On May 29, following the announcement that Tongue Point Job Corps (TPJC) program would be shuttered, students and staff from the organization came to Clatsop Community Action (CCA) seeking assistance. 

Job Corps centers are located across the nation, and TPJC is the only trade school turning homeless youth into welders and shipbuilders. It ensures these young vulnerable Americans have a viable path to becoming skilled workers earning living wages, decreasing the risk they become involved in the criminal justice system or rely on public assistance. 

With the closure of Tongue Point, dozens of students and staff are at risk of not only losing their jobs and future vocational opportunities, but immediate loss of housing. Our CCA case managers, working with TPJC counselors, prioritized finding temporary housing for those who faced immediate homelessness as of June 13. 

Within a week, staff led by CCA Case Manager Hailey Murray, identified temporary housing for up to 30 individuals. Additional support, such as stipends for food and utility expenses, can be made available to those from TPJC.

The CCA Board is grateful for the rapid actions taken by staff. This spirit of assisting those in immediate need is a core value for the organization. These values have been intensely displayed as the threat of TPJC closure, now temporarily halted by a judicial temporary restraining order, unfolded. 

The people of CCA are an invaluable resource in our region, and Clatsop County can be especially proud that these individuals work diligently.

Clatsop Community Action Board

MICHAEL L. HARVEY, president

JACK N. FICKEN, vice president

VANN LOVETT, immediate past president

RACHEL GAETANO, board member

BILL MONTERO, board member

PAUL A. SILKA, board member