Doug Stidd

Doug Stidd is an amazing volunteer that has been crucial to the rebuilding of businesses, homes and lives in the Santiam Canyon. Doug has literally donated hundreds of hours and given untold financial costs to be a volunteer for survivors in the Santiam Canyon. He is a key member of almost every project on the schedule and personally gets to know the survivors we assist. His commitment to getting up early on a Saturday morning, driving any distance to the often remote work site, bringing all his own equipment, supplies and resources, then works tirelessly in rain, snow, wind and extreme heat to finish the job makes him my Hero of the Santiam Canyon Wildfire Recovery!

Jake Valentine Bentz

Jake Valentine Bentz has done it all at Santiam Disaster Services. He has left no rock unturned for survivors of the Santiam Canyon and no job undone. In 2020, when the wildfires hit, Jake was a 17-year-old Service Integration volunteer helping distribute much needed food, clothing, and supplies to survivors at Anthony Hall. Eventually, Jake took over coordination of Anthony Hall, which became the central distribution site for Santiam Disaster Services. During this time, Jake also helped recruit and train volunteers to help keep the site running.

Eventually, Jake stepped into the role of Distribution Coordinator, a position generously funded by Marion Polk Food Share. In this role, he delivered countless food boxes to survivors who had transportation difficulties; he helped numerous survivors move into their new homes, and transported furniture to survivors among other duties. Always thinking about additional ways to assist survivors, he worked with Regis High School students to collect donated food items in order to provide supplemental food for survivors housed in hotels without the ability to cook. Community has always been at the center of Jake’s heart.

Jake attended the Marion County survivor group meetings held at Foothills Church in representation of Santiam Disaster Services. At these meetings, he provided survivors with updates on services available to them. He also attended various town hall meetings and forums related to survivors and reported pertinent information to Disaster Services staff.

Over time, Jake’s involvement continued to expand. He contributed to registering wildfire survivors with case management services. He created social media content, flyers, and created processes to help streamline workflow. He wrote grants that helped survivors receive household goods when they moved into their home. His versatility and skill for a young man his age is remarkable. Currently, Jake is pursuing higher education at the University of Oregon and is currently the community resilience coordinator. In this role, he will focus on preparing the community on future disasters. Throughout his various roles and responsibilities, his talent became evident but what shines the most is his character. His willingness to give of himself, his sensibility, and empathy towards the survivors he met.

Jake is a man of community and service.

Here are some comments from his co-workers:

“In the years that I have gotten to know Jake he is the most positive and caring person to all. He has and continues to relentlessly advocate on behalf of survivors. With his words of encouragement and his music he has made me a better person”

“Jacob has a way of just meeting everyone right where they are at. He is kind, honest and very creative and jumps into action every chance he gets. A real spirt of giving to others is what makes him so very special. “

“When I think of Jake, I think of a pure heart, an amazing human that is so much older than 20 yrs. He can drive anything, he even had to back my pickup and trailer up for me ( after trying to encourage me to do it myself ). He’s more organized then anyone I know, he kept Anthony hall donation center stocked, sorted and ready for our survivors needs. He’s a forward thinker and he has taught me so much, not to judge situations, and mostly to always remain humble. I am honored to have worked with Jake, he was always quick to go along with one of my crazy plans, grab the box truck or wood chipper and pitch in where needed all while volunteering for Marion Polk Food Share, acting as a case manager and applying for grants to help survivors integrate into their new homes. When asked who my hero here at Disaster Services is, it was easy to say Jake”

“Every day Jake continues to impress me. He is empathetic, caring, and passionate to help survivors. Jake is constantly looking forward and a strong advocate of disaster preparedness”