[Libs-Or] Hunger, libraries and Oregon Helps

[Pam Horan]

Oregon Helps

Just How Hungry is Oregon? –Monday’s front page headline
in the Oregonian was the lead article on our
state’s dubious distinction as the nation’s hungriest. What
can public libraries do to help?   Oregon’s public libraries play a
significant role in connecting citizens with essential
information in their communities, and serve citizens in
need everyday by offering information on federal, state and local
program resources.

One such resource is Oregon Helps. The Oregon Helps
Web page (http://www.oregonhelps.org) provides statewide
social service and program eligibility information with an eligibility
calculator that libraries can link from their Web pages.

Oregon Helps provides relevant information about local
services and resources and is designed to assist families
throughout the state to learn whether they are
eligible for a variety of benefits, including Food
Stamps, the Oregon Health Plan, and Temporary
Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and several
other services.

If you visit the Oregon Helps website, you’ll find a
short tutorial for first-time users (click on the
"See a video about our site" on the title page of
Oregon Helps!)  It takes most users around
15 minutes to complete an Oregon Helps preliminary
screening. Oregon Helps is also available in three
translations - Spanish, Russian, and Vietnamese (as
is the tutorial).

WILInet, the WCCLS’ Washington County Interlibrary
Information Network has the distinction of being the best-used
link to Oregon Helps in the state -- including social service
agency sites.

Other libraries providing live links to Oregon Helps include:

Corvallis Benton Public Library
http://www.thebestlibrary.net/corvallis/selectweb/oregon.asp

Driftwood Public Library (under Searching the Internet)
<http://www.driftwoodlib.org/search.htm>

Library Information Network of Clackamas County (LINCC)
<http://www.lincc.lib.or.us/government.html>

Newport Public Library
<http://www.newportlibrary.org/esplinks.htm>

St. Helens Public Library (under Resources)
<http://www.columbia-center.org/shpubliclibrary/library.html>

Washington County Cooperative Library System (WCCLS) under Social
Services  <http://www.wilinet.wccls.lib.or.us/polaris/default.asp>

If you have feedback on the usefulness of Oregon Helps
information or suggestions for Web site improvement, or if you
are interested in receiving training on the use of Oregon Helps
or other on-line resources, use the feedback button on the
system or you may contact Janet Hawkins, (email:
janet.c.hawkins at co.multnomah.or.us or telephone
503.988.3707) for more information.


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Pam Horan
Technology Planning Consultant
Library Development Services
Oregon State Library
Tel. (503) 378-2112 Ext. 224
Fax (503) 378-6439
pam.horan at state.or.us