Tag: Institute for Policy Research and Engagement

Meeting the Moment

Posted on by vbinnin2

By Jane Allen, Project Coordinator, Mid-Columbia Economic Development District

We all knew when signing up for the 20-21 RARE term of service, that this year would be different. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage on in our country, it is hard to count all the ways in which our lives have changed since that virus first presented itself in the US and lockdowns began in mid-March of last year. For many RAREs, what is normally a service marked by in-person community development and fostering connections, this service year has been mostly serving behind a screen — not unlike many other people around the world who are navigating a Covid-ridden landscape. But what do you do when times are tough, and conditions change? You adjust, recalibrate, and move forward with the new set of circumstances.

One of the first projects I was tasked with as an incoming RARE working for the Mid-Columbia Economic Development District, was to coordinate their annual Columbia Gorge Economic Symposium. As someone who has had little experience with event planning, this was a daunting task. For the first time ever, this event would be held virtually, and not surprisingly, the main focus would be recent impacts to our economy and how we, as a region, begin to move forward and recover from this crisis.

Presentation slide from the Ford Family Foundation at MCEDD’s 2020 Economic Symposium.

Diving into this work was a great opportunity for me to learn about the new community I had just moved to. I found ways to build on the partnerships that were already in place in the Columbia Gorge, inviting industry leaders to speak about their experiences, how they pivoted in the face of uncertainty, and what their hopes are for the future. I am happy to say that the event was a success — we had over 200 people register, and many commented that they appreciated the discussions centered around resilience, recovery, and what the future holds for their communities.

This event solidified one of the most important lessons my service has taught me thus far — that getting things done in rural Oregon requires extensive collaboration and relationships that are built on trust and communication. I have seen it as I have joined the monthly calls of our economic resilience team — a cohort of stakeholders representing all facets of life in the Gorge, from health care professionals, teachers, workforce agencies, tourism representatives, tribal members, and more — who have been gathering since early March to meet this moment and share vital information back to their communities. I have seen it as I have listened to community members in Wasco County share the projects they have been working on, sometimes for years, to enhance their towns, and the relentless effort it takes to finally break ground. And I have seen it as MCEDD helped local counties develop a grant program to disperse over $1.5 million in funds to small businesses just weeks before the funds were set to expire. This work cannot occur without the strong foundation of partnerships built and coalitions formed, which have been critical for the Gorge region to navigate the COVID-19 crisis. I feel lucky to have been witness to this, and to play a small role in ensuring those relationships are strong, vibrant, and sustainable.

Photo of the author, a young woman with long hair in an orange sweaterAbout the author, Jane Allen: Jane majored in Environmental Studies and Geography at the University of Northern Colorado and got her Masters in Climate Change & Society at North Carolina State University. Having lived all over the country, Jane has seen the impacts of a changing climate coast to coast and wants to help communities be more resilient to these changes. In the future, Jane hopes to work on natural hazards planning and climate adaptation and is excited to apply her skills to economic development in rural Oregon. In her free time you will most likely find her exploring the outdoors with her husky in tow, listening to live music, or hanging out at a local brewery.

Rural Community Building in a Digital Landscape

Posted on by vbinnin2

By Hannah Fuller, Community Food Systems Organizer, OSU Extension Service Wasco County

Author and fellow RARE member standing close together in front of a Food Hero display table
Author, Hannah Fuller, standing with fellow RARE, Erica Mooney, in front of a Food Hero demo table at RARE training.

Everyone has logged into Zoom for the first time that month. After a series of meetings over conference call fellow RARE, Eva Kahn, and I convinced our partners in South Wasco County to meet over Zoom so we could see each other’s faces. It was time to develop the mission statement and name for a new non-profit in South Wasco County Oregon. Compared to the county seat, The Dalles, South Wasco County has a very different culture. The Dalles sits on the banks of the Columbia River Gorge, while the southern part of the county stretches through grassy hills along the Deschutes River all the way down to the center of the state. South Wasco County is a collection of small towns “you could miss if you blink” but the community is strong.

Eva had organized a F.E.A.S.T. (Food, Education, Agriculture, Solutions, Together) organizing session in March a week before shutdowns from the pandemic hit, and there was still a lot of energy in the community to come together and work to strengthen the local rural food system.

So, there we sat on Zoom. Eva and I acting as outside consultants, and a handful of eager community members ready to work together to start the foundation of this new organization. Eva and I had spent hours preparing our facilitation to help folks work together and create an organization that really reflected all of the community member’s needs. One member sat in the driveway of another to get better Wifi, someone else sat in their kitchen with their husband making lunch behind them, someone’s hair was constantly blowing in the strong eastern Oregon winds as. It wasn’t a picture-perfect meeting area, but it worked.

For being “new to Zoom” everyone quickly dived into our work. We screenshared and took turns picking words, sharing name ideas, nit-picking over every sentence, comma, and turn of phrase. “Is that name common? …People down here don’t like that word. …What does “sustainability” even look like.” Two hours later, we’d come up with a name, a mission statement (what we will do) and even a vision statement (the world we want to see) too. Everyone sat with satisfied grins and I was so glad I could see them over Zoom.

Reflecting on this experience, the community members didn’t like a single word Eva and I suggested, but they were so grateful for our facilitation. Coming from university and non-profit organization backgrounds, Eva and I were ready with piles of buzzwords and turns of phrase that were common in the bubble that we already worked in. But in South Wasco, it’s outside of the bubble and words land differently here. Everyone has different associations with words, and while so many values they describe are similar—hard work, trust, resilience—words have so much power and connotation that they carry with them. It also showed how much value we have as RARE members to provide the infrastructure and support for community development, but in the end, the community members are the ones doing the work. They know the people they work with, they know what works needs to be done, and they are the ones with the visions for what they want their future to look like.

Photo of the author standing in front of a tree and a brick buildingAbout the author, Hannah Fuller: Hannah Fuller served as the Community Food Systems Coordinator for the Oregon State University Wasco County Extension Service. Hannah played an integral role in connecting OSU and partner agencies including Gorge Grown Food Network, The Blue Zones Project, North Central Public Health District, and Oregon Food Bank. Duties included program management, assessment, community building, volunteer recruitment, teaching, and outreach. Main focus areas included providing nutrition education, engaging volunteers of the Food Hero Volunteer Training program, conducting a School Physical Activity and Nutrition Environment Tool (SPAN-ET) Evaluation in local schools, serving as a liaison between OSU Extension and the Food Security Coalition, developing gardening partnerships, providing support for Mid-Columbia Medical Center’s Food for Life program, and developing reports to share project aims, outcomes, and recommendations with other partners.