Image provided by: The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs; Warm Springs, OR
About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 8, 2001)
Spilyay Tymoo Warm Springs, Oregon February 8, 2001 3 Commodities - n r jr " 1111 1 "tifiiin--iHi'iWI ii'tMtmiiiniii I I 1 M . u Mt: M n ? mm w 1 "- - i Tit to err rv r What could possibly be inter esting about the "Food Commodities Program?" The name itself evokes a dull, beaurocratic operation employ ing humorless, pencil-pushing admin istrators who thrive on paperwork. The planned shut down of the second shift at Warm Springs Forest Products Industries (WSFPI) will bring dramatic changes to the lives of at least 51 workers. On January 25, in an effort to ease the transition, WSFPI sponsored an informational gathering for employees scheduled to be laid off in February. Representa tives from 12 state and tribal organi zations were present to assist work ers with plans for their future and in form them of the available resources. Theresa Van Pelt, WSFPI Hu man Resources Manager, and fellow members of the WSFPI Transition Team are concerned with the impact job losses will have on the employ ees and their families. She likened the loss to the death of a loved one, in volving denial, anger, acceptance and, ultimately, the need for appro priate action to get on with life. It is this need for action that was addressed on Thursday afternoon. Van Pelt's plan was to get all cooper ating agencies in one room, so that workers could avoid the frustration of visiting an agency in one town such as Redmond, only to find they first needed to talk to someone at an agency in Madras. The spirit of cooperation and information-sharing among the rep resentatives was a positive note in the Penny Rogers discusses COIC John Finch and Jon Brown - Not here at Warm Springs! The pro gram with the unromantic title is ac tually an exciting and thriving opera tion run by two men determined to spread the word about all "Commodi ties" has to offer. otherwise negative situation. Al though each group represented a dif ferent aspect of aid - from job retrain ing to food assistance - a common theme was for workers to start plan ning now for the months to come. The most immediate concern for workers - the stoppage of their weekly paycheck - is somewhat re lieved by unemployment compensa tion. Kathy Morales and Patti Cook of the Oregon Employment Depart ment were present to assist workers in applying for these benefits which run 26 weeks. Cook and Morales also reported that WSFPI has applied to the US Department of Labor for funds under the NAFTA Trade Act for re training or relocating employees negatively affected by importation of foreign products. If those funds are approved, training programs would be implemented by Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council (COIC). Employee concerns about job related benefits were addressed by Lupe Katchia of the tribe's Comp and Benefits Department. She is the per son to answer any questions about the status of retirement benefits or possi bility of early pension withdrawl. Also present was Penny Rogers from the Madras office of COIC which offers retraining funding and assistance. Rogers and her colleagues programs with mill employees X ' - ' come on S ; 1 r the men to see at Commodities Jon Brown, Program Director, and John Finch, Commodities Assis tant, are the two personable fellows who welcome you at 4217 Holiday Street (down the road from the Fire Management complex). You are GD'D help clients assess skills, identify the type and availability of work they are seeking, as well as the training re quired. COIC also has funds available for relocation if a worker secures a new job out of the area and needs fi nancial help to move. Rogers works closely with Carlos Calica and Melinda Poitra of the Warm Springs Workforce Devel opment Office, Among the many other tools they employ as job place ment specialists, Calica and Poitra are using the tribal and federal funds they administer to assist displaced work ers with application and interview assistance, resume development, job training, and referral to other appro priate sources of help. Resources are also available at Central Oregon Community College (COCC) at Warm Springs to enable a displaced worker to prepare for new positions. John Hicks and Marilyn Hart can help assess the educational -routes that would best lead to the type of employment desired or to more advanced studies. Gene Keane of the Warm Springs Small Business Development Center points out that some workers have already been operating small businesses to bring in supplemental income. An event like a lay-off can be the stimulus to try to turn that busi ness into a full-time venture. His of fice provides a vast array of services to anyone interested in such a move, including temporary office space, use of telephones and computer equip ment, as well as business planning advice. Aware that a layoff can affect a person's credit, Bruce Engel of the Tribal Credit Department encourages his clients to come in and review the status of their loans before problems can develop. Possible solutions could be refinancing, extension of the term of the loan with correspondingly lower payments, consolidation, or, in extreme cases, a moratorium. Engel states that a client's "good-faith ef forts" like job searching or retraining gives him "something to work with" in restructuring loans. Addressing these issues early-on is important, says Engel. Lori Walker shares with Engel a similar area of expertise. She is a over! 1 treated as a valued guest as they de scribe their operation over cups of coffee - and often home-cooked snacks. Basically, Commodities is run under the auspices of U. S. Depart ment of Agriculture (USDA) and of- counselor for Bend's independent, non-profit Consumer Counseling Ser vice. Her organization helps its cli ents develop budgets, manage their relationships with creditors, and fi nancially survive the layoff. Jobs are available through the Tribal Personnel Office and also at Kah-Nee-Ta. Lois Lesarrly of Tribal Personnel urges people to come in to the administration building and either fill out or update their applications for positions posted through her office. Ka-Nee-Ta's Fran Ahearn (Recreation), Chuck Schmidt (Grounds), Scott Moses (Rooms), and Kevin Coimer (Food and Beverage) were present to point out that between now and mid-March, the resort will be hiring approximately 140 new people as it gears up for the summer season. Although much of Kah-Nee-Ta's work is seasonal, the four noted that employees who are effective and conscientious often stay on as part of the year-round crew. Both Oregon's Office of Adult and Family Services and Warm Springs's own Commodities Food Program strive to provide a safety net as workers search for new employ ment. Janet Scott of Family Services described programs such as tempo rary financial assistance to needy families, daycare, food stamps, and medical programs. It is necessary to apply for the benefits available from these programs. Thus Scott encour ages people to begin the application process as soon as possible. John Finch of Warm Springs' Commodities Food Program de scribed the opportunities under his program, a joint effort of the tribes and the U.S. Department of Agricul ture. An array of" fresh-frozen meats, fresh produce, canned fruits and veg etables, and more are available once a month to both Indians and non-Indians on the reservation, and Indians within a 15-mile radius of Warm Springs. Finch hopes more people will come in and apply so they can take advantage of this program. Although the negative impact of the WSFPI layoff cannot be mini mized, the people present at Thursday's gathering are ready to use all their available resources to provide whatever assistance they can: fers foodstuffs lo individuals in need. Indians of any trihul membership liv ing within 15 miles of Warm Springs ore eligible, us are non-Indians living on the Reservation. An outstanding array of food is available: fresh vegetables and fruits, at least two fresh-froen meats and an assortment of canned and pack aged goods. Both the Warm Springs office and the USDA are constantly adding and deleting products in an effort to carry items that appeal to consumers. Also the menu of avail able foods changes each month. To apply is eusy - just visit the Commodities building where Drown or Finch will help you fill out a brief questionnaire. Bring proof of your income. Your tribal per capita or pension do not count as in come and your child- or dependent care costs will be income deductions. If you are eligible, your application will be approved within two or three days. Brown and Finch point out an other benefit of their program: you can qualify while earning more in come than you are allowed under the Oregon Trail Program (food stamps). Although it is best to analyze your specific income and needs, some cli ents have found that it is far more ben eficial for them to enroll in the Com modities rather than the Oregon Trail program. You cannot join both plans. However, you can partake of Com modities and still receive other Adult and Family Service Benefits from the state. Once approved, you can come in each month and choose among the items available on that month's menu. Finch will take your order, pack it up for you and even carry it to your car. You are on your way with food val ued at about $100 per person. If you are a family of six, quick multiplica tion shows what a benefit this can be. You will be eligible to receive the same amount of food each month, even if your income rises - as long it does not go above the proscribed limit. Finch and Brown are enthusi astic about the merits of the program they operate. They believe their chal lenge is to spread the word so more will take advantage of it. The two are concerned that many "aren't benefit- uhekr a Jewess A grey January afternoon at shutdown Oregon Employment Depart ment - Kathy Morales & Patti Cook - 475-2382 Warm Springs Comp and Ben efits - Lupe Katachia 553-3327 COIC, Madras - Penny Rogers -475-7118 Warm Springs Workforce De velopment - Carlos Calica and Melinda Poitra - 553-3324 COCC - Warm Springs - John Hicks and Marilyn Hart - 553-1428 Warm Springs Small Business Development Center - Gene Keane - 553-2229 Tribal Credit Department -Bruce Engel - 553-3202 Consumer Credit Counseling Service - Lori Walker - 389-6 1 8 1 Tribal Personnel Office - Lois ing to the full degree that they could fotkl-wise." Currently about 250 people are enrolled in the pro gram. This number often rises dur ing the winter months as seusonal em ployees arc laid off. In an effort to bring more people over to their building Brown and Finch are planning monthly ftxxl demonstrations using groceries avail able on the current menu. Although they agree that Finch is the "chef of the two, they will both be pitching in to create some tempting dishes. In conjunction, they plan to provide the monthly recipe to Spilyay. Their next "event" will be a Valentine's Surprise. They are keep ing the recipe secret until Wednesday the 14 w hen they hope lo be joined by many members of the community. All ure invited, you don't have to be an enrolled client to uttend. The event begins at mxn and goes "until".. ..until the food is gone, so you might want to get there early so as not to miss their latest creation. To call cither Brown or Finch, dial 553-3422. Their hours arc 8:30 - 4:30, but they arc closed from noon to one. Or, drop by and see how a bureaucracy should be run! T ; r ' John Finch warms up for future food demos WSFPI before scheduled shift Lesarlley - 553-3262 Kah-Nee-Ta Personnel Office -Scottie Miller -553-1 112 Oregon Adult and Family Ser vices - Janet Scott - 475-6131 Warm Springs Commodities Program - John Finch - 553-3422 Multi-family yard sale at Courtney's on Tenino Road scheduled for Monday, February 26, 2001, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (no early birds, please). A craft table will be set up ahrj
