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R3V Facilitator Update Week 44

My focus since our last update has been to build our connections and insights into the question of attainable housing and support trust and community building. 

Housing Working Group 

  • Talked with 
    • Derek Sherrell, Talent planning commissioner, about promoting ADU development
    • Margaret Van Vliet of Trillium Advisors about attainable housing.
    • Joe Vollmar and Carrie Bogen of ACCESS about housing navigation and intake processes
    • Hosted reports on the work of CASA and Housing Authority of Jackson County and a panel discussion on policy changes that might support the development of more attainable housing in Southern Oregon. Recording available here.
  • Represented R3V at the Gateway project ribbon cutting ceremony.
  • Supporting LTRG Housing and Construction subcommittee as it seeks new leadership

Community Rebuilding Working Group

  • Ongoing project work outlined and clarified between LTRG and R3V here
  • Supporting JCC LTRG monthly newsletter production and distribution
  • Facilitated an Adult Spanish Literacy lessons community discussion in partnership with Listo, OnTrack, JCLS, and Lilia Caballero
  • Supported Zone Captains with training development
  • Working to facilitate conversations around intake and accessibility with ACCESS and Latino/a/x community leaders.
  • Talked with Jonathan Chavez-Baez on a variety of community rebuilding collaboration opportunities.

Backbone Organization for Collective Impact

  • R3V Dashboard published for transparency and continuous communication.
  • Steering committee will convene an ad hoc planning team to envision our next 6-12 months to inform how we will us the $70,000 grant for 2022 from OCF “to facilitate and coordinate collaboration across organizations involved in fire recovery in the interest of community transformation towards our values of efficiency, equity, and inclusion.“
  • Next Collective Impact meeting will be on 11/17 Agenda:
    • Economic Recovery update and next steps
    • Panelists from SOREDI, Ashland Food Coop, SBDC, RWP, BBSI, TURA, Zone Captains, Rotary – Guy Tauer, Rogue Community Health re hiring challenges?

As ever, please invite anyone in our community who you think should be included in our conversations. Here’s a list of all our upcoming events.

Please reach out,

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Local Innovation Works Updates and Invitations

Hi, I hope you are well.  

Just an invitation or two and a quick update. 

Invitations 

Our commitment to supporting innovation in our community continues with a discussion on how citizens can better collaborate with each other and city government with Ashland Mayor Julie Akins and Interim City Manager Gary Milliman.  This program on community driven leadership is a collaboration with our friends at Southern Oregon Climate Action Now.   We will meet virtually on Sunday evening, November 14th at 5pm.  Register for the Zoom meeting here (link expired).

We have also been supporting the work of Reimagine and Rebuild Rogue Valley (R3V) as they seek to turn tragedy into transformation.  We work to facilitate community conversations and projects around attainably priced housing supply and community rebuilding to build trust, inclusion, equity, and efficiency across sectors.  Soon, we’ll add conversations around resilient public infrastructure and rebuilding our economy.  Our meetings are open to all, find upcoming events here.  Add them to your calendar or email me and I will add you to the invite lists for future meetings. 

Updates

Here’s a nice video piece by the Mail Tribune (no longer available) on some of our work in the community.  Zone captains is a partnership with founding organization, Remake Talent, and Rogue Workforce Partnership who helps fund the Zone Captain’s work.  Zone Captains (Español) are hiring part and full time positions  if you know anyone who is a community weaver in Talent or Phoenix. 

Of course, we are also continuing our work bridging SOU students into leadership development and community service opportunities via our Local Innovation Lab partnership with Southern Oregon University.  We’re also elated to partner with the university in offering a Values-based Leadership micro credential to community members and full-time students.

I’d love to learn more about your vision for local innovation and resilience. 

Have a lovely week,

Stephen Bárczay Sloan​

c/t (541) 414.9506
Find a time on my calendar

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R3V Facilitator Update Week 42

It was another rewarding few weeks at R3V. 

We have chosen to move our updates to align with our Steering Committee meetings, so this report covers three weeks, 39-41 and is issued in Week 42.

My focus since our last update has been to engage a broader set of community members in the working group projects we’re currently working. 

Housing Working Group 

  • Talked with 
    • Tom Kemper re land availability and attainable housing friendly development policies
    • Kristen Maze re ADU promotion, connecting us with a member of their planning commission committed to promoting ADU development
    • Jason Elzy, set up attainability conversation for 10/20 
    • EJ McManus of Lithia motors re attainable housing shortage, impacts on employers, and ways to build more locally.
  • Land availability outreach started with Ag employers and faith-based organizations.
  • Toured the Gateway project with Jon Lagarza and Peoples’ Bank

Community Rebuilding Working Group

  • Ongoing project work outlined and clarified between LTRG and R3V here
  • Supporting JCC LTRG monthly newsletter production and distribution
  • Facilitated an Adult Spanish Literacy lessons community discussion in partnership with Listo, OnTrack, and Lilia C. (Carmen) Caballero
  • Supported Zone Captains request about an ongoing water quality issue at Whispering Pines mobile home park.
  • Supported ZC with request for data on live interpretation for City of Phoenix city council meetings.
  • Designed training plans for Zone Captains
  • Opportunity for Latino/a/x leaders to join OCF’s Latin Partnership Program Conexiones summit November 1 & 2, 2021 details here

Backbone Organization for Collective Impact

  • R3V Dashboard published for transparency and continuous communication.
  • Additional $70,000 grant for 2022 from OCF for R3V continued efforts to “to facilitate and coordinate collaboration across organizations involved in fire recovery in the interest of community transformation towards our values of efficiency, equity, and inclusion.“
  • Conversation with Peter Buckley on Collective Impact organization best practices.
  • Exploratory conversations on Economy working group with Marta Tarantsey of Business Oregon and Terrill Roper of SOREDI
  • Rescheduled 10/20 CI meeting to 10/27. Agenda:
    • Greenway project updates and future opportunities update by Jim Pearman, FEMA
    • Attainable housing panel discussion – Jason Elzy, Carrie Borgen, EJ McManus (Lithia Motors), Harry Weiss (MURA).

As ever, please invite anyone in our community who you think should be included in our conversations.

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Adult Spanish Literacy Program

Goal of the project

To create an accessible program to support Spanish-speaking adults with basic Spanish literacy instruction leading towards greater empowerment and a GED certificate via the existing INEA program offered by the Mexican government to support adults earning their Primeria and Secondaria diplomas.

The challenge

Existing programs at LISTO and OnTrack can meet only small portions of the need in the community. A program that adds significantly to both the variety of community members who can be served and the length of time they can participate in the program is warranted to meet the existing need.

Participants

  • Rachelle Schaaf, SO Head Start
  • Patty Gutierrez, LISTO
  • Eddie Wallace, OnTrack
  • Jocksana Corona, OnTrack
  • Josh Guerrero, OnTrack
  • Ailym Pinero Requena, RCC and LISTO
  • Lilia Caballero, LINC and Medford Police, sponsor
  • Stephen Sloan, R3V, facilitator

Open questions

  • Who can hold the program for the community at large across the coming years? The Jackson County Library System is a strong possibility for leading this work.
  • Where might we find funding for the expanded program?
  • How can labor be divided and capacity shared across organizations to integrate with INEA?
  • Who could be trained to support students? Might volunteers be able to help?
  • Where could students and teachers meet?
  • How might students be supported with any technology required?

R3V’s role

Facilitation of community conversations and collaborative project work leading to an expanded Adult Spanish Literacy program.

R3V working group supporting the work

Community Rebuilding Working Group

Opportunities to Participate

The project team meets as needed, our next meeting is planned for October 21. Contact us to learn more.