Community Service &
Weatherization Component

Donna Kinnaman, Executive Officer

CAPECO's Community Service and Weatherization Component provides a variety of services to the area residents which include: Commodity food distribution, Emergency assistance service such as help with utility payments, lodging, rental assistance and rent subsidy, housing rehabilitation, and weatherization services.

The Community Service & Energy Department promotes the creation, coordination and delivery of social services to low-income Oregonians residing in Umatilla, Morrow, Gilliam and Wheeler Counties. The department utilizes funds to provide emergency food, shelter, rent and utility assistance and long-term housing stabilization services; additionally retrofit existing housing stock through Weatherization and rehabilitation programs. Furthermore, additional resources are mobilized through partnerships with other agencies, public sources and the private sector to combat the main causes of poverty in our region. Our primary focus is to assist individuals and families achieve a greater level of self-reliance through case management and educational training sessions provided by staff and professionals in our community. p

FOOD PROGRAMS

Food is a basic need for every household. CAPECO is a Regional Coordinating Agency for Oregon Food Bank and is the main supplier of food to St. Mary's Outreach, Helping Hand, Irrigon-Boardman Emergency Assistance Center, the Neighborhood Center of South Morrow County, Arlington Help, Condon Food Pantry and Fossil Food. USDA commodities and donated food is shipped to our 9,000 sq ft warehouse and then distributed to the food pantries. Additionally, food is acquired through food drives; State Employees Food Drive, Letter Carriers Food Drive, schools, Kids Clubs and churches. Our commitment is to eliminate hunger, delivering more than, 5,700 pounds of food provided last year.

The warehouse serves as the food distribution center for the federal Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations that CAPECO administers for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. The program allows income eligible households to receive a month's supply of USDA commodities in lieu of food stamps. The program provides an opportunity for individuals to obtain a good nutritious supply of food plus gain educational information regarding health issues, nutrition and menu ideas. Staff dispensed 4,113 food boxes during this past year.

Emergency service programs specialize in providing rapid response to clients facing personal or economic crisis. Loss of home, lack of family wage jobs, utility shutoffs, and poor health can plunge families into desperate circumstances. Rental assistance provided housing for 501 people who were homeless or at risk of being homeless via a landlord's eviction notice. Additionally, 549 people who had received termination of service notices, had been shut off or needed help in establishing service obtained utility assistance. Lastly, 210 people received emergency lodging. All of these services introduce clients to the opportunities available through our agency for moving them away from dependency on stopgap aid. Unfortunately, our funding base is insufficient to address the number of requests for assistance.

Rental subsidies are provided to households looking for an avenue to escape the dredges of poverty. These households are afforded an opportunity to gain life skills through our monthly "Survival Skills Workshops" which provides educational information in an interactive environment. Our skilled and professional staff meets regularly with each household and assists them in establishing a personal goal plan, promotes and provides tools on monthly budget planning, and identify barriers preventing the household to achieve their goals. Staff provides the moral support necessary to build the self-esteem of the clients served. An important component to delivery of these services is the linkage to other comprehensive service options to enable households to overcome barriers on their road to self-sufficiency. Our success is measured by the number of households who have been able to sustain permanent housing after transitioning from the program and the gain of income obtained while participating in this program. During the year 960 service units were provided.

The Low-Income Energy Assistance Program provides income eligible households a one-time payment issued to their energy vendor to help offset the high cost of energy during the heating season. Over 1,700 households received assistance from this program; 27% were seniors who access this program annually to help maintain their independent living. The Weatherization program benefited 145 individuals. Our qualified auditor utilizes state of the art diagnostic equipment to determine air infiltration penetrations, negative and positive pressure, duct leakage, and co-emissions from combustible appliances and determines cost effective measures necessary to improve the energy efficiency of the structure. Work is performed by local contractors in accordance to state and local building codes and then inspected by certified staff. Additionally, Energy Education programs promote self-awareness of how to control energy usage in the home through conservation, installation of self-help materials, and modifying consumption. These various service options benefited 1,991 households.

State and local governments, private business, faith based organizations and local social service agencies provide additional resources used to design programs, enlist wider community support and bring more help and understanding to those in need. Our collaborative partners are Adult and Family Services, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Pacific Power, Cascade Natural Gas, City of Milton-Freewater, Oregon Department of Energy, Umatilla Electric Co-operative, local food pantries, Oregon Food Bank, the Church Street Task Force, and member organizations of Helping Hand (First Methodist Church, Episcopal Church of the Redeemer, and St. Mary's Outreach). Likewise, CAPECO commits funds to Domestic Violence Services and acquired funding to complete the renovation and first year's operation of Tonya's House.

For more information about CAPECO's Community Services Component, please contact us via this website or via phone at the office nearest you.