On September 8, 2020 the Almeda fire swept through the Southern Oregon towns of Ashland, Talent, Phoenix and South Medford – destroying more than 2,300 homes and displacing an estimated 42,000 people.The hardest hit were the Latinx families – long time members of the Rogue Valley community. Most of these families did not have insurance and their savings burned up along with their homes.
The Southern Oregon Pachamama Alliance (SOPA) core team learned shortly after the fire of a local organization, LTSST Housing, which was stepping up to partner with those displaced by the fire. Structured around two areas – Housing Solidarity and Financial Solidarity – the Longer-Term Secure Short-Term (LTSST) Housing Team is a grassroots group of Rogue Valley community members devoted to bridging the disparate branches of our community, fostering lasting relationships, and bringing equity to the forefront of the relief and recovery process. They were catalyzed into action by the Almeda Fire and the fact that this fire most immediately impacted members of our community who are already bearing the inordinate burdens of inequity in our valley, our society and our world.
For the past 15 months, the all-volunteer LTSST housing team has provided safe, Spanish-speaking, culturally sensitive, trauma-informed, anti-racist and equity centered allyship for LatinX and Indigenous Immigrant Fire Displaced families. They have provided direct support in the form of housing, furnishings, cash, transportation, translation, advocacy, support in addressing medical and legal issues, empowerment skills, assistance in completing required documentation and tasks, liaison work with community based organizations and the state as well as individual community members and groups, hands-on support with hauling, building, cleaning and repair projects, as well as emotional and relational support.
They have also served as cultural and socio-economic bridge-builders between working class LatinX members of the Rogue Valley community and the affluent, owning class predominantly white members of the same community – fostering reciprocity and connection.
Through respectful cultivation of “a relational web of community support,” LTSST outlined a path for providing housing and financial solidarity. Partners help by providing short- or long-term housing or several methods of financial assistance, what LTSST calls “solidarity gifting.” Throughout the process, mutual respect and open channels of communication support seeing through an “equity lens” while having “implicit bias awareness.”
For more than a year SOPA’s core team has partnered with a family of 6 to ensure they were able to stay in the community after the Almeda fire. Happily, our partner family has just settled into long-term secure housing. Now we are calling out to the SOPA community to help us celebrate with our partner family for the holidays.
Team members will be delivering a basket of holiday goodies and we are hoping to include gift cards so that the family can purchase new shoes and coats by Christmas. If you would like to contribute to the holiday surprise you may:
- Buy a VISA gift card or a card from one of the family’s favorite stores (Marshalls, Ross, Burlington’s or TJ Maxx). Several of these cards are available at RiteAid, Albertson’s and Safeway stores
- Or, donate cash or a check (made out to Lorraine Cook)
Please call Lorraine, (541) 292-6305 to make arrangements for delivery or pick up of your donation. Donations are due by Tuesday, Dec. 21.
The recovery process is a long and ongoing road. Many families in our valley are still without long-term housing solutions. A strong web of reciprocal community support is what is needed for resiliency!
If you or your organization would prefer to partner with another family affected by the Almeda fire, visit the LTSST Housing website to learn more, or just to make a donation. You can also reach out to ltssth******@**ail.com. It truly takes a community village and you are all greatly appreciated!