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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 15, 2008)
Smoke Signals 9 DECEMBER 15, 2008 New pharmacy Duouirs The current operating hours of the pharmacy are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and the windows are open for business from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., except on Thursdays when the window does not open until 10 a.m. Due to current staff shortages, the pharmacy hours have changed. The window opening hours will remain the same, except on Thursday when the window will now open in the morning at 9:30 a.m. Additionally, the prescription drop-off windows will now close at 5 p.m., so any prescrip tions received after this time will not be filled until the following day. However, prescriptions can still be picked up until 5:30 p.m. Also, there is now a prescription drop-off box located outside the clinic in the drive around. This drop box is checked daily at 2 p.m. and anything received in the box should be filled that day. As always, we will do everything we can to accommodate emergencies. B Support group starts The Grand Ronde Tribal Housing Authority is sponsoring a Financial Wellness support group that is meeting weekly at 5:30 p.m. Thursdays in the Housing Authority conference room. The support group will discuss, share and learn ways to stretch dollars and protect the money participant's make. The group will be informal and will decide on the topic to be discussed and researched each week. The Housing Authority has computers and worksheets to help people develop and track spending plans. For more information, call Deborah Kroeker at 503-879-4522 or send her an e-mail at deborah.kroekergrandronde.org. D FOOD continued from front page Overall, one could say that com munity members who can give, give; and members who need, get. As long as the system holds up. Take Frank McPherson, a local farmer who donates fresh eggs to the Resource Center on a regular basis. Take Norris Merrill, who has served local Veterans' Honor Guards for years and also drives the Resource Center's aging van as a part-time employee. "He got stuck on the road with a flat tire for five hours," said Nancy Holmes, married to Tribal member Tim Holmes, and Resource Center Board chair. Nancy also is Home Ownership coordinator at the Trib al Housing Authority. Replacing two tires on the van cost the center $650, she said. In addition to the critical role of providing food boxes, the Resource Center has expanded in recent years to also offer classes on can ning foods and other methods of food preservation. Qualman is certified as a Master Food Preserver. She took on the management role of the center last June, and had worked "behind the scenes" since the fall of 2007. The community garden is another of the Resource Center's projects. In 2007, 15 to 17 community and Tribal members cultivated parts of the garden to provide for them selves and their families. This year, owing to the late growing season and the change in management, only about 10 participated. The Resource Center took advan tage of the open space and used a couple plots of garden land to grow food for the center. "We must have got 100 pounds of zucchini alone," Nancy Holmes said. As the services expand, so do the Center's needs. The garden, for example, that already has a small fence around it, was vandalized last summer with vegetables stolen and many plants pulled out of the ground, Qualman said. So, one need is a beefed-up fence. Anticipated cost: $3,000. Delivery service has pointed out how valuable a reliable, refriger ated van could be. Anticipated cost: $58,000. "We're contemplating a greenhouse this year for Btarts," Nancy said, "and to grow cold weather vegetables like lettuce, peas, greens and Swiss -v r v , - , . . ... ,.. W- 1 I J A " , J:i I - ... j .3 (I Photo by Michelle Alaimo Norris Merrill, van driver for the Grand Ronde Community Resource Center, puts some bread out that he just returned from picking up on Monday, Dec 8. chard." Anticipated cost: $5,000. Former Tribal Housing Authority Director Linda Layden has been pulled back into the neighborhood to write grants for these and other Resource Center needs. "The problem is," said Qualman, "grants are often very specific about what you can use the money for." A lot restrict funding to buying seeds or other specific products, Nancy Holmes said. "We need do nations that are not restricted, that will help us keep our doors open." With four part-time employees "who work nearly full time," Nancy said, "We have served 6,000 people so far this year." To help fill as many of these needs as they can, Qualman has announced a raffle with a goal of selling $1,000 worth of tickets. They'll be raffling a quilt made by community Elder Ethel Taylor. "With mill layoffs and the econ omy in general, our client base is growing by three to five each week," Qualman said. "Last year, we served 175 families a month. This year, we're serving 200." Early in December, 150 had already signed up for Christmas boxes. They will be filled, dona tions willing, with instant potatoes, gravy packets, canned vegetables, stuffing mix, pie crust mix, pie fill ing and, of course, turkey. Not often remembered on the giving side are personal care items that also go out to clients. Soap, toothpaste and toothbrushes, pow ders, deodorant and paper products are all needed. Cash donations, said Connie Holmes, who in addition to serv ing on the Resource Center board also works in the Tribe's Human Resources Department, "go a long way in helping us keep the doors open and distribute items to those in need." "We want to say how apprecia tive we are for help from the Tribe and Spirit Mountain Casino," Nancy said. Among the gifts, Tribal employ ees and Tribal Council members made caxh donations totaling $500 so far and $168 was collected at the Restoration Powwow to pay the drums, but the drums contributed the money to the Resource Center, said Connie. St. Michael's Catholic Church contributed $50.25. Casino em ployees gave 130 turkeys. And casino and Tribal employees each contributed more than 500 pounds of canned goods. In general, those who live in the Grand Ronde service area and are eligible for food stamps are entitled to receive food from the Resource Center, Qualman said. The area goes from about halfway to the coast to Wallace Dridge on the way to Willamina. In asking for volunteers, Qual man said that work there qualifies as community service for those required to provide some, and it also serves as work experience for those seeking it. And there may be a surprise wait ing for those who volunteer. "I've only been to two monthly meetings," said Connie Holmes, "and already I feel blessed." The Resource Center is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays and Fridays with Christmas box distributions scheduled from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 19 and 22. B