November 10, 2009
Dear Friend,
When I first met Elsa two years ago, she told me how thankful she was to be living in a Bienestar
apartment for farmworker families in Forest Grove. When she and her family first came to
almost a year. During the winter it was always wet and their toddler daughter suffered from
chronic asthma. A friend told her about Elm Park Apartments, and since her husband worked at
a nursery, they qualified as farmworkers and moved in. Her eyes filled with tears as she told me
how happy they were in their apartment home and how grateful for the affordable rent and free
programs for residents.
When I saw Elsa a few months ago, her husband’s hours at work had been reduced due to the
recession and they were struggling to make ends meet. They had one of the garden plots that we
offer at
family of five. When our staff brought them a food box, their youngest child spotted a carton of
milk, and squealed with delight, “leche, leche…..” Elsa began to cry as she told us they hadn’t
had any milk for two weeks. Elsa and her husband are now enrolled in our Job Club as we seek
to help them find full time employment. Her children go to Bienestar’s Homework Club and the
family has received an emergency cash assistance grant from Bienestar for car repair so that they
can continue to get to part time temporary work and look for permanent employment again.
Food, shelter, clothing – basic needs - that’s what it’s about this year for the 458 families that
Bienestar serves. We have been providing quality affordable housing with a holistic approach
for 28 years. This means that we offer resident services programs that help families move out
of poverty. A year ago we were concentrating on educational programs to help adults get the tools
they need to move into better-paying jobs and out of poverty. This year we are offering
programs to prevent them from becoming homeless and going hungry. Oh yes, we continue to
offer GED, English language, computer and financial literacy classes, Job Club, free income tax
preparation, community gardens, a matched savings program, a microenterprise program, and
nutrition classes. But every day we learn of another family without food, school supplies,
clothing, household goods, with the electricity or gas about to be shut off.
Our fifteen Promotores – peer leaders selected from among our residents – each make 40 home
visits annually, and they extend our capacity to help the families by connecting them with
community and Bienestar resources. They receive special training in outreach and referrals and
connect families with badly needed resources. The average income for a Bienestar family of 4 is
$20,000 even with both parents working. The needs are great.
While we help families with basic needs, we continue our commitment to helping the 1,065
children we serve have brighter futures. Through Homework Clubs, Science Clubs, Financial
Literacy Classes, Summer Lunch, Summer Reading Safari, Explorador Nature Camp and other
programs, we seek to help our children experience academic success and move past their
parents’ education levels (average 7th grade). We are building a community of caring and role
models that we hope will prevent teenage pregnancies, gang involvement, and encourage post
secondary education.
It’s working. In our Summer Reading Program, 100% of the children enrolled were reading
below grade level at the beginning. At the end, 100% had advanced at least half a grade level.
We have seen dramatic improvements in grades of the children in our three Homework Clubs.
After the children complete their Financial Fitness for Life class, they receive a piggy bank with
$8 in it and we take them on a field trip to the bank to open a children’s savings account. Maria
Guadalupe ran up to me last week proudly announcing that she had already saved $31 in her new
account after just a few months.
We need your help. Bienestar operates these many programs with a staff of 4 full time
employees and 2 part time. 87 cents of every dollar goes directly into programs and support for
working poor families. In order to run any of these valuable programs, we must raise the funds
to do so. As subsidized apartment properties, there is not enough cash flow to cover resident
services so we depend on the investments of friends in the community like you.
Will you join me in making sure that these hardworking families make it through these hard
times? It seems like a cruel irony to me that our residents who are farmworkers harvesting the
pumpkins, hazelnuts, and vegetables this time of the year don’t have enough food to put on their
own family tables. That’s why I’m asking you to help Bienestar today with a tax-deductible gift.
You may use the enclosed card to return your gift, or you can easily make a secure online
donation at our website, www.bienestar-or.org.
With my warmest regards and my best wishes for your health and happiness this holiday season.
Sincerely,
Karen Shawcross
Executive Director
P.S. If you make a gift of $100 or more by December 1, 2009, it will be matched dollar for
dollar by Bienestar Board and Staff gifts. Please help us build housing, hope and futures for the
well-being of working families.
www.bienestar-or.org