‘The fire disproportionately impacted our most vulnerable population’ Elda Medina with her daughter, Alesandra, in Medford, Ore. (Paul Wilson for The Washington Post) (Paul Wilson) Megan Botel
Jan. 6, 2021
By Sept. 8, the day Elda Medina, 33, was supposed to go to her daughter’s elementary school to pick up supplies for a semester of distance learning, temperatures had been hovering above 100 degrees for weeks in southern Oregon.
Soon after Medina got to work she’s a medical assistant in Medford, Ore. she got an email from the school. The pickup had been postponed because of strong wind and thick smoke warnings.
Then, news of a fast-moving wildfire raging through southern Oregon broke, and her 11-year-old daughter called: A local sheriff was outside their trailer at San Rogue Mobile Park with a megaphone, ordering them to evacuate.
MEDFORD, Ore. A Medford non-profit is asking for the community’s help to add more pallet shelters for the homeless.
Earlier this month, ‘Rogue Retreat’ says an anonymous donor gave them $35,000 to create 10 more pallet shelters.
That’s in addition to the 14 they have right now.
The shelters are temporary living spaces for the homeless located at the non-profit’s ‘urban campground’ off Biddle road.
Executive Director of Rogue Retreat, Chad McComas, says 10 new shelters will cost a little over $70,000 with shipping.
The non-profit is still $11,000 short.
“They actually have a little spot that’s there own now with a door that locks. And they can leave their things there. They don’t have to worry about them being stolen. Now, they can start putting their energy on not where they’re going to sleep, not where they’re going to put their things, but what do I do now to move forward,” he said.
The Brooks family, like so many others, lost their home on September 8th.
“The day of the fire, we actually went to the fairgrounds, we didn’t know what happened to our house, we had heard different rumors,” said home recipient, Christy Brooks.
Brooks is a single mother to two daughters, 12-year-old Jordan and 5-year-old Alissa.
When Brooks finally found out what became of her home, her life was forever changed, “When we got to the trailer.. there was considerable smoke damage as well as water damage. the floor was almost destroyed.. the toilet in our bathroom fell through the floor… the ceiling was collapsing.”