Individual Development Accounts (IDA) Help Low Income Households Save for Homeownership, Business Development

NeighborImpact has been awarded a limited number of Oregon Individual Development Account slots to enroll low income households in a matched savings program that will help people on their way to attaining homeownership or the development or expansion of a business. Households in the tri-county area of Crook, Deschutes and Jefferson counties who earn 80% or less of area median income adjusted for household size are qualified to apply for this unique program. (For income limits call 548-2380 x120.) Individuals must be enrolled in the program for a minimum of 6 months and a maximum of 3 years. Households must save a certain amount of their own money each month and enroll and complete NeighborImpact courses such as Homebuyer Education and our Financial Fitness course series to receive the matched funds when they complete the program.

Click here to download the official press release

Jeld-Wen Tradition Champions Tour to Benefit NeighborImpact

NeighborImpact is one of several non-profit organizations that will be part of the Charity Ticket Program for the 21st Annual JELD-WEN Tradition Champions Tour PGA Golf Tournament to be held August 17-23, 2009 at Crosswater Club, Sunriver, Oregon. The JELD-WEN Tradition is one of five Majors Championships played annually. In 2008 the Champions Tour events combined donated more than $9 million dollars to charity. This is the first year for the 2009 Charity Ticket Program being offered by JELD-WEN Tradition. Spectators can purchase tickets for the 72 Hole Golf Tournament and 100% of those ticket sales will benefit NeighborImpact. Daily Grounds Tickets are available for $20 and Season Badges are available for $40. Tickets may be purchased at www.jeldwentradition.com/tickets.cfm or you can download the mail-in ticket order form here.

Click here to download the official press release

Click here to ownload the Ticket Order Form

Click here for the Schedule of Events

Click here for the Official Jeld-Wen Tradition Fact Sheet

NeighborImpact Promotes Local “Grow-A-Row” For Hunger Program

NeighborImpact is promoting a local version of a national program “Grow-A-Row”. This program encourages gardeners and farmers to plant extra food to donate to area food pantries. The goal of the program is to increase access to healthy nutritional fruits and vegetables. Food pantries throughout Central Oregon are excited about the possibility to having fresh food to hand out to those in need. NeighborImpact is directing gardeners who are interested in donating fresh quality produce to visit the NeighborImpact web site for a listing of food pantries in their communities. Farmers who are interested in this program can contact NeighborImpact’s Food Coordinator, Steve Murray, at 548-2380 #108.

Click here for more information

Click here to download the official press release

Strictly Organic offers “Neighborly Blend” to benefit NeighborImpact

For the next six months, you can buy “Neighborly Blend” at their store or on-line at www.strictlyorganic.com $4 of every pound sold goes to support NeighborImpact. NeighborImpact provides a diversity of services that not only meet basic needs for food and shelter, but also enrich people’s lives by providing access to education, skills, and hope for the future.

Click here to download the official press release

NeighborImpact Food Bank Adopt a Truck Sponsorship Opportunity

NeighborImpact Food Bank is offering businesses and individuals an Adopt a Truck Sponsorship opportunity. By purchasing space on one or both of the Food Recovery Trucks, Adopters will receive exposure around the entire Central Oregon Region by having their company logo placed prominently on the side of the truck. The trucks are on the road 5 days / 45 hours a week picking up and delivering food. Anyone interested in getting more information about adopting a NeighborImpact Food Recovery Truck, please contact Sandy Klein, Development Specialist, NeighborImpact at sandyk@neighborimpact.org or call 541-548-2380 extension 148.

Click here to download the official press release

A Call to Serve: Opportunities on NeighborImpact’s Board of Directors

NeighborImpact is seeking individuals to serve on the Board of Directors. There are current openings on the board for both a Crook County Community Representative and Low-Income Representative and a Deschutes County Community Representative. NeighborImpact, a private non-profit organization, provides a wide variety of services to help persons and families envision and plan for a better future by increasing personal, financial and social assets in Crook, Deschutes and Jefferson counties. NeighborImpact also assists persons and families in crisis by helping with food, utilities, shelter and housing. NeighborImpact offers child care resources and provides early education through its Head Start program. Individuals who serve as a NeighborImpact board member will play a significant role in building success and in changing families’ lives by supporting NeighborImpact in its service to the community. For information about the Board of Directors and NeighborImpact, please contact Sharon Miller, Executive Director, at 541-548-2380 (extension 102) or sharonm@neighborimpact.org.

Click here to download the official press release

Homeless Leadership Coalition Announces 2009 Tri-County One Night Homeless Count Results

On January 29th 2009 volunteers conducted confidential and anonymous surveys in Bend, LaPine, Sisters, Redmond, Prineville, and Madras. This one-day count will provide the most up-to-date information about the number of individuals in Central Oregon who are struggling to find adequate housing. Through this data, local agencies and programs are able to qualify for increased funding, better target support services, and develop comprehensive plans to address poverty and homelessness in Central Oregon.

Click here for the 2009 Homeless Count Results

Head Start is now enrolling children for the 2009-20010 school year

NeighborImpact’s Head Start Program is dedicated to helping ensure that children ages 3 and 4 from low-income families are ready for school. The Head Start Program is now accepting applications for the 2009-20010 school year. Head Start builds success for children through child focused, family-centered services that enhance social competence, school readiness and overall health and well-being. Children are provided a free high quality preschool education which includes individualized curriculum, nutritious meals, health and developmental screenings, and transportation. Head Start Classes are available throughout Crook and Deschutes counties. Space is limited.

Click here to download the Head Start Application

NeighborImpact Releases its 2007/2008 Annual Report

The NeighborImpact 2007/2008 Annual Report is now available for download.

Click here to download the Report

Bend Emergency Services Announces Extended Office Hours for Energy Assistance

NeighborImpact is offering extended office hours at our downtown Bend office to accept energy assistance applications through February. Clients seeking assistance for their utility bills can apply for energy assistance from 9 am to 4 pm at our office located at 325 NW Vermont, Suite 101. Office hours in Redmond, Prineville, and Madras remain the same.

Click here to download the official press release

Community First Bank Announces its Community Care Program

Community First Bank now offers a program that allows supporters of non-profit organizations like ours to financially assist the organization of their choice simply by doing business with Community First. With the Community Care Account, Community First Bank will donate 1% of your average annual balance to the non-profit organization of your choice when you open a qualified account with them. For more information, please click here:

Community Care Account

Call to Action: 11th Annual Oregon Lawyers Against Hunger (OLAH) Campaign

Oregon Lawyers Against Hunger (OLAH) has a lot to be proud of. They’ve raised $977,000 since OLAH started in 1997. This means that OLAH has helped the Oregon Food Bank network bring more than 5 million pounds of food to approximately 100,000 families in need in the state of Oregon.

Click here to download the official press release

Affects of Rising Food and Fuel Prices Highlight 2008 Survey of Food Box Recipients

Oregon Food Bank recently conducted a survey at food pantries throughout Oregon to find out what caused people to need emergency food assistance. In Central Oregon agencies in Madras, Redmond, Prineville, La Pine and Bend provided survey results from their clients. Over 3,800 individuals filled out the survey in all parts of Oregon. The three major reasons respondents cited for needing help are rising food prices (52%), high fuel costs (40%), and housing costs (23%). Residents in Central Oregon face all of these issues. The survey also shows the largest group receiving emergency food is households with children.

Click here to download the official press release

NeighborImpact Prints 2007-08 Tri-County Resource Guide

NeighborImpact has completed updating its bi-annual Answer Book. The guide provides a listing of services for low income clients in such areas as education, housing, emergency services, children and family, and legal. This is the first guide printed using the NeighborImpact name and logo. It is available in both English and Spanish for individual clients and in bundles of 50 for agency use. The Answer Book can also be downloaded from NeighborImpact’s web site. For information on how to get copies, call 548-2380 #100.

Click here to download the official press release

NeighborImpact Offers Rent & Utility Assistance in La Pine

Eligible area residents will now be able to access utility and rental assistance services at a site in LaPine. In the past, these services were only available through NeighborImpact’s Bend office. In addition, applications for the Head Start program will be available for interested families. Beginning on Friday, September 7 and continuing on the first and fourth Friday of each month, NeighborImpact staff will be at the LaPine Community Kitchen site at 16480 Finley Butte Road (VFW Hall) from 10:30am to 2:00pm.

Click here to download the official press release

‘Beehive’ Web Portal Promises Self-Help

Local nonprofit Neighbor Impact and One Economy Corporation, a multi-national nonprofit, partnered to build this free English/Spanish online resource to help workers connect to resources about money, schools, jobs, housing, health and more. The Beehive Cascades is a localized version of the national Beehive web site that was launched by One Economy in 2001. The site can be found at http://www.beehivecascades.org.

Click here to download the official press release

The Homeless Leadership Council announced the results of its annual point- intime homeless count, which was conducted on January 31, 2008.

Click here for the Tri-County report

Click here for the Deschutes County report

Click here for the Crook County report

Click here for the Jefferson County report

The new OHCS Report on Poverty 2006 highlights the effects of the recent recession and booming housing market on the lives of low- and moderate-income Oregonians. County profiles provide insight into local needs and efforts to combat the causes and consequences of poverty.

Click here for the Deschutes County summary

Click here for the Crook County summary

Click here for the Jefferson County summary