How Disaster Led to Sharing and Rebuilding focuses on how the Almeda Drive Fire forever changed the small towns in Southern Oregon’s Rogue Valley and the Harry & David family. Through sharing resources and interviews with residents and first responders, weβre dedicated to helping those affected by the wildfire that destroyed over 2,000 homes in our local community.
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βImagine walking out of your house with just what youβre wearing, and maybe a cell phone. And now you have to restart everything.β Thatβs the stark reality for the thousands of people who lost everything in the Almeda Drive Fire, as explained by Ashley Hughes, the Program Director at the Teresa McCormick Center, a nonprofit resource center in Medford, Oregon.
The Sept. 8, 2020 fire destroyed over 2,400 homes in Southern Oregonβs Rogue Valley. The smoke may have settled, but the rebuilding processβboth emotionally and physicallyβis just beginning. βThe residents canβt go back to their house and sleep,β Ashley says. βThey have to start from scratch with what they were wearing. Some didnβt have insurance coverage. The need is so big for so many.β
Those needs are being met in part by the Teresa McCormick Center. Founded by Harry & David employee Teresa McCormick in 2005 and renamed for her after she died of a brain aneurism in 2007, the center has been assisting the Medford region since 2009. Among its many services, it offers a food pantry, clothes donations, free tax preparation, and refurbished bicycles.
The First Steps to Rebuilding
As the harsh reality of the fireβs devastation began to set in the next day, the centerβs two employeesβAshley and Executive Director Amy Belkinβand its 40 volunteers wanted to hit the ground running. But, there were a lot of logistical questions. βHow do we get in a vast amount of clothing?β Amy recalled. βHow do we get people housed? How do we help navigate the systems with the community to see who pays for what in an emergency?”
βIn a situation like this, no one is prepared, no one knows what to do, where to go,β she adds. βThe services arenβt sitting there waiting to swing into motion if thereβs a disaster. People were desperate.β
The center immediately started asking people to donate gift cards to Walmart, Fred Meyer, and other grocery stores and retailers to replace basic items. People needed food, prescriptions, diapers, slippers, and even nail files that, as Amy points out, “you don’t realize is gone until you reach for it.”
Amy notes that people lost much more than material items. They lost family photos, ashes of loved ones on their mantle, and other irreplaceable reminders of their lives. βThey lost every piece of their life they knew,β she says.
We knew Harry & David could help too. The day after the fire, our CEO Steve Lightman set up a capital fund. Monetary donations started coming in from all over the country and world, even as far away as China. Of the $1 million goal, $470,000 has been raised so far. Weβve also received numerous grants. All this money is going to the Teresa McCormick Center, which is distributing the funds so people can stabilize their lives and figure out where they will be living.
βPeopleβs needs are constantly changing,β Ashley says. βNow, the season has changed, so how do they get warmer clothes and blankets? Theyβre wondering how they make a hotel work for the next six months. Some people are unsure what they really need. Some put money toward a car, which was the next best home for some.β
Once word spread of what was needed, physical donations started pouring in, too. Companies such as Columbia Sportswear, Hanes, Talbots, Skechers, and Cariloha Bamboo donated clothing, shoes, and bedding. Portland television station KGW gave away $5,000 in new toys during the holidays.
Support System in Place
Medford and the surrounding towns of Phoenix, Talent, and Ashland not only came together to share resources, but also lend ears. Residents listened to each otherβs stories and offered support as they tried to recover from the fire. When asked about the general sentiment in the community, Ashley says thereβs a lot of heartbreak and heartache.
“People go through a lot of ups and down, people saying, βIβll be OK,β then, βOh my gosh, everything is just not working out.ββ
Amy adds: βThe level of that continues to shake us and stop us in our tracks as we go forward and talk to people because this is not a disaster that you see and move on again. It will take years to rebuild. Peopleβs lives were shattered.β
But the regionβs residents are resilient. βThis whole area has come together for these people and really backed them up. Itβs going to be a constant need, and weβre going to have to carry these people emotionally to make sure theyβll be ok,β Ashley says.
Working Toward the Future
Thereβs also a lot of fear and a lot of sadness. βThis summer will be the first summer after the fire, and itβll be another tragic time for these people and for all of us,β she says. βIs this going to happen again? What do we do to prepare ourselves? Itβs a very traumatic incident. Loved ones were lost, pets were lost. Thereβs also a lot of strength and courage in these people.”
Residents will have to be patient, too. Over the past four-plus months, there have been groups and committees discussing how the rebuilding should happen, but, as Amy points out, βWe still donβt know.”
βItβs going to takes years. Some areas have been cleared off; architecture plans are being submitted. Some people who had homes will be able to rebuild in the next few months,β she says. βThere are so many areas that have not yet been touched by the cleanup. Itβs very helter-skelter.”
No matter how long the rebuild will take, residents are there for each other, Amy says. βEveryone is a lot more aware that people are suffering, and it really takes all of us in order to hold that community and rebuild the community.β
To support victims of the Almeda Fire, you can donate to the Teresa McCormick Center. Theyβre committed to continuing to assist and provide resources for all those affected by the wildfires as the community works to recover and rebuild.
