2023 Year-End Newsletter
We Care relies on the generous support of community members like you to accomplish its mission. To help you appreciate the tremendous need in Benton County, and the impact of your contributions, we are excited to share with you our year-in-review. This December, we hope you will consider joining with your neighbors and chipping in.
Wishing you and your loved ones a joyous holiday season,
We Care Board of Directors
Dear Friends,
Our annual giving campaign goal is $60,000 this year in support of Direct Client Assistance for 2024 – show you care and contribute!
“Keeping the power on meant I was able to save money in other ways, like cooking cheap meals at home, which will help my family long term.”
2023 has been a year of change and growth for the We Care team. After 40 years serving our community, we have experienced record high inquiries and applications for financial assistance from our community members needing emergency support to prevent homelessness, loss of utility services and other basic needs.
Inquiries have increased from 865 (full year 2022) to 950 in the first 8 months. At this writing, the pace continues to swell.
We have processed 416 applications for Board review, nearly half for single females, funding 240 households including 267 children under 18.
Keeping pace with current funding allocations, we will distribute more than $164,000 in 2023.
Unfortunately, 143 applications have been denied so far compared to 66 in all of 2022.
“My son was so worried he’d come home from school and we wouldn’t live here anymore. Thank you.”
We can’t meet the total need…
You can help us do more!
All of us have experienced the results of inflation, with rising expenses. The lack of affordable housing, insufficient resources and services and rising unemployment for those in need is not new. Now with a significant loss of government funding in Benton County, we are experiencing a much greater need than ever before. Our neighbors seeking support have to rely on the local community for help. We rely on you to join us in making this difference.
To adjust to the increase in needs of our neighbors, we have hired our very first part-time employee to help orchestrate and support our intake volunteers who interface with our clients and the community on a daily basis. After many years operating in rent-free (albeit tiny) office space, it was necessary to relocate to a rentable space more conducive to successfully serving our community. While these additional expenses are necessary to our operation, we are grateful to Samaritan Health Services for an off-setting operational grant slated to provide meaningful support through 2025.
“I can’t thank you enough. This has changed my life. Thank you for caring about me”
“We Care kept me in my home while I worked out the issues with my social security benefits.”
Our 2023 Annual Giving Goal: $60,000 for Direct Client Assistance. Your annual contribution will directly support 120 families in need of financial assistance to avoid eviction, utility shut-off and other basic needs. In concert with local grants, endowments and other contributions, we will increase our financial capacity to fund 20% more households in 2024.
It is very rewarding to shepherd your donations to those in need. Thank you for your continued support of our work. WE CARE. We know you do too! We need to do more, we should do more, and with your help, we absolutely will do more! Our community thanks you for caring.
Sincerely,
We Care Board of Directors
Affiliated Faith Communities
Beit Am Jewish Community
Church of the Good Samaritan
College United Methodist Church
Baha’i of Corvallis
Baha’i of Philomath
Corvallis Mennonite Fellowship
First Baptist Church
First Christian Church
First Congregational United Church
First Presbyterian Church
First United Methodist Church
Grace Lutheran Church
Northwest Hills Community Church
Peace Lutheran Church
Religious Society of Friends
St. Mary’s Catholic Church
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
Cooperating Agencies
Casa Latinos Unidos
Corvallis School District
Community Services Consortium
St. Mary’s Catholic Church
St. Vincent de Paul
Vina Moses
Local Businesses and Foundations
Benton Community Foundation
Bessemer Giving Fund
City of Corvallis Social Services Fund
City of Philomath
Corvallis Kiwanis Foundation
OSU Folk Club Thrift Shop Foundation
Philomath Community Foundation
Samaritan Health Services
United Way of Linn, Benton & Lincoln Co.
Zonta Service Foundation of Corvallis
A Home In Community
Corvallis Interfaith Networky
Devco Engineering, Inc.y
Duerksen & Associates
J. D. McGee, Inc.
Old Mill Center for Children and Families
Powell Construction
The Village Builder, Inc.
HELPING PEOPLE IN NEED IN BENTON COUNTY
WHAT WE CONSIDER
We serve Benton County households facing financial emergencies with special consideration given to:
Households with children
Eviction notices
Utility shut-off
Cases of domestic violence
Those experiencing homelessness
Sustainability after being helped
HOW WE OPERATE
We Care volunteer screeners meet with applicants to determine and verify the need.
When possible, applicants are referred to other sources of assistance.
The Board of Directors meets weekly to distribute the funds.
Checks are made payable to the provider (landlord, utility company, etc.)
and not the person receiving help.