DIY Kits: Mini Clay Pots and Air Plants! Get crafty by making a mini clay pot for your very own air plant! Beginning Friday, August 14th at 5 pm, free craft kits will be available for pick-up outside the main office at Sponsors' men's campus at 338 Highway 99 North, and outside Bothy Cottage at Sponsors' women's campus at 767 West 8th Avenue. Each kit will contain an air plant (no soil required!), air-dry clay (no baking required!), suggestions for shaping your plant pot, and directions for caring for your new air plant. One kit per person; each person must pick up their own craft kit. First come, first serve - when they're gone, they're gone. Questions? Contact Amy at amyers@sponsorsinc.org or (541) 972-3894‬.

Parents - complete a short interview and get a $30 gift card! Our friends at the University of Oregon are building a program to help parents successfully reenter the community and reintegrate with their children, and parents are needed to participate in a brief phone or Zoom interview about the most helpful ways to support positive reentry. The researchers are especially interested in speaking with parents who have struggled with opioid use. All participating parents will be compensated with a $30 gift card from a local retailer, and will be prioritized to have the opportunity to later take part in the Coached Parent-Child Program. During this pandemic it has been challenging to recruit interviewees, so if you know of anyone or any groups who might benefit from this offer, please help spread the word! To sign up, contact Jean Kjellstrand at (541) 346-6208 or jeank@uoregon.edu.

Free two-week gym passes! Want to work out at some of the nicest gyms around, for free? To receive a free 2-week pass to Elements Health Clubs, email Amy at amyers@sponsorsinc.org. You'll be able to visit the West Eugene location, the Oakway location, or the Springfield location. Take a water aerobics class, learn to box, do Pilates, and more!

Mentees Wanted! The Mentorship Program is in full swing, offering nearly all of our usual programming during these times of social distancing - and we know that there are folks out there who could use some extra support and human connection. Please spread the word about all of the amazing things that the Mentorship Program has to offer, and send potential mentees our way!

Guitars available to borrow! Guitars are available on loan to any Sponsors resident. Music is good for your body and soul - maybe playing guitar is your next hobby! Check in with the Mentorship Office at 362 Highway 99 North, Tuesday - Friday, 9 am - 4 pm to borrow one.

Share your stories about connecting virtually! How have you been communicating with your mentor or mentee while social distancing? Maybe you've been staying touch via text messages, and it's been smooth sailing; or perhaps your attempt to navigate a video chat app was an adventure in technical difficulties... Whatever your story, please share it with us!

Don’t forget about the Mentor Referral Program! Do you know someone who would be a fantastic mentor for the Mentorship Program? Refer them and get a $20 gift card! Contact Kristie at kmamac@sponsorsinc.org or (541) 505-5665 for more information.

Match of the Month is... Robert and Robert! Great job you two! We are immensely proud of Robert, and thankful for Robert devoting his time to our program and to Robert. Now that's a lot of "Roberts"! The two were matched in April of 2020. Every time we check in with either Robert, they tell us how happy they are to have the other Robert in their life! Mentee Robert signed up for a mentor right before COVID hit. Although he couldn't meet his mentor in person, he says, "Robert and I hit it off from the first phone call. He was so easy to talk to. It's been so nice to have someone who listens, is understanding and non-judgmental. It's nice to have someone who is there when I need an extra shoulder." Mentor Robert says, “Robert and I have had an excellent relationship that has become a really rewarding friendship. He is a kind and caring individual and has been a pleasure to talk with. I'm looking forward to the day we can meet in person. In the meantime, we continue to be supportive of each other." We at Sponsors Mentorship want to thank all of you for continuing to believe in our program, especially in this tough time. The connections are still being made, and supportive friendships are still being created! Please continue to be safe out there. We are always a phone call away.

Remote Mentor Support Group! Mentors only. Join us on Tuesday, August 11th, 4 - 5:30 pm for a great opportunity to connect with staff and other mentors about your mentoring struggles and successes. At the time of the event, click here to join us on Zoom. Be sure to have Zoom set up on your device in advance; you can download Zoom here, and please don't hesitate to reach out to us for technical support. RSVP to amyers@sponsorsinc.org or (541) 972-3894‬.

Free Fishing Licenses! Time to go fishing! Thanks to the Department of Human Services, the Mentorship Program has fishing licenses available on loan. Licenses can be picked up from the Mentorship Office at 362 Highway 99 North, Tuesday - Friday, 9 am - 4 pm. Fishing is a wonderful, easy way to experience the great outdoors, and almost anyone can do it - all you really need is a license, a fishing pole, some bait, and a body of water! These licenses are available only to folks who are receiving housing and/or substance abuse treatment at Sponsors, and the licenses must be returned after one week. Licenses cannot be shared; everyone present during a fishing outing must have their own license. We currently do not have any fishing equipment to loan out - if you have extra fishing equipment lying around, please consider donating it to the Mentorship Program to be used by Sponsors participants!

Active in Recovery (AIR): AIR is a program of Mentorship that offers certified peer recovery mentoring, and we currently have openings for new mentees who are looking for support in their recovery. For your safety and convenience, our peer mentors are available remotely via video chat! A peer mentor can help you find your path to recovery by helping you locate available meetings, get a sponsor, build a positive support system, participate in healthy pro-social activities, and find a home group and learn about service work within that program. To qualify, you must have a desire to be clean and sober, be age 18 or older, have a criminal history, reside in the Eugene/Springfield area, and not be enrolled in the Mentorship Program Life Study. Interested? Women should contact Carrie Atkinson at catkinson@sponsorsinc.org or (541) 525-4745, and men should contact Ben Bryant at bbryant@sponsorsinc.org or (541) 521-7949. This program is gender-specific, but non-binary individuals' needs will be addressed on a case-by-case basis – contact either Carrie or Ben as you feel comfortable.

Staying Connected: We have created a "Staying Connected" guide which includes tools for getting free internet access, communicating via video chat, and having fun from home: find it here!

Community Speaker Potluck Cancelled: Stay tuned next month!