Tag: Portland

ready. . . set. . . SNOW!

Posted on by Julia Havens

Top Story on the News Tonight: Snow

Just about every community in the state of Oregon is hunkering down for snow, snow and even more snow. Levels range from 1 to 3 inches along the south coast to 7 to 10 inches in areas east of the Cascade Range. The National Weather Service says the cold weather will last through the weekend and transition to milder and wetter conditions (a.k.a. rain) by the middle of next week.  With that in mind, the Resource Assistance for Rural Environments-RARE AmeriCorps participants took a moment to share photos of their community’s first winter wonderland conditions before the rain washes it all away.

Resource Assistance for Rural Environments - University of OregonThe mission of the RARE Program is to increase the capacity of rural communities to improve their economic, social, and environmental conditions, through the assistance of trained graduate-level participants, from across the US.  These RARE AmeriCorps participants live in and serve 25 rural Oregon communities assisting in the development and implementation of projects for achieving a sustainable natural resource base and improving rural economic conditions. The markers on the map represents the 25 RARE placements throughout Oregon for 2013-14.



Special thank you to Andrew Barbier, Aubrey Erwin, Jeremy Goldsmith, Laura Goodrich, Maggie Hanna, Julie Havens, Katherine Hayes, Blake Helm, Gabby Pauling, Maddie Phillips, Rebecca and Jason Sergeant, Saira Siddiqui, and Titus Tomlinson for sharing their photos with us.


 

			

	





	

		
		
Stories from the Field: A RARE AmeriCorps Perspective
		

			Posted on  by Julia Havens		

			

	

		
Networking “AmeriCorps” Style




As a first year RARE AmeriCorps Program – Resource Assistance for Rural Environments participant, my enthusiasm for conferences and trainings is usually at an all time high. As an overly social individual, I find trainings and conferences to be a great time to socialize and learn about projects and work that others are doing in Oregon. The AmeriCorps Kick-Off (Oregon Volunteers) provided a really energetic learning environment for us AmeriCorps ROCKSTARS (I hesitate to use the word “volunteer”) to absorb any information that would make the year in our positions a little bit easier. For the first time, all of the amazing, selfless individuals that are making changes in Oregon were in ONE place together. Seeing the massive amount of people, rocking their AmeriCorps swag, made me realize that being a part of AmeriCorps isn’t just about serving a year in your community- it’s about being a part of a huge network of people that encourage and support you.


This support system became more evident on the last day of training when we were split into groups based on where we are serving. Being that I am sort of all over the place (within the Portland area), being placed in the SE Portland group was interesting because I’m technically “placed” there—and happen to live there, but my project is for a community in North Portland . It was really exciting to meet people that are quite literally my neighbors, serving and doing amazing things in MY community. There was a huge amount of networking and collaboration happening, folks setting up potlucks and Facebook groups, others sharing resources and creating partnerships. The best topic that we chatted about was living in Portland on such low income. There were a few second and third year AmeriCorps members in the group that were sharing their experience and giving out tips. One of my favorite tips was from a lady who had tried to figure out a way to use EBT money for every household cleaning and personal hygiene product. To be honest, I think this subject in itself would be a fabulous blog or Facebook post–or even training!


Offering this session at the end of the day allowed people to leave the conference feeling inspired and comforted with new friends and partnerships—from outside of their program. Not only am I left with really awesome neighbors and potluck dinners, but a network that expands outside of RARE.


 


RARE Resourse Assistance for Rural EnvironmentsAbout the Author: Maia Hardy is urban thinker/lover of places [and the things that inhabit places]. She has a deep passion for social justice issues, civic engagement, and well-designed public space. She graduated from Eastern Michigan University in December 2012 with a Bachelor’s in Urban and Regional Planning with a concentration in Non-Profit Organization Management. Maia is a first year RARE AmeriCorps Program participant working for Multnomah County as an Assistant Planner.