Wednesday, Apr. 16, 2025
May 21, 2025 | 10:00–11:30 a.m. | Virtual Webinar
In times of disaster, trauma, or uncertainty, our most valuable asset is each other. The United Way of the Columbia-Willamette invites you to a transformative webinar led by Ana-Marie Jones, a renowned expert in community resilience. This session emphasizes the importance of collective skills and social capital in emergency preparedness, encouraging participants to build connections and trust within their communities.
Understanding the Need: The ALICE Population in Our Region
Many households in Oregon's tri-county area—Multnomah, Washington, and Clackamas counties—are part of the ALICE population: Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. These are individuals and families who earn above the federal poverty level yet struggle to afford basic necessities like housing, childcare, food, transportation, and healthcare.
Statewide, 45% of households fall below the ALICE threshold, with 12% living in poverty and 33% classified as ALICE. This means nearly half of Oregon's households are financially vulnerable, lacking the resources to withstand emergencies or unexpected expenses.
In our tri-county region, the cost of living continues to rise, outpacing wage growth and placing additional strain on working families. For example, in Clackamas County, the median household income is $100,360, yet the median value of owner-occupied housing units is $577,900, indicating a significant affordability gap.
Empowering Communities Through Resilience
This webinar will also introduce a newly developed Oregon-focused community resilience toolkit, created in partnership with Trauma Informed Oregon and the International Transformational Resilience Coalition (ITRC). The toolkit aims to support neighborhood-level collaboratives in implementing strategies that help all community members remain mentally well and resilient during climate change-related and other adversities.
Join Us
By participating in this webinar, you'll gain valuable insights into building a strengths-based, people-centered approach to emergency preparedness. Together, we can harness our collective power to create sustainable, thriving communities capable of withstanding and recovering from disasters.
Event Details:
Date: May 21, 2025
Time: 10:00–11:30 a.m.
Location: Virtual (Register Here)
We are all we got—and that’s more than enough. Let's come together to build resilience and support one another in times of need.