The quaint town of Spray, Oregon has a beacon of community spirit in Joni Kabana's Spray General Store, a place that has evolved into a central hub for the town's 159 residents to gather, create, and connect. Twelve years after her gut led her to the dilapidated building, Kabana, who acts as the event and building manager has transformed it into a venue that offers everything from art and music to classes and meetings, as reported by the Oregon Department of Human Services. Now, thanks to a Resilience Hubs and Networks Grant from the Oregon Department of Human Services Office of Resilience and Emergency Management (OREM), the General Store is set to become even more of a cornerstone for the community.
The store was one of the recipients of the competitive grant, receiving $26,300 out of more than 700 applicants. As part of a statewide initiative funded by the Oregon Legislature through House Bill 3409 passed in 2023, the Spray General Store will now be able to install heating, providing relief from the bitter cold that plagued the kitchen and bathroom. "Ws," Kabana told the ODHS.
Besides infrastructural improvements, the grant is poised to transform the store into a lifeline for residents in times of disaster. Ed Flick, OREM Director, praised the town's resilience and the role the store played during a past forest fire. "It was a perfect example of what a resilience hub is," said Flick in an interview with the ODHS. Furthermore, the grant facilitates better access to stored materials for blacksmithing and ceramics, as it includes provisions for installing electricity in the back storage building, "Now if you need a tool or something you go in there and there is no light. You better go in during the day," Kabana elucidated.
Kabana also has plans to introduce a mobile BBQ food cart to the town, eyeing a partnership with local events to provide a quality dining experience in a town where restaurant options are scarce, a move that could further cement the Spray General Store as a hub of community life and comfort. Jenn Bosch, OREM Grants Program Administrator summarized the sentiment, "This is a wonderful opportunity to upgrade the heating and provide operational costs to keep the General Store functioning year-round. If the need arises, this will be a place the people of Spray can go to seek shelter, water and other resources," according to the ODHS.
