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To contact me, please click here: Sen.DebPatterson@oregonlegislature.gov
Each week, I have the wonderful opportunity to visit organizations doing much good in our communities. In the past couple of weeks alone, I have visited with several – The Center for Hope and Safety, the Humane Society, a care facility, a retirement community, and a day center, to name a few. There is so much good work being done around us!
Yesterday, I had the chance to visit Helping Hands Resources in Salem, serving people in need of clothing or household items. This organization, founded in 1967 in the garage of a good neighbor here in Salem, now has over 80 people working there – all of whom are volunteers.
What is the cost of their kindness to others? The cost has several factors.
One cost of their kindness is the cost of time, a limited resource for us all. Most volunteers work three-hour shifts once a week, but some work two or three days a week, setting out clothing and other items from which people may select.
Another cost of their kindness is financial. The organization is always in need of things they must purchase – socks and underwear, diapers, some hygiene products. Many of the volunteers purchase things themselves and donate it to the organization. Others give, too, and their Quiltopia fundraiser helps with their $75,000 annual budget. Obviously, this is also a limited resource.
But there is one cost of kindness that comes from a source without limits. That is the ability to offer respect and dignity to all those they serve, no matter whether they just find themselves in a tough spot at the moment, or if they are struggling to make ends meet due to mental illness, intellectual disability, brain injury, or substance abuse issue. This kindness is absolutely free, and it is absolutely precious when it is extended to others.
I saw this at Helping Hands, and elsewhere. And friends, I’m so grateful for you, and for the many kind people in our community who step up to help their neighbors, no matter the cost.
Warmest regards,
Deb
P.S. If you would like to learn more about Helping Hands Resources, you can find more information here. And don’t forget, the State Fair runs this weekend through Labor Day!
Joint Town Hall on September 7
Please join Representative Tom Andersen and me for our upcoming legislative town hall on Saturday, September 7. We will be in Loucks Auditorium at Salem Public Library from 2:00 - 4:00pm and hope to hear from you about the issues that matter to people in our community.
Updates from the Ella Curran Food Bank
The all-volunteer Ella Curran Food Bank serves Independence, Monmouth, and rural Polk and Marion Counties. The food bank provides an inclusive space where people can choose the foods that best fit their needs. They also distribute food to youth organizations, provide emergency food during natural disasters and local emergencies, and supply food for Thanksgiving dinner to hundreds of families every year.
The need for their services has increased every year since the pandemic, and they currently serve more than 1000 families (or more than 5000 people) per month. The level of need is very high, and the Board of Ella Curran Food Bank has been working to secure a new, larger location that can better serve our community.
Last year, I was proud to secure $690,000 in state funding to assist with this expansion. The planning and permitting process for the new location is progressing well, and I will continue working with local partners to reduce hunger here in Oregon.
Ella Curran Food Bank is open Mondays and Tuesdays from 4:00 - 6:00pm, and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00 - 11:30am. The food bank will be closed on Monday, September 2 for Labor Day. To learn more, visit ellacurranfoodbank.org.
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1710
Capitol Address: 900 Court St NE, S-411, Salem, OR, 97301
Email: Sen.DebPatterson@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/patterson
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