Have you ever wondered what happens to your mattress when it gets carted off to the landfill?

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Homelessness seems like such an intractable issue that the first impulse is to throw up our hands and turn away. But Klamath Falls has come up with an approach that offers hope — both to the homeless and the community — and that might provide a blueprint for others on which to model their efforts.

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What started as a community feud over a proposed shelter for the homeless in Klamath Falls has morphed into creation of an 18-acre campus that will offer one-stop shopping for those in need.

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We’re thrilled to be able to help the community,” Bauman said. The Klamath Works vision of a comprehensive human services campus, in which the Gospel Mission is a key player, is “hugely needed,” to address complex and interwoven health, economic and social issues in the community, Bauman added.

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“Work is not just a source of income; it’s a source of self-value and self-esteem. It makes you more functional and more healthy.”– Paul Stewart , CEO Sky Lakes Medical Center

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“I took [ the proposal by Klamath Works for the human services campus] back to Paul Ryan because the speaker of the House has had a longtime commitment about helping communities find solutions to poverty.” U.S. Rep. Greg Walden R-Ore

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“Having them all in one place [at the Klamath Works Campus] is going to make it possible for people to get their needs met on a more efficient basis.” Jeremy Player, District 10 Manager, Department of Human Services

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“[The Klamath Works Campus concept] really benefits people that are trying to get their lives back on track. It helps save on resources. We know what other people are doing so we’re not doing duplicative services. And then I think it helps us become a part of this community. To get out of poverty, it takes a community because you have to have the resources – everybody working in the same direction. What this will do, I’m hoping, is provide that sense of community for these people.”—Donna Bowman, Director Klamath & Lake Community Action Services.

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Our region is home to timber, ranch and agriculture communities that have been hit hard by changing economic and social patterns, both in Medford and Klamath Falls. Even before the recent recession, our rural region struggled to hold on to living-wage jobs. This in turn contributed to growing problems with crime, drug abuse and homelessness as referenced in the June 5 editorial entitled “There goes the neighborhood.” Creative and holistic solutions are necessary to address these problems in our community.
The Oregon Department of Human Services spends over $60 million annually on food stamps and welfare benefits in Klamath County. This support, though important, simply cannot repair or rebuild what our community has lost.

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“That whole campus is going to be so nice.”– Rob Petchell, Klamath & Lake Community Action Services

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“Thank you for the work you’re doing in putting Klamath Works together. The effort to tackle the very complex issues that are associated with homelessness and substance abuse … this is not an easy task that this group has undertaken, but it’s very essential to the strength of our community.”– U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore.

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“The whole campus concept locating these partners in close proximity is a game-changer. It will make it harder [for people] to fall through the cracks.” –Heidi Neel Biggs, Klamath Works director.

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