Wild Rivers Connect Joins the Community Website Partnership

/in , , /by

Wild Rivers Connect Joins the Community Website Partnership

From the beginning, Wild Rivers Connect (WRC) was a community driven concept, with its website (and Facebook page) the result of many months of surveys, focus groups and community outreach. This was the communication hub that so many organizations had identified as the highest need for themselves: the need to communicate with others, to learn, to share and to network, which WRC had hoped to provide through its social media and face to face networking gatherings.

Since 2013, when the WRC website was first launched, other communities have recognized the need for communication hubs in their communities. And even better, the concept of a network or networks of community communication hubs has recently evolved, creating hubs that utilize or build on many of the concepts first established by the WRC website.

The Community Website Partnership (CWP), supported by the Ford Family Foundation, is one such network. Indeed one of the principals of the former Human Systems organization, Mary Ward, who was instrumental in the formation of WRC, is also the force responsible for the launch of the CWP. CWP works to create inclusive, comprehensive, accessible, and sustainable community-owned websites for engaging residents, businesses, and/or nonprofits to promote community awareness, connectedness, and community building.

CWP unites nine different community websites in Oregon and Northern California and provides these groups opportunities for collaboration, a website template, back-end support for their websites, and training opportunities. These websites include: JeffCo Connects, Rural Klamath Connects, Applegate Valley Connect, Illinois Valley Web, RiverCal, McKenzie Community, Southern Oregon Coast Connects, Bandon Cares and now, Wild Rivers Connect. Like WRC, the websites offer tools for their community organizations: a directory, a calendar of events, a way to share news about what is going on in their communities, a volunteer matching tool, press release tools, and more.

WRC joined forces with the CWP both as an opportunity to upgrade their website to a more modern and useful one, but more importantly to receive support and training and to connect with other rural organizations with similar missions to our own. This opportunity comes with an updated WRC website that has a few new functions. Organizations can still use the site to create a listing in the directory (or claim an existing one in some cases), post events to the community calendar, and even submit a press release. But now they can also submit stories about their organization to be published on the website, or find volunteers for their organization or a special project using the new “volunteer listings” page.

Claim Your Organization’s Directory Listing or Create a New Listing

As part of the updated website, WRC has a new, more streamlined directory. The listings from the old website were transferred to the new one; however, ownership of those listings – as well as images – now need to be updated. This means that we need YOU to claim the directory listing for your organization, and once you’ve done that (and after we’ve confirmed your claim), to log in to your listing and add some pictures!

Claiming your listing (or creating a new one for your group if one doesn’t already exist) gives your organization the ability to edit and update the listing so it best represents your current group and mission. Having a listing in the WRC website is completely free, and can help you get the word out about your organization. For some organizations – those who don’t already have their own website – it is even a way to have a presence on the web.

Wondering how to claim you listing? Follow the steps below, and don’t hesitate to reach out for support if needed:

  • Click on this link to the WRC Directory.
  • Use the search bar to search for your organization.
  • Click on your organization’s listing.
  • Click on the yellow button near the bottom of the listing that reads “claim this listing.”
  • Follow the prompts to claim your listing.

This will send your listing claim request to our team to approve your claim. Once you have ownership of the listing, you will be able to update content and upload photos. (Note: it may take us a few days to confirm your claim before you can begin updating it, but if you’re concerned that we haven’t received your claim request, please feel free to email us at wildriversconnect@gmail.com to double check.)

Wondering what to do if your group doesn’t have a listing? Visit this link to add a new listing. 

New Feature: A Focus on Volunteers

One of the highlights of the new website is its volunteer matching tool. Organizations seeking volunteers, whether for an event or for a longer term volunteer position in their organization, can post a listing. This listing includes basic information about the organization and about the volunteer position, as well as a contact person.

So please, start posting your listings, and recommend the page to those who are looking to get involved in the community. When our team here at WRC sees a listing on the site, we will also share it to our Facebook page to help increase visibility.

To add a volunteer listing for your organization, visit this link (select “volunteer” before clicking the “next step” button!)

New Feature: Submit Your Organization’s News and Stories to the Website

Want to share news and stories with the community on the Wild Rivers Connect site? Now you can! Simply click on submit your stories and enter your story into the email form provided. Our team at WRC will review your submission, make any needed grammatical adjustments, and reach out to you for more information if needed. Once we have approved the post, it will appear on the WRC site and you will be able to share it from there to social media or via email. We look forward to reading you stories, so please, send them our way!

Conclusion

The team at WRC and the CWP are excited to share this updated site and new tools with your organization. We encourage you to take this opportunity to claim and update your directory listing, submit a news story or press release, post a volunteer opportunity or community event, or read about what’s happening in the community. Please don’t hesitate to contact us with questions.

 

Tsunami and Nonprofit Response: The Takeaways

/in /by

An engaged crowd attended the March Wild Rivers Connect luncheon with guest speakers Althea Rizzo from the Oregon State Office of Emergency Management, Jeremy Dumire of Curry County Emergence Services, and Ryan Sandler of NOAA. The topic covered was how nonprofits can be part of the response in the event of a tsunami or other natural disaster.

Here are the takeaways:

Address Community Issues Before the Disaster

A crucial part of disaster/tsunami preparedness is to get our communities in good shape before a disaster strikes. This allows communities to be far more resilient after a disaster. For example, if food insecurity exists in our communities, we need to address it now so that it will be less of an issue after a disaster.

Prepare Yourself: Get CERT Trained

Become aware of what you can do now to be ready. Every person that is prepared is one less person that will need help when a disaster strikes. Get CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) trained. There are upcoming opportunities for CERT training. We will share them with you via our WRC site and Facebook page once the information is available.

Prepare Others

As a nonprofit leader, talk to people you work with in the community to make sure they are educated about what to do in the event of a tsunami or disaster. This means knowing the difference between a close and distant tsunami. The worst case scenario for a distant tsunami is a 30 ft wave. That is the best case scenario for a Cascadia event local tsunami. We also need to convey this message to those who are new to town and to visitors.

Visit these sites for valuable tsunami preparedness resources:

https://tsunami.gov/

Find out from the U.S. Tsunami Warning Center if there are any warnings, advisories, watches or threats.

http://nvs.nanoos.org/TsunamiEvac

Look up any address in Oregon to find out if it is located in the tsunami inundation zone.

http://www.tsunamisafe.info

Resources for businesses and the hospitality industry to plan their response do a disaster.

April Luncheon

Our next Wild Rivers Connect luncheon will be held on April 19th at the Chetco Community Public Library, noon to 1:30 p.m. It is part 3 of a 3 parts series on emergency services. Join guests Cindy Henderson (Del Norte County Emergency Services Manager); Jeremy Dumire (Curry County Emergency Services Coordinator); Kymmie Scott (Tolowa Dee’-ni’ Emergency Services Coordinator); and Tessa Lafazio (Tolowa Dee-ni’ CERT member); for a panel discussion about our region’s emergency services situation – what’s in place and what’s still needed.

Did you come away with additional takeaways? If so, please share them in the comments below!

Oasis Empowers Victims of Interpersonal Violence with a Collaborative Approach to Community

/in /by

When asked if they have heard of Oasis Shelter Home Inc., most people in our area would say something like, “Yeah, that’s the women’s shelter, right?”

Well…it IS the women’s shelter; but it’s also so much more!

I’d been hearing some great things about this organization, so I sat down with Mellanie Caldera of Oasis to get the scoop on what they’ve been up to, and how they made it happen.

As it turns out, a collaborative approach to community is at the heart of everything.

Background

(Note: we will refer to interpersonal violence as “IPV” in this article).

Oasis Shelter Home Inc. (Oasis) has been housing victims of IPV since 1995. They are the only emergency IPV program spanning the 150 miles between Coos Bay, Oregon and Crescent City, California. In addition to their shelter, Oasis provides outreach and in-shelter services ranging from children and educational programs, to support with navigating the criminal justice system, to distribution of food and other donated items, and more. Oasis has a thriving transitional housing program that recently was awarded funding to expand to Brookings. They also operate a 24 hour, toll-free crisis “hotline.” (Crisis Line: 541-247-7600, Toll Free Crisis Line: 1-800-447-1167)

The Staff of Oasis

A cadre of passionate individuals work at Oasis, working  towards the organization’s mission: “Through shelter, education and advocacy we empower victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and resulting homelessness to achieve a life free from abuse.”

Lea Sevey is the Executive Director and has been with Oasis for 14 years. She uses her Master’s Degree in Human Services to grow and develop the organization and staff on a steady and continuous basis.  Lea is a training ambassador for Shared Hope International, the leading nonprofit human trafficking authority in the world, and is also a local expert witness for IPV crimes. Lea is the Board President for the statewide organization – The Oregon Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, and  strategically places her staff on state wide boards with the intention of having the “rural voice” heard throughout Oregon. Mellanie emphasized that she has never worked in an environment more conducive and encouraging to personal and professional growth as in her time working with Lea Sevey and Oasis Shelter Home.

Mellanie Caldera is the Sexual Assault Survivor Advocate/Healthy Relationship Specialist working for Oasis. She supports medical providers, law enforcement, educators, criminal justice system workers, and community action groups with IPV education, and IPV-specific best practices in identifying and responding to domestic violence and sexual assault. She facilitates a weekly support group for IPV survivors. Mellanie is also a Master Trainer for the ACE’s (Adverse Childhood Experience) Study, is part of a cohort of trainers in Coos/Curry County, and is on the ACE’s Steering Committee. She also responds to the crisis line throughout the week, and facilitates clients entering the shelter.  Mellanie responds to call outs from dispatch and medical facilities during the week; Olivia, another Oasis team member, responds on the weekends.

Olivia Davis is the Victims Advocate and Community Projects Coordinator, and is housed in the Curry County Courthouse, opposite the District Attorney’s Victim’s Assistance Advocate office.  She helps Oasis clients navigate the criminal justice system; she attends court with them and assists them in completing and submitting restraining orders. Olivia works directly with a prosecutor and criminal investigator, both of whom are employed by the Curry County District Attorney and funded through a grant that Oasis received from The Office on Violence Against Women.

The new shelter advocate at Oasis is Gretchen Koenig; she is currently undergoing State Certified Advocacy Training. Cara Koenig is the administrative assistant and she assists the bookkeeper, Natalie Paterson, with financial reports. Sandra Turner is the on-call bilingual advocate; she speaks Spanish and is fully trained as an advocate.

Pictured below, the team at Oasis, from left to right: Mellanie Caldera, Lea Sevey, Gretchen Koenig, Cara Koenig, and Olivia Davis.

 

Collaboration

A key to Oasis’s progress is that they don’t operate in a silo. They partner and collaborate heavily with other organizations to provide wraparound services for their clients. This collaborative approach makes it possible for Oasis to offer a broad spectrum, multi-resource approach to the family and the community as a whole.

Mellanie explains: “One organization can not offer complete support to a victim of IPV, as much as we want to. As community partners, we recognize this, but through community group meetings, referrals, and presentations on our individual programs, we have created a solid base of community partnership and inter-organizational collaboration that DOES allow us to offer our clients that complete support.”

Here are just a few of the organizations Oasis partners with:

Brookings, Gold Beach and Port Orford Police Departments
Brookings Harbor High School – Anti-bullying education/Domestic Violence education
Curry Community Health
Curry County District Attorney’s office
Curry County Domestic & Sexual Assault Response Team (DSART) to refine processes on how IPV cases are handled locally
Curry County Sheriff’s Office
Curry Health Network
Department of Human Services
Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation’s Shu’-‘aa-xuu-dvn (In A Good Way Place) Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Program
Wally’s House, a child abuse intervention center in Gold Beach

Mellanie Caldera (bottom right) collaborates with the Curry County Sheriff’s Department.

 

Successes 

Here are a few stories which illustrate Oasis’ most recent success stories:

SAFE Exams/SANE Training

In 2017 Oasis, the SATF (Sexual Assault Task Force), Curry County District Attorney and Curry Health Network signed an agreement to bring SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner) training to Curry County and for SAFE (Sexual Assault Forensic Exam) exams to be conducted here for the first time since 2008. Previously, local victims of a sexual assault had to be referred away to either Medford or Crescent City in order to receive the SAFE exam.

Curry General Hospital worked closely with Oasis on their process for facilitating SAFE exams to ensure best care as well as privacy. The first completed SAFE exam occurred in the last quarter of 2017.  SANE training is scheduled for March 26-30, 2018, and will be facilitated by Oregon Department of Justice Sexual Assault Task Force and held at the  SWOCC Curry Campus in Brookings.  (Mellanie will attend the full week of training to host the information and support table, and to provide crisis counseling should any of the participants require it.)

 

Senate Bill 795

Senate Bill 795 passed the state legislature in the 2017 regular session. It mandated that as of January 1st, 2018,  first responders and ER staff must make all reasonable attempts to have an advocate present with a victim of sexual assault at the time and location of presentation.

Oasis will be the first point of contact in our local area; in the event of a sexual assault incident, either Mellanie or one of her colleagues will be called in to stay with the victim and help that person through the investigative process. As Mellanie explains, Oasis is victim-centered and trauma-informed and thus understands the language victims speak. For instance, victims of trauma might not necessarily remember events in chronological order, but that might be how law enforcement is asking their questions. “The advocate can help ease communication between victims and responders,” says Mellanie.

$500,000 Federal Grant to Fund Three New Positions

Oasis was awarded a $500,000 federal grant allowing them funding for 3 positions: a legal advocate, a deputy district attorney and a part-time investigator. Director Lea Sevey applied for this grant in an effort to increase prioritization of cases involving domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, stalking and elder abuse within the DA’s Office. (To read about the grant in the Curry Coastal Pilot, click here.)

Working with BHHS & Within Local Shelters

Oasis offered Brookings Harbor High School  faculty and staff training for bullying and cyberbullying prevention, and human trafficking education and prevention. Oasis also works with schools to make sure that children living in shelters are able to get to school and daycare and can eat breakfast and lunch (McKinny Vento Act).

How You Can Help Oasis:

When asked what Oasis needs from the community, Mellanie responds, “more opportunities to provide awareness for IPV. IPV is still a topic that gets swept under that rug. People don’t always want to talk about it openly.” Oasis also posts a monthly wish list to their Facebook Page. Right now, they are looking for a volunteer with some handyman skills who can help with general maintenance on a regular basis. The shelter also frequently needs twin-bed-sized bedding, blankets, and pillows.

Resources for Survivor Support:

About Wild Rivers Connect:

Wild Rivers Connect provides networking opportunities and resources for nonprofits in Curry and Del Norte Counties. Oasis Shelter Home, Inc. has a listing on the Wild Rivers Connect (WRC) website and regularly attends nonprofit leader networking luncheons. “WRC has, during their regular meetings and luncheons, offered a platform from which to present our programs and update community partners and community members on collaborative programs we are working on as well as the growth and changes within our own programs,” explains Mellanie.  If you have questions about how WRC can help your nonprofit organization, please contact us.

 

Meet Executive Director Lea Sevey and learn more about Oasis in this video