Author: vbinnin2

Once a Stranger, Now a Friend

Posted on by vbinnin2

By Lorrie McKee, Ignite Center Assistant, City of La Grande

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Change can be scary. It can be overwhelming and sometimes even debilitating but change is our only constant. A curious conundrum that ALL of us experience for the duration of our time here on earth. I have experienced numerous changes in my life and moving 1,190 miles away has been the largest physical change I have experienced yet. The trip brought me back to my nomad roots. I saw rolling hills, mountains, and the most hay I have ever seen in my life. Driving into La Grande, Oregon was a transcendent experience filled with laughter turning into happy tears. I could not believe these mountains would be my new home.

A sunny landscape photo of Eastern Oregon high desert

Now I am not saying that these changes do not come with their own challenges. Moving is exhausting, both mentally and physically. And as my family left me, I now realize I have a new beginning. I can go out of my comfort zone and reimagine who I want to be.

The fear in my head tells me I may not be accepted. People are weary of new travelers and trust needs to be gained. However, here in La Grande, I was welcomed with nothing but open arms. Part of my position here involves my participation in committee work. I joined the Christmas Committee and was introduced to many smiling faces. With lockdowns still in place, Christmas seemed gloomy and unattainable…I mean, how can you not have Christmas?! And with decades of holiday traditions being too problematic to make happen this year, we were tasked with the opportunity to create a new kind of tradition this year…the Christmas Caravan. A series of streets decorated and lit so that all could drive by together with their cars decorated for the season.

I was tasked with the mission of decorating a vacant store front on the main street downtown. I contacted the building owner and had a lovely conversation about his life here in La Grande. He worked on the railroad and has lived here for over 70 years. He was the perfect brain to pick to understand the changes that have happened in La Grande that made it what it is now. As the great Epictetus once said, “we have two ears and one mouth, so we can listen twice as much as we speak”. I believe the most impactful thing you can do for people is to listen.

This interaction had a domino effect. Each community member I talked to gave me new insight to the place where I live now. Those that make up a community are THE MOST important piece to the community. An obvious statement but often gets lost quite frequently in our daily conversation. This has been my biggest impact so far in my community…listening. I hope to continue to listen and give those that feel they do not have a voice, a voice. My position here in La Grande has given community members just another opportunity to be heard and make valuable impacts in the place they live. New eyes bring new perspectives and sometimes we need to step back to see the big picture that is often forgotten.

View of a rainbow coming out of the clouds over a building roof with an American flag flying in the wind

Photo of the author in sunset glow, standing in front of a colorful muralAbout the author, Lorrie McKee: Lorrie earned her undergraduate degree in the Spring of 2020, focusing in Conservation and Environmental Planning with an emphasis in planning from the University of Wisconsin River Falls. She is interested in connecting communities with each other and ultimately, with their environment. In the future, she hopes to help build strong communities and help them navigate their natural resources in a way that is respectful and useful. She hopes to build strong relationships with community members wherever her work takes her. In her free time, she loves to explore the outdoors and express her creativity through art. She is excited to learn all that Oregon has to offer.

Does community development work interest you? Are you looking for a life changing experience in rural Oregon? Learn more about serving with the RARE AmeriCorps Program.

Humans are at the Heart of Community

Posted on by vbinnin2

By Grace Kaplowitz, Economic Development Coordinator for City of Oakridge and Project Manager and Outreach Coordinator for the Oakridge Air Program

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If you’re new to community building work, I will let you in on a little secret: community building is nebulous. It is collaborative. Most of all, no single task can be completed in a vacuum. There are always partners, stakeholders, and community members to consult and they are the ones who will make the biggest impact. In the three short months I have been in my RARE position it has become clear that relationships are at the heart of the work we are pursuing.

Masked people standing in a campground holding papers and wearing warm winter clothes

It is tempting to measure one’s success by the individual tasks we accomplish and to try to quantify our worth and contributions based on numbers and dollars we bring in. While I don’t discount the importance of measuring and evaluating one’s work, RARE has begun to show me that the greatest thing I can accomplish is supporting the people around me to shine. One of my biggest achievements to date has been building the foundational relationships and trust that will carry my projects forward beyond my service year and into the realm of long-term changes.

Two RARE members in raingear posing at a trash pick up site holding a bag of trash and garbage pincersIn my placement in Oakridge, Oregon I have the wonderful opportunity of working with two separate organizations. I am dividing my time between economic development work for the City of Oakridge and project management and outreach work for Oakridge Air. This has allowed me to convene numerous stakeholder groups and find common ground surrounding the issues at hand. One of the groups I have had the pleasure of working with is the Chamber Partners, a diverse group of stakeholders from community, city, county, and statewide organizations. The Chamber Partners are dedicated to responding to Covid-19 and economic development issues in the community through collaboration and creative problem-solving strategies.

A few examples of what the Chamber Partners have accomplished so far include:

  • Distributing free PPE from Business Oregon to 60+ local businesses
  • Mailing Covid-19 resource flyers to all businesses licensed with the City of Oakridge
  • Sharing Covid-19 small business grant opportunities through email and social media
  • Staying on the pulse of creative solutions to community issues such as affordable housing, local food systems, sustainable recreational tourism, environmental issues, and community-wide communications

A basket of wild harvested mushrooms sitting amongst forest fernsA sunny photo of a tree-lined and rocky riverAs a RARE member working on numerous projects across these community issues, I have been able to make connections and fill in the gaps so we can all better utilize the resources at hand and achieve our collective goals.

Meanwhile, it is no easy task getting to know a community in the midst of a global pandemic, but I have thoroughly enjoyed volunteering at outdoor Covid-safe events, collecting mushrooms and a Christmas tree from the Willamette National Forest, and enjoying the lovely amenities at Green Waters Park.

Photo of the author wearing a yellow floral top and smiling in front of an evergreen treeAbout the author, Grace Kaplowitz: Grace was born in Dexter, Oregon and has spent her whole life in the Willamette Valley. She loves small towns and big trees and has always had a passion for building community and relationships. Grace graduated from the University of Oregon with a B.A. in Planning, Public Policy and Management (PPPM) where she was the president of the Student Community Organization, a member of the PPPM Student Advisory Board, and completed internships on campus and with the cities of Veneta and Springfield. After discovering her interest in local government, Grace is excited to apply her education to direct service work in her beloved State of Oregon.

Does community development work interest you? Are you looking for a life changing experience in rural Oregon? Learn more about serving with the RARE AmeriCorps Program.