Great Northern Corporation (GNC)

Housing Rehabilitation Open Programs

Audra Gibson — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:20:38 +0000

GNC Offers Housing Rehabilitation Application Assistance

The City of Dunsmuir wants to make the public aware that “private property sewer laterals” are eligible activities under the City’s housing rehabilitation program. Anyone interested in this program is welcome to pick up an application at City Hall or by calling GNC at 938-4115 ext. 21.

The staff of Great Northern Corporation (GNC) is available each Wednesday from 9 am to 3 pm to residents of Siskiyou County providing information and application assistance for the Housing Rehabilitation Programs in the Mt. Shasta, Dunsmuir and Etna areas. Please call Claudia at 938-4115 ext. 21 to schedule an appointment.

These programs and others managed by GNC are equal housing opportunities. For more information about GNC visit their website www.gncCorp.org.

Asset Mapping Meeting for Healthy Homes Program

Audra Gibson — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 22:07:01 +0000

Siskiyou Asset Mapping Workshop – Notes on Discussion

Healthy Homes Program Development

January 26, 2012 Siskiyou County Office of Education, Yreka

Terry Barber Siskiyou County Public Health 841-2110 tbarber@co.siskiyou.ca.us

Marian Murphy-Shaw SCOE/COS 938-5511/842-8498 mshaw@siskiyoucoe.net

Marcia Armstrong Board of Supervisors 468-2824 armstrng@sisqtel.net

Karen Derry Happy Camp FRC 493-5117 derrykaren@yahoo.com

Karen Pautz First 5 Siskiyou/FRC Network karenpautz@first5siskiyou.org

Bonnie Kubowitz Great Northern Corp 938-4115 ext bkubowitz@gncCorp.org

Audra Gibson Great Northern Corp 938-4115 ext 42 agibson@gncCorp.org

Elizabeth Mitchell-Collard Community Health Plan of Siskiyous 926-1300 elizamitch@aol.com

HEALTHY HOMES

Are designed, constructed, maintained or rehabilitated in a manner that supports the health of residents (evidence links housing conditions to health outcomes).

Supporting the growth and health of children lowers costs to taxpayers

Siskiyou Health Issues

Asthma/breathing

0-5 yr olds

Asbestos

Nutrition

Siskiyou Areas of Concern

Hornbook – KRCC

Tulelake

Happy Camp

Butte Valley

Mt. Shasta Forest

Mt. Shasta Vista

Angel Valley Weed

Housing Hazards

Second hand smoke

Mold/moisture

No insulation

Inefficient Wood heat (CHF – replace wood stoves?)

Lead based paint and other lead sources

Asbestos

Healthy Homes Program Funding

Environmental Protection Agency (EPS)

Dept. of Energy (DOE)

Weather Assistance Program (WAP)

GNC

Education

National Center for Healthy Housing (NCHH) TRAINING

Centers for Disease Control (CDC)

Dept Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) Training Credentials

(Lack of nearby training for program requirements)

College of the Siskiyous potential?

Lead Based Paint issues – Darla County CHDP

Needing education on pipes, soil near freeways, backyards, clean up, candy wrappers, toys, dishes (some Mexican cultures still using and bringing lead products to US)

Environmental Health, Building Services (structural issues) and some Human Services are complaint driven at the County level. The Healthy Homes program may allow for an invitation into homes where other key health issues may be addressed. Who is ‘invited’ into the homes?

Weatherization Program at resident’s request

Siskiyou Early Head Start

Churches

Resources for Data

Dept of Health – Terry

Environmental Health -Terry

Siskiyou Early Head Start

www.Users.sisqtel.net/armstrng

First 5 Database www.kidsdata.org

Healthy Kids – web

EDD

Center for Economic Development – Chico

Gaps

Implementing health and safety measures to existing programs

Renters getting into and owning a house

0-18 Far Northern (development delayed)

Backpack lunch program after school/weekends/holidays

Nutrition

Partnerships – thinking about food and nutrition as it relates to healthy homes

Tribe

UC Extension

Early Head Start Siskiyou

Churches

Far Northern

COS

GNC

MSCA

Rotary on Wheels /Senior Nutrition

Ford Family Foundation

Next Steps

Siskiyou County Grant Specialist training underway with Michelle O’Gorman at Yreka FRC)

Healthy Homes Continuum

Food and shelter

Safe homes checklist

Food

Emotional health

Energy Efficiency – NACO

Green Jobs or Contractors

Misdemeanor Work program ideas – linking needs to low/no cost available work force

More food research http://wenourishhope.org/

Tribal Commodities, FRC centers for distribution. Michelle Harris FRC Nutrition specialist. (How to use commodities for healthier eating)

Cal Fresh and WIC Programs

GNC USDA Food Commodity distribution

Soup Kitchens

“The Town That Food Saved” referenced by Marcia Armstrong

Strategies for food systems, New Hampshire and others?

Strive for locally grown and consumed.

Rotary Programs “First Harvest”

Meals on Wheels

School gardens

Community Gardens

Juvenile hall providing workers for above?

Great Northern Corporation would like to thank the community

Audra Gibson — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 23:19:36 +0000

Great Northern Corporation would like to thank the community for their generosity this season that helped to brighten the lives of Siskiyou County families. Food boxes were assembled and delivered to grateful families by GNC employees in lieu of an office Christmas Party.

Employee donations were added to those of the Fabulous Foxes in Red Chapter of the Red Hat Society, Seven Suns Coffee, Mt. Shasta Supermarket, General Produce and Rays Food Place in Mt. Shasta to provide several meals for each family. GNC is the USDA food commodity distributor for Siskyou County.

Manager, Dennis Baldini has indicated that he has seen an increase in need in our area with the rise in unemployment and high gas prices.

Learn more about GNC Food Program.

Local Home School Project Results in GNC Food Program Donation

Audra Gibson — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 22:38:45 +0000

Yreka, CA — The Trail family of Yreka describes themselves as “low to no tech” and “zero waste” when it comes to dry farming and raising meat goats for breeding in rural Siskiyou County.

Parents Anna and Marc home school their daughter, Dominique, under the Golden Eagle Charter School program. At age 13 she is a sophomore with a grade point average of 3.96. Her formally approved high school project found a natural segue to the food commodities distribution services of Great Northern Corporation (GNC).

“Dominique wanted to do a project that helped our family business and link it to community service. Although not a requirement, she was raised to keep ‘the big picture’ in mind and saw a way that she could give back to an organization that had helped us over the years,” said her mom.

After losing a prize buck to a urinary problem, the family discovered that nutrition could have been the main health issue. Dominique proposed growing a number of test plots for feed that included wheat, alfalfa, rye grass and other legume hays that could then be used for the breeding stock. At the same time, she “dry farmed” potatoes, onions and other vegetables with the goal to donate them to GNC’s food program.

Marc’s health issues have required the family to become self-sufficient and by choice they lead a simple and modest life that is rich with family ties and a desire to share what they can with others.

The Trails have received food from GNC’s program over the past 10 years and recently observed the increase in numbers of people who needed assistance, and that quantities and quality were not meeting local needs. Dominique wondered why all the helpers were always seniors. “Where are the kids to help with this program?” she asked.

Dominique contacted GNC’s food program manager, Dennis Baldini, and let him know that she wanted to help with food distribution and that as part of her high school project she would be growing comparative organic garden vegetables to donate to GNC’s program. ”I wanted to see what we could produce without a lot of effort or resources,” she explained. “Turns out that although smaller than vegetables that have had organic fertilizer and more water, they still grow and there is plenty to give away. It might be good for people to know how easy it is to grow some foods here in our area.”

GNC staff met the Trail family for the first time in late August to pick up the first round of boxes of vegetable donations from Dominique’s garden. They will be delivered to emergency food pantries throughout Siskiyou County. “There is no reason to ever waste food,” says Marc Trail. “We are proud of our daughter’s ability to practice the values we all share and delight in mentoring her high school project. Everybody wins.”