The Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) Office of Resilience and Emergency Management (OREM) is pleased to announce the recipients of its Resilience Hubs and Networks grant. A total of 87 organizations from across the state have been selected to receive a portion of this transformative funding. A full list of awardees can be found on the ODHS OREM website.

The Resilience Hubs and Networks Grant program, funded through House Bill 3409 passed by the Oregon Legislature in 2023, allocated $10 million to help develop resilience hubs and networks throughout the state.

A resilience hub is a location where people come together daily to share resources, support one another and find resources during emergencies. A resilience network is an association of facilities, organizations, resource providers or service providers outside of a physical resilience hub facility that collectively serve the purposes of a resilience hub.

One recipient, a community center named Spray General Store in Spray, Oregon, is featured in this story as an example of how this grant is helping small communities build stronger, more resilient futures. “When they told me I got our grant, and they told me we could have heat I got really choked up. I got really emotional. Rarely do we get funding for building issues. That bathroom and kitchen are really freezing. We would hear people scream when they went into the bathroom. Getting heat in the kitchen and bathroom is going to be a game changer for us,” Joni Kabana, Spray General Store event and building manager, said.

“We knew there was a need for the resilience hubs and networks grant funding in Oregon, but I was blown away when I learned that there were 700 applicants from across the state! I am pleased that our initial investment of $10M is supporting 87 localized projects, including building repair, outreach, communications and emergency response equipment, vehicles, training, operational expenses, and more. Communities and organizations are best situated to identify needs, and prepare and respond to emergencies and disasters—and ultimately to shape their own resilience. This program helps to do just that,” Representative Pam Marsh, sponsor of House Bill 3409, said.

Ed Flick, OREM Director, said, “This grant is a game changer for Oregon. The streamlined application process and the flexibility to support a wide range of projects really underscores the truth that local communities know best what they need to thrive.”

With more than 700 applications submitted, 87 applications were chosen to receive funding—highlighting the overwhelming demand and the critical importance of this program. $2 million was set aside to provide each of the Nine Tribes of Oregon with $222,222.

Grant recipients had the option to apply for funding to support their current or emerging resilience hubs or networks, and/or to receive a pre-designed package of essential emergency equipment called a typed package. These ‘typed packages’ are specifically designed set of supplies to help communities stay safe before, during and after emergencies. Last week ODHS OREM contracted with an Oregon company, Fixed Resilience, to assemble and deliver these packages to 18 grant recipients, ensuring that communities have the tools they need to respond effectively when disasters strike.

This innovative program is not just about responding to emergencies — it’s about building long-term resilience and strengthening the fabric of communities across Oregon.

Learn more about the Resilience Hubs and Networks grant.