
In September 2020, Way of the Columbia-Willamette (UWCW) launched a Wildfire Response and Recovery Fund, to help families suffering devastating loss caused by the wildfires in our region. In times of disasters, we’ve heard from our nonprofit partners on the ground that vulnerable communities, including Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities are disproportionately affected. These communities generally feel comfortable seeking support from organizations where they have trusted relationships. That is why, in crises like these, UWCW plays a role in prioritizing direct and unrestricted dollars to culturally specific organizations.
Thanks to the incredible generosity of individual, corporate and foundation donors, in addition to supporting immediate relief needs, we will also support longer term recovery needs.
Our Community Impact team reached out to our nonprofit partners on the ground to understand immediate needs and longer-term recovery support that families needed. Based on our outreach and assessment, we are in the process of releasing our first tranche of funds. Given our commitment to racial equity in our mission and work, and our longstanding partnerships with culturally-specific as well as culturally-responsive organizations, distribution of funds follows these guidelines:
- Grantees include culturally specific and culturally responsive organizations where communities of color including refugee and immigrant populations have sought assistance from trusted partners. These communities are often ineligible for federal assistance even in cases of emergency disasters.
- The funding we provide is unrestricted which means it can be used toward direct support or organizational operations.
- Funds will support the needs that our grantees have identified for families such as housing, food, healthcare products, air purifiers, transportation, childcare, clothing, laundry services and showers.
We are also learning from our nonprofit partners about longer term needs such as the need for culturally responsive emergency preparedness including translation of emergency communications and materials. Through our collaborations with government officials at the local and state level, we are identifying opportunities to help shape disaster response policies supporting BIPOC communities moving forward.
With your generous support, we have allocated $189,000 toward immediate relief efforts to the following nonprofit organizations:
Name |
Area of work |
Relief Efforts and Needs |
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Strengthening the community by bridging cultures through mutually transformative relationships.
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Providing education, physical and mental health services and substance abuse treatment to American Indians and Alaska Natives.
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Equips communities and people of faith to advance immigrant justice through direct accompaniment of immigrants facing detention and deportation, policy advocacy at local, state and national levels, and prophetic action.
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Serves the holistic needs of Oregon's immigrants, refugees and mainstream community members. As a community-based organization, IRCO empowers children, youth, families and elders from around the world to build new lives and become self-sufficient by providing more than 200 culturally and linguistically specific social services.
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Serving Clackamas County neighbors in need by providing clean laundry, showers, meals, personal care resources and community connections.
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Micronesian Islander Community
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Mission: To organize social justice programs, preserve our cultures, and enhance leadership through unifying our diverse communities.
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Native American Rehabilitation Association of the Northwest, Inc.(NARA) |
Mission: To provide education, physical and mental health services and substance abuse treatment that is culturally appropriate to American Indians, Alaska Natives and anyone in need.
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Oregon Food Bank | Works to eliminate hunger and its root causes. Serves all of Oregon and SW Washington. |
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Empowering low wage farm workers by protecting the rights via Oregon’s Farmworker Union. PCUN focuses on creating safer workplaces, advocating for fair wages, and pushing for enough economic security to care for Latinx farm worker families.
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Led by people of color, immigrants and refugees, rural communities, and people experiencing poverty, Unite Oregon works across Oregon to build a unified intercultural movement for justice. |
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March 2021 Update: Supporting longer-term community needs with the second round of grantees
Additionally, we allocated $203,000 in a second tranche toward longer-term relief efforts, expanding our scope to include community-based organizations around the state that are supporting the Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) communities during the wildfires and continued recovery. This second round of funding also includes our first grantee who is focused on providing trauma-informed support and training for organizations:
Name |
Area of work |
Relief Efforts and Needs |
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Provides safe, nurturing, and fun experiences in a welcoming environment that inspires individual growth and enduring Jewish identity, including youth-centered summer camps and year-round programs for all ages. |
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Area of Work: Assure that essential, life-saving services and support are accessible to the most throughout Oregon. |
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Clackamas Service Center | An inclusive "one-stop" community center for individuals and families seeking food relief and resources for improved health, dignity, and stability. |
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Area of Work: Dedicated to gathering and sharing stories of the Latinx communities of Southern Oregon, utilizing the power of stories to heal, connect, enrich, and mobilize communities for good. |
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Empowering youth and their families to be successful at school, home and in their communities. |
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Strives to empower and enrich the lives of Farm Workers and Immigrants through education, cultural presentations, advocacy, representation in issues that affect their lives and organizing to defend immigrant rights. |
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Fires Igniting the Spirit | A culturally-specific drug and alcohol recovery program for Indigenous people that has expanded to meet essential needs and services. |
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Culturally Responsive Training/Support:
In addition to funding community-based organizations that were providing direct service to people affected by the wildfires, we heard from our community partners about the need for culturally-responsive training and support for their staff to manage disaster response. Below is our first wildfire grantee to support that work:
Pacific University - Sabiduria Program | A true collaboration between academia and the community in bringing bilingual and culturally-informed mental and emotional health and wellness to the community through education, awareness, support, service and treatment. |
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At United Way, we are committed to helping our community recover, become more resilient, while building a more inclusive and equitable region where all families have the resources and opportunities to thrive.