Since Labor Day weekend, the state of Oregon has faced insurmountable wildfires, along with a large portion of the West Coast. Nearly a million acres have been burned in Oregon while over five million have perished between Washington, Oregon, and California. As a result of the disastrous fires, an estimated 30,000-40,000 Oregonians have been forced to evacuate and hundreds of families have lost their homes.

In times of overwhelming uncertainty for so many, we have seen communities come together to help those who need it most. Now, we even see it in our Wilsonville High School community. In the middle of the second week in September, WHS students Max Wilson, Michael Culp, and Wyatt Miller came up with the idea to help gather donations for those displaced by the wildfires. Senior Emilia Bishop quickly agreed to help and she and her family spread the word on social media. A few days later, Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat were flooded with posts signaling what was needed and what you could do to help. The group had collection centers throughout town at Edge Fitness, Joy of Life Chiropractic, and Scott Nichols Family Insurance. Bishop shared that, “We wanted to bring comfort to people… With so many people in a scramble, there was a lot that people didn’t even know they needed.” 

The group gathered a wealth of helpful donations! Notably, one man brought fifty cases of water and Senestraro Orthodontics donated many blankets. Bishop says that once things have calmed down a bit, they will work on collecting even more after people get a chance to assess what is needed. She ends by adding that, “It was so amazing seeing how much people wanted to help and the impact we were able to have. It’s really incredible to see people coming together as a community during such a scary time.” This group of students, as well as everyone who aided and donated, is a great example taking a strong and proactive approach, even in these uncertain circumstances. We hope that everyone is staying safe and can continue to help others in any way they can!