COTTAGE GROVE – Neighbors, staff, supporters, politicians, and press members crowded into a small white building with black and green trim on a rather sweaty afternoon last week. “What this is all about is helping at-risk rural kids get off the street and make sure that they have a safe floor under their feet,” Sen. Ron Wyden said.
Wyden and Rep. Val Hoyle visited Cottage Grove’s new Looking Glass Community Services last Tuesday to learn how their help has expanded services for at-risk youth in the area. Hoyle and Wyden, along with fellow Sen. Jeff Merkley, said they fought to secure $195,000 in federal funding for this facility.
“Looking Glass is excited to be in the rural community and have a footprint here. It means so much,” said Chad Westphal, president and CEO of Looking Glass Community Services. “I personally grew up rural, and knowing that we can be in this community, supporting youth, whether they need treatment, just a place to be after school activities, furthering their education, case management, shelter, housing as appropriate – that’s what we’re here for.”
CG’s Rural Program offers services including basic needs, street outreach, case management, and employment support. From 2:30-5 p.m., Monday through Friday, youth ages 11 to 20 can access food, showers, device charging, case management services, computer use, job search assistance, or simply hang out in a safe space.
Rep support
“This program is a life-changing opportunity for at-risk, rural kids. The Senate is an overwhelmingly rural institution, and a lot of those senators are going to go home when they hear about this program; they’re going to say, ‘This is the kind of thing we ought to be working on for our community … helping a lot of vulnerable kids right now,” Wyden said, adding that the program will serve as a model for the rest of the country, “where a lot of those senators have to come home and explain to rural families what they’re doing to support kids like this.”
Hoyle recognized similar services that she utilized when she was younger.
“I struggled in school. Without programs like this, which helped me get back into school and go to community college … I wouldn’t have graduated from high school. My life would have been significantly different,” without support programs and resource rooms available to her, she said.
“That’s why I’ve always supported Looking Glass, because it really saves lives,” Hoyle said.]
Looking Glass Community Services relies on Medicaid funding for a majority of its services. According to Westphal, 65-70% of the organization’s budget comes from Medicaid dollars.
On May 22, the House passed a reconciliation bill that Hoyle says could impact Medicaid funding.
“It’s going to gut support for our rural hospitals. It’s going to provide support for our rural communities. The cuts in Medicare and Medicaid are significant,” Hoyle said.
“We’re a very split country, so we should be looking at good ideas from both sides. That’s not how this legislation was done,” she said. “I’ll work with anyone to get things done. But programs like this, no one can tell me that programs like this aren’t a good value for the dollar when you’re saving a kid’s life.”
Wyden agreed to support the program. “Our delegation is going to fight like hell for these kids. … I’m not going to let the federal government, by these devastating Medicaid cuts, put them at more risk in terms of their future.”
What’s new
The $195,000 in federal funds helped cover approximately half of the relocation and renovation costs. Only a one-minute walk from the previous location at 508 E. Whiteaker Ave., the new space is about four times the size of the old one.
Looking Glass moved into what was once the Printers and Lithographers Emerald Valley Craftsman building, which sat empty near El Tapatio for years. A lot of remodeling needed to be done before the organization could fully transition into the new place.
“If you’ve ever seen some of those horror movies, it looked exactly like something out of that,” said Bill Randall, senior principal architect at Arbor South Architecture. With money from the grant, an expansion was made, as well as an overall renovation of the building.
Walking through the bright green door of 620 E. Whiteaker Ave., one might notice the job board posted on the wall to the left. Openings for McDonald’s, Carl’s Jr., Papa Murphy’s, Dollar General, and even a housekeeping position can be found here.
An Xbox, games, a small TV, and comfy chairs are in a living room-like setting to the right. One might see the row of communal computers on the far side of the room or the local artwork hanging on the walls.
However, what one might not notice is the door in the drop-in portion of the building, which leads directly to the treatment clinic side to see a clinician. “That is a very intentional door,” Westphal said.
According to Westphal, drop-in locations don’t typically have clinical work embedded right next door. “When they’re working with the kid, you have to be ready for them the moment that they’re ready, otherwise you might miss it and it doesn’t come around again,” Westphal said. “Oftentimes you’ll be working with someone and they’re saying, ‘Yeah, I’ll go to treatment,’ then they hear, ‘Well, we got an appointment two weeks from now, and it’s two blocks down, two blocks over.’ That door is there for a reason. It’s right next door when they’re ready.”
The remodel topped around $400,000, with makeovers like going from a makeshift kitchen without a range, oven, or stove, to a brand new one, with all new appliances – even a dishwasher.
“The biggest difference between the kids in this community and the kids in Eugene and Beaverton and Portland is that the kids in this community have not historically gotten the visibility or publicity,” Wyden said.
Westphal said, “There’s the same number of youth per capita that are going to have these needs as they would in the urban communities. … You can’t underestimate or undervalue a safe place to be, especially outside of school hours, and in this new location, we’re going to expect those numbers. And with our communication with the local school districts, it’s not just Cottage Grove, it’s the other surrounding communities as well. We’re expecting pretty high numbers.”
