Activist Alert

• Impact Your Health Eugene, a free community health care event, returns to the Lane Events Center, 9 am to 5 pm, Sept. 24 and 25. Organizers say the event is “intended to serve those who need and could never hope to pay” for health care necessities including free diabetes screenings, consultations with medical doctors and eye doctors, and free dental exams, cleanings, fillings and extractions. There will also be representatives from local drug and alcohol recovery support groups. Volunteer medical professionals from any field are still needed; equipment will be provided. Some professionals can gain continuing education credits by volunteering. For more on receiving care, volunteering to provide care, or to support the event in other ways, contact Randy Meyer at 541-937-2786 or randy@caringhandsworldwide.org.

• Centro Latino Americano is seeking mentors for its youth mentoring program. The program serves at-risk Latino youth in the community and offers community engagement, increases their social skills and connects them with resources. Mentors are needed for one-on-one mentoring relationships with youth as well as group mentoring, which includes two-hour sessions twice a month and monthly group outings. If you are interested in mentoring call 541-687-2667 or email mentor@centrolatinoamericano.org. And on Sept. 23 Centro is organizing a DACA renewal clinic for those who need to renew their applications before Oct. 5 in order to meet the current government deadline. Each application costs $497, and Centro is raising funds to cover the costs for as many young immigrants as possible. They estimate that about 120 local people are in need of these services. Go to centrolatinoamericano.org to donate to the effort via PayPal.

• 350 Eugene hosts a Fall Membership Potluck and Meet-up at First United Methodist Church, 1376 Olive Street on Sept. 28. Betzi Hitz of 350 says, “At 6 pm bring vegetarian food or drink to share and your own plate/bowl, cup and eating utensils.” At 7 pm the guest speaker is David Stone from Friends for Douglas Fir Monument, and there will be campaign updates and action break outs. The lead campaign for the coming year is the fight against the Pacific Connector Pipeline and Jordan Cove liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminal.

• Womenspace ‘invites the public to join us in remembering victims, standing up for survivors, and fighting for a safe community.” A Vigil for Victims and Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence is the opening event for Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The nonprofit says, “Together, we will remember victims killed by an intimate partner, celebrate survivors who have overcome abuse and support community members who are currently surviving abuse from an intimate partner.” Community members of all ages and genders are encouraged to attend 6 to 7 pm Sunday, Oct. 1, at Wayne Morse Free Speech Plaza in downtown Eugene.

•The nonprofit Community Veterinary Center is having an open house 2 to 4 pm Oct. 1 at 470 Highway 99 North in Eugene. The event celebrates the completion of a new addition, a surgery and x-ray room, financed totally by numerous donors across Lane County. Info at communityvet.org.

• CAHOOTS-Metro (aka Springfield CAHOOTS) is now available 24 hours per day, every day, as of Sept. 1. CAHOOTS (Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets) got a federal grant from Lane County for mobile mental health crisis intervention and was already available 24-hours per day in Eugene, with two vans in service during peak hours, for reasons primarily related to addiction, homelessness and poverty, the group says. Each CAHOOTS team consists of an emergency medical technician or registered nurse and a mental-health crisis worker. Services provided include crisis counseling, transportation to shelter and treatment facilities, family mediation, first aid and more — all at no cost. In Eugene call the Eugene Police Department non-emergency dispatchers at 541-682-5111. And for CAHOOTS-Metro, covering Glenwood and Springfield call the Springfield Police Department non-emergency dispatchers at 541-726-3714. For more info visit whitebirdclinic.org.

• An interfaith group including Sikh, Quaker, Muslim and Christian communities has been working together to feed the hungry. The volunteers feed an average of 300 people every Sunday at First Christian Church at 12th and Oak in Eugene. If you wish to help, please join them either 10 am to noon Saturdays to prepare food and set up the dining room, or 7 am to 10:30 am Sundays for cooking, serving and cleaning up breakfast.

• Local community volunteers have partnered with Catholic Community Services and FOOD for Lane County to launch a satellite food pantry in Thurston. The site is open 10 am to 2 pm the fourth Saturday of each month at Wayside Church, 332 58th Street, Springfield. It is supplied and managed via the existing Springfield CCS food pantry at 1025 G Street and offers all regular pantry items except dairy.

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!