by Lisa Marie Boyd, Principal Broker/Owner
2020 has been, in so many ways, the year of devastation. Life as we knew it was dismantled by COVID-19. Even if we individually have managed to stay safe and healthy, and so many of us unfortunately have not, we have had to do hard things. We’ve learned how to be alone. We have come up with new ways of living and being under the same roof with our families. We supervise virtual school. We are staying home when all we want to do is go outside and hug everyone we know. Just when we thought we might be figuring out the new way of being, we have new destruction due to the wildfires all over Oregon and the West Coast. These fires ruined our air, destroyed a million acres of our beautiful Oregon forests, and most terribly, displaced or even taken our friends and fellow community members.
Like most people, our minds are blown, our bodies are weary, and our hearts broken. There simply are no words to adequately describe the feelings that all of us have right now.
Fortunately, 2020 has also been a year of community. Locally and statewide, everyone has shown how strong Oregon is. People have sewn, donated, and continue to wear masks. Neighbors have grocery shopped, run errands and supported each other during lockdown. Strangers have opened their homes for evacuees, their pets, and livestock. Law enforcement and firefighters, both paid and volunteer alike, have run towards the fires, instead of away to help save people and homes. Donations of fully cooked meals, water, clothes, gas cards, cash, hay, animal feed, and personal goods have flooded the evacuation centers. Thank you for your part in helping keep our community together and strong! We, at Town & Country Realty, have never been prouder of being Oregonians than we are right now.
Once the fire is out, there will still be much to do. First, make sure you change your furnace filters and clean your HVAC system. Check out the article in the Real Estate Guide from Hendrix Heating about filters. Also, have the filters in your cars changed. The smoke has wreaked havoc with both systems. If you have not done so in the last 6-12 months, reach out to your insurance broker to ensure that you have proper coverages for your home, auto, and life.
Finally, for some of us, life will never be the same. These individuals will need support as they rebuild their homes, towns, and lives. If you can and want to do more, please join us in supporting the great agencies listed on our Community Matters non-profit spotlight in the Real Estate Guide. These organizations are best poised to help in the rebuilding efforts. Thank you to everyone involved as we, as the great state we are, help our fellow Oregonians move forward.
Again, thank you for everything you have done to support your neighbors. Should you need support during this time, especially related to housing, please reach out to us. You can contact us in Corvallis at 541-757-1781 and in Albany at 541-924-5616. We will get through this, together.