Letters and Articles
December 15, 2005
Letter to the
Editor
Since its inception almost five years
ago, two things have held consistently true for Jackson Street
Youth Shelter – that their mission to provide a safe, stable,
and secure environment for youth is clearly and undisputedly
needed in this community, and that there has never been
sufficient funding with which to operate without the large
donations of one or two individuals.
The original
founders of the youth shelter, knowing the need, always
believed in their hearts that the funding would come, and
indeed there has always been a loyal donor base for Jackson
Street. But a tapped-out funding angel, increasing hard
economic times, and recent catastrophes in other parts of the
world have affected funding and made it difficult for the
current Board of Directors to see the shelter’s future as
clearly as they can see its mission.
Without Jackson
Street Youth Shelter, the cost to the community would be far
greater. Many of these youth would stay in juvenile detention
or unsafe home environments, drop out of school, take or sell
drugs, or commit crimes. The youth shelter serves a population
within the community that is most at risk of failure at a time
in their lives when intervention can mean the difference
between success and failure in a young life. Imagine a child
in crisis between the ages of 10-17 with no safe place to
go.
We are extremely thankful all those who’ve donated
this year and in the past. Now we need more from the community
to help us keep our doors open to your youth.
Ann
Craig
Executive Director
Jackson Street Youth
Shelter
May 2005
Dream
Boat Benefits Youths’ Dreams
How can you make your
own dreams come true while making a positive difference in the
lives of youth? Stop wishing; go fishing.
Jackson
Street Youth Shelter recently received a donation of a 17-foot
fishing and crabbing boat from Molly Bloomfield of Corvallis.
The proceeds from the sale of the boat will support youth in
need of assistance by providing them with more than just a bed
and hot meals. The shelter offers these youth a safe, secure,
and stable environment with trained mentors and case managers
who drive them to school, help them with their homework, and
refer them to services in the community that can help them
reach their goals for the future.
This boat was Molly’s
late husband, Stephan's, dream for the future, but soon after
purchasing his dream boat, he was diagnosed with terminal
cancer. “He did have some wonderful times on the boat, but was
only able to take it out maybe 15 times, in all.”
“He
planned on this boat for years with all the bells and
whistles,” said Molly. “All his life he loved to fish and
crab. We had a 15-foot aluminum boat, but Stefan kept dreaming
of the day that he would have a boat with a cover and a motor
he could control.”
“We are excited about the boat and
grateful to Molly for this heartfelt donation. We know it
means a lot to her, and it means so much to the kids,” said
Ann Craig, the executive director at Jackson Street Youth
Shelter.
According to Craig, the shelter, located on
Jackson Ave. in downtown Corvallis, offers three programs,
emergency shelter, transitional housing, and time-out for
families, also known as respite care, to boys and girls ages
10 to 17. Approximately, 75 youth from Benton, Linn, and
Lincoln counties stay at the shelter each year under these
programs.
It is fitting that the Bloomfield's boat go
to help youth. Stefan and Molly have been involved in the
local community for many years with a special interest its
youth. Stefan was one of the founders of the Corvallis youth
soccer and refereed even after his own children had left for
college. He also worked closely with the Corvallis Boys and
Girls Club.
“Stefan was very aware of kids who did not
have dads to do things with them,” said Molly. “As the youth
shelter was first being put together, Stefan became interested
in it.”
Molly, a retired high school teacher, has also
been interested in youth and served 12 years on the school
board. She was concerned with helping kids graduate that were
moving around a lot or staying in their cars. “I see Jackson
Street filling a real void in the community for kids with no
safe place to go when they have problems at home. They were
staying in cars or on friends’ sofas.”
“Stefan would
really want the boat to go to someone who really appreciates
the boat and the boat has everything you could need. He would
also want the boat to support something that serves youth in
Corvallis.”
More than 2,000 community members have made
donations to the shelter since it began three years ago.
“Without these donations, we cannot meet our mission of
assisting these youth. This is an amazing community,” said
Craig.
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