10A • COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL • FEBRUARY 6, 2019
Count
Service System Analysis for
Lane County last October.
Th e study pointed out that
the issue requires much
broader and deeper atten-
tion.
“While emergency shelter
plays a crucial role in ad-
dressing a person’s immedi-
ate housing crisis needs,” the
report stated, “it is import-
ant to note that shelter alone
cannot be a community’s
singular strategy to ending
homelessness.”
Th e feasibility study goes
on to suggest a need for
system-wide coordination
among housing and services.
Fleck is hopeful PIT
counts will highlight the
need for such transitions.
“I think we’re going to
see some big changes,” said
Fleck. “Right now we receive
from A1
disadvantaged
individu-
als including St. Vincent de
Paul’s food bank and Beds
for Freezing Nights.
“I would put emphasis on
indoor shelter,” Katz said. “A
shelter is not a tent outside
as far as I’m concerned.”
A need to address the
kinds of shelters off ered for
those who experience home-
lessness is a point echoed
by recent research in Lane
County.
Technical Assistance Col-
laborative (TAC), a non-
profi t out of Boston, Mass.
focusing on human services,
health care, homelessness
and aff ordable housing, re-
leased a Public Shelter Fea-
sibility Study and Homeless
certain types of housing but
don’t receive others and the
report was suggesting that
those be broader and more
interconnected.
“I’m kind of excited to see
how this may potentially
change all of the aspects if
we can aff ord it.”
Fleck cited transitional
housing and rapid-rehous-
ing as particular needs in
Cottage Grove.
“Most of the people who
apply for housing assistance
don’t receive it,” said Fleck.
“Because we just don’t have
the funds or they don’t qual-
ify.”
Last year, volunteers of the
PIT count reported 1,642
people experiencing home-
lessness in Lane County, up
from 1,529 the previous year.
Indications are that this year
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service worker from Eugene,
volunteered to help organize
the Cottage Grove event.
“I think it would be helpful
to have longer hours next
time,” she said.
Of the more than 30 peo-
ple who were anticipated
as needed for the Cottage
Grove area count, a total of
13 showed up.
Among them was Karen
Munsell, who had hoped to
meet face-to-face more of
the kinds of individuals she’s
accustomed to helping in
her food drive volunteering.
Her three-hour search re-
sulted in a single survey par-
ticipant.
Munsell was hopeful the
process would yield “more
accurate services off ered to
homeless and at-risk people
in this community,” she said.
Other teams from the
morning’s count had more
luck fi nding participants.
Volunteers from Creswell
reported around 15 record-
ed surveys in their count.
Regardless of numbers,
Katz found the experience
rewarding.
“If you’re an advocate, it’s
really important that you’re
knowledgeable about what
you’re advocating,” he said.
“So if I’m advocating for
people who are unhoused,
I should be out there in the
trenches knowing what it is
they’re facing and trying to
get as much information as
I can.”
Lane County is to submit
the fi nal PIT count data to
HUD this April.
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will see another increase.
Th e Cottage Grove count
was conducted between 8:30
and 11:30 a.m. on Th ursday,
requiring survey partici-
pants to claim they spent the
previous night outdoors in
order to be counted.
Because the numbers re-
fl ect only a single given night
in the year, a need for thor-
oughness becomes quickly
evident.
From a coordination per-
spective, Fleck found it un-
charted territory.
“It’s a new process with
the county taking over the
volunteerism and so I think
it went well overall, but I
think there are some things
that could improve,” he said.
“You know, minor organiza-
tional stuff .”
Linda Bravo, a community
541-735-0089
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Encourage
children
to fl oss
Children should learn
that fl ossing is just as
important as brushing.
L
earning to brush their own teeth is a lesson all
children must master. Although parents ultimately
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The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
found that 41 percent of children aged 2 to 11 had tooth
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taking care of their teeth.
Soft, sticky foods are commonplace in young kids’ diets,
and these can promote decay. Even well-intentioned
gummy vitamins can be sources of dental decay.
Oftentimes, these foods become lodged between the
teeth or on the surface of molars. If left in contact with
the teeth for too long, food particles become a source of
carbohydrates for oral bacteria, and cavities may appear
as a result.
To remove food particles from between the teeth, children
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Dentists. It is recommended that parents help their
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continue to do so until the child is around the age of 8,
when a child should have enough dexterity to do it on his
or her own.
Flossing is essential to making sure children do not
experience cavities at an early age, and it can establish
practices that promote oral health throughout life. Despite
being so important, many parents fail to encourage
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effective.
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discourage children. Parents can look into the wide array
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more easily. Flossers may be attached to a handle to make
back teeth more accessible and promote more effective
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water and the cleaning sensation provided.
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of dental caries, parents should educate children about
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Brent Bitner, DDS
Dentistry with Family in Mind
C ALL U S T ODAY !
541.942.7934
350 E. W ASHINGTON A VENUE • C OTTAGE G ROVE
WWW.CGSMILES.COM
Shane Parsons, DMD
Creating Smiles That Last A Lifetime
Cosmetic & Family General Dentistry
New patients welcome
Brush, Floss, and Come See Us! • New Patients Welcome
Call Today
605 Jefferson Ave. • Cottage Grove
Please call for an appointment.
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm
Emergency appts. available daily
www.shaneparsonsdmd.com
541
DR. JONATHAN BACKER
942-9171 1551
E. MAIN ST. COTTAGE