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Volume 1 Issue 4 Fall 2000
GNC Has A New Mailing AddressThis month we were able to secure a mailbox at the Tigard Post Office. Our mailing address is now: Good Neighbor Center P .O. Box 230878 Tigard, OR 97281-0878 Back to TopBallot Measure Passes !!With many issues facing voters and a few money measures on the ballots in November, the Washington County Safety Measure passed. In the measure was some much needed financial support for four of the shelters in Washington County. To say that the board is grateful is a profound understatement! Our shelter which operates on many donations will receive $200,000 annually for the next five years and give us a base funding that will allow us to continue our work of helping people get back in to permanent housing. President Pat Biggs shared many of the same sentiments as the rest of the board, " We are so elated and relieved that we don't have to spend as much time fundraising! However, the funds from the ballot measure won't be available for almost 15 months, so we must continue our fundraising efforts for the next fiscal year.' There was a concerted effort from the shelters and the county to get this measure passed and the partnership allowed us to educate many in the county on what we do. The endorsements from the Oregonian and Community Newspapers also expressed their views that the measure included many aspects of safety and they were especially pleased that our shelters were included. Our barebones budget has not allowed for some much needed programs for children and families. We're hoping that with the continued support from volunteers we will be able to get these programs up and rolling. With the election behind us, we as a board would like to send our joyful thank you to all who supported this measure. We are pleased that we can serve those who need us most! Back to Top"A Day to Care and to Share" Will Kick Off in DecemberLast year, Father Les Sieg of St. Anthony's Church suggested that we have a day to take a special collection at our churches for the Good Neighbor Center. Our effort realized over $47,000 from the area churches. When we started, there were 6 churches supporting this effort and when we finished there were 33! Who said miracles don't happen? This year we are having "A Day to Care and to Share" again. We are asking churches to take a special collection in the month of December for the GNC. There are brochures and return envelopes available, so if you will participate, please call 503-403-0119 and we will get them to you. See page three for last year's giving. Back to TopFrom Where I Sit by Rebecca AmbroseI want to acknowledge this community once again for their remarkable commitment to the success of the shelter and the services we provide to assist families who are striving for stability in their lives. During the holiday season, many members in the community take a personal inventory of the blessings in their lives and reach out for opportunities to share those blessings with others. The outpouring of generosity during the holiday season can be overwhelming for shelter staff. We work throughout the year to provide families with necessities and distribute those gifts evenly. It is hard to observe families in shelter during the holidays receive so many blessings and for the rest of the year, other families receive minimal attention. Please remember that families need to be remembered all year, not just of the holiday season. We have a program to help people all year and hope that you will consider using your Christmas spirit in one of the other eleven months. Back to TopYou're AppreciatedIn October, we had a Volunteer Recognition Dessert to show our appreciation. The volunteers who came expressed their feelings about what volunteering at the shelter had done to their lives. One family mentioned that they take their children when they volunteer and that it has been an experience for them. For the general public, many have a preconceived notion about who is homeless. For the children who had volunteered with their parents, they discovered that many of the residents were just like them. The parents said that volunteering as a family has been the best education for their children. Again, we can't thank the volunteers enough. Your hours, time and concern are what the Good Neighbor Center is all about. Neighbors helping neighbors. We plan to honor volunteers again in the spring, so plan to attend. Back to TopAdopt a Family Year Around I Not dust at ChristmasAt Christmas time, most of us turn to buying presents and donating to our favorite causes. This is no different at the Good Neighbor Center. We are inundated with calls of folks wanting to adopt families for Christmas. These calls start in October! However, we have families transitioning every 5 weeks and so they aren't always here to share the generous spirit of our communities. As we struggle to find a way for everyone to share in this season of goodwill and sharing, we think we've found a solution. We are going to have a Living Giving Tree in our shelter. We are asking for those wanting to adopt families, to adopt a family at a different time of the year. Many of these families who come to shelter are not able to celebrate much more than a roof over their heads and some warm meals. By adopting families during different months, birthdays can be acknowledged, anniversaries and milestones can be remembered. If you adopt a family, you can help them to celebrate some of the good things that are happening every day. Many people who first come to shelter feel isolated and ashamed. By staying at the shelter and being in the program, they eventually realize that there are many people in the community who care about them. This is one way you can make a family feel like they matter and that we care. For more information on this program and to find out how to adopt a family at a time other than Christmas, please call our staff at 503-443-6084. They will have all the necessary information and will be delighted to get you signed up to share your Christmas spirit all year around. Back to TopLocal Church Support FY2000 Levels of Giving$10,001 and Over
$5, 0001 to $10, 000
$3,001 to $5,000
$501 to $3,000
Up to $500
Gift Certificates for BirthdaysMany times families who find themselves living in the shelter don't have any way to celebrate their children or spouses birthdays. One concerned GNC donor decided to buy gift certificates and donate them to the GNC for birthdays. The certificates range in value from $5 to $20. The staff makes sure the residents get birthday cards and a certificate. If you feel that you'd like to be part of this program, please call the shelter at 503-443-6084. Back to TopGet to Know the Staff at GNCTo continue to introduce you to our staff, this month we are featuring Rebecca Ambrose and Debbe Kettle. Rebecca Ambrose has worked in shelters and shelter services for a cumulative total of eight years with roles that ranged from supportive staff, community outreach, program and curriculum development, to administrative responsibilities. Her work has included domestic violence shelters, homeless shelters, community based mediation services and private business. She has 13 years management experience, raised three children as a single parent for 18 years, while supporting her family and completing her bachelor's degree. She graduated from the University of Oregon in 1991 with 3 majors: Economics, Management and Marketing. In July of 1999, she was hired to re-open the shelter under a developing non-profit board of directors, and to provide program services for homeless families with children and single women. Rebecca believes "success comes from a strong empowerment based philosophy for residents:" Debbe Kettle is the newest member of the Good Neighbor Center staff. She moved here from Astoria a little less than a year ago. While in Astoria, Debbe was County Coordinator for Child Care Resource & Referral for 5 years and Executive Director of the Pioneer House Shelter there for four years. Besides her work at the shelter, she is a student at Marylhurst University working on her masters in theology. Debbe has twenty years experience in social service including 8 years teaching children with severe behavior disorders and 2 years teaching Head Start. She is a newlywed and has two new kittens which keep her home life in constant comic relief . She is very grateful to be a staff member at the Good Neighbor Center and is enjoying her job very much. She is a busy woman to say the least, but she is happy in her work. Back to TopOur Mission StatementThe Good Neighbor Center is dedicated to providing safe emergency housing and supportive empowering services for individuals and families to be self-sufficient. Back to TopTalbot-McGuire Concert a Smash!Those attending the concert in September were quoted as saying the concert was a smash hit! Chuck Babin of St. Vincent dePaul said there were about 400-500 in attendance and that the ticket sales netted the Good Neighbor Center and Neighborshare about $1800 each. Thank you to all who sold tickets or attended! And a thank you to Mercy Corps and Chuck Babin for their help. Back to TopDetails, Details, Details - It's the Little ThingsSeveral needs are still needing attention and we're hoping you might have a solution. We need a handyman to fix several of our dining room chairs. Several chairs have pieces that are loose or have fallen off and they can't be used. We hope that someone who is a handyman will volunteer to fix our chairs! As residents move out and the bedding becomes washed over and over, we're finding we need families to adopt our rooms again. We still have a few rooms that need to be adopted. If you have some extra bedding or would like to adopt a room, please call the shelter. We have a team of volunteers that have been showing up to weed our landscaping, but we would like to spread that effort around. If you know of a group or club who would like to help keep our landscaping looking spiffy, please call and sign up for a date to weed. Although we are approaching the winter months, those weeds don't stop. |