Are you interested in joining ROP’s volunteer strategic communications cohort? We will connect you with mentorship in strategic communications and a cohort of peers from across the state! Teams focused on radio, newspaper, and social media will create content in English and Spanish. Email emma@rop.org to get involved in our new Rural Roots Rising Communications Cohort!
Dear ROPnet,
Everyone should have access to shelter, clean water, clean air, and healthy food. With a warming climate, wildfires are blazing through Oregon, affecting areas in nearly every part of the state, including Burns, Bend, John Day, and Oregon City. At the same time, many factors like federal disinvestment in housing have left a growing housing crisis nationwide. An example is the 463,368 units of publicly subsidized housing which have been depleted since the 1960s, according to a fact sheet from The Poor People’s Campaign.
This summer we’ve seen a worrying trend in rural-oriented media. Letters to the editor and locally written articles have pushed a dangerous narrative: that houseless people are to blame for the fires that are endangering our communities. This narrative creates a surface-level illusion, avoiding the roots of the issues and scapegoating the most vulnerable in our communities. Many start fires out of necessity to stay warm, prepare food, and survive. If all people had access to housing, they would be safer from the looming impacts of fires and smoke.
So what can we do about this? We can take action to accurately depict what’s happening! To get at the heart of the intersection between environmental and economic issues affecting rural Oregonians, we need alternative perspectives to be voiced in the press, in public meetings, and beyond. We can reshape the narrative by writing letters to the editor, meeting with your local reporter(s), and otherwise uplifting the experiences of unhoused people. We can prioritize bringing people together over dividing and scapegoating our neighbors.
Have your voice heard! Join an OEM Community Partners Coordination Call
Have you been affected by the latest wave of wildfires? The Oregon Department of Emergency Management (OEM) department is looking for feedback from rural Oregonians to help understand the effects of the fires. They are hosting Community Partners Coordination Calls once a month for an hour.
Here are the goals of the calls:
- Map out existing mass care, emergency assistance, and recovery
- Identify concerns, needs, and emerging issues
- Assist the agencies and organizations in responding to needs
- Share information and resources
- Solicit feedback from community members about needed public messaging, rumors/misinformation, and the effectiveness of current public information
- Help OEM make informed and equitable decisions about the distribution of resources and assistance to localities and individuals
All voices, identities, and lived experiences are relevant, welcome, and wanted, with priority given to those who identify as Black, Indigenous and People of Color, 2SLGBTQ+, Disabled, Alter-Abled, and those with Access and Functional Needs, Older Adults, and others who experience systemic marginalization. No emergency management expertise is required. ASL and Real Time Captioning are provided. The next call will be Wednesday, October 2nd from 12 – 1pm and will continue on the first Wednesday of every month from 12-1pm. Please message natasha.fox@oem.oregon.gov with any questions or accessibility requests, and to be added to the call.
Warmly,
Charlie, Sidra, and the ROP Team
Who’s Charlie? Check out our intro about our super volunteer, Charlie, and another ROPnet she wrote here!
P.S. You can refer to the tabs at the top of the Oregon Wildfire Portfolio for the latest information on air quality, evacuations, and current fires.
