What's Happening AT SHEM... 2023
Community Christmas Box Program
A community wide supported Christmas Meal Box Program is sponsored by local churches and civic organizations. Each year, there are typically between 250 and 300 holiday meal boxes distributed. Applications are available at SHEM (1115 Long Street).. All applications must be received with 2 working telephone numbers where you can be reached at SHEM by the posted date on application form.
Salvation Army Bell Ringing
SHEM and our band of bell ringers will be out in force this year at Bi-Mart. We again are partnering with the Salvation Army starting in November. All of the funds raised through the bell-ringing project are used to purchase backpacks for children in our community.
2023-4 Back To School Celebration
SHEM volunteers coordinated the back to school event for Sweet Home School District students this year at the COmmunity Health Fair Day at the Sweet Home High School grounds, distributing several hundred backpacks filled with school supplies, before dispersing the remainder to local schools.
Press Releases
2022 Oregon Food Bank and the Network Support Grant program
Sweet Home Emergency Ministries (SHEM) gratefully acknowledges a generous grant from the Oregon Food Bank Network and the Network Support Funds Program! During an extended weather-related power outage fall of 2022, the backup generator at Sweet Home Emergency Ministries (SHEM), which had provided electricity to keep the refrigerators and freezers operational experienced a complete failure. Fortunately, the catastrophic event occurred within 90 minutes of having the electricity restored and no inventory was lost. SHEM applied for and received a grant from the Oregon Food Bank’s Network Support Fund and partnered with several local small businesses to purchase a replacement generator. The new generator ensures that all perishable food products will be maintained in operational freezers and refrigerators and safe for client distribution. In the event of a future extended power outage or major equipment failure, SHEM now has the capacity to extend temporary product storage for the SHEM Manna meal site, as well as other partner agencies in the community. Check out the photos in the Picture Gallery and on Facebook at Sweet Home Emergency Ministries!
May 2022 Keller-Williams Community Day of Service
May 12, a team comprised of Keller-Williams and a few folks from Pillar to Post arrived at SHEM to take on the daunting project of re-organizing the tiny storage shed, the annex and generally tidying up both areas. A huge thanks go out to the following, who provided their time and talents to bring some badly-needed assistance with major projects that never seemed to get completed. Thanks, so very much Brandon Gregory, Chris Chapman, Sherri Gregory, Chelsea Corliss, Paige Brady, Mona Dixon, Dusty Blackman, Kevin Parkpile, Carton Mills, and Jack Ryan Smith. We hope to welcome the Keller-Williams and Pillar to Post bunch back again soon! See pictures on the SHEM Webiste Picture Gallery and our SHEM Facebook page for some really super photos of the event!
2022 Samaritan Lebanon Hospital Social Accountability Grant
Sweet Home Emergency Ministries received a Lebanon Hospital Social Accountability Grant award in January 2021. Samaritan Health Services selects and awards grants addressing the needs of underserved and vulnerable community populations and strives to help support and improve the overall wellness of community health. The grant funding will be used to purchase fresh milk for the “A Full Glass For All” project. Fresh milk is distributed with each emergency food box handed during the year and greatly enhances the nutritional value for each household. Food boxes are available on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, except for the second Saturday of each month) from 9:00 am to 11:30 am. Milk is also utilized for meal preparation at the Manna meal site at 840 Sixth Ave in Sweet Home (United Methodist Church). “To Go” meals are handed out to diners on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday evenings at 5:00 pm. Check out the photos in the Picture Gallery and on Facebook at Sweet Home Emergency Ministries!
PONGO at SHEM!
SHEM is now partnering with the Pongo Fund of Portland, an organization that provides high quality pet food for low income households, ensuring that the pets, too, have enough to eat. Thank you, Pongo Fund for your generous ongoing support, so no pet goes hungry!