by Xitlali Torres, Community Resource Specialist, Klamath and Lake Community Action Services

Asking for help. It might seem simple, but this is one of the most vulnerable and difficult things a person can do. It has been a staple of American culture to fend for one’s self, pull yourself up by the bootstraps, and be self-sufficient. So when you are at your wit’s end, struggling with anything from a difficult work project, to having to choose between food for your children or electricity, asking for help can come with a great deal of shame. To compound this, the resources out there for struggling families are dispersed through all different kinds of organizations. They have various hoops to jump through, different eligibility requirements, confusing websites, etc. It’s an overwhelming, confusing, and emotional process. That’s why, for a few days in October, the presence of Klamath and Lake Community Action Services representatives in community centers in Lake County made a real difference for energy assistance seekers. This was the moment I saw that the “needs statement” for my RARE Americorps position was not just a paragraph on paper. It was something that I could latch on to. I found the motivation I needed to jump-start my year of service.

Lakeview, OR, is the most populous town in Lake County. However, its population is less than 3,000. Distributed, the population of Lake County comes to 1 person per square mile. The local widespread feeling of being ignored and underserved by government and service organizations is not invalid. My host organization is designated to serve both Klamath and Lake Counties, but our headquarters are an hour and a half drive from Lakeview. It’s often a treacherous drive in the winter months. This leaves participants in Lake County feeling distanced from those that can potentially help them through tough times. For this reason, the energy team at KLCAS organized a few dates to be in the area and offer their support, in person.

It is sometimes hard to justify spending the time and resources to send our energy assistance team members to Lake County when you can never know how many people will show up or if you can help them. However, once we were there, I could see that it was worthwhile. From the elderly woman who lost her husband and had trouble getting in contact through the phone, to the young family that can only afford to take time off work for an hour to get their energy bill sorted out, people got the direct help they needed. It is meaningful to see a friendly face, even if the information could have been transmitted in other ways.

This is not the first time I’ve witnessed the hardship placed on low-income and disadvantaged individuals to figure out how to ask for help. I grew up watching my mom struggle to provide for me, pushing through her anxiety, depression, fear, and shame to get an array of assistance services to help us. I couldn’t have expected that the work that my host organization does would strike such a personal chord with me. I only wanted to get job experience, learn about the energy sector, try to make an impact on people, and maybe even make a tiny dent in the future of the planet.

One of the days we were out there, a man, Levi, showed up from our partner organization, SCOEDD (South-Central Economic Development District). He was sent by his director to come out and see what we were up to in Lakeview. He thought that we were doing some kind of presentation of information about our programs to the public. Although this misunderstanding was humorous, it pointed out the need for more communication and coordination between organizations, which is adirect point in my project description. We could have even saved gas and carpooled if there had been better communication.

Although his initial expectations for his time in Lakeview were mistaken, it turned out to be a serendipitous occasion. As I was chatting with him, a woman sat right next to us as she waited for our energy assistance team to help other participants. We started making small talk, and we found that she just so happened to be in a SCOEDD program that Levi worked on. The dreamsavers program matches low-income participants’ savings 5:1 for certain types of spending. The woman we met was hoping to make home improvements, including energy efficiency upgrades. This all tied back to why we were there. Her home was not energy efficient, so she needed help with her energy bill. She came to the community event to get help, and in the process, she got to speak with Levi. It was a perfect coincidence. Perhaps in the future, my work can help create this gathering of relevant services more intentionally.

Unfortunately, that day I also learned of another predicament for the area, the lack of contractors able to do the required upgrades for people. This woman had been through the program and was ready to use her savings, but her work has been delayed because of this. Contractors are few and far between, and those that are there are either not willing to commute to the far-off places, or are not willing to wait the waiting period for the funds to come through.

Since then, I’ve been to other outreach events with the KLCAS energy team. At each one, I am reaffirmed in the purpose of my RARE role. I’ve been meeting plenty of well-intentioned and caring people in action. I’ve seen heaps of people who have a huge need for their services and more.

I’m not sure I’ll be able to even scratch the surface of the systemic issues that have led to this point. Even so, I’ll continue on my project and do my best to provide a space for energy-related organizations to take and collaborate. I can only hope it provides a foundation to carry forward and little by little, energy services will be better distributed to the community. And, I will be much more knowledgeable about the energy-world in this State. I’ll use this experience to keep working towards my passion for connecting people and culture to environmental policy and procedures.

About the author, Xitlali Torres: Xitlali recently graduated from the University of Oregon with a Bachelors of Arts in Planning, Public Policy, and Management. Xitlali is primarily interested in environmental policy, climate change planning, sustainability, and the connection between culture and community with planning and decision making. During her education at the U of O, she engaged youth as a mentor in Peace Jam Northwest and UO Youth Movement. She also completed an internship with Beyond Toxics, a non-profit dedicated to community-driven environmental justice. In her free time, Xitlali likes to practice a variety of art mediums, including crochet, painting, and practicing banjo. After RARE, Xitlali hopes to continue a career in public service and eventually apply to graduate school.

Interested in gaining sustainability and environmental planning experience of your own? Are you looking for a life changing experience in rural Oregon? Learn more about serving with the RARE AmeriCorps Program. Applications for Year 30 (2023-24) due April 30, 2023 by 11:59pm PDT.