We are excited to present
the 2023 Community Outreach, Inc.
Gifts of Caring Catalog!
As one of the largest nonprofits in the mid-Willamette Valley, Community
Outreach serves more than 7,500 of our neighbors each year – people like
those included in this catalog. Since 1971, COI has provided for the basic
human needs of people experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming
homeless. We provide shelter, food, medical care, counseling, workforce
development, and nature-based childcare, among other services, to help people transform their future. Our work alleviates the root causes of homelessness by focusing on families and individuals in crisis and by
collaborating with partners throughout our area.
To learn more about COI and the work that we do, you can visit our
website at www.communityoutreachinc.org/
We’d like to invite you to read on and experience some of our clients’ stories in their own voices.
"COI has given a better life for the backbone of our farm… Lisa
and her team are the example of what makes a community.”
- John and Sally
Gathering Together Farm has relied on COI for over six years for the health and wellbeing of their workers. Owners John and Sally shared this about that partnership: “Our workers struggled with healthcare as they could not afford it. Any injuries or illnesses would go untreated and would make things worse.” One day, an Emergency Room Doctor connected them with the Health Services Director Lisa Quick and the Medical Team at COI, who launched a rural farm clinic on-site at Gathering Together Farm. This partnership opened the gates and created pathways for needed medical attention, including referrals for alternative and more specialized care. Recently, the team at Gathering Together Farm shared their gratitude for Lisa and her team, and the community of caring they’ve created, saying, “Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Your goodness and kindness in meeting the needs of anyone, no matter their scenario, is inspiring.”
$70 – One patient visit to COI’s no-cost Medical Clinic
$140 – One patient visit to a specialty clinic, such as COI’s
physical therapy clinic
$200 – One month of program fees at COI shelter
"I learned love was an action… It was what changed everything for me.”
“Most of my struggles came from being introduced to meth when I was 10 years old.” Now the mother of two children, ages 2 and 12 years old who spent time in “the system,” Aimee’s addictions included drugs and video poker, which Aimee calls “her most expensive drug ever.” Aimee knew she needed to make a change. She knew she needed to build a sober
life for herself and for her children. When Aimee graduated rehab, she was offered a stay at a low barrier shelter, but she knew she would be putting her sobriety at risk. Aimee was so close to having her son returned to her…she couldn’t take that chance. She had lived at COI before, and knew this was where she NEEDED to be. Her son was returned to her on her birthday, and they moved into COI together. When she had been sober for one year, her daughter also came home to live with her. “Every time I’ve lived here at COI they’ve helped me get back on my feet….” Sixteen months sober, Aimee says case managers have expanded resources available to residents, helping families learn necessary skills like shopping. They’ve also have helped Aimee advocate for herself to secure housing. “I can’t believe I’m about to move into a new home soon! For that I’m forever grateful.” Aimee knows now that she is the best advocate for herself, and she credits the staff at COI with supporting her and helping her learn how to advocate effectively for her family. “I can’t imagine this town or county without this resource. It has done what I thought I would never do.”
$35 – One night of shelter, including case management and food, for an individual
$150 – One month of part-time childcare at COI’s onsite childcare program, Mari’s Place
$500 – Emergency food boxes for 50 families
"People would be lost without the outreach of COI.”
Don is a Veteran who, like so many others, lost himself in alcoholism after his years in the service. When he first heard about COI, he was struggling with medical issues and needed a safe place to land. He had been living in the mountains with very little in the way of resources when he found out he had cancer. Don knows he wouldn’t have survived if he had stayed up in the hills alone. During one of his hospital stays, he was released to a medical respite room at COI. At first, Don says, it was just a place to rest his head. The staff at COI helped him find the support he needed, and over time, Don began to build relationships and experienced a sense of community. A year later, Don found stable housing and began rebuilding his life. He shares, of his time in the program, “COI gave me fellowship and friendship, but most of all, it was a sanctuary to help me regain my life.”
$30 – One hour of specialized case management for a veteran
$150 – One hour of behavioral health counseling for community
members with no access to care
$400 – One RentWell course for shelter residents
Thank you, COI, for helping me find me...”
Michelle first came to COI with her support animal, Holly, in the summer of 2017 after finding herself homeless due to drug and domestic abuse. After eight months in the program, she moved into a permanent housing but soon relapsed and made her way back to COI. Michelle stayed in the program for the second time and, determined to change her life around, worked on her sobriety and learning life skills. “I can’t thank the staff enough for the support…and having boundaries and routines. If I didn’t have these boundaries and routines, it never would have worked for me.” In 2018, she moved into permanent housing, where she stayed for the next six years. Early in 2024, Michelle drove across the country to Michigan but found that it was not a good fit for her. She has since relocated to Arizona with Holly. Michelle has stayed sober, stable and independent since her stay at COI, and is now thriving in a small community in Arizona where she “feels at home.”
$20 – One hour of case management for an adult in shelter
$55 – One substance use disorder therapy group session
$245 – One week of Transformative Shelter, including case management and food, for an individual
Last year, with support from friends and neighbors like you, COI provided:
- Transformative shelter for 60 adults, 27 young adults aged 18-24 and 26 families.
- 1,772 patient visits to our no-cost medical clinics.
- Supportive services for 40 veterans.
- Over 100,000 lbs. of food to feed 7,325 community members.
- Childcare for 23 children
Caring for those who need it most is one of the greatest gifts of the holiday season, and this season you can give a gift that keeps on giving with a Gift of Caring. Your gift will bring hope to our clients, to make our community a better place, and impact the lives of all the people our clients choose to help in the future as they “pay it forward.”
You may choose to give a gift in honor of a family member, a friend, or a business colleague. Each honoree will receive a personal note card acknowledging your generous gift in their honor.
Select the gifts you would like to provide by filling out the enclosed order form. Make your gift online or mail the completed form with a check or credit card information to:
Select the gifts you would like to provide and mail checks to:
Community Outreach, Inc.
865 NW Reiman Ave, Corvallis, OR 97330
