NeighborImpact tallies services provided in 2017

NeighborImpact, the region’s largest nonprofit provider of social services, released statistics to its board of directors recently regarding demand for services during the 2017 calendar year.

A total of 43,303 households in Central Oregon and 321,154 individuals sought one or more services from the agency, a one percent increase from 2016. Based on the tracking system, individuals and households are counted each time they receive services, and an individual or household may be counted more than once if they receive more than one service or receive a service more than one time in a six-month period.

Founded in 1985, NeighborImpact is a private non-profit organization which serves all of Crook, Deschutes and Jefferson counties and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. The number of Central Oregonians served by the organization are broken down by county in the chart below.

Crook

Deschutes

Jefferson

Other

Total

Individuals Served

44,277

236,186

40,836

17

321,154

Households Served

4,477

32,114

6,704

8

43,303

Hours of Training

509

10,278

602

0

11,389

Value Distributed

$1,329,146

$9,700,640

$1,861,153

$12,000

$13,956,933

Families and individuals touched by the nonprofit may have received services from any of its 8 programs. Programs operated by NeighborImpact include:

Child Care Resources: Delivers training and tools for child care providers and Early Learning programs. Head Start: Provides quality pre-kindergarten education to low-income families. Emergency Food Assistance/Food Bank: Receives and distributes food to a network of 47 local agencies that include emergency food box sites, congregate meal sites, brown bag programs and shelters. Energy Assistance: Offers financial assistance to income qualified individuals for propane, oil, wood and pellets. Weatherization: Provides free home weatherization to eligible low-income individuals. Housing Stabilization: Includes emergency and transitional housing, rent and deposit assistance. Lending: Offers low-interest loans to income-qualified individuals wishing to start a small business, put a down payment on a home, etc. HomeSource: Provides a variety of services including home ownership counseling, financial education, matched savings, foreclosure counseling, reverse mortgage counseling and mortgage assistance.

According to Executive Director Scott Cooper, the availability of these services is made possible through the contribution of volunteer time.

“We could not have this kind of positive impact without the help of volunteers, donors and community partners,” Cooper said.

The number of volunteer hours engaged and enabled by NeighborImpact through partner organizations in 2017 is a staggering 323,605 hours contributed, totaling over $7 million of financial value according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics volunteer hour value for 2016. In addition, foundations, local businesses and individuals contributed more than $1 million in 2017, to augment public resources.

“The recession may be over for many people, but there is no doubt that economic hardship continues to be real for many, many Central Oregonians,” Cooper said. “Housing costs and housing shortages are causing extreme distress for many members of our community.

“While the job market can’t find enough workers, too many workers lack the skills needed for the jobs we have today, and too many children, senior and disabled individuals still don’t know where their next meal is coming from or whether the lights and heat will be on tonight. NeighborImpact is standing in the breach for many of our region’s most vulnerable communities. Without the combined federal and state resources and private support we receive, plus an amazing gift of volunteer time, Central Oregon would be a far more challenging place for many people.”

For more information on NeighborImpact’s programs and services and how the organization helps identify the causes of and solutions to poverty, contact NeighborImpact at 541-323-6502.

About NeighborImpact: Since 1985, NeighborImpact has been a leader in developing solutions and bringing resources to Crook, Jefferson and Deschutes County. The agency offers a diversity of services meeting basic human needs for food and shelter, while enriching people’s lives by providing access to increased education, skills, and hope for the future. NeighborImpact is a private nonprofit organization that receives federal, state and local grants, foundation grants, and donations from individuals and businesses in our community. To learn more about NeighborImpact please visit http://www.neighborimpact.org.

NeighborImpact is a 21 Cares for Kids partner