On September 18th and 19th the Resource Assistance for Rural Environments (RARE) Program celebrated its 15th anniversary. For fifteen years, RARE has served Oregon communities and filled over 360 positions in an effort to achieve its mission to increase the capacity of rural communities, by improving their economic, social, and environmental conditions through the assistance of trained graduate-level participants. On Friday, September 18 over 100 past participants and friends attended an evening of discussion and celebration. The following day, on September 19, thirty people gathered in the Port of Cascade Locks and together with community members completed four service projects.
Friday evening’s roundtable was facilitated by Oregon Public Broadcasting’s Jeff Douglas. Panelists included David Povey, Founder of the RARE Program; Norm Smith, President of the Ford Family Foundation; Chuck Daughtry, General Manager for the Port of Cascade Locks; Nick Fleury, RARE Alum 2005-06 and 2006-07; and, Emily Gilliland, Executive Director of Oregon Campus Compact. This unique panel discussed the history of the RARE Program, challenges facing rural Oregon and how service programs like the RARE Program can meet these challenges. Following the roundtable, everyone spent a few hours rekindling old friendships, listening to live music from past participants, and making new connections.
In typical RARE fashion, a night of discussion, networking, and celebration was followed by a day of service. Over thirty people travelled to the Port of Cascade Locks to complete four service projects. Together with local community members, the RARE alumni and friends worked together to rebuild bus stops, assist with erosion control on the Pacific Crest Trail, paint the historic Oregon Pony building, and deconstruct a fence. Again, attendees with a shared enthusiasm for rural communities used this time to serve, reconnect, celebrate, and establish new relationships.
The 15 Year Celebration was an incredible opportunity to highlight the impacts and share the legacy of RARE. It brought together many participants, community partners, and supporters of RARE from across the state. From this event an alumni group is taking shape to formalize the many important connections between RARE alum, supervisors, and organizations. If you are a RARE alum and are interested in reconnecting with others, please contact Erin Malone at emalone@uoregon.edu.
Friday, October 30, 2009
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