08/27/2026
Every once in a while, I see something happening in a community that I wish more people could see.
Monday was one of those days.
I kicked off my West Coast swing in Eugene, Oregon, with the folks at PIVOT Architecture and their partners. We spent hours talking about what they've learned and created together, then I visited Everyone Village to see some of it firsthand.
Years ago, PIVOT began working with local educators to give young people meaningful, real-world learning experiences. Then devastating wildfires hit Oregon, displacing thousands of people.
Around this time, PIVOT'S Alexis Thomas went through our Getting Started Public Innovators Virtual Lab at The Harwood Institute. She brought what she learned back to the work and helped others put it into practice.
So when the fires hit, they Turned Outward. Instead of assuming what people needed, they asked—with an open mind and no predetermined answer.
Fire survivors needed sheds to protect what they could salvage. Students needed real work that mattered. They brought those needs together and started building.
Then they Turned Outward to the students themselves. What did they care about? What were they seeing in their community?
Homelessness kept coming up.
And the work kept growing. Students moved from building sheds for wildfire survivors to building structures that met other real community needs. Their work connected with EveryOne Village, where students helped build homes for people who had been unhoused.
Along the way, one student put into words what this meant to him: “It gave me a feeling of self worth. Like, I’m giving back to my community.”
The ripples kept spreading. Students gained skills and found jobs. New partners stepped forward. New pathways emerged. Eventually, these efforts grew into Team Oregon Build, bringing education, industry, state agencies and community partners together across Oregon.
This is what a chain reaction of change looks like. Monday, I got to walk through one of those ripples.
At a time when so many Americans have lost belief in one another and in our own ability to make a difference, we need proof that another path is possible. That's why I'm out West this week campaigning for the New Civic Path. Eugene is that proof.
Next stop on the West Coast swing: The 2026 United Way Western Regional Conference.
Special thanks to the PIVOT team and everyone who has stepped forward to be apart of this important work Lane Education Service District, Lane Workforce Partnership, Team Oregon Build, Oregon Workforce Partnership, CALCI 4J, and so many others.
