For more than a decade, Tree for All partners have worked to develop the strong, active relationships necessary to achieve watershed health. These functional cross-sector alliances have proven crucial to effectively address the large-scale ecological issues facing our region.
Tree for All partners recognize that there is more to watershed health than ecological health alone, however—and the events of 2020 brought that truth home. When COVID-19 arrived in Oregon, followed months later by an unprecedented wildfire season, partners came together with the health community to help address some of Washington County’s most urgent needs.
The “People Protecting People” project provides personal protective equipment to Business Recovery Centers, agricultural workers, and community-based organizations including food banks and shelters.
In July, partners began delivering KN95 masks, hand sanitizer, gloves, and disinfectant wipes to distribution hubs. Recently, the project team has focused on expanding distribution by targeting the employees of sectors identified as high-risk for COVID transmission, such as assisted living facilities and food processing plants.
Highlights include:
200,000 masks for agricultural workers
250,000 masks for COVID Business Recovery Centers
300,000 masks for community-based organizations
100,000 masks for TriMet passengers
Personal protective equipment (PPE) delivered to all 10 Washington County Farmers Markets (200+ vendors served)
Prepositioned PPE distributed for grape harvest at all 31 vineyards in Washington County
Masks for all 800 Washington County Meals on Wheels participants
An agricultural distribution event at Tualatin River Farm (100,000 masks in one day)
All nine Washington County Chambers of Commerce served
The People Protecting People project would not have been possible without the partnership of the Washington County Emergency Operations Center & Health Department, the Washington County Visitors Association, Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation District, TriMet, Centro Cultural, the Muslim Educational Trust, the Farm Services Agency, the Oregon Child Development Coalition, Natural Resources Conservation Services, OSU Cooperative Extension, the Oregon Food Bank, Business Recovery Centers, among many other generous partners.
“We did not know there was going to be historic fires, but the deliveries reached us at the perfect time, just as the smoke from the fires was beginning. Of all the masks we distributed during the worst of the smoke no one had sufficient KN95 (or equivalent) masks provided to them, so it made a huge difference”
