JUNE 1, 2001
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The shelter staff takes time out of their busy schedule for a picture. Altogether there are six full-time employees
with rotating shifts. Pictured left to right: Joannie West, Kate Woodrum, Ramon Carrille, Kristy Summers, Chris
Bailey, Shelia Danzuka, Ryan Killingsworth and Carmen Brown.
A better life
could be ahead.
By Justin Phillips
The Tribe's Social Services depart
ment and the Indian Child Wel
fare (ICW) program have recently
opened up a new youth shelter in
Grand Ronde.
The new shelter opened its doors
on April 9.
So far, since the opening of the
shelter, the program has cared for
five children.
The facility was established to as
sist Tribal youth who need emer
gency shelter care.
The three bedrooms, one and a half
bath shelter will hold up to eight chil
dren and features 24 hour a day,
seven days a week coverage.
Carmen Brown is the supervisor at
the shelter.
Brown said they also provide ser
vices to foster parents who have chil
dren that want respite care.
"If a foster family needs a break or
if they are going somewhere, we will
take children for the weekend or how
ever long," said Brown. "We also take
any children that are at risk that
might not be in Tribal custody until
the parents get back on their feet. This
is a service we provide to the commu
nity, as far as emergency placement."
! When a child comes into care an
intake assessment is done on them.
"This is a chance to observe them
and see what their needs might be,"
said Brown. "We will make doctor
appointments and make sure they
get their medical and dental needs
taken care of."
The shelter also provides transpor
tation services.
If the children are going to be there
more than a week, the shelter staff
enrolls them in school.
The staff is developing the program
and looking at doing different activi
ties with the children.
"We are going to take them to pow
wows," said Brown. "We want to be
able to integrate them into the com
munity. So, we like to take them out
to community functions. Just re
cently, we took a couple of kids to see
the Dalai Lama with the Education
program. The week before, they went
to see a guest speaker at Chemawa
Indian School."
i The staff tries to provide as much
of a family structure as possible.
The children have responsibilities
that they have to do. They are ex
pected to keep their room clean and
pick up for themselves. The staff
cooks breakfast, lunch and dinner.
The children also get to do extra
curricular activities.
"Sometimes they go down to the
Grand Ronde Elementary School to
shoot baskets," said Brown. "If one
of our staff has to do some shopping,
they take the children to the mall
with them. We don't have a set
schedule here. We try to meet the
needs of each individual schedule."
The Education program also works
with the children who spend time at
the shelter.
"Richard Sohappy comes down and
spends time here," said Brown.
Brown works closely with the ICW
Caseworkers.
"I want to make sure the children
here are getting their wants and
needs," said Brown.
Children are referred through the
ICW program.
Brown said she is happy with the
staff that works under her.
"We have some really dedicated
workers here," said Brown. "They
work really hard. I really appreciate
their commitment to the kids here."
All together, there are six full-time
workers with rotating shifts. There
are also three on-call workers.
Anthony Gagliardo, the Tribe's
Social Services Director and a Li
censed Clinical Social Worker
(LCSW) said it took about one year
to get the shelter open.
"During this year, Tribal Council
and the Social Services department
worked on issues of staffing, fund
ing and protocol for the children ac
cepted," said Gagliardo. "The goal is
that in two years the shelter will be
at least fifty-percent self-sufficient,
using foster care, state funding and
third party billing, which I am li
censed to authorize."
The next phase of family interven
tion is to propose an additional shel
ter for adolescents in the next two
years.
"Thank you to Tribal Council for
their wisdom in planning for Tribal
families," said Gagliardo.
Everyone is invited to join in on the
open house on Friday, June 22 at 11
a.m. with the blessing with a barbe
cue lunch afterwards.
Rodeo Grounds Under Construction
Continued from front page
where they can establish a nice
event," said Scott.
Tribal Elder Marvin Kimsey, who
is on the rodeo committee, also likes
the idea of the advantages of a per
manent rodeo grounds.
"If we have young people inter
ested in rodeos, they now have a
prime opportunity to have instruc
tors come here and teach them bull
riding, bare back, saddle back, bar
rel racing or whatever they wanted
to do it (the rodeo grounds) will
be here for them."
"Having a facility that's local is a
real plus," said Hussey. "Anybody
that rides knows how difficult it is to
get arena time."
The possibility of future uses is
endless.
"Anything from auto shows to full
events to specialty shows can be held
here," said Hussey. "There is a pos
sibility of having the All-Indian ro
deo out here."
Scott and Hussey have laid this
project out so as progress and future
of the facility grows and the po
tential of it grows they could en- '
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close the facility.
"It's laid out so that it does have
that capability," said Hussey. "Then
the year-round rodeo is a fact of life."
Hussey said he was thankful for
some of the volunteer work that was
done.
"I want to thank Gene LaBonte for '
the tractor work he did," said Hussey.
"He did a tremendous job. The Natu
ral Resources division donated that
tractor. I want to thank Bobby Mer
rier and Lenny Logan of the Main
tenance department and Shonn Leno
of Natural Resources who also helped
out with the tractor work."
L Rodeo Board members are Marvin
w,
Kimsey, Chairman; Dale Langley,
Vice Chairman; Billie LaBonte, Sec
retary; Michaelle Kimsey, Treasurer;
Duane Hussey; Shonn Leno; Gene
LaBonte, Norris Merrill, Buddy
White and Tribal Council liaison
Butch LaBonte.
"It's good now that we finally have
a permanent place for the rodeo
grounds," said Butch LaBonte.
- Anybody interested in sponsoring
an event at the rodeo is urged to call
Michaelle at 503-879-5825. Just an
other plus, Tribal members won't be
charged anything if you would like
to be a vendor.
The finish date is slated for June
23. The Spirit Mountain Stampede
will take place June 23-24 in it's new
home.
"It's going to be the best rodeo we've
ever had," said Michaelle Kimsey.