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October 2023: Letter from the Director of Philanthropy

Oct. 12, 2023


The leaves outside are one of nature’s boldest expressions of change. See how the trees are filled with beautiful colors that were not there a month ago and begin to appreciate the greater meaning behind them. It’s a time to reflect on what’s been accomplished in the past year and what changes are still to come.


Like the seasons we experience throughout the year, everything in our organization has its cycles—building of huts, welcoming new clients, transitioning leaders—and all of that sustains us. However, most things in life have a way of showing us when it’s time to maintain the status quo and when it’s time to move on.


With a full heart, we’d like to formally announce that Karissa Moden has stepped down from their role as Director of Community Impact to focus on their family, including baby Remi who was welcomed into the world earlier this summer. The absence of our third Director has been both challenging and informative for Tabitha and me, though it’s given us an opportunity to reflect on how important shared leadership is for the entire organization. We’ll be interviewing candidates for this position later this month and hope to announce a new leader in mid-November.

This leads me to our next announcement—the creation of CSS’s shared mid-level management team. Please join me in celebrating the promotion of Pujita Mayeda to the role of Development Manager and Danyell Rejcek to the role of Community Manager. Pujita has been with CSS since nearly the beginning and Dani since our rapid expansion in 2020; their historical knowledge and fervent commitment to the organization have been immensely helpful as leadership has transitioned over the last year. These two amazing individuals will join Caiti Morrell (Personnel Manager), Dustin Foskett (Facilities Manager), and Mellinda Poor (Navigation Manager) to provide the on-the-ground, day-to-day direction of CSS.


In some ways, CSS is going back to its roots, including the re-engagement of clients as volunteers and the focus on hiring individuals from our Safe Spot Communities. In other ways, we’re continuing to branch out—engaging with the broader community in new and unique ways, partnering with outside organizations, and looking for chances to expand our reach outside of Lane County. We encourage you to follow us on social media as we frequently highlight our activities and outreach efforts there.


Seasons change, and some seasons come back around, but we’re never quite the same as we were the last time through. Saying goodbye to what we know brings new beginnings, uncertainty, joy, and excitement. Thank you for your continued support throughout all of our seasons.


With immense gratitude,

Heather Quaas-Annsa 
Director of Philanthropy

Eugene Parking Ban Opposition Testimony

12 Mar, 2024
It's not too late to share your thoughts on this proposed update. Send your written testimony to mayorcouncilandcitymanager@eugene-or.gov .

Incarceration and Homelessness: Breaking the Cycle

15 Jan, 2024
Formerly incarcerated people are almost ten times more likely to be homeless than the general population, according to a study from the Prison Policy Initiative. Jack spent 27 years in prison, from the age of 33 to 60. “It is a long time. It's an entire lifetime,” he says. At first, he thought he might never get out and continued what he calls “bad behavior.” But he saw others who participated in educational programs and were successful in getting their sentences reduced. He realized if he started “acting right,” he might get out. He especially credits a program called “Nonviolent Communication” with helping him. He started using what he learned and realized that “the person we communicate worst with is ourselves.”

From Waste to Wonder - UO's Grey Water Conservation Project

14 Jan, 2024
Lima, Peru, and Eugene, Oregon, are worlds apart in many ways. But spend some time with Kory Russel, an Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Studies at the University of Oregon, and you will learn there are communities in both places with challenges of access to sustainable and efficient water use. Kory has a photo in his office depicting a highly condensed neighborhood in Lima, a city where he and some of his students work on sustainable water projects.

New CSS Director of Community Impact: Black Burrell

13 Jan, 2024
Did you know CSS has a shared leadership model, with three directors? This November, Blake Burrell joined CSS as our new Director of Community Impact. His role supports all of our direct service staff, managing internal relationship-building, culture creation, program operation, mentoring, and conflict resolution. Read on for his introduction:

Volunteer Spotlight: Veronica Paredes

12 Jan, 2024
Veronica Paredes has been helping sew the weatherproof porch coverings ("scrims") for the Huts, recently working 26 hours to complete 34 scrims for us before the holidays.

Bike and Build Volunteers Assist in Refurbishing Huts

13 Oct, 2023
Bike and Build organization was established as a nonprofit in 2003. Its website summarizes its mission: “Bike and Build engages young adults in service-oriented cycling trips to raise awareness for the affordable housing cause. We advocate for the need for affordable housing in thousands of communities across the country.” As teams bike from town to town, they volunteer for service projects and give presentations about issues surrounding the lack of affordable housing. Since 2003 Bike and Build estimates that over 3,800 participants have biked over 11 million miles and donated over 255,000 volunteer community service hours to local organizations throughout the country.

Not Quite All-in Funding

12 Oct, 2023
Seventeen Lane County organizations running 28 programs addressing homelessness recently received a total of $18.4 million from Governor Tina Kotek’s emergency homelessness program through an effort called “All-In Funding.” Community Supported Shelters was not one of them.

Q&Q with Community Supported Shelters

09 Oct, 2023
This new program will allow us to support our unhoused clients in developing new skills, building confidence, and eventually reentering the workforce. This starts with encouraging clients to volunteer with our staff in various roles, including maintenance, kitchen, laundry, and peer support work. Once have developed the skillset necessary to perform the functions of the job, they’ll be able to apply...

Chris Teasdale: Being A Neighbor

21 Jul, 2023
As Community Supported Shelters staff and volunteers have been busy creating the physical infrastructure for five new Safe Spots—preparing lots, providing access, building Huts and common buildings—the service team has been going through a transformation to better meet the needs of people in all the CSS camps, including almost 100 people who are beginning to move into the new camps.

Staff Spotlight: Dustin Foskett

20 Jul, 2023
The human component. It doesn’t take long into a conversation with Dustin Foskett, the new Facilities Manager at Community Supported Shelters, for him to bring that into focus. His path over the years—from Bolivia where he helped build shelters for children and orphanages to the island of Rota in the Pacific where he helped develop an aquaponics program—is full of examples of promoting shelter and food securities, which he considers core to nonprofit work.
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