Resource Fair Showcases Helpful Information for LBCC Students

LBCC Student Support Page
(Photo; Linn-Benton Community College)

Everyone can use an extra hand from time to time and the LBCC Resource Fair was there to help.

Booths lined the LBCC commons cafeteria walls Tuesday, Feb. 1. from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for the annual Linn-Benton Community College Resource Fair.

The Resource Fair was geared towards newer students who are looking for help while attending college. It helps students in a multitude of areas such as financial aid, food stamps, child care, advising and much more.

The fair was sponsored by the LBCC Student Leadership Council (SLC) and featured multiple booths representing different organizations that have made it clear that they are here to assist students in any way that they can.

"The Resource Fair definitely gives you a lot of local resources that are available to you as a student," said SLC officer and Resource Fair organizer Patrick Duffy.

There was resources on display that are directly associated with LBCC. These included the LBCC Advising Center in Takena Hall, whose goal is to not only advise undecided, transfer and freshman students about the next step in their education process, but also aims to assist students by providing information on career services and help students out with their general well being if they need it.

The LBCC Financial Aid Office also had a booth containing information on how to get started on registering for financial aid.

The LBCC SLC had an area set up as well. They strive to represent the LBCC students to the best of their ability. They are encouraging any students that may be interested, to either run or vote in the upcoming presidential and vice presidential elections for the LBCC SLC later this year.

The majority of booths, however, were local organizations that want to help students here at LBCC any way they can.

These featured services such as:

• The Family Tree Relief Nursery, trained professionals and volunteers who are committed to keeping children safe and families together by building healthy relationships.

• ABC House, a non-profit organization focused on working with children, youth, and their families to overcome the crisis of child abuse and neglect.

• Hand in Hand farm, aimed to help people of all ages and abilities to rebuild and enrich their lives through agricultural experiences.

• Center Against Rape and Domestic Violence (CARDV), a free 24-hour crisis and support line dedicated to helping adult, teen, and child survivors of abuse stay safe. They also offer advocacy support groups, crisis intervention, emergency shelter, and assistance with navigating the legal system.

• The Oregon Department of Human Services had a booth dedicated to talking about their SNAP program. This program is there to help provide nutritious and healthy foods to low-income households.

• Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, provides a multitude of helpful resources for hard working students such as formal recognition, scholarships, and honors and leadership development programs.

• 211 info, a nonprofit organization that looks to help connect people to health and community services in their area. Simply dial 211 toll-free to speak with a resource specialist or visit 211info.org to search for services available in your area.

Duffy would love to see the Resource Fair occur more than once during the school year.

"Even twice a year would be great, because we usually only hold the Resource Fair in the winter term, but we obviously don't just have students enrolling in winter term, they enroll year round. So providing more opportunities for students to get in touch with these programs would be even more helpful to them," said Duffy.

If you or someone you know missed out on the Resource Fair but would like to know more about some of the resources that were mentioned in this article, students are encouraged to get in touch with the LBCC SLC office, located at the northeastern corner of the courtyard at the LBCC Albany campus. Or be sure to contact 211 info to receive additional information on resources near you.

At A Glance:

LBCC Advising Center
LBCC Financial Aid
Kristie Hernandez: Representative
LBCC SLC
Patrick Duffy: Event Planner
Dreagn Bennett: Volunteer Coordinator
Family Tree Nursery 
Vern Rose: Representative
Octavia Silvestre: Representative
Staphanie Cameron: Representative
ABC House
Maria Ross: Representative
Hand in Hand Farm
Athena Perry: Co-Founder
CARDV
Oregon Department of Human Services
Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society
211 info