EOCIL - Eastern Oregon Center for Independent Living: Recent Episodes
EOCIL
A podcast centered on disability justice, accessibility, and independent living hosted by the Eastern Oregon Center for Independent Living.
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Raquel, the director of Programs and Operations for Poder of Idaho, shared her journey into immigration advocacy and the work of her organization, which mobilizes and educates the Latino community on legislative processes and bills affecting undocumented and Latino communities. They discussed the importance of cultural sensitivity, spirituality, and advocacy in their work, as well as the challenges faced by marginalized communities in Idaho. The conversation also touched on the importance of educating people about their rights during interactions with law enforcement, the potential for conducting a workshop to support rural towns, and the role of young people in driving change in society.
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I was able to sit down with three different members of the Oregon Human Development Corporation (OHDC) based in Ontario to have a conversation about all the work that each one of them does for the people in the agricultural field. We dive in by talking about each member's personal journey and how each one of them at one point utilized OHDC in their own lives and the significance that made to them and their family. They discuss each of their roles in detail and why their work matters, from providing educational resources and skills training for farm workers to supporting individuals in their current fields to achieve higher certifications. We at EOCIL encourage you all to reach out to them for any questions you have about their wonderful organization at (541)-881-1491. You can also find their office locations and contact information by visiting their website at www.ohdc.org. We hope you enjoy this episode.
The Director of Victor Fox Cultivating Housing Services, Jeff Williams, speaks about the fantastic work they provide for individuals living with HIV and people with substance use disorders. He talks about the program's history and the tremendous steps it has taken to reduce as many barriers as possible. That may include providing access to care and temporary housing for needy individuals. Tune in to learn about it in-depth, and we hope you enjoy it.
In this episode of Queer Coded, our host, Mary Ellen Buxton, interviews Edie Engelmann, a nonbinary civil engineer and LGBTQ+ advocate living and working in rural Eastern Oregon. Edie discusses their agender identity and shares their experience exploring and identifying their gender, sexuality, and expression. They also share their process of coming out to family and friends regarding not only sexuality but also gender identity and expression. They talk about having been met with great support from not only family but from friends and community members. They discuss experiences of gender dysphoria as a youth and as an adult and, in turn, discuss their desire for and process of receiving gender-affirming procedures. They go on to discuss the intersections of their gender identity and expression and their neurodivergency. Edie shares their experience of seeking community online and in-person in their rural community. We wrap up our episode by discussing the impact of their identities in their chosen career field.
In today's episode of Voices In Action, we sit down with a member of Paths ReMembered, an organization based on serving the 2Spirit and LGBTQIA community. We discuss what it means to be 2Spirit'd and its origins. Jerico Cummings, the guest for this episode, not only shares what their role is in Paths ReMembered but also their personal journey of self-identity and how that has impacted their lives. Join us as we get further understanding and education on the Indigiqueer population and so much more. We would also like to encourage you to check out their page at www.pathsremember.org if you would like to know more information on their services and how we can help support.
In this episode of Queer Coded, our host, Mary Ellen Buxton, interviews Nathan Smith, an LGBTQ+ Mental Health Specialist, drag queen, and HIV/AIDS activist. Nathan shares details of his origins in the Indiana drag scene and tells of the social climate surrounding drag in rural Eastern Oregon. Nathan also discusses the need for LGBTQ+ mental health supports in Pendleton and Eastern Oregon while also recognizing that there are already a lot of supports in place in the region, though they may be hard to find. He goes on to describe his relationship with gender as well as the process of shaping his drag name, persona, and style.
In this episode, we had the honor of sitting down with Marcos, a long-time community member of EOCIL. He shares his personal life story on how he grew up, his family dynamic, his struggles with substance use, and much more of his lived experiences. He breaks down what his journey through detox and recovery was like, and he shares his message with those who are thinking about starting their own journey. We hope you enjoy.
In this episode of Queer Coded, our host, Mary Ellen Buxton, interviews Nathan Smith, an LGBTQ+ Mental Health Specialist, drag queen, and HIV/AIDS activist. Nathan shares details of his origins in the Indiana drag scene and tells of the social climate surrounding drag in rural Eastern Oregon. Nathan also discusses the need for LGBTQ+ mental health supports in Pendleton and Eastern Oregon while also recognizing that there are already a lot of supports in place in the region, though they may be hard to find. He goes on to describe his relationship with gender as well as the process of shaping his drag name, persona, and style.
In this episode, I talked to Eddie Melendrez, a city council member, an artist, and a food bank worker in Eastern Oregon. Eddie shared his personal life story, to pursuing his passion for art and education, to becoming involved in local politics and community service. Eddie also discussed his role in the city council, where he advocates for the rights and needs of people. He also talked about his role as an artist, where he expresses his creativity and identity through various mediums and projects. Finally, he talked about his job at the food bank, where he helps provide food and resources to people who are struggling. Eddie's story is an inspiring example of how one can overcome challenges, pursue one's dreams, and make a positive impact in one's community.
In this episode, Our host, Richard Rojas-Perez, and our guest, Chris Fox, cover the basics of HIV transmission, the stages of infection, and the importance of testing and treatment. We also discuss common misconceptions and the social impact of HIV, aiming to foster understanding and compassion in our community's approach to prevention and support.
In this month's episode, we sit down with an AETC member, Ary Bryce. They host an affinity space once a month that is not only intended for BIPOC folk but is also a genuinely safe space for people of color to join and feel in unity with one another. We get into the details of what an Affinity space looks like and the goals that are intended for this space. Amador shares his own experience with discrimination and prejudice and explains how a space like the one Ary holds has helped him in many ways. We discuss how trauma-informed care occurs within spaces like these and how we can make safer spaces in the future to allow for healing and understanding. Not only that, but we talk about AETC as a whole and its role in creating a wide variety of training and educational material intended to help spread awareness and address issues that might be missed from an organizational standpoint.
In this month’s episode of Queer Coded, we sit down with Mr. K Ponce Martinez, a queer educator teaching in a special education Headstart classroom in rural Eastern Oregon. Mr. Ponce Martinez discusses the intersection of his multi-faceted identity and how heteronormativity affected his identity growing up. He also sheds light on his experiences accessing necessary and affirming medical care in his rural community. We discuss the role of gender-affirming care both within and outside of an LGBTQ+ context. Mr. Ponce Martinez also discusses gender dysphoria and the role it has played in his life. We also discuss coming out as a queer educator in a rural setting, and we explore navigating that experience under the current social and political climate. Additionally, we discuss the role that community-based organizations can play in helping educators create a more affirming educational experience for their students. We hope you enjoy the premiere episode of Queer Coded.
In this month's episode of Voices in Action, we were lucky enough to have a very special guest from the National Harm Reduction Coalition, Tanagra Melgarejo. She is the Director of National Capacity Building with the NHRC and helps provide training and education throughout the United States. She helps break down the rich history of where the term “Harm Reduction” originated from and how it was intended to help those struggling with addiction. It stems from “a place of love,” as she describes harm reduction principles and core values. It also looks very different from coast to coast, and her knowledge and experience from traveling to other parts of the country and seeing how it affects different people helps us understand what we need to improve. We here at EOCIL encourage everyone to visit www.harmreduction.org to learn more about their movement and all the amazing training they offer. We hope you enjoy this episode.
In this episode of Voices In Action, we speak with Angela Carter. They have done so much work with many institutions by joining board committees and starting their foundations. They have played an instrumental role in developing and rolling out Measure 110, which helps organizations like ours provide Harm Reduction services. They explain their role in developing the plan and how Measure 110 is supposed to help. They also have a degree in Naturopathic medicine with a focus on psilocybin. They are currently part of a group to support all this medication to become fully legalized for the public and what potential it has for people who may have depression, anxiety, and many other conditions that modern medicine can't help. They have a long history of being a part of a handle of programs and organizations that support our community, all of which you will hear in this episode.
In today's episode of Voices in Action, I sit down with a Queer and Disabled advocate Andrew Gurza. We learn more about who he is and their journey over the years. We dive into his early childhood and what his family life was like living with a disability. He explains some of his struggles with his family and all their efforts to make him feel no different than anyone kid at the time. His path from being a youth to a young adult showed some struggles, but he was able to find his way around. He started his own company with his sister, which helps empower people with their sexuality. Though they faced many barriers in early development, they achieved all their goals. Not only that, but he also talks about his work around advocacy and his podcast and what it means to him. I hope you all enjoy this episode.
In today's episode, we sit down with Mary Ellen Buxton and discuss their experience in rural Oregon. We break down their household life and how they became the person they are today. They grew up in a religious household, and their feelings and identity did not fit the social norm. That, however, did not stop them from being the person they are today. We detail what their early childhood life was like between the time they were in middle school throughout high school and college. They explain their experience throughout their time in the educational system and what they did in terms of finding support resources and advocacy for people they identified with. We get to know Mary Ellen personally and understand their goals throughout their college career, majoring in history and always wanting to teach in a school setting. They found themself in a position with Eastern Oregon Center for Independent Living as Assistant Director of 2Spirit and LGBTQIA+ resource services, where they hold together a youth network of young LGBTQIA+ youth to come together. They explain what the goal of these groups are intended for and how they help benefit the community. They also help explain their plans and services they would like to provide that have fallen through the cracks in Eastern Oregon. If you'd like to know more, please visit us at www.eocil.org
In today's episode, we sit down with Mary Ellen Buxton and discuss her experience in rural Oregon and how she became the person she is today. She grew up in a religious household and her feelings and identity did not fit the social norm. She explains her experience throughout her time in the educational system and what she did in terms of finding support resources and advocacy for people whom she identified with. She eventually found herself in a position with Eastern Oregon Center for Independent Living as Assistant Director of 2Spirit and LGBTQIA+ resource services, where she holds together a youth network of young LGBTQIA+ youth to come together. She explains what the goal of these groups are intended for and how they help benefit the community. She also helps explain her future plans and services she would like to provide that have fallen through the cracks in Eastern Oregon. In this episode, we get to know Mary Ellen personally and understand her goals throughout her college career and how her work for EOCIL fits into a lifelong journey.
En el podcast de hoy, nos tomamos el tiempo para hablar con uno de los directores asistentes de EOCIL. Richard ha asumido el papel principal como director asistente de los Servicios de Extensión de EOCIL. Se centra principalmente en correr la voz sobre la prevención del VIH. Desglosamos el programa y lo que Richard ha planeado para él. Queríamos compartir la importancia de su trabajo sobre cómo ayuda a reducir el estigma en la comunidad. Ya sea normalizando las pruebas o asegurando que los proveedores de salud locales estén equipados con la medicación adecuada para ayudar a prevenir la propagación del VIH. Esto incluiría informar a los proveedores y a la comunidad sobre la PEP y la PrEP. Dos medicamentos separados pero esenciales que pueden beneficiar a muchas personas en riesgo de contraer el VIH. Desglosamos esto y nos sumergimos en cómo es el proceso, qué podría esperar al venir a recibir un kit de prueba de VIH para llevar a casa y cómo podría ayudarlo a comprender mejor su estado de VIH.
In today’s podcast, we take the time to speak with one of EOCIL’s assistant directors. Richard has taken the lead role in because the assistant director of EOCIL’s Outreach Services. He primarily focuses on spreading the word about HIV prevention. We break down the program and what Richard has planned for it. We wanted to share the importance of his work on how it helps reduce stigma in the community. Whether that be by normalizing testing or ensuring that local health providers are equipped with the proper medication to help prevent the spread of HIV. This would include informing providers, and the community, about PEP and PrEP—two separate but essential medications that can benefit many people at risk of acquiring HIV. We dive into what the process is like, what you can expect when coming in to receive a take-home HIV test kit, and how it could help you better understand your HIV status.
In today’s episode of Voices in Action, we cover the hot topic of Senate Bill 420 and how that will increase access to crucial resources for people with brain injuries. Brain injuries are an issue that many people can face throughout their lifetime, from young kids hurt while playing to teenagers in sports to the elderly population falling. David gives us his background on how he started his career path and the personal connection he has with brain injuries. We then bring up the main topic for this episode, Senate Bill 420. He breaks down what it is and the ideal purpose behind it. Many services are available to people living with brain injuries, but the ability to access them can be very difficult. The bill will establish a way for someone with a brain injury to easily access these various services throughout parts of Oregon. David explains why this bill was first drafted and what void it will be filling. If you would like to know more about this bill and support it with your signature, the site will be available.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScHfrAjZrFNWKjm1GwQ3CaTZ5Zr5VdJ4_01QHdLA2eGatVIyA/viewform
In today’s episode, I sit down with Carrie Luke. She is a Behavioral Health Specialist at Eastern Oregon Center for Independent Living. I wanted to bring her on due to her extensive knowledge of what trauma is and what it means to provide trauma-informed care. Many people face difficulties in their lives that are unique to them, and we each handle these obstacles in various ways. Carrie describes what trauma is and what it can look like for different people who might have a similar lived experience. No one handles trauma in the same way, so it is important for us to bring light to these different forms of trauma. The effects can be significant, ranging from Big T trauma to Little T trauma. Our environments and the people we surround ourselves with can cause lifelong impacts. Carrie shares her experiences handling trauma and different modalities to help address trauma. We discuss the harm that dismissing people’s lived experiences can have and the best way to present trauma-informed care.
In today’s episode, I sat down with Steven Wolf. He is a Recovery Mentor and Peer Support Specialist over at Origins Faith. I wanted to speak with him because of his fantastic story. Whether it is drug or alcohol abuse, Steven has been through it all. Steven talks about substance abuse starting at a young age, and we discuss the personal reasons we both used drugs and what we learned from those experiences. We break down why someone might be using and how that affects us as individuals as well as how we feared disappointing our loved ones if they found out. Finally, Steven discusses his breaking point and how he did whatever was necessary to change his life. He started attending various meetings and getting involved in volunteer work. He is now a Recovery Mentor, where he helps those struggling with recovery and helps be a guiding hand in support of their position. He visits various people from different walks of life and even has a drop-in centers so that people have even more access to help.
In this episode of Voices in Action, we sat down with Timmie Turley. She is a trans woman who had to overcome incredible obstacles throughout her life. We spoke about her upbringing and how she grew up in a household as a boy and what was expected of “him” at the time. She recalls constantly feeling more comfortable wearing women’s clothing than she did wearing men’s clothing. Here, Timmie shares her experiences with hiding from herself, hiding from her family, being blackmailed by her ex-wife, and eventually coming to self-acceptance.
In this episode, we meet with a community member who lost everything during the COVID pandemic, a life-altering event that has led to homelessness and addiction. Shawn Schneider shares his experiences and his knowledge about life after loss, personal resilience, and the road to recovery.
In this episode, we discuss what life is like for someone who has been through the prison system. Sheila's story helps people understand what someone has to go through, from being mistreated to being seen only as a number, in the US prison system. She walks us through her journey from how she started a life of drug addiction to leaving prison with certificates from various Universities.
In this episode, Amador Perez and Hillary Kennedy discuss the hardships faced by people who suffer from addiction. We explore not only the contributing factors faced by people with addiction, but the ways in which current legal and medical approaches to addiction can further harm our communities, families, and loved ones.
In this episode with my guest speaker, Issak Garcia, we talked about and broke down what his experience was throughout schooling regarding sexual education. Graduating four years apart from Issak, I wanted to see if some significant changes occurred between that time and our differences. Where were we taught different things because of regional views and stances? Where did we expose to safe sex education at appropriate times? Was the information available to us when we needed it? Those are some of the questions we dive into to try and see what could change or needs to change to keep the youth informed and educated. The goal with this is to spread awareness and get people to ask the question “how do I stay safe,” “who do I ask,” and “where do I need to go to find out this information.” By asking Issak what his experience was, we could find what was missing in his education. We could point out what he saw people doing and how having or not having a proper sexual education affected those around him. We spoke about what he wishes he saw because he was able to experience that firsthand coming from a community with a few teen pregnancies and a lot of unsafe sex. I was able to share my experience when I was in school and be able to compare with one the differences and what worked and didn’t work. We both came to a similar conclusion in the end where we believe that there need to be changes made to help educate people, especially the youth, about safe sex, STDs, HIV, where to get prevention tools, and who to ask these questions.
In this episode, infectious disease and HIV specialist Dr. Chris Evans joins EOCIL's Amador Perez for a conversation about HIV awareness and prevention, stressing the importance of sexual health education and community resources.
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