SELCO Community Credit Union recently provided funds to Looking Glass Community Services with the specific purpose of furnishing 4 apartment units in a building owned by Looking Glass which houses the Looking Glass New Roads runaway and homeless youth day shelter. Additionally, SELCO has provided funding for 10 “new apartment” kits to be provided to youth upon exiting the transitional living program and moving into new housing situations.
“SELCO has provided a great benefit to our community by this donation,” Looking Glass CEO Craig Opperman said. “The young women in this program are especially vulnerable. A safe, comfortable environment allows them to focus on school, employment and healthy activities.”
Looking Glass presented a proposal to SELCO to provide $4,230.86 in order to purchase new furniture and other items for the apartment units in preparation to serve an additional 6 to 8 formerly homeless female youths through the transitional living program. Looking Glass recently hired an on-site manager who resides in an adjacent apartment unit and will provide case management and additional supports to youth in the program with funding provided by a grant from Lane County. Purchased items included things such as futons, kitchen tables and chairs, coffee and end tables, lamps, kitchenware, linens and more.
Coverage of the SELCO donation and work party made the front page of The Register-Guard on Friday, March 16, 2008.
“It is exciting that we are able to offer our housing clients all new items when they enter the program,” Said Runaway and Homeless Youth Services Director Kirstin London. “We really appreciate that SELCO decided to support us and our clients in this way.”
Looking Glass and SELCO staff purchased the apartment furnishings at the Wal-Mart on West 11th Ave and collaborated on a work party event to prepare the apartments for new tenants on Thursday, March 15th.
KEZI News Coverage.
The clients served in these apartments will be going through Looking Glass’ transitional living program. The primary purpose of the program is to temporarily house youth while providing assistance in securing more permanent, safe and stable living arrangements. Clients of the program also receive other wraparound supports including counseling, coaching, job training and educational assistance.
“As a credit union founded by teachers, our charitable mission is to remove barriers to learning. For many, those barriers include not having access to a comfortable or safe environment in which learning can thrive. That’s why we’re thrilled to support Looking Glass through their transitional living program, which provides teens and young adults with a space they can call their own as they transition into the next phase of their lives,” Said Ashlee Jacobson, Marketing Specialist for SELCO.