Resilience

The climate crisis is not a distant threat—it is here and now experienced by our communities across Oregon. More extreme weather, longer and more destructive wildfire seasons, and worsening environmental conditions are disrupting the lives of everyday Oregonians. These impacts fall disproportionately on Black, Indigenous, immigrant and refugee, rural, and low-income communities who contribute the least to the crisis yet face its greatest consequences. We must hold corporations and our government accountable for the crisis at hand.

At Unite Oregon, we believe resilience is about more than responding to disasters after they happen. It means investing in long-term, community-led solutions that address the root causes of the climate crisis while strengthening our ability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from climate emergencies.

We know lasting solutions cannot be imposed from the top down—they must be built by the communities most impacted. Resilience means creating systems rooted in collective care, where neighbors support one another, communities have the resources they need, and everyone has the opportunity to thrive in a healthier, more sustainable Oregon.

Our work includes:

• Hosting culturally responsive wildfire preparedness trainings

• Supporting forest workers and their families, advancing protections for those most impacted by wildfire

• Facilitating community conversations on climate resilience and environmental justice

• Developing a community-created resilience handbook that reflects the experiences, knowledge, and needs of Oregon's diverse communities

• Skilling up members to cultivate their own produce at our community gardens, through sharing our cultures and experiences of migration through food to address food insecurity now and into the future.