Helping is What We Do Best

A 17 year old boy from HOME had a history of being homeless with and without his mom. Her verbal abuse and emotional detachment had resulted in him seeking shelter with various friends for long periods of time. He was using food stamps as rent payment. Recently, a letter from Department of Human Services (DHS) stated that in order to continue receiving food stamps, he had to renew his application within a matter of days. Unsure of how to accomplish this and fearful of losing his source of food as well as housing, he asked us for help. We provided the bus pass for him to go to DHS and one of our staff met him there to help fill out the paperwork necessary to continue receiving food stamps. It is important to be supportive of the youth and we are always happy and willing to help the them when they need it.

Center 50+ Update and the Help of United Way

As mentioned in a previous blog post, five youth from HOME had the opportunity to experience their first professional job interview thanks to the use of the bus passes provided by United Way.  The five teens accompanied by Molly, HOME’s VISTA member, took the bus from HOME to Center 50+, Salem’s Senior Center. These youth all had one-on-one interviews with the Center’s director as part of the volunteer application process. The interview experience proved to be very exciting and valuable for the youth involved. One girl commented on how nervous she was before the interview. After everyone finished, another youth remarked on how important it was to shake the interviewer’s hand and maintain eye contact. They also noted ways they could improve in the future. All youth were scored on their interview skills and all youth were happily accepted to be volunteers at Center 50+. The bus passes provided by United Way enabled all interested youth to experience their first professional interview, an experience they surely will build upon in their future. As volunteers, they will be able to gain valuable work experience. We are truly grateful for United Way’s help in contributing to the success of the youth.

The Importance of Support

                Follow-up is not always possible when working with at-risk and homeless youth. Some need only a one-time resource and then they’re gone while others may be in and out of services for months or years. One young lady, “Krystal” (not her real name), came to us in need of numerous services. She was recently homeless, staying in shelters or with friends. When we met her, she had a potential job lined up but did not have any clothes or transportation to help her with the upcoming interview. We talked to Krystal, providing her with encouragement and support, clothing, bus passes and food. She was extremely thankful and very humble… but we didn’t see her again.

                About two months later, a staff member was on an errand to get supplies. At a store’s checkout counter, the cashier and the staff member recognized each other. It was Krystal! After quick hellos, she stated that she was doing really well, she was hired after the interview that we helped her get to and was grateful, stable, safe, and happy.

Krystal’s diligence and courage, along with the support we provided, enabled her to transition out of homelessness.  Sometimes what seems like the smallest of services can have a large impact on our community’s most vulnerable youth. Quite often, we never see the results of our efforts. When we do, as with this chance encounter with Krystal, it is incredibly validating and rewarding.

Center 50+

HOME is in the process of starting volunteer work experience internships with Center 50+ where youth can gain professional experience. Center 50+ is a public senior center that meets the needs of those ages 50 and older and serves the community. It offers meals, exercise and outdoor programming, social services, lectures, classes, and choir. Most of these amenities are free and open to the public at reduced rates. Seniors report that they use the center because of the meals, recreation, volunteer opportunities, and education. Center 50+ has a collaborative partnership with the City of Salem and Concerned Citizens and Nonprofit Friends of the Salem Senior Center.

            Five youth from HOME have completed one-on-one interviews with the director of the center, Marilyn Daily. Many of the youth have never had a professional interview so it was great experience for them. They were required to fill out a volunteer application so that they may start training. The work involves janitorial services, dish washing, and being a café barista. The youth will be trained in all of those areas and the commitment is that they go once a week for four weeks, two hours at a time. The volunteer work provides valuable work experience for their resumes, helps them to reconnect with the community, and benefit from a relationship with the seniors. Upon completion of their hours, they will receive a letter of recommendation from Center 50+. A person needs experience to get hired, but a person needs to get hired to get experience. This volunteer opportunity will be a good way for the youth to practice getting work experience, which will allow them to get ahead in the job market.

            The program manager, Marilyn Daily, has been wonderfully accommodating with the youth by giving them the valuable first experience with a professional interview. She was willing to work with HOME and aid the youth in having more professional experiences. We are grateful for her help by giving this great opportunity to the youth at HOME.  

National AmeriCorps Week

National AmeriCorps week is March 10-18, today marks the end of national AmeriCorps week. AmeriCorps is a national volunteer program that is funded through the government and partner agencies. With over 75,000 positions across the country, AmeriCorps volunteers work to improve communities on the grass-roots level through local and national nonprofit groups. By working to improve literacy and healthcare, fighting poverty and building community relationships, AmeriCorps volunteers gain valuable work experience while giving back to their communities. Participants earn a small living stipend for dedicating six months to a year of their lives to serving their community.

So what does an AmeriCorps member really do?

Molly started her AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) year in November 2011 at HOME. VISTA is a branch of AmeriCorps that focuses on fighting poverty. She works with HOME to improve and increase youth volunteerism, improve the volunteer structure at HOME, increase employment opportunities for young people and build positive and supportive relationships with the youth at HOME. This means attending community meetings, spending time with youth at HOME, planning fun volunteer projects and helping youth gain work experience in the community. Currently she is working to develop a volunteer internship program at Center 50+ in Salem for interested youth and helping to coordinate volunteer efforts by the community at HOME.

Molly’s VISTA position is split between HOME and another nonprofit in Salem: HandsOn Mid-Willamette Valley, which is a volunteer action center for Polk, Yamhill, and Marion counties. Both HandsOn and HOME are programs of Community Action Agency. This is just one AmeriCorps position. There are thousands of other positions within AmeriCorps throughout the country.

Recent high school graduates can serve with AmeriCorps' National Civilian Community Corps. College graduates may serve in AmeriCorps' VISTA or AmeriCorps' national programs, and seniors can contribute to their communities through the Senior Corps program.

To find out more about AmeriCorps positions or to apply visit www.americorps.gov

If you are a recent graduate looking for a meaningful first job experience or a professional looking for a way to contribute to your community, AmeriCorps is a great avenue to challenge yourself and serve your country.

Donations from OSU and OSP

Michelle Inderbitzin, Associate Professor of Sociology at Oregon State University, stopped by HOME recently to deliver a check and some other donations from her class Inside Out. Inside Out is comprised of a number of OSU students who meet at the Oregon State Penitentiary with an equal number of inmates. The goal of Inside Out at OSU is to exchange ideas and perceptions and gain a deeper knowledge of crime, the criminal justice system, corrections, and imprisonment.

Ms Inderbitzin noted that, “The students chose to focus on HOME again in my fall class, with the inside students collecting cash donations from the inmates in the penitentiary, and the outside students also coming up with a few fun donations for HOME.”

These pictures show HOME representatives Shain Olson and Peggy Kahan with a generous check from the inmates and holding the XBOX game system and games which were donated by one of Michelle’s students.

Incidentally, the inmates at OSP have been generous contributors to HOME for several years. More than most organizations, they can appreciate the preventive benefits which HOME provides to at-risk and homeless teens. We feel fortunate to have such consistent support. 

More Awards for CREW!

In addition to their Youth Achievement Award earned last fall, CREW (HOME’s group of volunteer youth) received these awards for assisting with the recent Reading For All project by Marion County’s Children and Families Commission.  CREW spent several hours on a cold, blustery winter afternoon waving signs at street corners around the Convention Center, directing drivers who were donating books for the project. Nearly 3,000 books were collected. When they were finished outside, CREW members went inside to help organize and stack the books.

Here are a few photos from the day:


The awesome award:


Congratulations to CREW for all the wonderful work that they do for Salem's community!

Overcoming Barriers

"Megan," aged 17, first connected with our Runaway and Homeless Youth (RHY) Outreach Workers downtown. She was homeless and couchsurfing with her boyfriend. She began coming regularly to HOME, eating meals, taking showers and doing laundry and picking up clothing and toiletries. Our RHY Team helped her with school and planning for a safer living environment. They assisted Megan with signing up for the Oregon Health Plan and they were all were surprised when she got 3 separate letters (using HOME as her mailing address) saying she was not approved for OHP. Our staff is certified to sign youth up for OHP and knew that Megan was eligible. After several calls and emails with DHS, they were told that Megan, in fact, did qualify and would be enrolled retroactively when she applied. Megan very likely would not have known to apply for OHP without the assistance of our RHY Team and it is possible that she would have accepted her “ineligibility” notices and would not have attempted the steps it took to have the situation rectified. This example demonstrates the value of assistance for these young people as they try to overcome very real barriers to becoming self-sufficient.

The Importance of Identification

“Paul” (not his real name) is a 16 year old young man who was reluctant to let staff at HOME know that his family is living in poverty. But he wanted our help. He eventually admitted that his family barely had money for food. He wanted to get a job so that he could help out at home while continuing with school. In order to get a job, he needed Oregon identification, either a driver’s permit or a picture ID. Permits cost less but are valid for a shorter period of time. Due to limited funds, we first asked Paul to take a permit test. He tried his best, but due to a learning disability, he was unable to complete the test. “I tried so hard, but just couldn’t do it,” he said when back at the office. “I don’t know where else to go or what to do. My family is too poor to help me get my ID on their own.” Staff from HOME’s Runaway and Homeless Youth Program had some funds to obtain an Oregon ID card for Paul and we are now assisting Paul in his job search. In Salem, and across the nation, family conflict is cited as the primary reason for a youth to run from home. Some older teens are asked to leave home – even if they have no where to go - because parents can not afford to provide for them. ID cards are required in Oregon to get a job, complete a GED, and are a legal requirement after the age of 18. The funds to help these youth are limited, but IDs can mean the difference between a child staying at home or being asked to leave.