RURAL ORGANIZING PROJECT

CAPACITY BUILDING SUPPORT FOR HUMAN DIGNITY GROUPS: ROP SUPPORTED MORE THAN 95 AUTONOMOUS, VOLUNTEER-LED HUMAN DIGNITY GROUPS REPRESENTING EVERY COUNTY IN OREGON TO INCREASE THEIR IMPACT AND ABILITY TO ORGANIZE FOR THE LONG-HAUL. WE FOCUSED ON MAKING SURE EACH GROUP HAS A LEADERSHIP TEAM, SYSTEMS FOR COMMUNICATING WITH A GROWING BASE, AND CAMPAIGNS THAT BUILD THE GROUP'S LOCAL POWER IN THE COMMUNITY. ROP ALSO SUPPORTED GROUPS BY HOSTING KNOW YOUR RIGHTS AND LEGAL OBSERVER TRAININGS, FACILITATING PLANNING PROCESSES AND MEETINGS, COACHING AND TRAINING, SHARING OUR CAPACITY BUILDING TOOLKIT, CONNECTING LEADERS TO RESOURCES SIMILAR GROUPS HAVE ALREADY DEVELOPED, AND CONVENING OUR 34TH ANNUAL RURAL CAUCUS & STRATEGY SESSION. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O) THE CAUCUS WAS OUR LARGEST EVER (160 PEOPLE!) WITH MANY FIRST-TIME ATTENDEES AND LEADERS FROM 31 COUNTIES CONVERGING IN EASTERN OREGON. 76 GROUPS CONVENED FOR REGIONAL CONVERSATIONS TO BUILD A COLLECTIVE VISION FOR JUST FUTURES. NEW CONNECTIONS LED TO CROSS-COUNTY COLLABORATIONS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTERS AS A HUB FOR ADVANCING DEMOCRACY: ROP, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE HOOD RIVER LATINO NETWORK, OPENED ITS NEWEST FIELD OFFICE IN THE COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE IN 2024 AND IN THE 24-25 FISCAL YEAR, ROP INCREASED THE CAPACITY OF OUR TWO COMMUNITY CENTERS, THE IMMIGRANT HELP CENTER IN THE COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE REGION, AND THE COMMUNITY BUILDING CENTER SERVING SOUTH LANE COUNTY COMMUNITIES. OUR COMMUNITY CENTERS ARE PART OF A BROADER STRATEGY TO MOBILIZE EFFECTIVE RESPONSES TO THREATS AGAINST IMMIGRANTS AND OTHER TARGETED COMMUNITIES, AND TO BUILD A PEOPLE-CENTERED MOVEMENT FOR JUSTICE. THE SPACES SERVE AS CULTURAL RESOURCES, TRAINING AND EVENT HUBS, AND VEHICLES FOR FOSTERING COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O) WE CONNECT WITH LOCAL LEADERS WHO COME TOGETHER TO PROBLEM-SOLVE AND IDENTIFY COMMUNITY SOLUTIONS THAT DEFEND THE RIGHTS OF LATINOS AND IMMIGRANTS AND ADVANCE SOCIAL JUSTICE FOR ALL. CENTER-HOSTED COMMUNITY EVENTS INCLUDE THE ANNUAL HOOD RIVER LATINO FEST, WHICH BROUGHT OVER 1000 ATTENDEES TOGETHER IN LAST AUGUST. THE COMMUNITY BUILDING CENTER IN SOUTH LANE COUNTY SPECIFICALLY SERVES AS A REGIONAL COMMUNITY CENTER AND THE HOME FOR OUR STATEWIDE RURAL MOVEMENT, ROP'S ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCIAL FUNCTIONS, AND MOST OF OUR TRANSLATION WORK. ROP'S COMMITMENT TO LANGUAGE JUSTICE ENSURES THAT OUR WRITTEN AND RECORDED RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH, SPANISH, AND MAM (AN INDIGENOUS GUATEMALAN LANGUAGE).