Time to begin another cold, cozy, wonderful winter.

As we wrap up a productive and busy autumn, time seems to fly by. So, it is fitting that the cool days begin to get longer, as we hope to squeeze in some much-needed rest before a grand New Year: 2023! Now, before we spring into new beginnings, let’s take a look at what we have done this past season—together, as a community, because Philomath Community Services (PCS) is People Helping People.

New Office Manager

First of all, we want to highlight Chelle, our truly outstanding past-Bookkeeper who was promoted this past November to become our new Office Manager—Congratulations, Chelle!

While the vast majority of the hours that go into operating PCS are donated by volunteers, our minimal staff is key to maintaining our organization by providing consistent expertise.

Our community is truly fortunate to have dedicated and kindhearted neighbors like Chelle working diligently to uphold our great nonprofit, helping to ensure that all of us are warm, fed, and valued. Thank you, Chelle, for your service.

Office Hours

Big news! PCS now has regular office hours:

• Tuesdays 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM

• Wednesdays 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM

• Thursdays 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM

Please note that our office is closed on federally recognized holidays, and office hours are subject to change. Check our website for the latest information: philomathcommunityservices.org.

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Sharing Holiday Cheer

Our Holiday Cheer program received enough local donors to sponsor 68 families, including 168 children! Dozens of little hearts were filled with joy Christmas morning. This was accomplished by 26 volunteers, together donating 235 Volunteer Hours. Additionally, in-kind donations amounted to over $20,000, all of which was distributed back into our community — from people to people.

Recognizing Our Local Businesses

Monetary donations are the lifeblood for most charities and PCS is no exception. However, that is not the end of the story. PCS is fortunate to have vital support from the Philomath community in non-monetary ways. Not only have individuals stepped up with non-cash donations, but we have also received meaningful contributions in the form of services, discounts, volunteer time offered through faith groups, and tangible support from our local businesses.

During 2023, we will spotlight organizations and people who sustain PCS in non-monetary ways. We hope you look forward to learning more about our giving community.

Inspiring Generosity

We would like to highlight several snippets of generosity from our local community this past fall. The generous hearts of our neighbors are nothing short of inspirational.

For example, a group of Philomath Elementary School (PES) girls raised $300 for our Holiday Cheer program by selling their own artwork during an autumn parent-teacher conference. These funds were used to purchase hygiene baskets for families in need.

Our Holiday Cheer Program Manager, Jennifer (pictured to the left just behind the generous girls alongside PES Principal Bryan Traylor) made each girl a certificate as a token of our gratitude for their selfless work.

And consider our own county’s Triple S 4-H Club. This group sold Christmas trees and raised $2,600. Wow! They divided the funds among various communities, strategically allotting funds to do as much good as possible.

$1,300 went to Philomath Community Services. We carefully stewarded the funds by providing $500 to Holiday Cheer to sponsor families in need for the holiday season, while the rest went to purchase provisions for the Philomath Food Bank to support our neighbors facing food insecurity.

Several other snippets of generosity include:

★ Out of the blue, Philomath’s very own Sew it Seams Fabric & Notions collected a carload of food items for PCS, which was distributed to local families in need.

★ This past Veteran’s Day, the City of Philomath’s Inclusivity Committee worked with former mayor Eric Niemann, the American Legion, Interfor, and the Philomath Scout Lodge to host Dr. Robert Bartlett, a WWII veteran. Public admission into Dr. Bartlett’s presentation was simply encouragement to bring canned food items, which were donated to PCS.

★ In December, Citizens Bank held a Christmas present wrapping contest. Customers voted on the best-wrapped present with their dollars, and proceeds were matched by Citizens Bank and donated to PCS.

Thank you so much to all of our wonderful neighbors! There are countless little acts of kindness that PCS receives throughout each season, and not everything can be mentioned here in our newsletter. Please know that we are grateful for you, and we are truly proud to serve Philomath and surrounding communities.

Season of Thanksgiving

While it’s good to be thankful every day and every season, we like to give special thanks to our volunteers once each year aroudn Thanksgiving. Our tireless, dedicated volunteers collectively put in thousands of hours annually.

Pictured to the right are our Gleaners, who harvest tens of thousands of pounds of food each year—feeding families in need and ensuring that food does not go to waste. In addition to the Gleaners, all of our other programs also do outstanding work for our community.

This past autumn, we shared a meal of gratitude among our volunteers. Folks young and old gathered to appreciate one another and remind ourselves that PCS is larger than any one person, program, grant, or donor—we are truly, simply People Helping People.

Thank you, volunteers!

Embarking on New Friendships

What a treat it was to visit the Benton Community Foundation’s Philanthropic Achievement awards this past fall. Philomath Community Services was invited to sit at the Citizens Bank table, along with representatives from Maxtivity.

Pictured in the bottom-right photo to the left, from left to right are: Cameron Howell, Citizens Bank CFO; Gordon Zimmerman, Citizens Bank CEO; David M. Low, PCS President of the Board; Louise-Annette Burgess, Maxtivity Executive Director; Emily Jessen, Maxtivity Teaching Artist; Callie Elliott, Citizens Bank VP & Manager of Circle Office; and Kathi Harwood, Citizens Bank VP & Manager of Philomath Office.

Video Library

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