2023: A Year of Community Strength and Response Thank You for Standing Together

Looking back on 2023, we’re amazed by what Pine Valley accomplished together. It was a year that tested us and showed just how strong our community can be when we support each other. Thank you to every partner who stood with us through challenges and celebrations alike.

Community Crisis Response: Foundations That Showed Up

When tragedy struck our community in early 2023, something beautiful happened – foundations responded immediately to help families facing unimaginable challenges. The Roundhouse Foundation contributed $2,500, the Ford Family Foundation provided $2,500, the Marie Lamfrom Foundation gave $2,500, and the Oregon Community Foundation added $2,000 to our emergency response.

This rapid support totaling $9,500 made it possible for us to provide direct help to these families exactly when they needed it most. By March, we were able to assist two families with immediate needs, and the response continued growing throughout the year. The Village Fund, with an account balance of $1,961.62 in July and growing to $4,774 by November, processed 12 applications in 2023, assisting families with utilities, phone, food, auto repair, rent, house payments, and insurance. This showed what it means to have partners who truly understand rural communities and the importance of being there for each other during tough times.

Record Community Engagement

Thanks to continued Ford Family Foundation partnership, Pine Valley 2050 had remarkable participation this year. Over 270 residents responded to our community survey – an incredible level of engagement that shows how much people care about Pine Valley’s future!

Our January 28 community survey results meeting brought 47 people together to discuss what we learned about our community’s priorities and dreams. The Emergency Preparedness Fair on January 21 drew 59 attendees with 27 volunteers helping make it happen. A larger community meeting on August 23, facilitated by RDI, saw 37 community members attend to get involved in projects like the track/gym, trails, kid jobs, housing, and Main Street revitalization. The Mentor Match Teen Entrepreneur program, a huge success, saw most of its 9 participants launch businesses, with one winner receiving $500 for his Yard Maintenance business. We also acknowledge the efforts of Becky Kaaen, who chaired the PV2050 steering committee for a period, and Rachel Cairns, who joined the steering committee in March. These numbers show what’s possible when residents have dedicated support for community planning work. We also recognize Frances Vaughan, who resigned from the PV2050 steering committee, and the many community members who participated in the weekly “coffee chats” to flesh out project ideas.

Major Firewise Grant Success

The biggest news of 2023 was receiving our three-year Community Wildfire Risk Reduction grant from the Oregon State Fire Marshall! This partnership will transform how Pine Valley prepares for wildfire season through 2026, providing professional resources for defensible space projects, community education events, equipment support, and ongoing partnerships with fire safety experts.

This grant means Pine Valley families will have the tools and knowledge they need to protect their homes and properties for years to come. Our fuels reduction crews worked for two weeks in June and three weeks in October, completing unfinished work. A cleanup day on June 10 was a huge success with 60 participants, and another on October 21 saw 93 vehicles bring in 21,336 lbs of trash and 8,960 lbs of scrap metal. Debi Lorence and Pam Conley also taught a Firewise class in Baker City, fostering regional connections, and we’re excited about the potential for a NE Youth Corps with Kristian Thorton of NE Oregon Workforce. We also acknowledge Jana, ODF Forester, for her work on the chipping project.

Professional Systems and Accountability

In June, we made an important investment in professional financial management by purchasing QuickBooks for Nonprofits software. This upgrade ensures we meet “generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP)” required for state grants and provides the transparency our community deserves.

Board Chair Pam Conley and Treasurer Jack Greenman received training on the new system, investing in our volunteers’ skills to better serve the community with professional-level financial reporting. We also hired Todd Smitherman of Sun Coast Bookkeeping Solutions in August to set up QuickBooks for us, ensuring a smooth transition and professional financial management.

Community Fundraising Excellence

Our annual fundraising campaign had another strong year, with contributions reaching $3,580 – well above our $3,000 goal! Individual Pine Valley residents and supporters provided the flexible funding that keeps our operations running and enables us to respond quickly to new opportunities throughout the year. Our August fundraising letter to 19 donors raised $2,850 for the Village Fund, demonstrating strong community support.

This reliable community support gives us the foundation we need to take on bigger projects while maintaining the programs that serve our neighbors year-round.

Village Fund: Growing Stronger

Our Village Fund continued serving as a safety net for families facing unexpected challenges. With 49 total applications processed since the program began in April 2020, including 12 in 2023, we’ve helped dozens of Pine Valley families through tough times. The fund shows what Pine Valley does best – neighbors looking out for neighbors when it matters most.

Thank you to our Village Fund committee members who carefully review applications and ensure help reaches people who truly need it.

Supporting Local Organizations

This year we approved a $500 grant to the Chautauqua Music Festival, helping ensure this beloved community tradition continues bringing culture and joy to our valley each summer. Teddy Roosevelt once called the Chautauqua movement “The most American thing in America”, which seemed like the best description of our Americana festival! Thank you to the members of the festival committee for their inspiring work! These partnerships with local organizations help create the kind of community life that makes Pine Valley special. Additionally, we approved the Dark Skies project as a new UCP initiative with $500 in startup funds for a community meeting, thanks to Rachel Cairns’ presentation.

What Your Partnership Made Possible in 2023:

– **Immediate crisis response** supporting multiple families through emergency situations with $9,500 in foundation grants and 12 Village Fund applications processed in 2023 (49 total since 2020), thanks to our dedicated Village Fund committee members.
– **Record community engagement** with 270+ survey participants, 59 attendees at Emergency Preparedness Fair, 37 attendees at the August 23 community meeting facilitated by RDI, and successful Mentor Match Teen Entrepreneur program participants. We also acknowledge Becky Kaaen for her leadership as PV2050 steering committee chair and Rachel Cairns for joining the steering committee.
– **Professional fire safety resources** through our new three-year Oregon State Fire Marshall grant, including successful fuels reduction crews, two community cleanup days with 60 and 93 participants respectively, and Firewise classes taught by Debi Lorence and Pam Conley. We also acknowledge Kristian Thorton for his work on the NE Youth Corps and Jana, ODF Forester, for her chipping project efforts.
– **Enhanced financial systems** with QuickBooks upgrade meeting state requirements and the hiring of Todd Smitherman for setup and training.
– **Annual fundraising success** exceeding goals by nearly 20%, including $2,850 raised for the Village Fund from August letters.
– **Continued Village Fund support** with 49 total applications processed since 2020, thanks to our dedicated committee members.
– **Local organization partnerships** supporting community traditions like Chautauqua Music Festival and the new Dark Skies project initiated by Rachel Cairns.
– **Community planning leadership** with Debi Lorence as Community Builder and Rose Darting steering committee work, and contributions from former PV2050 steering committee members Craig Norman, Gail Kimberling, and Becky Kaaen. We also acknowledge Susy, our grant writer, for her work on the USDA RD Rural Energy grants and school track research, and Dale Taylor, Galen West, and Bill Schuhle for their work with the Pine Valley Museum archiving project.

Looking Ahead to 2024

The partnerships and community engagement we built in 2023 position Pine Valley for continued growth in 2024. The Firewise grant will fund ongoing safety projects, Pine Valley 2050 will keep bringing residents together around shared goals, and the Village Fund will be there when neighbors need support. We also look forward to the continued development of the Dark Skies project and the potential for new board members to join our team.

Most importantly, we’ve proven that Pine Valley knows how to come together during tough times and celebrate together during good ones. That’s the foundation everything else builds on.

Gratitude Beyond Words

From our dedicated board members – Pam Conley (Board Chair), Jack Greenman (Treasurer), Sarah Greenman (Secretary), Liz McLellan (Tech), Steve White (who will be moving to Arizona), and Kim Elton – to every family who benefited from community support this year, thank you for believing in Pine Valley. You’ve helped us respond to crisis with compassion, plan for the future with hope, and face challenges with confidence.

Thank you to the Ford Family Foundation for their continued investment in Pine Valley 2050, the Oregon State Fire Marshall for transformational fire safety support, and the Roundhouse Foundation, Marie Lamfrom Foundation, and Oregon Community Foundation for immediate crisis response when our neighbors needed help most. A special thanks to Debi Lorence for her work as Community Builder and continued involvement with PV2050, Rose Darting for her steering committee work, Rachel Cairns Liz McLellan for initiating the Dark Skies project, and Todd Smitherman for his expertise in setting up our new QuickBooks system. Margaret Durning for her decades long commitment to keeping it dark over Pine valley. We also acknowledge Kristian Thorton for his efforts in establishing the NE Youth Corps, Susy for her grant writing contributions, the 60 participants in the June cleanup day, the 93 vehicles that contributed to the October cleanup day, our dedicated Village Fund committee members, and the enthusiastic participants in the Mentor Match Teen Entrepreneur program. We also recognize Dale Taylor, Galen West, and Bill Schuhle for their work with the Pine Valley Museum archiving project, and Maurizio Valerio from The Ford Family Foundation for his continued support and guidance for our community. We know that there are so many more who contribute day in and day out around the Pine Eagle Community – Thank you all!

2023 showed us what’s possible when foundations, community members, and local organizations work together toward shared goals. We’re grateful to be part of a community that takes care of its own and builds for the future at the same time.

Got a Community Project Idea? We’re Here to Help!

Looking at everything we accomplished together this year, we’re reminded that every successful project started with someone who had an idea and wasn’t sure where to begin. If you’ve been thinking about a project that could benefit Pine Valley – whether it’s big or small – UCP is here to help you figure out the next steps.

We Can Help With:

**Fiscal agency or sponsorship** for community projects that align with our mission – this means we can handle the money management and paperwork while you focus on making your project happen.

**Small grants** to get projects started – we’ve funded everything from the $500 Chautauqua Music Festival to the $5,000 MainStreet Stage project. Every idea deserves a chance!

**Project development support** – help turning your idea into a plan that works, finding the right people to work with, and figuring out what resources you’ll need.

**Training and workshop access** – connecting you with the skills and knowledge that make projects successful.

**Networking within our community** – we know who’s doing what in Pine Valley and can help connect you with people who share your interests or have complementary skills.

How to Get Started:

The easiest way is to come to one of our monthly UCP meetings and share your idea during our Open Discussion time. This is when community members bring projects, ideas, needs, or plans to the group. Don’t worry about having everything figured out – we’re here to help you work through the details!

You can also join the conversation on our Facebook page to get your idea out there and maybe find people willing to roll up their sleeves and help make it happen.

**Remember:** This list isn’t exhaustive. If you don’t see exactly what your project needs, please get in touch anyway. We may be able to point you in the right direction or help you find the resources you need.

From Ideas to Reality:

Some of our most successful projects – like the Village Fund, Pine Valley Firewise, and Pine Valley 2050 – started as conversations at UCP meetings. Someone said “What if we could…” and the community said “Let’s figure out how!”

Whether your project needs $250 or $2,500, whether it serves five people or the whole valley, we want to hear about it. Pine Valley grows stronger when community members step up with ideas that make this place even better.

**Questions?** Any of our board members can help you with getting started! Just get in touch!

Here’s to continuing this important work together in 2024!

Your grateful neighbors at United Community Partners

United Community Partners is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting community-driven initiatives that strengthen Pine Valley. All contributions are tax-deductible and directly fund community projects.