On February 12-13, an ice storm downed thousands of trees/branches and caused wide-spread power outages for Shangri-La residential programs serving individuals with developmental disabilities or mental illness.
Over 20 of Shangri-La's 33 residential program locations were left without power for some time, many for 24 hours or more. Despite warmer temperatures quickly melting the ice, the storm left a wake of challenges:
Fallen trees and branches on homes, in yards, and on vehicles.
Food spoilage.
Difficulty with travel due to fallen trees.
Communication challenges due to limited or non-existent cell phone service.
If you'd like to donate to Shangri-La to support recovery efforts, donate online at www.shangrilaoregon.org/give.
That being said, Shangri-La's Direct Support Professionals (DSP) and program leadership worked diligently and creatively over the weekend to meet critical needs, such as:
Rationing and charging necessary devices, including medical equipment, blenders required to puree food.
Keeping individuals as warm as possible with blankets or 'warm-up sessions' in running vehicles.
Finding activities to keep individuals engaged and entertained.
Some programs transitioned individuals to hotels, although the availability of these rooms was very limited, or moved individuals to a program that had restored power or a generator.
As of Monday morning, February 15, a handful of programs are still without power. Shangri-La's property management team is visiting all affected programs today to assess the damage, mitigate any immediate safety hazards, and attempt to meet any outstanding immediate needs.
Our hearts go out to the thousands affected by this storm.
We send our immense appreciation to the linemen and power companies working around the clock to restore power, and the crews are already working to clean up downed trees and branches.
If you have any questions, please email community@shangrila-or.org.