Updates from Looking Glass
Students enrolled in the Looking Glass Riverfront School Skilled Trades Program recently completed construction of a Tiny House on behalf of SquareOne Villages. The house is now part of SquareOne’s Opportunity Village. SquareOne provided the materials through donations and grants and students in Riverfront’s Skilled Trades Program constructed the house in just a little over four months. Multiple local media outlets gathered for an unveiling of the tiny house on November 15th.
Looking Glass Community Services has opened a new, low-barrier homeless youth shelter called the PEER Shelter (PEER stands for Persevere, Enlighten, Empower, Renew). The 24-hour accessible low-barrier shelter is for youth ages 16 – 24 years old who are unhoused or otherwise in crisis. The shelter provides youth at risk of being victimized on the streets, a safe, supervised living environment, medical care, basic needs, case management, and substance abuse and mental health treatment access to assist them in moving towards stabilization.
Finding affordable, safe, quality housing is a challenge for a lot of people in Eugene and broader Lane County, but especially so for youth with limited rental history and sometimes criminal history. So it is particularly special to Looking Glass when a local community member agrees to long-term rental partnerships. Austin Folnagy is the most recent example of a willing and supportive landlord who enthusiastically embraces the opportunity to rent an entire complex to Looking Glass youth.
“It’s a way to give back, for sure,” Folnagy explained. “It’s a business, for sure, but by working with Looking Glass in this way, it’s a way to do good in our community too.”
Riverfront School & Career Center’s Skilled Trades Program has begun working on building an entire tiny home that will eventually be placed on a site owned and operated by Square One Villages, another Eugene nonprofit that Looking Glass is collaborating with.
The tiny home construction is a summer project for students/workers enrolled in the program who will receive paid work experience while they learn valuable skills.
Riverfront School & Career Center is seeking youth to sign up for summer paid work experiences through either our Lane Metro Youth Corps or Skilled Trades Programs. The Corps work is for youth ages 14 to 21 and the Skilled Trades Program is for 18 to 24 year old’s. Both offer 32 hour per week opportunities and great skill building!
Thanks in part to a capacity building grant awarded from Lane County (via HUD) in 2022, Looking Glass New Roads homeless youth program has expanded both its outreach team and operating hours for the drop-in center located on 7th Avenue in Eugene. The outreach team doubled in size from a staff of 4 to staff of 8 and New Roads went from providing services Monday-Friday 8:30 to 5 to now offering 7-day-a-week services from 8:30AM to 8:30PM.
Vinnie Cowan, who has owned and operated Vinnie’s Smokin’ BBQ along with his wife Debbie since roughly 2015, has entered into an informal partnership with Looking Glass Riverfront School & Career Center in which the students will work in his food truck, parked at Riverfront every Thursday offering lunch from 11AM to 2PM, and receive paychecks from Looking Glass via a workforce readiness grant program.
“We always try and give back to our community and felt that this was a great way to offer the kids some work experience,” Vinnie explained. “And the youth workers have been great! I’m actually hoping to hire a couple of them this summer when they’re out of school.”
The Riverfront Job Training Program is looking for youth age 16 to 24. High school graduates are welcome.
Paid work experience is provided as is assistance with GED if needed, support services (ID, bus passes, work clothing), career exploration, assistance applying for FAFSA and college applications.
The Looking Glass Riverfront School & Career Center’s new Skilled Trades Program is ready to enroll students this fall! Newly hired Program Manager, Michael Romano, is building the curriculum while simultaneously prepping the recently rented shop space (2510 W 5th Ave #6 in Eugene). The Skilled Trades Training Program will move on from “under construction” to educating young adults in various basic skills of construction, carpentry, electrical, plumbing and much more.
Looking Glass Riverfront School & Career Center is offering summer GED instruction for youth ages 14 to 21 and paid outdoor work crew opportunities for ages 16 to 21. Also providing a Teen parent Work Experience Program.
Crew members remove invasive species, collect native seeds, plant native species, build small structures, remove fences, and assist in the renovation and maintenance of park sites.
Cognia, a national school accreditation organization, recently reviewed and awarded Looking Glass Riverfront School with another 5-year accreditation status along with some very positive feedback from their reviewers as well as Riverfront students and parents who were interviewed during the process. “The tremendous effort and commitment Riverfront teachers have made to our student’s education and personal growth is reflected in this outstanding evaluation” – Cheryl E. Zwillinger, Program Director
