have
been completed. The course requires
ccived a $55 stipend. One of the
requirements is that each participant
- . would prepare a self-sufficiency plan
that other participants and staff
thought was realistic and made sense.
Each of the participants would con
tinue to receive the monthly stipend
of $55 plus their regular GA grant as
long as they were actively pursuing
their plan, whether it be obtaining
their GED, placed in a voluntary work
assignment or in some other barrier
removal activity.
C. Program Statistics
The proposed goals and actual
outcome for the first six months are:
. The Self-Sufficiency program has
exceeded the goals established be
cause of the hard work by partici
pants and the support and coopera
tion of other programs and services.
Notably, these are employees from
Vocational Rehabilitation, General
Assistance, COIC, COCC, Exten
sion, Work Experience and Devel
opment, Adult and Family Services,
Community Health Promotion, Pub
lic Health Education and others.
The Self-Sufficiency staff have
identified three major barriers af
fecting participants' positive out
comes. They are:
Alcohol and Drug Issues
Lack of access to reliable
transportation
i Lack of access to safe and
permanent shelter
The alcohol and drug issues
for most participants seem to be tied
to their lifestyle and is something
that gets a lot of attention in the Life
Skills Course, and for many, becomes
an integral part of their Self-Sufficiency
Plan. This seems to be an
issue they can deal with on a personal
level. However, the two other major
hurdles facing most of them in the
effort to become self-sufficient is
lack of transportation and housing.
Neither of these can be solved indi
vidually but will require governmen
tal and community assistance. Noth
ing is more discouraging when you' ve
finally gotten a job but can not con
sistently get there because of no ride.
Self-Sufficiency staff, participants
and other program staff with which
we work all believe the project has
already demonstrated the capability
to help welfare recipients get off
welfare and go to work. We also
believe that even greater benefits and
outcomes are possible with the de
velopment of a transit system and
low cost transitional housing.
In summary, the analysis showed
'General Assistance recipients fell imp
three major groups.
Group I Good work skills and
proven work experience. Will be on
General Assistance one to three
months.
Group II Disabled but not yet
approved for Social Security or SSI
benefits. This group would be on
General Assistance for several
months.
Group III Able to work but has
two or more of the following barri
ers: Lack of education; Limited work
experience; No transportation; No
permanent living arrangement; Low
self-esteem; Alcohol and drug is
sues; Legal problems; or Family dis
enfranchiscment This group is more likely to re
main on General Assistance indefi
nitely and has the potential to be
multi-generational if nothing is done
to change their circumstances.
Proposed Six-Month Objective .' Actual Outcome
30 Number of participants , 51
served
20 Number of participants 42
completing program and
receiving awards
Number of participants 17
actively working on Self
Sufficiency Plan
5 Number of participants 12
obtaining employment
Number of participants 10
still working
Group I
15 .A
r ... X Group II
Group III 150
70
Early Childhood Education news
Fish tagging success! u I
Warm Springs Elementary news
The Warm Springs National Fish
Hatchery staff would like to announce
the successful completion of the an
nual fish tagging and marking project.
To give credit where credit is due,
we want to especially thank the people
who tagged and marked the 315,000
fish. Their work exceeded all past
performances, with excellent quality
marks and tag retention. The fish
handling mortality was very low
which demonstrates a crew that cares.
The following people made the dif
ference
Bryan
. ...ClendaUpdates ... ,
May 24-Early dismissalnd. Kindergarten. B uilding Inservice . ;, i
Beers. Josenh Boise. May 29-No schoolMemorial Day i
SahrinaRnvH.Tlarisse Crane. Mann v May 31-Awards AssemblyK-2 8:50 a.m. & Gr. 3-5 9:30 a.m.
Jim, Ramond Jim, Pat Miller, Elfreda June 7-4th & 5th grade graduation 9 a.m. in the gym
Mitchell, Mike Paddletry, Karen June 7-DARE graduation 1 p.m. in the gym
Patteeuw, Rachel Reinholz, Tammy June 8-End of Year Powwow , ,
Robinson, Angel Ruiz, Nancy June 9-Last Day of School. No Kindergarten. Early dismissal Grades 1-5.
Sooksoit, Iris Smith, Georgina End of Year Awards AssemblyK-2 8:50 a.m. & Gr. 3-5 9:30 a.m.
june iz, u, i4-Buuaing inservice j
Suppah and Lei Lani J. Tias
The following poem, "A Marker's
Musings", written by Clarisse Crane,
reflects the feelings and dedication
of a marker.
A Marker's Musings
Chinook fingerling salmon that have to be clipped and tagged,
We are the workers that do it, trained at times, nagged.
But we are helping the environment, trying to do our best.
Yes, we spend long hours with sameness, to equal or pass the test.
These darling little fishes that didn't ask to be volunteers,
are at our mercy and, of our work, are our very mirrors.
They are lively, drugged, and awaken once more,
with wire in their heads, mutilated far from shore.
So, what do we workers think about and what do we say?
We get raucous, sometimes mellow, but we work hard for our pay.
We love our music, we love our breaks, and love our perfection.
And, if we get quiet, it's because of corrective interjection.
But these poor little fishes that live with their confusion,
can never understand in their mystical delusion.
That they are part of a whole network of determination
That they are a fish tagger's ultimate consideration.
The workers stand, knowing about the circumstance.
Our navigator steering harshly, a sincere cause to advance.
So, we do our work, helping generations, knowing in a time
forward,
That we made a difference for now, our future lives to guard.
Don't contaminate sacred grounds
To the editor,
Our elders of the past had negoti
ated with the US Government. To be
allowed in what is Warm Springs and
areas around the reservation. For sub
stance fish, pick berries, dig roots. To
live.
I've appealed to the minister of
the Full Gospel Church to clean up
the accumulated debris at that loca
tion. To be alluded to him "this land
is sacred, there is roots here."
The Full Gospel Church have not
honored my request
Now, I am appealing to the people
of Warm Springs to not throw away
their beer bottles, trash, beer cans
away on this Sacred Ground. The
people not from here need to know
we, the Warm Springs, Wasco have
our Sacred Customs: Dig roots.
I'll appeal to the Tribal Council to
have the State of Oregon to keep our
Sacred Ground clean. Our elders did
not negotiate to have our Sacred
Ground contaminated.
Very Truly Yours,
Martinez Eugene Charles
PO Box 945
Warm Springs, OR 97761
Cascade Foot
clinic moves
Ambrose K. Su, D. P. M. and
Patrick J. Evoy, D. P. M., are happy
to announce the merger of their prac
tices. The location of their Bend office
is Cascade Foot Clinic 2408 NE Di
vision, Suite 100 Bend, OR 97701.
Phones are 503-388-2361 and 503-382-7521.
They will continue to
practice at their satellite offices in
Redmond, Madras, Prineville and
John Day.
3 Mile Fun Run Scheduled
On May 24th, at 9 a.m. the stu
dents who qualified for the 3 mile fun
run will be bussed down Shi tike Creek
Road and will run back to the school.
Please come join the students for the
run. Help from parents and commu
nity members is always welcome!
Local Artist Teach During "Arts
In Education" Week . . .
During the week of May 2-5, stu
dents at Warm Springs Elementary
participated in classes taught by local
community membersartists. We
would like to thank the people who
made special time to teach their craft
to the students. We would also like to
thank the people who provided the
funding which make this project pos
sible. Sponsors: Warm Springs Johnson
O'Malley Committee, Central Or
egon Arts in Education and Pauline
Sheik & family.
Teachers: Dream Catchers: Archie
Caldera, Alice Stewart; Loomwork:
Kimiko Mitchell, Tonya Mitchell &
Danni Katchia; Shawl Fringing: Delia
Walsey-Crume; Tule Mats: Larry
Dick & Edna Gonzales; Artistry:
Patrick Red Dog; Yarn Bags: Lois
Smith; Chain BeadingBeading:
Patricia Allen; Drumming: Ricky
Arthur and Adam Rubio.
Pickup for sale
1989 Ford 4x4
Supercab XLT 34-ton
Auto transmission
AMFM Cassette Loaded!
Comes with canopy and
convertible bed insert
Call 553-1783 for more
information
The end of the 1994-1995 school
year is nearing and plans for end of
the year celebrations are in high gear!
The first big even is the ECE End of
the Year Picnic at the picnic grounds
by the Community Center on
Wednesday May 31st 6-8 p.m. All
ECE families and staff are invited'."
Friday, June 2nd, is our last ECE
mini-Powwow, "Ikks-Mi-Yun-Ish-Mis-Me-Pium",
for the year begin
ning at 10 a.m. Everyone in the com
munity are encouraged to attend and
support our children. Head Start 4's
graduation ceremonies will be on
Thursday, June 8th at 10 a.m. at the
Agency Longhouse. A meal will fol
low for all 4 year olds and their
families.
June 8, 1995 is the last day of
1 Lost & Found
There are a lot of lost and found
'coats, shirts, etc., that have been
bagged and stored. The hall was get- school for children in the Head Start
ting pretty full of unclaimed cloth- part Day Program. ECE will be closed
ng. Keep an eye out for the signs 0n Friday June 9th for staff inservice
announcing the collection day for training. Parentsguardian will need
lost and found clothing, or stop by to make other arrangements for child
me stuuui ii yuu wain iu luun iui care on that day
: missing aruiacs
Breakfast & Lunch money
' All meal charges need to be paid
by the last day of school. Chele and
( Judy will be making calls to parents
, letting them know when students
are charging, or getting close to run
I ning out of money for meals. If you
are unsure of whether your students
" have enough breakfast andor lunch
money to finish the year, please con
tact the office. We'll be glad to help.
Please not that if your child has nay
lunch money credit at the end of the
year, it will be carried over to the
next school year. , ,
Please return Library books"
Please, please return library books
to the library to avoid having to pay
for them. If you cannot locate books,
please come to the office to pay for
them. If the books are located later
and are in good condition, you may
receive a refund.
Continued on page 8
Happy ?? Birthday
"Mom"
(Phyllis Tohet)
June 11
I love you very much, so
please take care of yourself.
. Love your daughter,
Harvianne Tohet
Parentsguardians of children in
ECE full day programs need to make
sure they have everything in order
for their child to move up to the next
age level on July 5, 1995. June 15,
1995 is the deadline for completing
all necessary paperwork and settling
child care accounts.
Parents of children currently in
the "Strider" program need to make
sure registration paperwork is com
plete to move up the Head Start Full
Day 3's program. Until paperwork,
" physical, & immunization records
are handed in and child care accounts
paid up in full, your child's slot is not
guaranteed. "
Parents of children currently in
the "Head Start Full Day 4's" pro
gram need to make sure registration
paperwork is complete to move up to
the ECE Kindergarten program. Un
til paperwork, physical & immuni
zations records are handed in and
child care accounts are paid up in
full, your child's slot is not guaran
teed. The ECE Kindergarten program
is a child care program only, you
need to register your child in Kinder
garten at Warm Springs Elementary
also. , , ..
; Parents of all Head Start 4 year
olds who will be attending Kinder
garten at WSE in the fall need to
complete registration at WSE. Reg
istration packets can be picked up at
the Elementary school office or call
553-1128.
Tenino Valley Yard Sale
May 27, 1 995 9 a.m to 5 p.m.
Several families throughout Tenino valley
1 day only! Watch for signs!
BP Construction
Woodstoves and Fireplaces
Installation
and Inspections
Gas lines and
ChimneySweep
Masonry Work
Bob Peiper in Bend at
389-1662
Open Monday through
Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Thinking of you
To my Beloved son Leslie Ray
Robinson
y I just thought I would write a short
letter to you to let you know how
much I care and love and miss you.
. 'And let you know you are thought of
each and every day. And that you are
-. very special to me. I sit in my room at
OWCC and look at the pictures your
. .Gramsy sent to me and wonder what
my little Sugar Daddy is doing today
.and every day. I love and miss you
very much.
; Love your mom,
1 Rhonda Olivia Robinson
, -, "rit fix Yj&iA rv-f;
Corey Clements and Joel Coronado were united in marriage, Wasco
styte, during ceremonies May 14. .-
r