Updates from Looking Glass
The 11th annual Looking Glass Healthy Kids, Healthy Futures breakfast fundraiser was held on Tuesday, October 17th at Venue 252 in Eugene and raised crucial funds for Looking Glass programs. In addition to funds, over 5,000 pairs of socks were received to help with the October-long sock donation drive (Socktoberfest) for homeless youth!
At this year’s breakfast, guests were treated to a Q&A panel of Looking Glass leaders, facilitated by Emcees Liz Kelly and Mary Reilly.
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.”
Students from Bushnell University volunteered to assist several area nonprofits and included Looking Glass in that group once again this year. The project this year utilized track athletes from Bushnell to help clean up landscaping and spread new bark at a new apartment rental complex that Looking Glass uses for transitional living clients (formerly homeless youth).
A small, but passionate group of Looking Glass supporters attended the 6th annual Hike for Hope fundraiser at the North Trailhead of Mt Pisgah on August 5 - helping raise more than $6,000 for Looking Glass programs. As they have since 2019, Hearing Associates was the title sponsor and rallied a large group of hikers.
The 2023 Riverfront High School graduation was held Thursday, June 15th at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Eugene (next door to Riverfront). Graduates shared their experiences and a UO pep band helped the attendees rock out and celebrate! This year’s keynote speaker was Rick Hamilton, recently elected to the Eugene 4J school board.
After 3 years without being able to hold an in-person gathering, Looking Glass staff members came together for the “All Staff Lunch” at Venue 252 in Eugene on June 7th and handed out awards to several staff members and three Oregon Department of Health & Human Services workers. The Distinguished Services Awards were handed out to twelve staff and three community members after internal nominations were solicited. Looking Glass staff members also took this opportunity to provide a Distinguished Service Award to the agency CEO & President, Craig Opperman, who was quite surprised and moved by the honor.
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!
Looking Glass was a sponsor of the NAACP Freedom Fund Gala on May 5th. Our Cultural Awareness and Equity Committee filled most of the seats at our table. Excellent music, food and networking with community leaders was enjoyed in celebration of diversity, inclusion and work toward equity in our community.
New Roads homeless youth drop-in center (off 7th and Blair Blvd) has a clothing closet for youth clients ages 16 to 21. At this time, the shelves containing clothing for male-identifying youth are quite bare. Looking Glass is seeking donations of clothing in a variety of sizes including pants, shirts, shorts, socks as well as shoes of various sizes.
