Great Northern Services

The staff and clients of Siskiyou Opportunity Center look forward to serving the community each year through the Tailgate Produce Party. This experience is super important to our clients, they love the interaction with the public and especially love serving the produce. Our staff, their children and other family members also participate in sorting, distributing and help deliver food to the people’s vehicles. This is a wonderful experience for all of us! Thank you!
—Kristina Jackson, Program Director of Community Endeavors, Siskiyou Opportunity Center

I am so impressed with the work and the workers. I have never seen a group of people in such harmony. The work is exceptional and the guys were wonderful. They worked hard and they were so kind.
—Melanie G.

“Health problems have made it difficult to make ends meet. GNS’s food programs have allowed us to continue to feed our family when we could not meet our basic needs. For this we are extremely grateful”
— The Trail Family, Yreka

The mini pantry has been a huge blessing for students and staff. The pantry allows us to nourish bodies so brains can work and takes the stress off the students and the teachers. It makes a huge difference in children’s behavior in the classroom.
—Kristen Riccomini, Title 1 teacher at Mt. Shasta Elementary

Energy Assistance makes a huge difference to me. I’m on Social Security & it’s not much. I have to watch every penny I spend—even with the assistance. Having Great Northern Services help with my power bill frees up money for food. Claudia has gone out of her way not just this year but in the past. She really heard my situation, took it to heart, and was so helpful. She’s awesome.
—Don P. from Mt. Shasta, CA

If it weren’t for the help buying propane I would have been one cold puppy—it would have been a very tough winter. I’m a veteran with not too many benefits & on a fixed income. I was using my credit cards and getting into debt. I’ve been living here since ’71.
—Bill Buffalo from Weed, CA

Weatherization on my apartment made quite a difference—I don’t even use the heater in the bedroom anymore, just the main room on the lowest setting. We’re near the river and we could always hear the train, but after GNS put in double pane windows and insulation it cut out all the noise. I’d gotten used to it after so many years in the apartment, now I wake up in the middle of the night because it’s too quiet.
—Nacho M. in Dunsmuir

I used to own a construction company in Michigan. I give the GNS Weatherization Crew an excellent score. They did a great job and cleaned as they went along. We’ve been freezing since last October and now we’re not.
—Naida H. in Yreka

The application process is much easier now than it used to be. I went to get an application on my lunch break, came back, and Dodi came around to get it from me—she was really sweet.  It was just a couple of weeks before the oil company got the check and I got the oil—it didn’t take long at all. Everybody falls hard on their luck sometimes, and GNS is always willing to help. No one was ever rude or snotty; they are always nice.
— Annie P. from Weed, CA

“Thanks so much for the weatherization of my home. What a wonderful service that is to have in our area! The fellows were very friendly and neat. They are a huge asset to your company.”
— Sharon Young, Yreka

You were awesome for doing our mobile! The “Crew” was beyond our expectations!!! After we were told 3 of the people were new, which we never would have known. Our power bills have gone down & no more freezing drafts! We can not thank Great Northern enough, thank you, thank you, thank you and many more. We are so blessed! – Anonymous

The organic food is wonderful. Having the mini pantry allows us to be creative with meal prep, but it mostly helps us with snacks. If kids are hungry they tell us in a playful way that they are hangry (hungry-angry). We can fix that. The variety of stuff is great—the kids love it, especially the apple sauces & fruit pouches.
—Executive Director Boys & Girls Club of the Siskiyous

“The GNS food programs in Dorris have helped so many of my clients—from the shut-ins to the young families with children. They all get excited when describing the produce.”
— Donna Crotty-Boyd, Service Coordinator for Far Northern Regional Center

(I volunteer) to make sure people get what they deserve and that it gets done right. Most people come and go. Sometimes they come and sometimes they go. Everybody knows everybody…it helps every little bit.
Help the people, that’s all I know.
—Ron, Volunteer Commodities Site Coordinator, Seiad Valley

“We’re looking forward to winter now that we have the insulation in the attic. We can’t sing enough praises for the GNS staff.”
— Jim and Mary Taylor, Weed

Do you know that this winter there was not a speck of moisture on the inside of the windows? I used to have to put towels down because when you opened the curtains in the morning there was frost all over the inside. The towels would catch it when it melted. But with the new windows the Weatherization department installed, now you can’t feel any cold air coming in.
—Amanda S. in Seiad Valley