Strengthening Community Voice Through Pro Forum Focus Groups
Oregon City Neighbors Build Community Resilience Together
Oregon City Neighborhood Associations recently came together for a Governor’s Pro Forum Focus Group, engaging in meaningful conversations about community resilience and lived experience. The gathering created space for neighbors, partners, and local organizations to share how recent events have shaped their lives and to imagine what a more resilient future could look like.
Exploring Lived Experience
During the focus group, community members reflected on real events that have tested resilience—at the individual, family, and organizational levels. They discussed how these moments of crisis affected daily life, highlighted both strengths and gaps in existing support systems, and named barriers that made it harder to respond and recover.
These stories helped illuminate what is already working in Oregon City, as well as the areas where additional resources, coordination, or support are most needed.
Setting Resilience Priorities for the Future
The conversation then shifted toward the future: What does a resilient community look and feel like? Participants identified key priorities such as:
- Where investments are most needed
- What values should guide resilience-building efforts
- Which neighborhoods, populations, and systems require the most attention
Insights from this session will be shared with a statewide research team to help inform strategies for improving resilience across Oregon and guide future legislation.
Be 2 Weeks Ready (B2WR) Training and Community Engagement
Over two weekends, more than 30 community members participated in Be 2 Weeks Ready (B2WR) training hosted at Prince of Life Lutheran Church. This training, along with accompanying community engagement activities, was also part of the Governor’s Pro Forum effort to gather local input and strengthen resilience statewide.
Participants learned practical skills and tools to boost their disaster preparedness, build household readiness, and contribute to a stronger, more connected community.
Thanks to the generosity of Medical Teams International, attendees also received emergency go-bags to support their preparedness efforts.
A heartfelt thank you to our partners: Prince of Life Lutheran Church and Medical Teams International for their ongoing support of Oregon City’s resilience work.
“Roots and Branches” Community Engagement Activity
In addition to the formal training, participants took part in a creative engagement activity titled “Roots and Branches.” This interactive exercise invited community members to reflect together using the following framework:
- Roots – What grounds us in times of crisis
- Trunk – What makes us resilient
- Branches and Leaves – The future we are growing toward as a resilient community
This activity created space for storytelling, reflection, and shared visioning. Like the focus group, the insights gathered will be shared with the research team to inform statewide resilience strategies and future policy development.
To learn more about these initiatives or to get involved with CCVOAD, please reach out to our engagement lead at barbedwards@ccvoad.org.
Monthly Partner’s Meeting
At our upcoming March Partner’s Meeting, partners will receive updates on long-term recovery efforts following the December flooding event. Coordination remains ongoing to ensure impacted communities continue to receive the support and resources they need.
We will also preview several upcoming opportunities for engagement and collaboration, including:
- Emergency preparedness fairs and training courses
- The Oregon Prepared Conference
- The National VOAD Conference
- Additional events and activities hosted by our partners
Join live to stay informed and connected.
Stay Connected
Stay up to date on resilience efforts in Oregon City and across Clackamas County:
- Subscribe to our newsletter
- Visit the CCVOAD website and blog
- Connect with us on social media
Read, share, and help us grow a more prepared and resilient community together.