Local Outreach and Engagement At a Glance
Outreach Coordinators at North Coast Opportunitiies and True North Organizing Network are partnering with 16 Community-Based Organizations in community interviews all across the Redwood Region. Interviews with priority community members have been the primary focus in centering community voices through this outreach phase to ensure we hear from individuals who haven’t participated yet. The knowledge and wisdom that are being surfaced in these interviews directly funnels into project ideas that will be shared with the Sector Tables. In this way, we are encouraging grassroot organizations and community members to submit their ideas for projects to the Project Inventory Form.
Outreach is being conducted in a variety of ways that reflect the needs in each county. From in-person gatherings and tabling events to 1-1 conversations, relationships are being built to foster a long-term vision for our regional goals. Starting in April 2024, there will be Pop Up Data Walks in each county. Pplease stay tuned for updates!
Find the latest activities here:
Tribal Lands + Del Norte County: Report Out April 2024
With Project Proposals submitted, the month of April has been all about smaller meetings that lend themselves to relationship building as we look towards regional collaboration on our projects. Agriculture producers, fisheries, and food hub folks have continued to look at what still needs to be done, and how we can support one another. We are looking at each project proposal, tweaking things that need some adjustment, and hoping for some field trips to see how other communities are succeeding in similar areas (and hopefully learn from their mistakes so we don’t make the same ones).
Please contact danag@truenorthorganzing.org with any questions.
Tribal Lands + Lake County: Report Out April 2024
In Lake County for the month of April we will begin doing Pop-Up events along with the NCO sponsored Neighborfest Events around the county. These Pop-Up events will focus around sharing the results of our Community Interviews with the community and getting additional feedback. Through our RISE sponsorship funding we were also able to sponsor the “swag” bags for the Neighborfest events. Our April 14th Neighborfest collaboration was canceled due to rain but rescheduled for May 31, 2024 in Kelseyville. There will be Neighborfest Events on April 20, May 4th. 5th, and 11th.
While gathering gift baskets and giving away items for the In Person event, Lake County Project Coordinator Stephen Dilley encountered a situation which should be brought front and center in our RISE work. One of the vendors, a Lake County multi-generation walnut producer, has fallen on hard times. The looming economy and overseas competition in the Walnut market has driven prices far below an average $0.35/pound break-even price, down to just $0.12/pound. This has had devastating effects on many of California’s walnut growers and this particular vendor faces foreclosure and/or the selling off of land/orchards that have been in their family for over 80 years. The prognosis for the US walnut market is in the “we are waiting for a miracle” phase.
Please contact sdilley@ncoinc.org with any questions.
Tribal Lands + Del Norte County: Report Out March 2024
Del Norte and Tribal Lands (DNATL) has been working hard to hone in on local group wants and needs, and getting ideas submitted to the portal. On March 11th, we gathered as a larger group to report-out what we have been working on in our smaller sub-groups, and presented a larger vision for our county and region, then broke out into brainstorming groups to discuss. There is a lot of excitement building as we move closer and closer to our ultimate project and 10-year vision for thriving in our region as we develop our economies and support our families in a holistic and resilient manner.
Reach out to Reverend Dana Gill for more information at danag@truenorthorganizing.org
Tribal Lands + Lake County: Report Out March 2024
Outreach Coordinator for Tribal Lands and Lake County, Stephen Dilley, and Equity Council Chair Maria Dahlin attended a Lake County Fundraiser for Vision of Hope Village on Saturday, March 16, 2024 at Nice Event Center.
Stephen Dilley presented to fundraiser attendees who were largely business association members and chambers of commerce members from around Lake County. The North Shore Business Association was the largest attendee group, but of note the County Office of Education, Lake County Fairgrounds, Lake County Board of Supervisors’ Eddie “EJ” Crandell and Sutter Lakeside Hospital personnel were also in attendance. Stephen gave a brief review of California Jobs First and then talked specifically about NCO’s outreach through our partner CBO’s and specifically with Vision of Hope Village. He explained the process of Community Interviews and how the information gathered would be used in many different formats including community pop-up events where members of the public will have opportunities to weigh in on the issues surfaced and answer the “how might we” question in terms of addressing these issues through economic development. The update was well received and there was much interest in finding out ways to collaborate moving forward.
Please contact sdilley@ncoinc.org with any questions.
Tribal Lands + Humboldt County: Report Out April 2024
The month of April saw Humboldt County CBOs wrapping up over 50 community interviews. Several people were put forth as possible candidates for video interviews with the Regional Convener, the California Center for Rural Policy (CCRP). Many of the CBOs plan to host Focus Groups/Pop-Up events which will focus around sharing the results of our Community Interviews with their clients and getting additional feedback.
Outreach Coordinator for Humboldt County, Rachel LaMell, attended the California Big Time and Social Gathering on Saturday, April 6th in Arcata. This event was hosted by The Indian Tribal & Educational Personnel Program at Cal Poly. Rachel also tabled at the Decolonizing Economics Earth Day event on April 21, 2024 in McKinleyville, where she shared information about Redwood Region RISE.
Please contact rlamell@ncoinc.org with any questions.
Tribal Lands + Mendocino County: Report Out April 2024
CBOs in Mendocino have completed the community interview phase of the outreach and engagement plan and are now planning events for the months of April and May to do Data Walks where they will share back with the community what they have heard from the interviews so far.
Outreach Coordinator Yesenia Herrera attended the Mendocino College Native American Motivational day on April 12, 2023 in Ukiah and did a lot of networking with the tribal community.
Outreach Coordinators Yesenia Herrera and Zenia Leyva Chou will be tabling at events in Ukiah as well as Fort Bragg’s Earth Day events, both on April 20, 2024.
Please contact yherrera@ncoinc.org with any questions.
Tribal Lands + Humboldt County: Report Out March 2024
Outreach Coordinator for Tribal Lands and Humboldt County, Rachel LaMell, attended the Seed & Plant Exchange in Arcata, CA on March 9, 2024. A great opportunity for the community to come together to bring seeds and plants to share, talk with other gardeners and farmers, and to learn more about food sovereignty in our region. This event was hosted by the Humboldt Permaculture Guild and it was a wonderful way to connect with individuals from the community about getting involved with Redwood Region RISE.
Rachel also visited the Arcata Farmers’ Market on March 16, 2024 where she handed out Redwood Region RISE outreach brochures and invited Humboldt County residents to participate in the community interview process. You can find our Redwood Region RISE staff at California Indian Big Time & Social Gathering at CalPoly Humboldt on April 6, 2024 in Arcata, CA. And you can find our outreach table at Decolonizing Economics 2024: Earth Day to May Day on April 21, 2024 in McKinleyville, CA.
Please contact rlamell@ncoinc.org with any questions.
Tribal Lands + Mendocino County: Report Out March 2024
Outreach Coordinators Yesenia Herrera and Zenia Leyva Chou doing outreach at the Mendocino Farmers Convergence in Willits, CA on March 19, 2024. A day of inspiration and learning from local farmers and community leaders who are passionate about making a difference in our local food web. Yesenia continues to make strides in community interviews as well as focusing on opportunities to engage more in upcoming local events. You can find our Redwood Region RISE outreach table at Ukiah’s Earth Day event as well as Fort Bragg’s Earth Day event both on April 20, 2024.
Please contact yherrera@ncoinc.org with any questions.