Tag: Resource Assistance for Rural Environments (RARE)

MEET OUR RARE AMERICORPS MEMBER: Julia Reynolds

Posted on by Julia Havens

Julia Reynolds RARE AmeriCorps Resource Assistance for Rural EnvironmentsMeet Julia Reynolds

Julia received her Bachelor of Arts in International Studies and Geography from the University of Iowa. After attaining her Bachelor’s degree, Julia worked for Kusamala Institute of Agriculture and Ecology in Malawi as the Community Mapping Coordinator, where she developed and ran community mapping workshops and trained Kusamala employees as community mapping facilitators. Now with the RARE AmeriCorps Program, Julia hopes to develop her leadership skills and learn how to motivate others for change through first-hand experience. Though she isn’t certain about what she wants to do after her year with RARE, Julia would like to obtain a Master’s degree in either Geography or Community Planning and work with others in the arena of food and environment.

About Oregon Food Bank

Oregon Food Bank’s (OFB) mission is to eliminate hunger and its root causes. Formed in 1982 as Oregon Food Share, the organization merged in 1988 with Interagency Food  Bank to become Oregon Food Bank, a nonprofit, charitable organization that serves as the hub of the OFB Network, a statewide network of 20 Regional Food Banks (RFBs) – four are OFB branches – and over 900 agencies and programs serving Oregon and Clark County, WA.

Julia is placed with Oregon Food Bank where she will conduct a comprehensive inventory of regional food systems and resources in Clackamas County. She will examine
local food self-sufficiency including local retail, livable wage farming, and local farmers markets. Julia will work to form partnerships with the local farming and  agricultural community as a means to increase involvement, and to increase the ability to produce and market locally grown products.

Meet our RARE AmeriCorps Member: Emesha Jackson

Posted on by Julia Havens

Emesha Jackson RARE AmeriCorps Resource Assistance for Rural EnvironmentsAbout Emesha Jackson

Emesha received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Management with a minor in Psychology from Monmouth University. Emesha worked as a Rehab Aide at Meridian Health Outpatient Rehabilitation before joining the Peace Corps to work as a Community Economic Development Facilitator in Costa Rica. Working in rural Costa Rica has given Emesha a perspective on small town life that will greatly impact her service with RARE, where she hopes that through the RARE AmeriCorps Program she will be able to leave a contribution comparable to the one she made in the Peace Corps.

About City of Reedsport

Incorporated in 1919 near the confluence of three rivers – the Umpqua, the Smith, and the Scholfield, the City of Reedsport is located on the beautiful Oregon Coast on Highways 101 and 38 on the banks of the Umpqua River – the largest river between the  Sacramento and the Columbia. Located in the heart of the Oregon Dunes National Recreational Area, Reedsport is in close proximity to over 17 freshwater lakes and is just four miles from Winchester Bay and the Pacific Ocean.

Emesha is placed with the City of Reedsport, where she will coordinate and manage various components of the Reedsport Main Street Program. Emesha will be involved in all aspects of the project including daily administration and management of the Main Street Program, long-range planning, stakeholder and committee engagement, and various special projects. She will also provide staff support with marketing and communications, event coordination and technical assistance.