SIUSLAW NEWS | SATURDAY, APRIL 13, 2019 | 9A
COMMUNITY from page 1A
Shorewood Senior Living
IS TRULY A UNIQUE
INDEPENDENT LIVING COMMUNITY
Apartment For Rent
Two bedroom, two bath available on
fi rst fl oor. Convenient loca on to dining
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541.997.8202
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1451 Spruce Street, Florence
ANNOUNCING...
Food Backpack for Kids (FB4K) has
established an Endowment Fund!
Defi nition of an endowment:
A fund maintained in perpetuity to provide an income
stream to an organization.
Why: The FB4K Endowment Fund ensures fi nancial
sustainability into the future so that no
Florence or Mapleton food challenged child
will go hungry on school year weekends.
YOU can help with a commitment to name Food
Backpack for Kids as a benefi ciary in your will or trust.
Western Lane Community Foundation’s proven
stewardship and investment programs will manage
FB4K Endowment Fund in perpetuity to serve at risk
children in Florence and Mapleton School Districts.
FB4K is a 501(c)(3) non-profi t
Donations are tax deductible
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Mailing Address: P.O. Box 3347, Florence, OR 97439
For more information,
contact Linda Lauck at 541-997-6004
The volunteers logged
35,113 hours in the past year,
equaling the equivalent of
$377,465 at minimum wage.
“But the fact of the matter
is, all of you here are worth
more than minimum wage,”
Wood said. “In your work,
you have changed the face of
Florence. And you help make
our community a more loving
and caring place. You have
saved lives, changed lives and
enriched us as a population.”
Wood polled the audience
to see how long individuals
worked with specific orga-
nizations. A quarter of the
audience, which consisted of
more than 100 people, rose
their hand when asked if they
had served for over five years.
There was one volunteer who
had worked with an organiza-
tion for more than 30.
“It helps when we volun-
teer with a group, when we
get to know people that we
are working with, to hear the
stories of how things have
been, the excitement of how
we have had success and how
things have gone well,” Wood
said. “It assures some of us
that it’s okay to grow old in
this organization, growing old
and working. There’s always a
place for you.”
Danielle Goldblatt was
named the recipient of the
Youth Volunteer of the Year
award for her efforts with var-
ious organizations, including
the Florence Area Arts Alli-
ance, the Oregon Coast Hu-
mane Society, PeaceHealth
Peace Harbor, Elks, 4H and
various school activities, in-
cluding the drama club, dance
team and the choir, in which
she had been selected as an
Oregon Ambassadors of Mu-
sic for a European trip.
“I have been involved in
many community programs,
and I’ve always loved volun-
teering and helping out where
I can,” she said while receiving
the award. “It’s been a big part
of my life, and thank you.”
The keynote speaker for the
event was Lane Community
COCBR
offering three
scholarships
Florence Roundup
HOUSEHOLD
HAZARDOUS
WASTE
The Central Oregon
Coast Board of Realtors
is offering scholarships
to Florence area residents
dedicated to the pursuit of
knowledge and achieve-
ment of dreams.
Three scholarships are
awarded by the COCBR
each year in three catego-
ries: Siuslaw High School
graduate, Mapleton High
School graduate and a
Florence resident wanting
to attend Lane Communi-
ty College.
The application deadline
is May 4.
For more information or
to get an application, con-
tact the COCBR office at
541-902-2560 or visit coc-
br.net/cocbr-scholarships
JARED ANDERSON/SIUSLAW NEWS
Lane Community College Florence Center Dean Russ Pierson gives the keynote
address at Florence Area Community Coalition’s annual Volunteer Recognition
Celebration on April 10 at Florence Events Center.
College Florence Center Dean The event was created by then gives. Instead, “It is recogniz-
Russ Pierson, himself an ac- 10-year-old Kaylee Graham, ing that each and every one
tive volunteer in the commu- who last year passed on the of us, the server and served,
nity.
responsibilities of running the are beneficiaries of countless
“It’s both an incredible hon- program to two other Siuslaw grace notes in the music of
or, and humbling, to be able to School District students.
our lives. Those grace notes
speak at a gathering intended
“Kaylee’s vision has in- are written by others, our
to honor the people who truly spired thousands of hours of forebears, our fellows in com-
represent the heartbeat of our volunteer service on an an- munity. Even the universe it-
community. That’s each one of nual basis,” Pierson said. “Her self.”
you,” he said.
tender age makes it a unique
He spoke on the history of
Pierson based his speech and powerful story, but in the name Jehovah, written as
around quotes that he be- this room, there are countless four consonants, YHWH.
lieved represented the heart stories of people of every age
“There is an interesting
of volunteerism, starting with who decide to be the change.” thread that suggests this name
George W. Bush: “We can find
Pierson then used one of his is the sound of breath itself,”
meaning and reward by serv- own favorite quotes, “If you he said, saying “yah” is a
ing some higher purpose in don’t have a seat at the table, breath in and “way” is a breath
ourselves. A shining purpose, you’re probably on the menu.” out. “Every time we breathe,
the illumination of a thousand
He commented, “When in- it is a literal homage to the
points of light.”
justice makes you mad, that’s very lifeforce of the universe.
“There are the FEC volun- a good reason to follow your While this suggests to some
teers who literally shine lights heart and volunteer. When of us that we ought to be
so theater goers can find their you’re looking out for the in- looking up to consider a be-
way in the dark,” Pierson said. terests of others, and particu- ing greater than ourselves, it
“But every one of you know larly the underserved, you’re should cause all of us to look
that we, collectively, are mak- doing good and necessary around us. To recognize that
ing the world a better place, work, and that’s true of so we literally breathe the very
one small act of kindness at many of you in this room.”
same air that comes to us. All
a time. Whether you’re serv-
Finally, Pierson quoted the others in this room, all
ing on the board of Siuslaw John Chrysostom, the Arch- the others in this planet, and
Outreach Services, helping bishop of Constantinople in especially to the people we
to distribute the essentials of the late 300s.
serve. It is a reminder that all
Food Share, are a volunteer
“What we possess is not of us are one.”
firefighter, whatever it may personal property. It belongs
The mission of the Florence
be, you are lighting your cor- to all. God generously gives all Area Community Coalition
ner of the world.”
things that are more necessary is to improve the quality of
Pierson then mentioned than money, such as air, water, life in Western Lane Coun-
Mahatma Gandhi’s famed “Be fire, the sun, all such things. ty through partnerships,
the change you want to see in All these things are to be dis- networking,
volunteerism,
the world” quote, and likened tributed equally to all.”
community involvement, ed-
it to the Power of Florence,
Pierson said that being a ucation and awareness. For
an annual day of service in volunteer is not about balanc- more information, visit www.
Florence that began in 2010. ing what one gets by what one florenceareacc.org.
NEDCO to host ‘Financial Wellness’ classes
Neighborhood Economic
Development
Corporation
(NEDCO) is offering two free
Financial Wellness classes at
the Siuslaw Public Library in
the coming weeks. The events
are free but advanced registra-
tion is required at nedcocdc.
org/florence-classes.
On Saturday, April 27, is
the “Financial Foundations
Course” from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
This first class is great for ev-
eryone to attend. Are you
working to build more finan-
cial stability in your life? Are
you working to a big financial
goal? Financial Foundations is
great course for you.
This all-day course covers
the steps of:
Saturday, April 13 — 8am - 2pm
Florence Transfer Site
2820 N. Rhododendron Drive
On Wednesday, April 24, Siuslaw Watershed Council
from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., the presents a Siuslaw Watershed
Gathering. Come learn from
Ecotrust’s Ag of the Middle
Manager, Maia Hardy, on
strategies, tips and tricks for
how to grow your farm or
ranching business. You will
POSITIVE PARENTING PROGRAM walk away from this presen-
tation with the knowledge
An online parenting course for parents
and resources to help you
grow and preserve long-term
with children ages 2-12.
wealth for your family.
Hardy has a decade of expe-
Provided by Lane County Waste Management Division
in partnership with the City of Florence.
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Write a Letter to the Editor today.
Email E DITOR @T HE S IUSLAW N EWS . COM
• Triple P is available
in English and
Spanish, and is free
if you or your child
are Trillium (OHP)
members.
• You can access the
course anytime, on
any device, for up to
12 months after you
sign up.
of buying and find the right
home for you.
This fast-paced eight-hour
course, covers:
• Financial planning and
credit prep.
• Shopping for a home.
• Finding an affordable
mortgage.
• Opportunity for down
payment assistance.
• Community Land Trust
Opportunities.
• Protecting your invest-
ment long-term
NEDCO is Oregon’s first
community economic de-
velopment non-profit with a
mission to help individuals
and communities build assets
towards financial stability.
Growing your farm or ranching business
TRIPLE P
Friday, April 12 — 12pm - 5pm
• Knowing your financial
picture.
• Building a budget.
• Saving for goals.
• Tackling debt.
• Planning for the future.
• Building your credit.
Then, on Saturday, May 4,
attend the “ABCs of Home-
buying” – great for people who
want to become homeown-
ers in the next four months
or four years. This class, also
from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., builds
on “Financial Foundations”
and walks attendees through
buying a home and how to
save money in the process.
Does buying a home seem
overwhelming? Learn tips to
save money, reduce the stress
• Triple P doesn’t tell
you how to parent,
but gives you tools
you can use to meet
your family’s needs.
• It can help you raise
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and have a calmer
family life.
VISIT
www.lanetriplep.com
to learn more about Triple P
and to sign up!
rience working at the intersec-
tion of community develop-
ment, finance and agriculture.
She has advised thousands of
business owners on how to
grow while maintaining their
commitments to their values.
The event will be April 24 at
the Siuslaw Watershed Coun-
cil Offices on the Mapleton
School Campus at 10868 E
Mapleton Road in Mapleton.
Visit the new website at
www.siuslaw.org.