Smoke Signals 5
MARCH 1,2011
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Tribal programs help Tim
Anderson right his path
after prison sentence
By Ron Karten
Smoke Signals staff writer
Texaco used to advertise, "You
can trust your car to the man who
wears the star." Today, the "man" is
Tribal member Tim Anderson.
At Newberg Texaco, he wears the
Texaco star with pride, hope and a
confidence built on hard knocks and
a little help from his Tribe, family
and friends.
The story started back many
years, said Dodie McKenzie, Tribal
Vocational Rehab caseworker.
Anderson, now 31, first received
services through the Vocational
Rehabilitation Program in 2008
and was successful in becoming
employed. At that time, he worked
with the 477 Program with case
worker Tribal Elder Patsy Pullin,
Employment and Training Spe
cialist and department manager.
He later spiraled down with drug
and alcohol problems and spent 15
months in two state prisons.
Prison time got his attention.
"I've seen where my life could
take me," Anderson said. "I did a
few sweats (the first he had expe
rienced), and that helped me with
the spiritual factor. I learned a lot
about my heritage and culture."
In this economy where good work
ers have spent more than a year
looking for employment, Anderson
came out of the Oregon State Peni
tentiary on Sept. 10 and started
a new job on Oct. 5. He pursued
it from his first day out, flatly ac
knowledging his troubled record, he
said, and did not give up.
"He seems like he's developed a
better awareness of himself," said
McKenzie. "He appears to be in
vested in being successful."
In fact, she says, successful cli
ents are invested in their own
success.
"It has to be their choice," said
McKenzie. "The programs are here
to support them, but if they don't
want to do the work, there is noth
ing we can do."
Anderson worked hard with pro
grams inside prison and then, he
said, "The day I got out, I picked
up job applications."
When Anderson first came in
for an application," said Albert
Keuftedjian, owner of the station,
"I asked him if he had any criminal
background. He was honest with
me, and I wasn't too interested.
Then, he came back-a week later,
again checking for a job. f said,
'This kid is motivated.' "
"I was upfront with Albert," said
Anderson. "I learned to be honest
with people in prison."
But he also had in the back of his
mind advice that his uncle, Tribal
Elder Tom Bean, who has since
walked on, had given him.
"He always told me, 'A good man
laces up his boots every day, goes
to work and doesn't complain about
the little things.'
"Today, I come to work with a
smile on my face. I do whatever this
- V
Photos by Michelle Alaimo
Tribal member Tim Anderson washes a customer's windshield during his shift at Newberg Texaco recently. Anderson
is a former inmate who has been working at gas stations since October 2010 with the help the Tribal Social Services
Department's Vocational Rehabilitation and 477 Employment and Training programs.
hired, both Keuftedjian
and Anderson benefitted
from 90 days of "job reten
tion support."
The training funds may
have been the difference
between hiring Ander
son and not hiring him,
Keuftedjian said.
"I never hired anyone
from prison before," he
said, "but it depends from
where he's coming and
who's behind him. The
Tribe would not invest
a penny in him if they
were not sure. It made
me think, 'He deserves a
chance.' "
Part of the success fol
lows the holistic approach
that Tribal departments
take in these cases. Tribal
Voc Rehab works with its
state counterpart, but also
with Tribal Behavioral
Health, Education, Indian
Child Welfare and Culture
programs. McKenzie also serves on
the State Rehabilitation Council.
Today, Anderson has thanks for
the many people who have helped
him succeed after prison. And he is
making amends.
"I'd like to take the chance to for
mally apologize to my grandmoth
er, Laverne Hosford (once a Tribal
spouse who still lives in the Grand
Ronde community). I never meant
to hurt her in any way, shape or
form," he said.
"He's a miracle," said Riggs, his
477 Employment and Training
caseworker.
"The 477 Employment and Train
ing and Vocational Rehabilitation
programs will continue to be a sup
port and advocate for client after his
case files close successfully. If Ander
son should ever need job retention
assistance or employment services,
the programs are only a phone call
Tribal member Tim Anderson fills a customer's gas order during his shift at Newberg
Texaco recently. In addition to manning the gas pumps on his shifts, he also takes care of
customer service in the convenience store and fills propane tank orders.
man asks me to do. I'm here. I lace
up my boots every day."
"I can read people's minds," said
Keuftedjian, who purchased the
service station four years ago. "I
knew he could be a good employee
when I saw him."
"I love it here," said Anderson,
four months into the job and still
receiving rave reviews from his
boss.
"He's doing great," said Keufted
jian. "Today, he is one of my best
employees."
With seven gas stations north
and south of Newberg Texaco on
the south side of 99W in Newberg,
Keuftedjian says, "Customer ser
vice is my priority. All my employ
ees know that any complaints from
a customer and they're fired."
"I'm really good at customer ser
vice," said Anderson.
The Tribal Employment and
Training and Vocational Rehabili
tation programs that come out of
the federal 477 legislation and 121
grant program have played a quiet
but effective part in this success.
"When I got out, I went to the
Tribe for help," said Anderson. Of
working with Tribal member and
Voc Rehab 477 Program Supervisor
Leslie Riggs, Anderson said, "He
was pretty receptive. He helped me
work through some things," but in
the end, Riggs said that Anderson
had done 90 percent of the work.
"He drove it," said Riggs, who
started working with Anderson as
a case worker for the Employment
and Training program.
If Riggs gave him one piece of
advice that stuck, Anderson said,
that advice was "persistence."
In addition, the Employment
and Training program was able to .
sweeten the deal for Keuftedjian
by paying for 90 days of on-the-job
training. Then, after Anderson was
away," said McKenzie.