On September 8, 2020 – six months into the world-changing COVID-19 global pandemic – the Almeda and South Obenchain Wildfires devastated communities in Jackson County, Oregon, destroying more than 2,600 homes and leaving thousands of people houseless. The biggest impact was on the cities of Phoenix and Talent, where the Almeda Fire swept through, forcing people to abandon their homes and livelihoods.
Parents who were at work were uncertain of the location and safety of their children, and those in their homes stared directly into the fire as they fled on roads gridlocked with their neighbors, trying desperately to escape the flames. Even before the fire was fully extinguished, the community acted. Evacuation centers were opened, and emergency services (emergency shelter, food, water, and spiritual care) were provided by the American Red Cross, Salvation Army, local businesses, churches, and non-profit agencies.
As the community faced this disaster previously unseen in scale, new agencies formed to support the existing efforts, fill identified service gaps, and begin the work of rebuilding the lost communities, houses, and lives. The Jackson County Community Long-Term Recovery Group (JCC LTRG) was organized in the wake of these fires.
The JCC LTRG secures and unites recovery resources with the community need in order to ensure that even the most vulnerable Survivors in the community recover from the disaster. While we cannot undo the disaster families and individuals have experienced, we desire to help them establish a new “normal” for their life. We serve Survivors regardless of age, race, creed, color, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability or religious preference.
Disaster begins and ends locally – and so does a community’s long-term recovery. The disaster cycle includes three core phases: Mitigation, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery. Long-term recovery is the process of rebuilding a community after a disaster and can last anywhere from 3-10 years, depending on the scope and scale. When a federally declared disaster strikes, a Long-Term Recovery Group convenes community-based organizations (CBOs), government entities, faith-based groups, developers, business owners, and other organizations working with disaster survivors to support coordinated recovery and rebuilding efforts.
The Jackson County Community Long-Term Recovery Group (JCC LTRG) applies the Collective Impact Model to its work—understanding that no single policy, government entity, or organization can tackle or resolve deeply entrenched social problems alone.
