Spilyay Tymoo, Warm Springs, Oregon
July 1, 2020
W.S. homeless outreach helps contain Covid-19
The Warm Springs Health
and Wellness Branch and
partners are conducting a
Covid-19 homeless outreach
project for the tribal com-
munity.
If you or someone you
care about is currently expe-
riencing homelessness in the
Warm Springs community,
please contact one of the
individuals listed here; so
they can figure out how to
offer assistance:
Buffy, tribal Health Care
analyst, 541-615-0141.
Fay, tribal Social Services,
541-553-3415.
Ron or Joni, HAPPI,
541-553-0036.
Shawnetta, medical social
worker, 541-553-2460.
The homeless, or
unhoused, are some of the
most vulnerable popula-
tions for exposure and
spread of the virus. Ex-
amples of how the team
members can help:
Provide tents or tarps for
shelter. Some food items.
Sleeping bags and blankets.
Personal care items—hand
sanitizers, body cleaning
kits, sock, tooth brush and
tooth paste, clean water, etc.
Referrals to additional ser-
vices.
Some additional infor-
mation from the team:
Being homeless on the
Warm Springs Reservation
does include families with
children.
Fact: Those experiencing
homelessness in the com-
munity of Warm Springs
consider this place their
home, and they do feel con-
nected to the people of the
reservation.
Fact: Those who are
without stable housing in the
Warm Springs community
may have alcohol and drug
issues, but also co-occurring
disorders.
The Covid-19 homeless-
ness outreach project is a
partnership coordinated by
the Health and Wellness
Branch, working with part-
ners: Homeless Leadership
Coalition; the Warm Springs
Community Action Team.
Also: NeighborImpact;
Pandemic Partners Face-
book Group; Central Or-
egon Emergency Mask
Makers; the Confederated
Tribes of Warm Springs;
TSS, and Happi.
No walk-ins at Warm Springs Social Security Assistance
If anyone needs Social
Security Assistance, no
walk-ins are accepted at this
time.
You must schedule an
appointment by calling 541-
553-4955 between 8 a.m.
and 4:45 p.m., Monday
through Friday at the Re-
source Center.
If no answer, please leave
your name and a call back
number.
The building is under
renovations at this time.
If you do not have an
appointment, you will not be
able to enter the building.
So very sorry for any incon-
veniences.
Rosemar y Alarcon,
541-553-4955 8 a.m.-4:45
p.m.
Jefferson County employment still lagging behind
With the notable excep-
tion of Jefferson County,
the phase 1 Covid-19 re-
opening in Central Oregon
improved employment in the
regional labor market.
Except for Jefferson
County, the unemployment
rate improved slightly in
May, as many workers on
temporary layoff began get-
ting called back to work.
Jefferson County
The seasonally adjusted
unemployment rate was 17
percent in May, up from 14.5
percent in April.
Jefferson County was
one of only a handful of
counties in the state of Or-
egon to post a significant
unemployment rate increase
in May.
The rate remains up sig-
nificantly from this time last
year, when it was 5.1 per-
cent.
The unemployment rate
rose due to continued job
losses from Jefferson
County businesses in May.
Total nonfarm employ-
ment dropped by 130 jobs
in May. These monthly
losses were concentrated
in manufacturing, where
180 jobs were lost from
April.
Over the past, year em-
ployment remains down by
1,270—negative 18.8 per-
cent.
Jefferson is among the
hardest hit counties from
Covid-19 layoffs. Manufac-
turing posted the largest job
losses over the past year—
down 310—followed by lei-
sure and hospitality—down
300.
Crook County: The sea-
sonally adjusted unemploy-
ment rate fell to 17.5 per-
cent in May, down from
18.3 percent in April.
Compared with this time
last year, total non-farm em-
ployment remains down by
790 jobs—negative 12.9 per-
cent.
Deschutes County:
The seasonally adjusted un-
employment rate dropped
to 16.3 percent in May,
down from 18.3 percent in
April.
Fatal wreck, 4-hour highway closure on reservation
A fatal wreck Monday af-
ternoon, June 29 on High-
way 26 on the reservation
killed a Welches woman, and
injured two from Washing-
ton state.
The wreck was head-on,
and closed the highway for
more than four hours west
of Warm Springs.
The accident happened
around 11:30 a.m. at mile-
post 85.
Warm Springs police and
Fire and Rescue, Oregon
State Police and the Oregon
Department of Transporta-
tion responded to the scene.
Courtesy OSP
The motor home was struck head-on.
Traffic control was set
up at the intersection of
Highway 26 and Highway
3, where drivers heading
west were directed to a de-
tour.
The initial investigation
found that Kathy Rayborn,
73 of Welches, was driving
a white Mercedes-Benz
SUV eastbound. The ve-
hicle apparently crossed
into the oncoming lanes,
colliding with a motor
home.
The motor home was
driven by Richard Rydman,
76, of Vancouver, Washing-
ton.
Mr. Rydman and his pas-
senger, Janice Rydman, 73,
were injured, and trans-
ported to St. Charles Ma-
dras.
Page 3
Day shelter during
hot summer days
The Health and Human Services Branch provides
a day shelter for the homeless of the reservation com-
munity on days when the outside temperature exceeds
80 degrees.
The shelter is open at 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday
through Friday. After 3:59 p.m., all individuals in the
shelter must leave. The shelter is not open on Satur-
day, Sunday or tribal holidays.
The shelter reserves the right to refuse services to
any individual who is intoxicated; or who may pose a
threat to the safety and security of other individuals in
the shelter.
· There is a single entry point to the building located
at 1112 Wasco Street.
· You will have your temperature taken by a staff
member.
· You will be required to sign-in as you enter the
building.
· Only persons who have been screened will be ad-
mitted to the shelter.
· While in the shelter, you will be required to wear a
face mask at all times.
· Please remember you are guests in this facility:
Please treat it with respect.
· Please do not bring food into the shelter.
· The facility opens as announced or scheduled:
Please do not arrive earlier than the scheduled opening
or loiter on the premises.
· This is a tobacco, alcohol and drug-free facility.
Smoking and chewing tobacco or other substances is
not allowed indoors.
· No food or beverages—with the exception of
capped bottled water—is allowed in the shelter.
· Please dress modestly; wearing shoes at all times;
men must keep a shirt on at all times.
· After leaving the shelter, Health and Human Ser-
vices and the tribes are not responsible for any per-
sonal belongings that may have been left behind.
· Please be courteous and encourage each other to
help and get along.
Due to the high risk of Covid-19 to others, the
Confederated Tribes has chosen to do daily tempera-
ture checks as a condition of entering the day shelter.
Please understand that if you should have a question-
able temperature—100.4 Fahrenheit or higher—you
will not be allowed in the shelter, and subsequently re-
ferred for further evaluation to a medical professional.
While in the shelter, you understand you will be re-
quired to wear a face mask at all times.
Failure to follow any of these rules may result in
you being asked to leave the premises. If you fail to
leave the premises when asked, the Warm Springs Po-
lice Department will be contacted for assistance.