In the wake of, and in preparation for, devastating wildfires across the area, the Oregon-Idaho Conference was granted a $10,000 United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) Solidarity Grant this week to help with disaster response.
UMCOR Solidarity Grants are designed to quickly get into the hands of survivors to help with their immediate needs.
Working with The Stronghold in Chiloquin, a non-profit peer-support program that works with members of the Klamath Tribes (and is supported by Great Spirit UMC in Portland), the Oregon-Idaho Conference is assessing the needs of survivors of the Bootleg Fire and will be directing financial support and other resources like UMCOR approved hygiene and cleaning kits there as additional information becomes available.
The Bootleg Fire spread to more than 400,000 acres in July and early August. Although the fire was largely burning in remote areas, it did destroy more than 400 structures, including more than 150 homes, as it burned through southcentral Oregon – including parts of the Klamath Tribes reservation.
