Central Oregon Disability Support Network
Central Oregon (Wheeler, Grant, Harney, Lake, Klamath, Deschutes, Jefferson and Crook counties)
Request: $25,000
CODSN is seeking funding for Ready & Recover: Rural Disability Disaster Resilience, supporting rural families of children and young adults with disabilities who are recovering from wildfires and preparing for winter storms, extended power outages, and other emergencies. Disasters can create additional challenges for families who rely on disability-related supplies, communication supports, medications, transportation, electricity, or consistent routines and services.
Funding will provide approximately 50-60 families with individualized emergency preparedness and recovery supplies, peer support to develop practical family emergency plans, and two accessible CPR/First Aid trainings for family members and individuals with disabilities. Priority will be given to wildfire-impacted families, geographically isolated households, and families for whom disability-related needs create additional barriers during emergencies.
CODSN has served families of children and young adults with disabilities in Central and Eastern Oregon for more than 20 years. Our relationships with families and community partners allow us to hear directly about the challenges families experience before, during, and after emergencies.
A key part of Ready & Recover is recognizing that preparedness does not look the same for every family. A standard emergency kit may not address a household’s disability-related needs. Whenever possible, we want families to help identify the supplies, supports, communication needs, and community connections that will make the greatest difference for them.
As we move from wildfire season into winter, this funding would allow CODSN to respond to families still recovering from recent fires while helping rural families prepare for winter storms, prolonged power outages, extreme cold, and future emergencies. Our goal is not simply to distribute supplies, but to help families build greater confidence, skills, connections, and resilience before the next emergency occurs.
