A Community-Led Disaster, Recovery & Resilience Gathering
Sunriver, Oregon
We welcomed 171 nonprofits, public agencies, tribes, collaboratives, funders and more over three resource-filled and relationship-fueled days.
Together, we shared insights and experiences relating to over two dozen interconnected topics ranging from community land trusts to federal resources to childcare – and so much more. We also had opportunities to strengthen networks (quite literally exchanging contact information as the start of an awesome statewide phone tree…), shared challenges, and worked through solutions.
Several measures were taken to keep the event accessible and inclusive.
“The most profound aspect of the conference was being in the same room with so many people who have been on this wildfire recovery journey for the past several years. The folks in attendance were such a clear cross-sector representation of resilience work – food systems, Tribal and Indigenous land management, disaster philanthropy, policy and legislation, community wildfire protection, mental health and wellbeing. These are all important and interrelated aspects of resilience work, but this is truly the first time I have seen folks from all these areas of work brought together in one place. The panels were excellent but as usual it was the productive side conversations and spontaneous networking where the magic really happened.
[What set this conference apart was]…this conference lifted up the stories of grassroots organizations and networks that have been “boots on the ground” since day one (or before day one).”
At the Summit we will strengthen our collective understanding of disaster relief, recovery, and resiliency, enhancing our preparedness for future disasters and identifying gaps in crucial disaster supports.
The first half of our conference is dedicated to “Reflections,” serving as a collective debrief of the disasters and recovery efforts from the past few years, beginning with the 2020 Labor Day fires. Amidst the exchange of insights, stories, and more, we will reflect on lessons learned, celebrate success, and identify areas of improvement in our response and recovery. These reflections are not only a place for learning and networking but for healing and processing individual experiences, with workshops centering healing, and expert knowledge on mental health in response to recovery work and experiencing disaster. These sessions will provide inspiration and connection to one another – our state’s greatest resources. With “Conversation Starters,” new partnerships and practical tools – we can take this back to our individual communities with and access to experts, we can all take these relationships and information back into our communities with the goal of healing and fostering resilience.
In the second half of the conference, we will shift our focus to “Horizons,” charting the path to building resilience for the future. As we explore current models and share real-world applications we will learn from the experts while connecting to practical, tangible resources to bring back to the communities we serve. We envision a future where Oregon communities can better mitigate, recover, and emerge from disaster. We cannot avoid disaster, but we can fortify and foster a united front – starting with connecting to one another.
Hosted by five core organizations with unique perspectives on disaster recovery and resilience and supported by dozens of partners across the state.
An oft told adage is “disasters start and end locally.” This continues to prove true and place-based nonprofits are so often the “first ones in, and last ones out” when it comes to disasters. The Summit will focus primarily on these nonprofit and community-based organizations (CBOs) — the frontliners and experts who serve their communities in the hours, days, and years after a disaster strikes. We note this with the knowledge that effective disaster response, recovery and prevention requires coordination across all sectors, and we very much look forward to welcoming public sector agencies, philanthropic organizations, community residents, regional and national groups, and many other allies and friends. We can all continue to learn so much from one another as we work towards a more resilient Oregon.
The Sunriver Resort is located southwest of Bend, Oregon, near the base of the Cascade Mountain range. Situated along the Deschutes River and the Deschutes Forest, it offers extraordinary vistas, opportunities for adventure and relaxing spots to convene with Nature.
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