Grant County’s people show generosity

One of my favorite spots in Grant County is atop the ridge near the airport overlooking John Day. From there, I can see much of the community nestled in the valley.

Off to the east, cattle are lowing in a green pasture. Baseball diamonds lie ready for the first hits of spring. The rodeo and fair grounds are buttoned up for the winter. White church steeples reach skyward.

This is a community at ease with itself.

By any measure, it’s been a difficult year. The wildfires that raced up the canyon, destroying all in their path, threatened the community but not its resolve. Those whose homes and property fell victim to the flames found help and comfort in the generosity of their neighbors and friends.

I like mathematics. It helps tell a story that cannot easily be told any other way. Consider these numbers: 7,180, 9.1, 35,051, 43 and 244,615.31.

In Grant County, 7,180 people live. It is a shrinking number. Since 1950, when the population peaked at 8,239, the number of county residents has decreased as the economy has faced challenge after challenge. The mills have struggled and other businesses have not been able to replace those economic drivers. The 9.1 percent seasonally adjusted local unemployment rate as of September was the highest in the state and more than 50 percent higher than the unemployment rate in Portland and the Willamette Valley.

The average per-household income of $35,051 signifies how much each household brings in annually. That’s $17,000 less than the median household income in Multnomah County.

The number 43 is the saddest number. It’s the number of homes lost to wildfires this year in Grant County.

If 43 is saddest number, 244,615.31 is the most miraculous. That’s the number of dollars donated to victims of the wildfires.

That means, in the county with the highest unemployment rate in the state, $34 was contributed by every man, woman and child. If you consider the 3,319 households in the county, $74 was contributed by each.

Every so often, life knocks you to your knees. No matter how tough you are or how prepared you are, something comes along that leaves you at loose ends. That’s when your neighbors, friends — and total strangers — pitch in to help you get back on your feet.

That’s when miracles happen.

People such as Jason and Amanda Wright and their daughter Carle know about that. They lost everything to the fires. Their home, clothes, furniture — everything. Yet through the generosity of the community and other guardian angels — including Kathy Stewart, who offered them the use of a furnished house — they are getting back on their feet.

The people of Grant County are known for their resilience, for how they bounce back from misfortunes, large and small. Now they are also known for their generosity.

When I stand atop that ridge overlooking the valley, I see more than the natural beauty. I see the beauty of the people who live here.

Carl Sampson is managing editor of the Capital Press, an agricultural newspaper and website. He was in John Day helping out at the Blue Mountain Eagle.