“The contest for a shared story cannot just be written in private spaces—we must engage with it through public discourse. We must not cede this critical ground to leaders who aim to not only impose their story, but try to deny us even the spaces to tell our story. This is why collective meaning-making, deeper collaboration, and gathering together are all vital antidotes in a time of crisis and division. “
-john a. powell, A Belonging Story
All year, IDA Providers have been there for communities in crisis. Financial coaches, counselors, and social service providers get an inside view into the struggles that families face, from the inability to afford the cost of living, to the fear gripping immigrant communities that are being torn apart and afraid to leave their homes. Households are losing SNAP benefits because of the new work requirements that are being imposed, and many individuals are unsure how they will afford healthcare next year. Despite those challenges, the staff that make up the IDA Initiative continue to believe in a future where everyone belongs and deserves to not just survive, but to thrive and realize their full potential.
We know that the work to advance economic justice and build more prosperous communities in Oregon will not be done in isolation, which is why we gathered in October for our 2025 IDA Day, an event focused on collaboration and care. 80 staff from across Oregon came to the beautiful hills of the Willamette Valley to connect, learn, and uplift each other during these difficult times.
The day features a variety of generous speakers, beginning with LaQuida Landford, who shared powerfully about her own journey and how she came to care for community through AfroVillage PDX. Gordon Scott, a staff of the IDA and enrolled member of The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Indian Reservation shared words of welcome and a beautiful song. Jane Rosenstein from NP facilitated a variety of interactive opportunities to collaborate, connect and learn from each other.
Our afternoon speakers Lucrecia Suarez and Barbara Reynolds, both social workers, helped us understand the role of emotions, shared insight into how we prioritize our own wellbeing in stressful situations, and gave us tools to keep ourselves grounded, calm and effective. Our IDA Saver Advisory Council shared more about what IDAs have meant for their own stories, and the ways they are contributing to the work of the IDA Initiative through the Advisory Council.
We want to thank our generous sponsors who allowed us to invite partners and savers from across Oregon at no cost to themselves or their organizations. In addition to learning, we provided gift bags of IDA-made products to take home, to remember that the work of caring for yourself is an essential part of the long-term care for community. And finally, we made sure there was time for connection, with a happy hour to end the day on the sunny patio of the Chemeketa Eola event center.
