Next Door Brings Hope to Celilo Village Community

Contributed Photo From The Next Door. Raymond Estrada talking about the Celilo Village community in the Stories of Hope video series from The Next Door.

By Haley Mast

“My community before covid...we've always been a strong community,” said Raymond Estrada talking about Celilo Village. “We've always been able to take care of ourselves and not rely on anybody but ourselves.”

But that changed with the pandemic.

Dawn LeMieux is the program coordinator with The Next Door. Through the organization she supports the native families and individuals within our community. Since the virus, community members in the Celilo Village have faced loss and hardships. With the help of LeMieux The Next Door has supplied an abundance of hope and support for the Village community in the midst of the pandemic. 

Contribute photo from The Next Door. Dawn LeMieux, program coordinator with The Next Door, talks in the Stories of Hope video series.

Estrada, Natives Along the Big River participant, Native American Leadership Coalition member, and Celilo Village member expresses the hardships the Celilo Village community has faced through the pandemic and the grateful support The Next Door supplied them with. 

When the pandemic hit in April a leader of the Celilo Village, Bobby Begay, got sick and passed away. The loss of the community's loved one affected the entire village tremendously, 

“It had a big impact on our family, and our community, our village,” said Estrada. 

Estrada expressed the struggles the Celilo Village faced before the pandemic - a lack of employment, opportunity for employment, and adequate housing. Once the pandemic hit the raff of these hardships became more of a struggle for the Village. 

“The hardships have flown in like no tomorrow… there was a lack of resources, a lack of food…Its’s [Covid] had a huge impact on our hearts, a huge impact on our spiritual well-being,” said Estrada. 

“The children of the tribe are suffering... they don't understand why they can’t play with one another, why we can't gather..why we can't celebrate the foods we celebrate each year,” he said. 

The Next Door Video series: Stories of Hope are available online for a short period of time, donations can always be made to the organization through their website.

With the help of LeMieux at The Next Door, the Celilo Village received the support they needed to give members and families hope in a time of hardship and sadness. 

“The Next Door was able to help so many families put smiles on their faces not just once but twice,” said Estrada. 

The Next Door was there to supply support to a single mother in the Celilo Village who recently lost her partner, and head of household. Estrada talks about the mother's story and the villages suffering in an interview with The Next Door, which can be found online at Stories Of Hope From The Next Door.

“What they do for our community is immeasurable...they do so much for everybody...we are still here because of the support they gave,” said Estrada.