A letter to the community from Erin Borla
Roundhouse Executive Director and Trustee Erin Borla
I wanted to take a moment and thank those of you who have reached out and checked in on our staff here at Roundhouse due to the Akawa Butte Fire that is impacting areas near Sisters. At this point, all staff and trustees are safe and taking care of their homes and families as best as possible, following the direction of our local sheriff’s department.
There are several fires burning across Oregon as I write this and so many impacted communities. Please check on your neighbors. If you are not yet in an impacted community, work on your own evacuation plan now so you have it in place. The Oregon Office of Emergency Management has a great tool that can help in your planning processes.
Trusted Resources
There are several trusted Oregon resources for being prepared and staying informed as fire season goes on:
- Oregon State Fire Marshal
- Oregon Department of Forestry
- Oregon Department of Emergency Management
- OSU Extension | Wildfire resources for agriculture and livestock producers
- Your local sheriff’s office
Disaster Funding is Available
For those communities who may be disaster impacted already: organizations seeking grant support should apply to the Oregon Disaster Funders Network (ODFN). Those applications get shared amongst philanthropic funders in Oregon so they can deploy capital quickly and support needs across communities with one simple application.
Over the course of the last few weeks, Roundhouse team members have been working with first responders, rural fire protection districts, rangeland fire protection associations (RFPAs) and others who are on the front lines of this work. As we’re faced with dense smoke and fires near many rural communities this week, we feel especially grateful for the bravery and service of the first responders. Thank you.
The Foundation has provided technical assistance grants to several organizations and recently distributed fuel grants to RFPA’s who have already been on the fire line this year. We actively monitor the ODFN’s requests and work to align funds to support rural and remote needs.
Staffing the Open Call
As many of you know our Open Call cycle is currently accepting applications, due August 14 at 5pm. This will remain unchanged – however we humbly request your grace and patience as our staff navigates their own difficulties during these wildfires. We will do our best to get back to technical questions as quickly as possible. If you currently have a meeting booked with a grant team member, there is a chance it may need to be rescheduled.
Thank you all for what you do to care for your communities. We are proud to be a part of the work that does so much good for so many. Thank you for your patience and grace with our team as we navigate these challenging times.
In community,
Erin Borla
Executive Director & Trustee
