By Kristine Thomas
Silverton Area Community Aid Executive Director Teresa Warriner is excited to announce two new programs, beginning this month.
4G Community Resource Day
Whether you need assistance with writing a resume, information on local nonprofits or seek to learn money-saving ways, there is one place on one day you can go in Silverton to get what you need.
Silverton Area Community Aid is hosting the first 4G Community Resource Day Saturday, Sept. 21, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Silverton Community Center, 421 S. Water St. The event is free.
The four “Gs” are Good Cause; Good Deeds; Good Volunteers and Good People.
Warriner said the resource event promises to provide helpful information and services that will benefit community members.
“We want to have one place people can go and get information they need,” she said.
Organizations attending the event include Silverton Health, The Salvation Army, Cover Oregon, ASAP, Energy Trust of Oregon, Habitat for Humanity, Silverton Library and Motherhood Planning.
Warriner invites organizations that wish to participate to contact her to signup.
“Many of the clients who come to SACA don’t have a car or the money for gas to go to Salem to visit with places they may need assistance,” she said. “Or they need to sign up for an appointment. This event brings those resources to them.”
Warriner and SACA volunteers are also collecting clothing to give away. If you have items to donate, drop them by the SACA office, 421 S. Water St., Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Friday from 9 a.m. to noon. Or call for volunteer pick up.
The SACA Food Project
Think of the SACA Food Project as a project for your book club, social group, office or children’s athletic team.
The way it works is members receive a green cloth bag that they have two months to fill. Bags are collected the second Saturday of even months – February, April, June, August, October and December. Each group – for example a book club – assigns one member to collect the bags and take them to SACA.
“We talked with the Ashland Food Project who has been doing this for 20 years,” Warriner said. “The idea is to supplement the food drive we have every October.”
In 2012, 24 Food Projects around the United States collected more than 750,000 pounds of food.
“This is a great opportunity to share food with our hungry neighbors and strengthen our community,” Warriner said.
In August, Warriner said food donations had decreased. By having the SACA Food Project, she can communicate to group leaders what items are needed such as cereal, soup, packaged meals or personal items.
“We encourage people to buy just one extra non-perishable food item each week when they go to the grocery store so by the time it is to collect the bag, it will be full,” she said.
Mark your calendar
Volunteers are needed for the annual SACA Community Food Drive on Saturday, Oct. 19. Food bags to be filled will be dropped off the days before the pick-up on Oct. 19.
If you are interested in learning more or volunteering for any of the above programs, call SACA at 503-873-3446.
