Wow. We couldn’t have anticipated all that 2020 would ask of us, but we are incredibly proud of the way thousands of rural people across Oregon took action even when facing threats, violence, and the health risks that come with working together to take care of our most vulnerable community members in the midst of the pandemic.
We’re grateful for all you’ve done to strengthen and build the power of rural communities.
By now we hope you’ve received our 2020 Annual Report in the mail and have had a minute to reflect on the year almost behind us. The ROP network showed up in this challenging, almost dystopian year as always: by building community during a pandemic, breaking rural isolation through new, virtual connections, growing the movement for Black lives, ending the last jail contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Oregon, and defending democracy.
Our network of autonomous human dignity groups grew by 26 in 2020 and there are now 83 groups who contributed to building community power and organizing for democracy across Oregon! We have so much to do together, as reflected in the Roadmap to a Thriving Rural Oregon we are building. In virtual and one-on-one conversations, in small, socially-distant gatherings, via text and email, and over radio airwaves, hundreds of us have added to a “roadmap” of issues that will guide our movement-building in the years to come. We invite you to add your ideas via this quick survey as we continue to identify what it will take for everyone in our communities not just to survive, but to thrive.
This month, you can also make a financial contribution that could double our resources to support the ROP network and realize the ambitions of the Roadmap To a Thriving Rural Oregon we’re creating together. New and increased contributions to ROP are being matched 1:1 up to $25,000 by a generous gift from the Collins Foundation. A $100 contribution grows to $200 in December!
With gratitude for ALL you do as part of our rural movement to thrive,
Jess and ROP Team
