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Director's Message
May 7, 2004
To: DHS Employees
From: Gary Weeks, Director
In this week's message:
1. Food stamp outreach success
2. NARA
3. Public budget meetings
4. Food for thought
5. Staff news
1. Food stamp outreach success
One of the greatest challenges we face with our food stamp program is ensuring that it serves all Oregonians who need it. Thanks to the efforts of many of you in this department, and those of our local-government partners and community organizations, we have made significant strides in our outreach efforts.
On Tuesday, Eric M. Bost, U.S. Department of Agriculture under secretary for food, nutrition and consumer services, came to Salem to recognize our state's success in increasing access to the food stamp program for all those who are eligible.
Mr. Bost joined us at a press conference to announce that Oregon had increased food-stamp participation by eligible Oregonians from 70 percent in 1999 to 84 percent in 2001. The national average in 2001 was 60 percent.
Impressive numbers. Our 84-percent rate is third highest in the nation and represents the greatest improvement of any state in the last three years. Moreover, the number of qualified Oregonians who participate in the federally funded program continues to increase. Since December 2001, our food-stamp rolls have grown by nearly 74,000 persons.
Hard work and collaboration. This is the result of the hard work and collaboration of many people. Partnering with local food-stamp advocates, DHS staffers have done an excellent job in increasing our outreach efforts to working-poor households.
We have expanded eligibility to improve access for more low-income individuals and families, and we've simplified the overall administration of the system. We've also reached a broader audience by working with the Oregon Food Bank and other community partners to publicize food-stamp availability to their clients.
I'm pleased to report that monthly food stamp benefits of approximately $35 million now reach about 424,000 Oregonians in nearly 215,000 households. These are the highest numbers in Oregon history.
Challenges remain. But, as far as we've come in our food-stamp outreach efforts, we continue to face many challenges. At the top of the list, we must persist in our efforts to decrease our error rate in eligibility decisions. Although we've made progress, there is still much to do in this critical area. It will be a major focus for us as we move forward.
And even with the increase of eligible Oregonians using food stamps, the unfortunate fact is that Oregon, based on population, has a higher percentage of hungry people than almost any state in the nation. This makes it clear that food stamps are not a complete solution to hunger in our state and in the country. They solve only part of the immediate problem, but certainly not the long-term one, which is primarily economic.
Hunger is not only an issue for our children's health and welfare, but for our seniors as well. Many of our elder citizens grew up in the Depression and find it difficult to accept any kind of assistance. For others, transportation may be an obstacle.
Eliminating hunger requires the commitment of many people — in government, in the private sector and in non-profit and faith groups. I was glad that Erinn Kelley-Siel, health and human services policy adviser to the Governor, and Patti Whitney-Wise, executive director of the Oregon Hunger Relief Task Force, were able to join us at the press conference. Both have been instrumental in our state's efforts to address the hunger problem.
I thank them, as well as Governor Kulongoski for the personal leadership he's provided in Oregon's fight against hunger, and all of you in DHS, who have worked long hours in improving the system to this point and in finding innovative ways to reach out to Oregonians who need our help.
2. Native American Rehabilitation Association of the Northwest
If mental-health and substance-abuse treatment is oriented to the culture of the patients, its effectiveness is almost always increased. I saw this firsthand on a recent visit to the Native American Rehabilitation Association of the Northwest (NARA) in Portland.
NARA is a private, non-profit organization owned and operated by American Indians. It provides culturally appropriate education, physical and mental health treatment and substance-abuse services to American Indians and Alaska Natives. The program consists of a clinic, a residential treatment center and a school.
I joined some of the program's clients in a session that included several Native-American ceremonies. In one, clients sat in a big circle, several with their children along side them, and talked with me about their personal history and what brought them to the program.
I was struck by the honest emotions I saw as these people talked about their lives and the challenges they faced. After the session, I had an opportunity to talk with a number of them. They were all very enthusiastic about the program and how the cultural focus made the program more relevant and more comfortable than other programs in which they had participated.
There were other ceremonies that took place, some in which I had the privilege of participating. I was impressed by how this spiritual approach not only served the therapeutic needs, but also seemed to uplift all. Being part of these ceremonies brought out emotions that are hard to describe.
We are fortunate to have a program like NARA in our state, serving as a resource to Native peoples across the country.
3. Public budget meetings
Across state government, agencies are beginning to put together proposed budgets for the two-year period beginning July 1, 2005.
The process includes informing our partners and other interested groups, and seeking their input. One set of opportunities to do this will occur later this month.
We're scheduling public meetings May 18 in Eugene, May 25 in Portland, and May 27 in Bend. We'll publicize meeting times and places as the arrangements are confirmed. But please don't hesitate to spread the word about these dates to people or groups who may be interested.
As you know, we face ongoing challenges in serving Oregonians with the limited resources available to us. I'll continue to provide information to you as the budget-development process unfolds.
4. Food for thought
"It is no use saying, 'We are doing our best.' You have got to succeed in doing what is necessary."
— Sir Winston Churchill
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This message is intended for all Department employees. Please read it electronically, if possible. Managers and supervisors are asked to share the message each week with employees who do not have email access.
If you have a disability and need a document on this Web site to be provided to you in another format, please send an email to dhs.forms@state.or.us or call (503) 945-7021, fax (503) 373-7690 or TTY (503) 947-5080. If you know of others who need this accommodation, please let them know it is available.
Oregon Department of Human Services
Director's Office
500 Summer St. NE E15, Salem, OR 97301-1097
Phone: (503) 945-5944
Fax: (503) 378-2897
TTY: (503) 947-6214
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