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    Mi Valle Mi Hogar

     

    Rebuilding with the Latinx community

    after the Almeda Fire with a focus on equity, sustainability and healing.

     

    Reconstruyendo con la comunidad Latina después del Incendio Almeda con un enfoque en equidad, sostenibilidad y sanación.

     

    La versión en español de este sitio web está aquí.

  • Winding Down MVMH

    As of June 2021 the MVMH board has decided to wind down the project.

    We will be winding down our operations and distributing our remaining financial resources to the incredible team at Coalición Fortaleza. To read why the board has come to this decision, along with lessons learned, please see the summary below or the full letter here.

    Closing MVMH’s work - Summary (full explanation: here)

    Mi Valle Mi Hogar was born in the aftermath of the Almeda fire. Within weeks of its genesis, many parts of fire relief, recovery and rebuild planning efforts had been organized into what has been a six-month effort by leadership, staff and supporting community members to be in service to the Latinx community impacted by the Almeda fire.

     

    After careful consideration, the board of MVMH (the majority of whom are white and not directly impacted by the fires), have decided to conclude the operations of the organization. Over the coming months, MVMH plans to disperse its resources to Coalición Fortaleza - a Latinx-led, inter-generational coalition of community members, leaders, volunteers, and organizations in the Rogue Valley who are deeply rooted in the community, committed and focused on long term disaster resiliency and recovery, and are seeking to create a solidarity economy for fire-affected Latinx families.

     

    This decision was reached after trying several experiments in organization, projects and outreach. While much work was accomplished, MVMH has been unable to ground itself in, and build relationships with, the Latinx community. This is mostly due to the lack of existing relationships with the local Latinx community, along with mistakes made from a place of unconscious, internalized white supremacy within the MVMH leadership. The difficulty of building such relationships during times of trauma presented a great challenge as well.

     

    We recognize that in trying to come with solutions and build something new, MVMH neglected to truly support an existing local community.

    We acknowledge and sincerely apologize for the harm, confusion and stress that our missteps caused in the local Latinx community, especially in light of MVMH’s primary goals to center equity and healing in recovery efforts.

     

    We feel it is important to recognize the immense stress, grief and overwhelm that the various hardships of these fires have caused, both directly and indirectly. Though our intention was to support and alleviate some of these stresses, the impact did not always match that intention.

     

    The leadership and staff have decided the most equitable way forward is to listen to the community, distribute our remaining resources to other organizations serving similar missions, and to continue to support the efforts these organizations are providing for the fire-affected Latinx community.

     

    We thank those in the community that have offered support, ideas, and reflections on the work of MVMH. We also hope that our reflections may provide helpful insights for other white-led organizations seeking to support culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

     

    Sincerely,

    Donnie Maclurcan, Teresa Cisneros, Alys Holden

    MVMH Board Members

  • About

    Jocksana Corona is interviewed on PBS NewsHour sharing her story.

     

    The mission of MVMH (Mi Valle Mi Hogar / My Valley My Home) is to support up to 500 Latinx families displaced by the Almeda Fire in securing high quality, sustainable homes they own, in locations conducive to their personal and collective well-being.

     

    Our vision for the future involves the families disproportionately impacted by the Almeda Fire remaining and thriving in the Rogue Valley, and invested with real financial equity in the homes in which they live, located on land owned and stewarded within a community-controlled not-for-profit financial structure. Initially supporting the coordination of short-term transitional support, we will help to coordinate and influence the long-term housing efforts for the Latinx families we aim to serve. Our long-term vision is for these families to live in communities that are more resilient, sustainable, and stable than where they lived before, offering a chance for multi-generational security.

     

    By applying an equity lens at all times and centering historically marginalized voices, Mi Valle Mi Hogar / My Valley My Home will ensure impacted families have a say in the strategy and execution of efforts to secure long-term housing that meets their unique needs. Capitalizing on our existing local capacity, skills, relationships, and knowledge, we will further amplify those historically marginalized voices as we seek to coordinate and mobilize the many partners and resources needed to achieve our mission in a collaborative, inclusive and culturally sensitive manner.

     

    Our hope is to radically change the typical path of post-disaster home rebuilding in the valley by rooting it in equity, sustainability, and healing.

  • What We Do

    We oversee six activities in order to create long term housing solutions:

  • Sitting at the Tables

    Providing a powerful voice representing historically marginalized families for the conversations and discussions on the specific land/housing development projects that will impact our Latinx community.

    Listening/Healing Circles

    Arranging regular opportunities to hear from families most affected by the fires about their hopes, strengths and needs, as well as facilitated experiences to work on healing the historical (and ongoing) racial and socio-economic trauma that has been further exposed through these fires.

    Rebuild Resources Database

    Compiling and managing an open access, central repository of information (and associated graphics) about rebuild partners - the focus of each group and initiative’s work, what each group offers others in the network, and each group/initiative’s needs. This database attempts to streamline rebuild efforts by facilitating things such as mergers, collective purchasing, resource reallocation, co-development of grant applications, and allowing funders to better understand the ecosystem.

     

    Core partners include the Cascade Builders Association.

    Mutual Aid Coordination

    Matching volunteers with volunteer opportunities from our rebuild partners, facilitating offers and needs through an online community forum, and assisting with the wide range of transitional support needed for families most affected.

     

    The Rogue Volunteer Initiative is a project of My Valley My Home. If you're interested in volunteering, access RVI's general volunteer form.

    Collaboration Calls

    Convening bi-weekly coordinating calls with rebuild partners to provide updates, share learnings, and network for greater efficiency and alignment.

    Community Communications

    Communicating stories of the impacted families, partners, and greater community efforts and outcomes via our website, social media and periodic newsletter archived here.

  • Who we are

    MVMH is a volunteer-driven effort. Our fiscal sponsor is the MRG Foundation, and our fiscal agent is the Post Growth Institute.

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    Dani Leonardo

    Dani is a community facilitator, youth mentor, writer, permaculturist and musician. Dani was born and raised in the Rogue Valley and now works as social media manager, lead mentor, Teen Village program lead and circle facilitator for Rogue Valley Mentoring. Dani is a team member and Offers and Needs Market facilitator at the Post Growth Institute, facilitates grief tending events and community gardening projects in partnership with the Ashland BIPOC Sanctuary, and is a proponent of sustainability, regeneration and justice in all fields and across sectors. Read more.

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    Julie O'Dwyer

    As a designer of space and creator of community, Julie uses her architectural background to design innovative solutions for people and places. Her community building includes founding of the Splinter Group, a building professional peer group; establishing the Siskiyou School as one of the founding families; leading Greeters for the Ashland Chamber of Commerce; and initiating the Ashland Design Studio, as a local resource hub for design. For over 7 years, Julie has also served as Vice President for the Ashland Food Co-op; currently chairing the AFC Gives committee, EDI Committee, and spearheading the Expansion Initiative. Recently, as a founder of Local Innovation Works, she saw the need for local investment into the entrepreneurial enterprises that will diversify a local economy. Read more.

  • Advisors

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    Alys Holden

    Alys serves as Director of Production for Oregon Shakespeare Festival, which includes managing the Festival’s fabrication facility in Talent, and has a long career building and managing projects for non-profit theaters. Read more.

  • Community Updates

    Public Sector Updates

     Updates from FEMA - 1/7/21 - State/Federal Help Still Available for Oregon Wildfire Survivors 

    Actualizaciones de FEMA - 1/7/21 - La ayuda estatal y federal continúa disponible para los sobrevivientes de los incendios forestales en Oregon

     

    Newsletters

    Introductory newsletter: Rebuilding the Rogue Valley - Supporting our Latinx Community - 14 November 2020

    Boletín Introductorio: Presentando Mi Valle Mi Hogar - 14 de noviembre de 2020

     

    December newsletter - Lighting Our Way with Community - December 22nd, 2020

    Iluminando Nuestro Camino con la Comunidad - 22nd de diciembre de 2020

     

    Transitioning Beyond MVMH - Summary here, full letter here - June 4th, 2020

    Collaboration discussions

    Immediate Short Term Housing Collaboration Call - November 10, 2020

    Llamada Inmediata de Colaboración de Vivienda a Corto Plazo - 10 de noviembre de 2020

     

    Summaries of our cross-sector collaboration calls will be posted here.

    Other Meetings

  • In the news

    Articles

    Urban wildfire: When homes are the fuel for a runaway blaze, how do you rebuild a safer community? - Seattle Times

     

    When Oregon’s Wildfires Swept Through My County, Mutual Aid Brought Us Together - Vogue

     

    My Valley My Home originated from two Ashland residents who initiated the Ashland Bike Brigade to address an urgent immediate need for drinking water the day after the Almeda Fire. How Southern Oregon Communities are Working to Build Back Better After the Almeda Fire - Medium

    Podcast Interviews

     

    Teresa Cisneros is interviewed on the "Community Talk with Tommy" podcast, sharing her personal experience on the day of the Almeda Fire and how she got involved as a member of the Mi Valle Mi Hogar leadership team.

     

    Donnie Maclurcan is interviewed on the "Community Talk with Tommy" podcast, discussing how Mi Valle Mi Hogar developed from the Ashland Bike Brigade immediate response efforts.

    Television

    Jocksana Corona is interviewed on PBS NewsHour sharing her Brief But Spectacular take on surviving a wildfire.

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    LTSST Housing

    Become a part of the Longer Term Secure Short Term Housing Community! There are many ways to get involved to help ensure secure short term housing for our friends and neighbors most impacted by the Almeda Fire.

  • Contact Us

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