Designated Offering

Vina Moses

Each month, we designate a particular social service organization for financial support through special collections on Sundays. This June, our special offering goes to Vina Moses.

Vina Moses is one of the most important charities in Corvallis, helping low-income families in all of Benton County. Its service center, located at 968 NW Garfield, offers goods, clothing, and food. Everything is free.

The organization is named after Vina Moses, a woman who started helping Corvallis residents in the early 1900s, when no organized social services were available. Thus, it has a long history of aiding thousands in need. There is no charge for anything!

In addition to its service center, Vina Moses Center also holds several special drives and events each year, including:

• A prom dress giveaway
• The annual Back to School drive (our church helps with this) for school clothes and supplies for low-income children, helping more than 800 children every year
• A Christmas gift drive (Giving Trees and food baskets) for more than 1,743 children and over a thousand families in 2023
• Tents, tarps and sleeping bags for homeless people

The Giving Tree is a wonderful local tradition that provides gifts for needy children at Christmas. Trees are placed all over town in supermarkets, churches, offices and banks. Good Sam always has a tree in late November and early December.

Recently, Vina Moses has expanded to Monroe and Alsea with “Vina’s Closet.”

Vina Moses also provides emergency financial aid (formerly known as FISH) that helps low-income families in times of financial crisis. It provides financial assistance for such needs as rent, utilities, prescriptions, medical care, occupational supplies and employment readiness. Sometimes clients are helped with long-range budgeting, to reduce the chance of future emergencies.