8A COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL JANUARY 18, 2017
Volunteers needed for homeless
count in Lane County
On Wednesday, January 25,
2017, Lane County Human Ser-
vices, along with its non-profi t
partners, will conduct a Point in
Time (PIT) Count of people who
are homeless in Lane County.
The Annual Homeless Count
reaches throughout the commu-
nity to people sleeping on the
streets, vehicles, parks, camps,
and other places not meant for
human habitation. Emergency
shelter and transitional housing
programs designated for peo-
ple who are homeless are also
counted.
Our next volunteer training
for the Count is Tuesday, Jan-
uary 17, 2017 3:30 p.m. 5:00
p.m. Health & Human Services
Building 151 W. 7th Ave. Eu-
gene, 2nd Floor, Room 258
R.S.V.P. for the training ses-
sion to: Diana by email: diana.
alldredge@co.lane.or.us or by
phone: (541) 682-3798
You can access the Point in
Time Count Web site! On-line
Application, Training, and Cer-
tifying Survey www.lanecoun-
ty.org/homelesscount
Community Alliance of Lane
County, a local social justice
agency, assists with the unshel-
tered Count by adding volun-
teers to our teams to administer
surveys in locations all over the
county. Please contact Michael
Carrigan at CALC (541)844-
4677 for volunteer shifts.
The one-night count takes
place across the state of Ore-
gon each January. It provides
a snapshot of the problem of
homelessness to help policy-
makers target resources to the
areas of the state experiencing
the greatest need. This valu-
able data identifi es the needs
and gaps in services for home-
less people in order to inform
local planning efforts. The 2017
Count includes both sheltered
and unsheltered. This count is
required by Oregon Housing
and Community Services, and
by Department of Housing and
Urban Development (HUD)
who provides over $3 million in
housing and services to single
adults, families and youth who
are homeless.
Last year, a total of 1,473
people were counted. During
last year’s “sheltered” count,
757 individuals were counted
including homeless commu-
nity members who were used
local emergency shelter and
transitional housing programs
designated for people who are
homeless. The “street count”
or unsheltered count includes
those who are on the streets,
under bridges, in parks, at food
pantries, schools, day access
centers and churches. Last year
716 unsheltered individuls were
counted.
Cottage Grove Riding Club named its new Rodeo Queen. Shelby Neuharth took home
the title from the previous queen after serving for a princess for the year. Shelby is 17
years old and will serve as queen until 2018.
J
The Cottage Grove High School Drama Department will be presenting Alabama Rain by Heather
McCutchen in January. Seniors Kyle Carrillo-Enders, Chloe Leczel and Savannah Palis continue the
three year old tradition of students directing their peers.
In Alabama Rain, Heather McCutchen tells the tale of fi ve sisters living in a mythical southern
town where it has not rained in 40 years. The play examines the perils of a stagnant existence as the
sisters thirst for fertility and growth. When the order of their lives suddenly deteriorates—one sister
fl ees to fi nd the ocean, another drops dead of heartbreak and another begins to waste away from
dehydration—the LaDean family begins a magical quest for water. They struggle with a mysteri-
ous well that runs deep in their own backyard, which may or may not have water somewhere at the
bottom. This well comes to represent their withered past but also holds the key to a future ripe with
potential. In Alabama Rain, these women do battle with the powerful force of “the way things have
always been.”
The cast of Alabama Rain includes Kristy Rodrigues, Kelsey Tucker, Keiara Faville, Keely Gal-
breath and Aislyn Morrill.
The play will be presented on January 19, 20 and 21 at 7:30 p.m. Cost is $5 for students/seniors and
$10 for adults.
anuary is National Mentoring Month,
and this year the National Mentoring
Partnership is celebrating 15 years of the
mentoring movement by encouraging people
to explore local mentoring opportunities
that connect more of our community’s
young people with caring adults. One
such opportunity here in Cottage Grove is
Reaching Out Mentoring South Lane, the
school-based mentoring program that has
been promoting friendships between students
in the South Lane School District and their
volunteer mentors for the last 9 years. “This is a
great opportunity to thank all our mentors, past
and present. It’s also another chance for us to
highlight the continuing need for volunteers to
share an hour a week with a student who could
benefi t from their friendship,” noted Marc Bass,
Mentor Coordinator for Reaching Out Mentoring
South Lane.
The National Mentoring Partnership
notes that mentoring is a critical part of
developing positive relationships within a
community, and it is proven to have a positive
impact on academic, social, and economic
outcomes for young people. Research shows that
mentors can play a powerful role in providing
young people with the tools to make responsible
choices, attend and engage in school, and reduce
or avoid risky behaviors. In turn, these young
people are 55% more likely to be enrolled in
college, 81% more likely to report participating
regularly in sports or extracurricular activities,
and 78% more likely to volunteer regularly
in their communities. Yet, the same research
shows that 9 million young people across the
country feel disconnected from their schools
or communities and feel like they have no one
to turn to. “Any kid can benefi t from having
someone who listens to them, makes them
feel valued, and who gives them positive,
constructive feedback. That’s what our program
is about.” said Bass. “Remember who made a
difference for you, and then be that friend for
someone else.”
Reaching Out Mentoring South Lane
is registered with the National Mentoring
Partnership. For more information on how you
can be involved, please call Marc at 541-953-
4822 or Lori at 541-953-4844.
Be Someone Who Matters
To Someone Who Matters
BECOME A MENTOR
Reaching Out Mentoring South Lane
Reaching Out To Students in South Lane School District Since 2008
To Learn How You Can Make A Difference, Call (541)953-4822
Made Possible Through the Generous Support of the Cottage Grove Community Foundation