Help feed the hungry: participate in the mail carriers food drive May 12

Thousands of letter carriers in Clark County and Oregon will join with letter carriers across America to collect donations of nonperishable food from their postal customers during the annual National Association of Letter Carriers Food Drive on Sat., May 12.

Look for a yellow, plastic food drive bag in the mail this week. Fill the bag with nutritious, nonperishable food and place it by your mailbox early on Saturday, May 12. Letter carriers will collect nonperishable food donations left by mailboxes and take them to their local post office. Trucks will pick up the food and deliver it to regional food banks of the Oregon Food Bank Network throughout the state and Clark County. All donated food stays in the community where it was collected.

If you miss your letter carrier's daily visit, drop off your food donations at any post office by Wednesday, May 16.

Most wanted foods include: tuna fish, soups, stews, chili, canned fruits, vegetables, beans, rice and pasta.

Do NOT include glass items, homemade items or previously opened containers.

This year's goal is to collect 1.5-million pounds of food during the National Association of Letter Carriers Food Drive. Last year's NALC Food Drive raised more than 1.4-million pounds of food throughout Oregon and southwest Washington.

"The National Association of Letter Carriers Food Drive is particularly important this year due to a drop in the amount of food we receive from the U.S. Department of Agriculture," said Rachel Bristol, CEO, Oregon Food Bank. "Last year we saw a dramatic 26 percent decline in USDA product - a drop of 2.3-million pounds of food. We continue to look for additional sources of food to make up the loss. Food drives like National Association of Letter Carriers provide a critical source of much needed nutritious, shelf-stable food. This high-quality food is particularly important for the growing bodies and brains of the estimated 72,000 children each month who eat meals from emergency food boxes."

“Lose it For Families in Need” Challenge gets underway May 10

Lose It for Families In Need is an interactive weight loss program that will help you reach your weight loss goal right before summer. While you're losing weight you are assisting families in our area with terminally ill children. (Click on the Alexa Dyer Life Challenge Award to find out more). Information about the full program, including the corporate challenge, is available online at http://www.loseitchallenge.org/.

Columbia River Mental Health Services raising awareness through Mental Health Month outreach

Mental health service providers throughout Clark County have joined a national effort called “May is Mental Health Month” by hosting a series of events. The theme for this year's observance is “MIND Your Health”.

For more than 50 years, the U.S. has celebrated May as Mental Health Month to raise awareness about mental illnesses and the importance of mental wellness for all.

The following events are being hosted by Columbia River Mental Health Services (CRMHS):

Saturday, May 12^th-  Family Fair, free admission, Esther Short Park , W. Columbia and 8th Sts., Vancouver - 10:30 a.m.

Thursday, May 17^{th -} Infant Mental Health Forum, free admission, Fort Vancouver Regional Library, 1007 E. Mill Plain Blvd., Vancouver -

7:00 p.m.

Friday, May 18^th - Concert for consumers, free admission, Center for Community Health, 1601 E. Fourth Plain Blvd., Vancouver -  5:30 p.m.

Thursday, May 24^th – “The Mind of a Teenager” forum, free admission, Center for Community Health, 1601 E. Fourth Plain Blvd., Vancouver -  5:30 p.m. For more information about the aforementioned events, please contact Pat Stryker at 360-993-3049 or pats@crmhs.org.

Other events include:

Tuesday, May 15 - McMenamin’s on the Columbia, 1801 SE Columbia River Drive, Vancouver, WA – half of all sales will be donated to Community Services Northwest – 5 p.m. – close. Contact: Diana Phillips, (360) 397-8484 ext. 7975 or

diaphi@mhnw.org

**Thursday, May 17 - Mental Health Recovery brown-bag series, Part 1:  National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) “In Our Own Voice” presentation, 1601 E 4^th Plain Blvd., Noon – 1:00 pm.

Sunday, May 20^th - NAMI Walk, free admission, Portland East Bank Esplanade, Portland - 12:00 p.m.  For more information please visit: http://www.nami.org.

Monday, May 21, - Self-advocacy training with guest Jeff Bailey from the Children's Center – Community Voices Are Born (CVAB), 1601 E. Fourth Plain Blvd., Vancouver – 1-2 p.m. Contact: Melanie C. Maiorino, Mental Health Ombudsman office, (360) 397- 8470 or Maiomel@aol.com.

**Thursday, May 31 - Mental Health Recovery brown-bag series, Part 2:  Video Presentation:  Stigma…in Our Work, in Our Lives.  1601 E 4^th Plain Blvd., Building 17 Conference Rooms C210 B and C.  12:000 – 1:00 pm

**For more information please contact Melanie Green, Consumer Support Specialist, (360) 397-2130 or melanie.green@clark.wa.gov. Sponsored by the Clark County Regional Support Network.

News brief

What’s new at Clark College? Find out simply by checking your email. Clark now has a complimentary e-news service designed to share information about the college, it’s people and events with subscribers.

“In addition to offering classes and programs, Clark College hosts a wide array of great events each year,” said Interim President Robert K. Knight. “People have been telling us that they wanted a quick and easy way to know what’s happening at the college. We’re proud to offer this new service to the community.”

Anyone may sign up for information about Clark College news and events, as well as notification when a new publication or newsletter is available online by visiting the Clark College Web site at
http://www.clark.edu/clarknews.

Calendar

Stage actress and former Miss America Katie Harman will be the keynote speaker at this year's Friends of Hospice Spring Luncheon at the Vancouver Hilton, Tuesday, June 5.  The lunch and fundraiser begins at 10:30 a.m. and runs until 1 p.m. For ticket information please visit the new Friends of Hospice web site at www.friends-of-hospice.org or call 696-5056. ■ the City of Vancouver’s Parking Advisory Committee will hold a special meeting on Wed., May 9 at 7:30 a.m. in City Hall Council Chambers, 210 E. 13th St., to conduct a public hearing on a proposed ordinance and to discuss a draft Uptown Village Parking Management Plan. A copy of the ordinance is available at www.cityofvancouver.us/parking.

 

Tuesday, May 8 Headlines