2022 Annual Report

Building Safe & Welcoming Communities

Human dignity groups from Crook to Curry Counties have defended their libraries and schools from attacks on curriculum and attempts to ban books. Redmond Collective Action hosted Let Freedom Read to share free books, food, and crafts while raising funds for the local library. Crook County leaders and groups like PFLAG Central Oregon defended student access to the county library and state-required history and health lessons in schools after both came under attack. Leaders coordinated with their neighbors to gather 157 petition signatures, write letters, and speak before the school board.

Human dignity leaders in Baker County defeated a resolution that would have committed the county to pay $2,500 to join the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association, a fringe organization that encourages law enforcement to choose which federal laws they follow. Baker County leaders spoke to the County Commissioners, testified in meetings, and wrote letters to the editor. The resolution was never brought to a vote.

Local Action, Statewide Impact

More than 40 rural communities took public action for reproductive freedom after Roe vs. Wade was overturned. From Enterprise to Port Orford, new community leaders emerged to lead marches and speak at demonstrations for healthcare, calling attention to the dire need for services here in rural Oregon.

More than 80 Linn and Benton County community members converged for Protecting Democracy: Civics Circuit Training led by the Linn Benton NAACP. Together the community learned more about the core elements of a healthy democracy including local election security, maintaining civil rights, and the roles of elected officials from local experts such as the Oregon Department of Justice and election officers.

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Winning Statewide Victories

Human dignity groups established rural Oregon’s priorities by meeting with and keeping the pressure on Oregon legislators. This year the Oregon Legislature passed several of our priorities, including expanded funding for child care, broadband internet, farmworker overtime, legal representation for immigrants, and much more.

Before the election, groups in every county had neighbor-to-neighbor conversations in English and Spanish about the issues on the ballot using the STAND Election Guide. More than 50 human dignity groups knocked on thousands of doors, made calls, and organized candidate forums and ballot parties.

On June 25th, more than 120 rural Oregonians convened in Redmond for the 31st annual Rural Caucus & Strategy Session, the day after the Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade. Together we reflected on the last three years of community building during COVID, built organizing skills, and planned for the year ahead.

We celebrated the work of Human Dignity Award winners: Pendleton Community Action Coalition, Central Oregon Peacekeepers, Indigenous Helpers, Redmond Collective Action, and the Truth to Power Club of Ashland High School. Redmond Collective Action led a reproductive justice demonstration for affordable and accessible healthcare in rural Oregon. The next day, the Rural Organizing Intensive trained more than 50 rural leaders in community organizing and safety and security strategies.

BAKER

• Baker Community Justice Project

BENTON

• Coast Range Association
• Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism
• Disability Equity Center
• Linn-Benton Greens
• Linn-Benton NAACP
• Linn-Benton Rapid Response Team
• Mid-Valley Health Care Advocates
• Mid-Valley Solidarity Coalition
• Race Matters, First Congregational UCC
• Stop the Sweeps
• Street Outreach Response Team
• Veterans For Peace, Linus Pauling Chapter 132

CLACKAMAS

• Bridging Cultures

CLATSOP

• Columbia Pacific Alliance for Social Justice
• Indivisible North Coast Oregon

COLUMBIA

• Columbia County Coalition for Human Dignity
• Vernonia Equality & Racial Justice

COOS

• Human Rights Advocates of Coos County

CROOK

• Central Oregon Peacekeepers
• Latino Community Association
• PFLAG Central Oregon

CURRY

• Indivisible North Curry County

DESCHUTES

• Bend 4 Black Lives Matter
• Bend Equity Project
• Bend Indivisible
• Central Oregon Peacekeepers
• High Desert Peace Kitchen
• Indivisible Sisters
• KPOV 88.9 FM High Desert Community Radio
• Latino Community Association
• Peace and Social Justice Team of First Presbyterian Church
• PFLAG Central Oregon
• Redmond Collective Action

DOUGLAS

• Support for Asylum-Seekers and Immigrants

GILLIAM

• NORCOR Community Resource Coalition
• Rural Voices

GRANT

• Grant County Positive Action

HARNEY

• Rural Alliance for Diversity

HOOD RIVER

• Columbia Gorge Women’s Action Network
• Gorge ICE Resistance
• Hood River Latino Network
• Hood River County Rapid Response Team
• NORCOR Community Resource Coalition

JACKSON

• Peace House
• Truth to Power

JEFFERSON

• High Desert Peace Kitchen
• Jefferson Positive Action Group
• Latino Community Association

JOSEPHINE

• Unitarian Universalists of Grants Pass Social Action Team

LAKE

• Indivisible Lake County

LANE

• Blackberry Pie Society
• Church Women United
• Community Alliance of Lane County
• Deadwood Resists
• Florence Indivisible
• Florence ORganizes
• KSOW 106.7 FM Real Rural Radio
• Springfield-Eugene Showing Up For Racial Justice
• Support for Asylum-Seekers and Immigrants

LINCOLN

• Acompañar
• Coastal Network
• PFLAG of the Oregon Central Coast

LINN

• Albany Peace Seekers
• Linn-Benton Greens
• Linn-Benton NAACP
• Linn Benton Rapid Response Team
• Mid-Valley Solidarity Coalition

MARION

• Silverton Progressives

MORROW

• Oregon Rural Action
• Rural Voices

POLK

• Polk Folks for Human Dignity
• Unidos Club at WOU

SHERMAN

• Rural Voices

TILLAMOOK

• Racial & Social Equity Tillamook
• Tillamook Democracy Project

UMATILLA

• Oregon Rural Action
• Pendleton Community Action Coalition

UNION

• Oregon Rural Action

WALLOWA

• Safe Harbors

WASCO

• Gorge ICE Resistance
• NORCOR Community Resource Coalition
• Protect Oregon’s Progress / The Dalles
• Wasco County Rapid Response Team

WASHINGTON

• Adelante Mujeres
• Western WashCo For Racial Justice

WHEELER

• Rural Voices

YAMHILL

• Progressive Yamhill
• Unidos Bridging Community