In our high desert community of Central Oregon, the allure of natural beauty and a desirable lifestyle often comes with hidden challenges. Residents are frequently faced with the high cost of living, employment hurdles, and soaring housing prices, making it difficult to find the happiness and well-being they sought in arriving here. This City Club Forum will address these unique paradoxes, fostering explorations on self-care and community well-being amidst these realities. We will spark conversations about what constitutes personal happiness in our growing mountain town, including its impact on employment, aspirations and growth.
Objectives
- Explore Paradoxes of Happiness: Understand the contrast between the idyllic perception and practical challenges of living here.
- Promote Well-Being: Share strategies to enhance personal well-being and community thriving.
- Facilitate Dialogue: Encourage open discussions about self-care and communal support, why both matter, and personal next steps.
Forum Benefits
- Gain Insights: Learn about the realities of living in a place “everyone wants to move to for the lifestyle.”
- Reinforce Self-Care: Discover practical self-care strategies to enhance well-being.
- Build Community: Connect with others to create a supportive community network.
- Engage in Conversations: Participate in discussions about personal experiences and strategies for well-being.
- Access Resources: Get information on local resources for housing, employment, and health.
- Foster Support: Share stories and navigate the paradoxes of happiness together.
Join us for an enlightening discussion on balancing the charm and challenges of life in Central Oregon, and discover how to thrive amidst the paradoxes.
Speakers
Moe Carrick, Facilitator
Moe Carrick is a leading expert in workplace culture, dedicated to facilitating human thriving at work. With over two decades of experience, Moe has developed innovative frameworks and tools that have transformed workplace environments, helping employees feel valued, engaged, and purposeful. Her work emphasizes the seven essential needs people have in their jobs and the fundamental pillars of creating innovative, inclusive, and dynamic workplace cultures. As the founder of Moementum, Inc., Moe partners with organizations to create environments where both businesses and individuals can flourish because the future of work is people. She is the author of three bestselling books and a sought-after speaker on the future of work. Moe is a recipient of the Bend Chamber Woman of the Year Award, People and Culture Strategy CEO 2023, Portland Magazine’s Fastest Growing Companies, and Moementum was an award-winning BCorp fro 2014-2021. Moe served as Lead Facilitator for the original Bend 2030 project and refresh, was TEDxBend’s Lead Organizer, and raised her 3 children in Central Oregon as a resident since 1994.
Steven Ames, Regional Expert
Steven Ames is a long-range planner and former principal of NXT Consulting Group of Bend and Portland. Author of the American Planning Association’s Guide to Community Visioning, he has advised numerous cities in the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand in planning for the future. Always thinking about the “whole of community”, Steven engages people in exploring their shared values – what makes us happy about where we live – and how these values can help shape and inform our future. Steven holds degrees from Drew University and University of Michigan, and has studied with faculty of the London School of Economics. He is a recipient of Oregon APA’s Award for Distinguished Leadership by a Professional Planner and has been involved in numerous local planning initiatives, including Envision Bend and Building a Better Bend.
Resources
- Survey of over 1,000 Central Oregonians by OSU-Cascades, OHSU affirms link between community belonging, health
- EnVision Bend Action Plan
August 15 | 11:30am
Shiny Happy People — The Paradoxes of Living in Central Oregon
Location: Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Oregon
Register Here
