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Project Homeless
Connect changing lives today and tomorrow
"Ordinary
people doing extraordinary things to end homelessness"
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The
second Project Homeless Connect was held Feb. 7, 2008 at the Lane County
Fairgrounds with 1,158 homeless guests being connected to healthcare, job
counseling, services for children, referrals to shelter and more. This
mammoth one-day project was possible due to the partnership between United
Way, Lane County, Eugene and Springfield along with over 600 community
volunteers, 281 service providers, and 185 cash and in-kind donors. These
efforts will have impact across the community for years to come. One guest
left beaming widely saying, "Today helped me get a job
interview!" A life and a community changed forever. www.homelessconnect.org
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STRENGTHENING COMMUNITIES
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100% Access pilot
project, MAP, opens doors to healthcare
We've recently enrolled the first patients to participate in a
community demonstration called the Medical Access Program (MAP), a pilot of
our 100% Access Healthcare Initiative. People with no health insurance
often experience longterm health problems by having to wait for a health
crisis to drive them to local hospital emergency departments. This results
in crowded ERs, delayed service, and greater costs for everyone. MAP aims
to coordinate healthcare and social services for low-income uninsured
individuals and the benefits are clear - better healthcare, at less cost,
for more people. At this point the pilot is limited to only a few dozen
individuals. We are painfully aware that is not enough. However, we know
that if we can improve the lives of even these few people, we will set in
motion the capacity to help hundreds, eventually thousands. www.100percentaccess.org
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Support for
"Youth on Track" programs help more young people
The
best investment we can make in our communities and our future is through
our youth. Over $30,000 in special funding has been distributed to some of
our county's most vital agencies who are helping our youth be the best they
can be. United Way "Youth on Track" agencies receiving extra
funding are Committed Partners for Youth (male mentors), Mid-Lane Community
Chest (arts), Boy Scouts (soccer), Girl Scouts (rural outreach), Red Cross
(CPR training), Boys & Girls Clubs (staff and projector), YMCA (ESL
materials), Siuslaw Outreach Services (domestic violence survivors support)
and Sexual Assault Support Services (bldg. repair). www.unitedwaylane.org
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Volunteer
of the Year - Sam Smith!
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Honored
at the annual Volunteer of the Year Luncheon held on April 23, 2008
Seventy-two
year old Sam Smith is the only grandfather some kids at Wellsprings Friends
School know. In 2007, Sam spent over 430 hours as volunteer math teacher at
the School. Besides assisting with math and math-based projects, Sam
provides the kids with a beautiful role model of an older person and is an
anchor in an often chaotic environment. Sam's nomination form said,
"Sam's impact on the school is enormous. He is a stalwart, selfless,
wise presence." Sam is an eternal learner, a thoughtful and loving
man, with an open heart for teenagers. Thank you, Sam, for showing us that
generational differences don't matter when one really cares.
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Happy
10th Birthday to
United Way of Lane County's Success By 6® Initiative!
In
2007, Lane County was the only county in Oregon showing a reduction in
child abuse rates. After 10 years of bringing the community together,
Success By 6® partners are closer than ever to making Lane
County one of the safest, healthiest places in Oregon to raise a child.
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