Why bring Resilience Hubs to the Applegate?

The Applegate is isolated from the big city resources of Grants Pass and Medford. This distance from large scale development is part of what gives the Applegate its unique rural charm. However, it also means we need to be able to fend for ourselves in the event of an emergency, as it’s not guaranteed we’ll be able to rely on county services. This is where the self-reliance resources Resilience Hubs bring to the table become useful. The hubs will serve as locations where Applegaters can gather in the event of an emergency or natural disaster and access the resources they might need locally (shelter, food, water, wifi, power, ect). The hub model will also hopefully enable local first responders to more efficiently address the emergency, as they won’t have to devote so much of their time directing the public.

What will they look like?

The Applegate lacks the traditional downtown area or community center where a Resilience Hub might be located in a city. This reality has necessitated what might be considered a ‘non-traditional’ approach to assembling Hubs here in the Valley. In other words, we’ve had to be creative.

Where a city might select one centrally located space for their Hub, we’ve instead opted to assemble multiple hubs in strategic locations across the Valley. The Ruch Public Library and Pacifica in Williams have both been selected as potential sites for future Hubs. Additionally, a project is in motion to assemble a ‘multi-purpose response vehicle’ (with attached cooling trailer) that will bring mobile resilience hub services to the Valley.