SIUSLAW NEWS | SATURDAY, MAY 15, 2021 | 7A Oregon approved to issue $550+ million in food assistance to 572,000 children SALEM—The State of Oregon received approval from the federal govern- ment to issue Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) for the 2020- 21 school year. This will provide more than $550 million in food assistance for approximately 572,000 children in Oregon. P-EBT provides food benefits to families whose The acronym for polyethylene terephthalate, a petroleum- based, nearly indestructible plastic which is used to make most containers and bottles today. PET PET and other petroleum-based plastics do not biodegrade the way organic materials do, meaning they cannot be transformed by bacteria into other usable compounds. This means plastic waste in a landfi ll takes hundreds of years to begin to break down. In the ocean, where plastics are exposed to light, they break down faster by photodegrading into something called microplastics. Spring is in the air, the school year is wind- ing down, and summer is knocking at the door. This is the time of year when IL E M RV SE IC 4 (54 COAST DIS AL 02-7 1) 9 55 E W I TH A S Call us today for prices 541-902-7554 that children across Or- egon receive P-EBT food benefits. ODE collaborates with school districts across Oregon to determine eli- gibility and ODHS issues the benefits on Electron- ic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards. Households do not need to apply for P-EBT. Bene- fits will be automatically issued for students who normally have access to free and reduced-price meals and are enrolled at a school in Oregon. If your children are not currently enrolled in free or reduced meals you can apply through your school or online at the Oregon Department of Education website. Qualifying for free or reduced meals for the 2020-21 school year before June 30, 2021 will ensure you receive P-EBT when the benefits are is- sued. P-EBT benefit eli- gibility and amounts will vary. Visit pebt.oregon.gov for more information. Each student will receive their own P-EBT card. Students and households new to P-EBT and house- holds with more than one student will receive an Oregon P-EBT card in the mail with instructions. Cards will be mailed to the address on file with the school for those students who do not receive SNAP. Students who are already receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Pro- gram (SNAP) benefits will receive the P-EBT benefits on the EBT card associat- ed with their household’s SNAP case. P-EBT does not replace any child nutrition pro- gram already offered, and families are encouraged to continue participat- ing in grab-n-go-meals or emergency food programs at their local schools and community locations. P-EBT is separate from SNAP benefits including emergency allotments that are also being issued due to the impact of COVID-19. P-EBT benefits are not considered in a public charge test. Resources to help meet basic needs • Find a food pantry: fo o d f i n d e r. ore gon fo o d bank.org • Learn about gov- ernment programs and community resources for older adults and people with disabilities: Aging and Disability Resource Connection of Oregon at 1-855-673-2372 or www. adrcoforegon.org. • Dial 2-1-1, or text your zip code to 898211 (TXT211), www.211info. org • Oregon Department of Human Services Resources Administered by ODHS, SNAP is a federal program that provides food assis- tance to approximately 1 million eligible, low-in- come families and individ- uals in Oregon, including many older adults and peo- ple with disabilities. Oregonians in need can apply for benefits, includ- ing SNAP, child care, cash assistance and Medicaid. Learn more at https:// g o v s t a t u s . e g o v. c o m / or-dhs-benefits. For local resources in your area, such as food or shelter, please call 2-1-1 or reach out to the state’s Aging and Disabil- ity Resource Connection (ADRC) at 1-855-ORE- ADRC or 1-855-673-2372. The ODE fosters equity and excellence for every learner through collabora- tion with educators, part- ners, and communities. ODE oversees the educa- tion of over 560,000 stu- dents in Oregon’s public K-12 education system. For more information, visit www.oregon.gov/ ode/. ‘Making Parenting a Joy Again’ has workshop May 22 L SA PO CEN TR Reduce, Recycle, Reuse “Thank you for doing your part!” - Dave children do not have ac- cess to the free or re- duced-price meals usually provided at school. Oregon was approved to provide retroactive food benefits to eligible students for the 2020-21 school year. The P-EBT benefits are expect- ed to be issued beginning in July. “P-EBT benefits will significantly support the food security, health and well-being of children and families across Oregon,” said Dan Haun, director of the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS), Self-Sufficiency Programs. “Still, many Oregonians are struggling meeting their basic needs. We en- courage them to contact our partners at 211 and the Oregon Food Bank.” “All children deserve access to adequate nutri- tion to fuel their learning. The Oregon Department of Education is happy to be partnering with ODHS and local school districts to meet the nutrition needs of Oregon’s children and families who were most impacted by the pandem- ic,” said Cindy Hunt, Chief of Staff at Oregon Depart- ment of Education (ODE). ODHS and ODE share responsibility in ensuring The only locally owned & operated garbage company in Florence. We provide full service trash & recycling removal for commercial & residential accounts. Deadline for Press Releases Is Every Monday and Thurs- day by Noon. Email PressReleases@ TheSiuslawNews. com. the excitement of outdoor activities, vacations and summertime fun are usu- ally kicking into high gear. The events of the past year have left many fami- lies hoping for some more normal times of connec- tion and family activities. Yet many families are still feeling the sting of the past year’s lockdowns, school disruptions and even fi- nancial burdens. CAFA, a private non-profit counseling agency in Eugene, is bring- ing its True Insight Par- enting Strategies (TIPS) to Siuslaw Middle School on Saturday, May 22, for a Jackson. “As we are emerg- ing into brighter days and more sunshine, this event will help get things off to a great start.” The “Making Parenting a Joy Again” event has been funded by a grant from the Western Lane Community Foundation and represents a partnership between Eu- gene’s CAFA and Florence’s own Safe Shelter for Siu- slaw Students. The event is free to all families but does require registration. Families can register at trueinsightpar- ent.com. Learn more at cafaweb. com. PAID POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENT Rotary Club of Florence Rotarian of the Month JIMMIE HART JIMMIE THE ROTARIAN Jimmie Hart is our Florence , Oregon Rotarian of The Month and sadly Jimmie passed away unexpectedly a few short days after receiving the honor. Jimmie had been a member of the Rotary Club of Florence since 2006 and had previously been named Rotarian of The Year. Over the past several years Jimmie had been a member of the Club Board as well as Club Secretary. one-day event designed to help make parenting a joy again. The event will include a series of arts, games and instructional sessions with a focus on helping par- ents and children build relational skills, sharp- en emotional intelligence and improve the balance of structure and nurture within households. “It is understood than many families have been so focused on surviving that many of the more enjoyable parts of par- ent-child relationships get pushed to the backburner,” said TIPS Director Corey Would love to connect with you. Call or email me at 541-590-0230 or larrymartindale30@gmail.com “Larry Martindale was an excellent principal. I was a teacher under him and he was well respected for his ability to bring different opinions to the table to fi nd the best solutions. Even when we didn’t agree, he still had my utmost respect. He was and is a confi dent, compassionate, and common sense leader.” Gina Castro Brandt PAID FOR BY FRIENDS OF LARRY MARTINDALE. Safe Shelter for Siuslaw Students and Safe Families for Children brings you... JIMMIE THE MAN If you were to ask any of our club members who their favorite Rotarian is, they would say, with few exceptions, that it is Jimmie Hart. Jimmie never talked about his life or even himself. He never really knew the impact he had on fellow Rotarians or how much we all looked forward to seeing him each week. He came to each club meeting, function or fund raiser giving his all and never holding back. Nor did he ever let a challenge go unanswered. Jimmie met each challenge, as he lived every day of his life, with calm, focus, and joy. One Rotarian stated that he was a like a father; you knew he was there even if you couldn’t see him, he was always there to help you in any way he could, and he always had your back. Knowing Jimmie made each of us a better Rotarian and a better person. JIMMIE REMAINS WITH US Morrie Schwartz once said, “Death ends life , not a relationship”. As Rotarians and friends, we feel Jimmie’s passing with great pain. Still, we will hold on to every memory of Jimmie, every smile, every greeting, every handshake, and every kind word. As Rotarians we know that death cannot erase our time together, and we get to keep that with us, even if we can’t keep Jimmie. JIMMIE SHOWING HOW CLOSE THE ROTARIAN CLUB OF FLORENCE CAME TO REACHING OUR FUNDING GOAL IN OUR FILGHT AGAINST POLIO 202 Questions? Call Suzanne at (541) 590-0779