Pateros Resource Center awarded $50,000 Group Health Foundation grant

PATEROS – A $50,000 grant from the Group Health Foundation was a welcome way for the Pateros-Brewster Community Resource Center to start 2023 as members of the PBCRC Board of Directors met last Thursday, Jan. 12.

PBCRC Executive Director Gene Dowers said the nonprofit applied to the Group Health grant last November, received news that the grant was approved last December, and received the funds on the very day the board met for the first time this year.

This is the second time PBCRC received the Group Health grant. They received $75,000 last year in what Dowers calls “an ideal grant.”

“It comes with little restrictions and reporting; kind of a trust grant,” said Dowers. “They leave it up to us to use the funds in any way it will benefit our community.

Dowers said the board elected to divide the grant into three programs:

       • Direct assistance, which is where most of last year’s grant funds went.

       • Personnel, part of which includes the host site fee for an AmeriCorps member. PBCRC used some of the 2022 Group Health funds to pay for AmeriCorps volunteer Francisco Vargas who oversees operations of the Tech Center.

       • Rainy Day fund.

AmeriCorps, which has sent 11 teams to Pateros since the 2014 Carlton Complex wildfire, has inquired whether Pateros has work for another team rotation from April through June this year. In the past the 18-to-24-year-old volunteers have worked with the Okanogan Long Term Recovery Group (OCLTRG) and the Pateros Treehouse Early Education Organization (PTEEO), and others.

WorkSource and OCCAC

The board also discussed WorkSource in Omak that sends an employment support caseworker to work out of the PBCRC office from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. every Wednesday and Thursday.

“She’s “absolutely jammed” both days helping people, said Dowers emphasizing the need for those types of services in the south part of the county.

“Óne of our priorities since we started was to get folks to bring their programs to the south county,” Dowers said.

Toward that end the board invited Rena Shawver, Executive Director of the Okanogan County Community Action Council, to discuss sending an OCCAC caseworker to work out of the PBCRC office in similar fashion to WorkSource for better access to area residents.

Part of the board’s 2022 program wrap up discussions concerned those areas where the center helped those in need.

“Last year we assisted 177 families through the course of last year mostly by keeping their lights or water turned on,” said Dowers. “We deal with people having emergencies and we have a great relationship with the Brewster PUD office.”

Dowers said that in situations where somebody is facing a power shut-off the utility calls Dowers.

“We used a lot of that Group Health Foundation money to help people keep their lights on,” said Dowers. “Particularly with as cold as it has been it’s something we’re committed to.”

Dowers said his office is also working with the cities on water bill shut-off notices, and is getting more involved with rent assistance and eviction notices.

“I’m not exactly sure how to get it out to people that if you’ve got a shut-off notice that’s looming, call us sooner rather than later,” said Dowers. “There are so many people that come in on the day that they’re getting shut off.”

Dowers said many orchard workers are just now getting back into the field following the two months of snow and intense cold.

“This December and into January has been way, way. way beyond average for people in need,” Dowers said.

Coming events

Coming events in the PBCRC conference room include:

       • Jan 24: Action Health Partners, Blood Pressure Monitoring.

       • Feb. 25: WA Dept. of Natural Resources, Resilience to Wildfires.

       • March 22: WWU/Career and Technical Education program.

       • TBD: Noxious Weed Board public meeting.