PATHWorks Newsletter: April 2023
Success Stories - Employment - Finances - Asset Building - Housing Works Updates - Resources
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FSS/VIDA Graduate to Homeowner - Oregon IDA Initiative
A former Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) client and homeowner who released her assistance was highlighted in the Oregon IDA Initiative: Building Inclusive, Resilient, and Racially Just Communities - 2022 IDA Evaluation Report. The Oregon Individual Development Account (IDA) Initiative combines bold strategies— matching cash, resource navigation, and financial education—so that participants can leverage their own savings toward financial stability and asset building. Community-based organizations from all corners of the state, including the PATHWorks program, utilize these accounts to support peoples’ stability while facilitating integrated services tailored to local needs and addressing state priorities.
It takes everyone’s combined efforts at Housing Works to provide the opportunity for families and individuals to grow and thrive. Read about Courtney's story below!
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Housing Works offers the VIDA program to participants enrolled in the PATHWorks program only based on funding and program size availability. If you are a PATHWorks participant and interested in getting on the waitlist for the VIDA program, please contact your PATHWorks coach. If you are a Housing Choice Voucher Holder and interested in joining PATHWorks, click here. NeighborImpact is the other organization in the Central Oregon area that offers IDA's. Click here for more information for NeighborImpact's IDA program. To find an IDA provider in your area, click here. Read the Asset Building Article: VIDA Program Changes Beginning April 2022! for more information about VIDA's. |
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Manufacturing Employment Opportunities
Find your next career in manufacturing as the opportunities in this industry continue to rise! Locally, Deschutes County had a 67.7% manufacturing growth between 2010-2019 as more manufacturing companies moved their operations to the area.
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Companies such as Basx, headquartered in Redmond since 2014, has customers across the U.S and around the globe. With Basx’s expansion, they have become one of Redmond’s largest employers, doubling their employee count and adding more jobs. Basx is just one of the 500+ Manufacturing companies in Central Oregon. Most manufacturing industries locally are aviation/aerospace, bioscience, brewing and distilling, building projects, food manufacturing, high technology and outdoor gear and apparel.
Job Openings and Wages:
Currently, you can find close to 300 job listings on Oregon.gov and Indeed.com under Manufacturing all of which offer competitive wages and benefits, with the average wage range of $18-$25 for entry level positions including Assembly, Production Associate, Packaging Operator, Material Handler, and Welder/Fabricator Assistant to name a few.
Education Required:
The typical entry level education for this occupation is a High School diploma or equivalent. Those with a post-secondary training or degree have a competitive advantage in the labor market.
COCC offers both certificate and degree Manufacturing-related programs and pathways including a one- year CNC Machine Operator and Welding; a Manufacturing Technician Career Pathway Certificate of Completion, and a Welding Associate of Applied Science degree.
In addition to FAFSA, COIC-Worksource Oregon has scholarship grants available for qualified participants to help pay for these programs. COIC-Worksource staff also assist with pre-employment services post training and will also help you find employment upon program completion.
On-The-Job Training (OJT):
Besides post-secondary training, there are on-the job training (OJT) opportunities with growing Manufacturing companies in Central Oregon.
Jenny Porfily, an Employment Specialist at COIC-Worksource recently interviewed the co-founders Ryan Goodwin and Rebecca Shultz of Sherptek in Prineville who utilized the on-the-job training program to help grow their workforce and here is what they said:
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What brought you to the Central Oregon area? We were looking for a smaller community that had the business support we needed and/or allowed us to retain our suppliers and vendors from before the move. Additionally, we wanted to be near public land and trails for easy access to outdoor recreational activities. Prineville fit the bill in nearly every way.
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What products do you manufacture? At SherpTek we design and manufacture aftermarket truck bed systems that are precision engineered to be the lightest on the market while retaining strength and durability. The customized systems are built-to-order to fit any size truck, and they enhance a truck’s functionality with infinite attachment points that allow easy securing of gear and switching out of accessories.
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Are you expanding and do you think operations has grown since relocating to Prineville? Yes. In addition to new hires over the past year, this fall we received an SBA loan that allowed us to purchase new equipment that will increase our productivity and allow us to better control quality and lead times. We recently signed a lease on an additional building, which will increase our operating footprint by over 50 percent. We plan to make strategic hires throughout the next year as we bring the new equipment on line and ramp up our production.
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How has utilizing the OJT program helped with your business? The OJT program has been a tremendous help for us. As a small business that uses materials and manufacturing techniques from the aerospace industry, it’s hard to find and hire people who have direct experience with those methods. OJT has allowed us to hire employees and pay them a competitive salary while we teach them our processes and train them to be effective members of our team.
With an anticipated 15%, 10-year sector growth, the manufacturing industry will continue to thrive in Central Oregon into the future. Visit your local Worksource staff to see how they can help you start or continue your career in this growing industry!
Redmond Worksource - 2158 SE College Loop, Redmond, OR 97756
Phone: (541) 693-2727
Bend Worksource - 1645 NE Forbes Rd #100, Bend, OR 97701
Phone: (541) 388-6070
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Learn Money Management Skills for FREE through Gale Courses
Where did all my money go? If you have asked yourself this question and want to get control of your money, then sign up for a FREE course through the library! Gale Courses offer a wide range of highly interactive, instructor-led courses that you can take entirely online. As a library card holder in good standing, you are entitled to these courses at no cost. The financial courses listed below are designed to provide you with better money management skills in just six weeks, and new sessions begin every month!
Check out a few of the course titles and brief descriptions below for more information.
Where Does All My Money Go?: Learn how to make conscious decisions about spending and saving so you can take full control of your financial future.
Personal Finance: Set clear financial goals, make the right investments, increase financial security, and be prepared to retire someday.
Keys to Successful Money Management: Let a certified financial planner show you how most wealthy people build their fortunes.
You can take the first step in building long-term wealth through financial education. A Deschutes Public Library card is required to access most of these resources remotely. If you don't have a library card, click here to learn more. |
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What is my Net Worth?
When we talk about asset building, you first need to know where you are at right now. Once you know where you are at, then you can decide where you want to go and how to get there. One tool for doing this is called a Net-Worth Statement. A Net-Worth Statement shows the difference between what you own compared to what you owe, which is your net worth.
Step 1) Make a list of everything you OWN.
Step 2) Make a list of everything you OWE.
Step 3) Calculate the difference to determine your own net worth.
Once you're done, ask yourself the following questions:
- Am I surprised by the amount of my net worth?
- Is it more or less than I thought?
- What can I do to increase my net worth?
- How can my net worth help me achieve my long-term financial goals?
- How much money do I want to make? - Why?
You have to know where you are at now to know where you want to go. Find out your net worth and take the next steps to work towards achieving the financial future you want for yourself.
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Housing Works has a satellite office in Bend!
Address:
Summit Park
2017 NE Full Moon Dr. Suite #100,
Bend, OR 97701
A Housing Works staff member is available at this location during the following days and times:
Tuesday - Thursday
9:00 am - 4:00 pm
If you need to drop off paperwork and don't want to drive to our main Housing Works office in Redmond, drop it off at the Bend office during the open hours. Need to speak to a Housing Specialist with a general question? Come on by!
If the door is locked during business hours, please call:
(458) 281-0813
An employee will respond if available.
Visitors, please park to the left of the office in the visitor parking area or, park on the side of the apartments on Full Moon Drive. Please do not park in front of the building.
We are excited for the opportunity to have this satellite office open to help serve our clients!
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2023 Housing Choice Voucher Program Waiting List Results
Housing Works received a total of 2,447 online applications for the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program Waiting List from January 9–13, 2023. Out of those applications, 1,942 were received from local residents living in Crook, Deschutes and Jefferson Counties.
Current Applicants
- Click HERE to check your position on the waiting list.
- If your address, phone number, income and/or household composition changes, please update your information by clicking HERE.
- If you are selected off the waiting list for the HCV program, Housing Works will contact you directly.
Technical Assistance
- The email address used at registration is your login. You must have a valid email address in order to access your application.
- If you forgot your password, please select the “Forgot Password” option and follow the instructions.
- Keep your login and password somewhere safe and secure.
- If you need additional assistance, call Housing Works at 541-923-1018.
The 2023 HCV Waiting List will remain active until December 31, 2023. At that time, all remaining 2023 applications will be removed from the waiting list. If your application was not selected, you may reapply next year.
We would like to thank all our community partners for making the 2023 Waiting List opening week a success. Without all your hard work, we would not be able to serve our communities. Thank you!
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Security Deposit Assistance Available!
Rental security deposit assistance loans are available to Housing Choice Voucher holders and residents moving into Housing Works-owned properties managed by EPIC Property Management ONLY on a first-come, first-served basis when funding is available. These funds help individuals and families remove barriers to accessing safe affordable housing once they are selected for a rental home.
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