Updates from Looking Glass
Since forming in 2018, the Looking Glass Board of Stewards has helped support and advance fundraising and community awareness efforts in and around Lane County. The group that makes up this board has changed year to year, but the passion and dedication of the various personalities within the group have kept it focused on its mission to help improve the lives of our most vulnerable populations in our community.
Thanks to a couple of amazing grant gifts from OnPoint Credit Union, the New Roads homeless youth drop-in center was able to purchase two new commercial-grade washer and dryers for the clothing closet area. Laundry services are so crucial to the unhoused youth served at New Roads - most youth come in only with the clothes on their backs and all donated clothing needs to be washed before clients can use it.
The 15th annual Healthy Kids, Healthy Futures breakfast fundraiser, held at Venue 252 in Eugene, focused this year on the Looking Glass Counseling Program. A panel of Looking Glass therapists did a Q&A with emcee Mary Reilly discussing everything from trends they’re seeing in the community, different therapy strategies and services offered and advice for parents of teens. This year’s event title sponsor was Hearing Associates and co-owner and Looking Glass Board of Stewards member, Colin Welch, spoke to the attendees about the importance of supporting Looking Glass and encouraged them to donate as well.
At Riverfront School & Career Center, Looking Glass operates a Job Training program that helps prepare youth for success in the workplace. Staff do this by addressing work expectations, promoting higher education, and providing on-the-job skills training. This program is currently seeking youth to enroll and engage in these services.
Since 1990, Looking Glass’ Lane-Metro Youth Corps, which is part of the Riverfront School & Career Center, has operated work crews year-round and provided paid work experience each summer to Lane County youth. Work projects restore local natural resources and natural habitats. As this year’s crew experiences comes to a close, the Army Corps of Engineers are thankful for the impact Looking Glass crew members had on creating fire lines for upcoming prepared burns. These prepared burns are an important part of habitat management and help to reduce fuel loads during critical fire season.
At Looking Glass HYS, summer time is busy – the heat keeps our day use and overnight shelters busy with youth trying to keep cool and utilize resources. Station 7 is undergoing renovations to expand capacity - but we need more funding! New Roads is doing laundry - but we hope to do more! And important annual clothing drives are right around the corner - Braugust - Shoetember - Socktoberfest!
In celebration of national PRIDE month (June), Riverfront School put together an event, dubbed Pride Fest, that was held in the school parking lot on Friday, June 6th.
“The LGBTQ2SIA+ Student Success Plan Grant (awarded by the Oregon Department of Education) gave our Looking Glass students and education staff the opportunity to plan and host "PRIDE FEST 2025" at our Riverfront High School, said Director of Inpatient and Homeless Education Ben Molin
