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GUEST OPINION Guest Opinion: Fighting poverty with a paycheck in Klamath Falls Comment By Paul Stewart and Heidi Neel Biggs MailTribune.com By Paul Stewart and Heidi Neel Biggs Posted Jun. 26, 2016 at 12:01 AM By Paul Stewart and Heidi Neel Biggs Posted Jun. 26, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News 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. That’s because the true costs of joblessness go well beyond not getting a paycheck. Families are broken apart by the higher risks of divorce, substance abuse and even suicide that go with unemployment. As many have noted, individuals with jobs don’t merely have fuller bank accounts. They have fuller lives. A job re-engages individuals with their neighbors, schools and communities. A job provides choices and the hope for a better future. The current stats tell a disheartening story: Unemployment in Klamath County is among the state’s highest. Almost one-third of males age 25-54 are not even in the labor force. Teen pregnancy is 64 percent above the state average. And Jackson County isn’t much better. Recognizing this, citizens in Klamath County formed a group whose name conveys its message: Klamath Works. Beginning in 2014, they met with government agencies, charities and religious ministries and reached a powerful conclusion: The best welfare program would be more jobs. Why? Because a job is the best weapon in combating poverty — not merely poverty of income but of health, of pride, and of spirit. The Klamath Works Campus south of downtown, purchased by Sky Lakes Medical Center, will organize a consortium of nonprofits, government agencies, faith-based organizations and health care providers around a common goal. Their mission is to help those in need return to self-sufficiency by preparing them for work. Other partners, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture, state and federal elected officials, and foundations like the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, have all provided input and in some cases funding to build this unique collaboration. In the past, the typical way of helping needy clients has been to send them to three or four different locations many miles apart — with the risk of losing them at any step along the way. Klamath Works Campus clients will receive services all at one location. They will first receive a medical screening for health or psychological issues requiring immediate care. A sobering center will help intoxicated individuals stay out of the emergency room or jail. Those who need a meal will receive one at the Gospel Mission. But most important, clients will meet with job coaches to build an individualized plan aimed at bringing them to self-sufficiency. They will gain the ability to care for their families, and eventually engage again with the community. When the Klamath Works Campus opens later this year, the county will embark on a new comprehensive, integrated social service model. It will not only help those in need support themselves financially, but to fully realize their human potential. We believe every community has an obligation to help each individual put their lives back on track — and in so doing live longer, and live better. Of course, economic hardship and unemployment aren’t unique to Klamath County. This idea could be a model for Jackson County and for the rest of the state as well. Rather than a handout that leaves citizens behind, the Klamath Works model is a helping hand that pulls us all forward. Why not in Medford as well? Paul Stewart is president and CEO of Sky Lakes Medical Center in Klamath Falls. In 2013, Becker's Hospital Review named Stewart one of the “300 Hospital and Health System Leaders to Know,” the only Oregon hospital executive to make the list. Heidi Neel Biggs is executive director of the Klamath Community Foundation and a member of the Klamath Works board. By Paul Stewart and Heidi Neel Biggs MailTribune.com By Paul Stewart and Heidi Neel Biggs Posted Jun. 26, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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