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Who could ever forget those days last December when the power went out all across Evergreen.
For several days, much of our mountain community sat in darkness. Homes lost power. Businesses closed. Freezers thawed. Plans changed. And for many people, life became immediately more complicated.
But in the early morning at EChO, something remarkable happened.
People showed up.
Staff. Volunteers. Community partners. Neighbors.
And everywhere you looked, there were little beams of light cutting through the darkness.
Headlamps.
It is hard to explain how encouraging a headlamp can feel until you are standing in a dark food pantry trying to save thousands of dollars’ worth of food.
With headlamps lighting the way, volunteers and staff moved perishables into our refrigerated truck. Jefferson County stepped in with a freezer trailer and generator. Volunteers transported food back and forth to the Shelter so nothing would be lost.
At the Shelter, volunteers stayed overnight even while their own homes were without power.
Others cooked hot meals at neighbors’ homes where generators were running so shelter guests could still sit down to something warm and familiar.
When someone could not make a shift, another volunteer quietly filled the gap.
No drama.
No panic.
No “that’s not my job.”
Just people continuing to care for one another.
That is what I remember most about those days.
Not the outage itself.
But the way this community responded.
A headlamp is a small thing.
It does not eliminate the darkness.
It does not solve the entire problem.
It simply helps you take the next step forward.
And maybe that is what hope often looks like.
Not giant solutions all at once.
Just enough light to keep serving.
Enough light to keep showing up.
Enough light to help someone else find their footing.
That is what our volunteers did during the outage.
And honestly, that is what happens every day at EChO.
Quiet acts of consistency.
Small rebellions against fear, scarcity, and isolation.
A meal served.
A shift covered.
A freezer saved.
A neighbor cared for.
Hope is a small rebellion.
And it usually looks a lot less dramatic than people imagine.
It often looks like someone wearing a headlamp and saying, “What needs to be done?”
That spirit is exactly what our Rebels of Hope mid-year campaign is about.
We are continuing toward our goal of:
100 Rebels of Hope
One hundred people stepping forward with a leadership gift of $2,500 to help sustain the work happening every single day across EChO.
And many others giving in ways that fit their lives and circumstances.
Because every gift helps keep the lights on, figuratively and literally, for neighbors who need support.
Become a Rebel of Hope today.
Help ensure that when difficult moments come, EChO is ready to respond with steadiness, compassion, and care.
Become a Rebel of Hope →
When the lights went out, this community revealed who it is.
People who show up.
People who care.
People willing to carry light for one another.
What a gift that is.
Hope is a small rebellion.
And together, we keep choosing it.
With gratitude,
Dale Flanders
Executive Director, EChO
P.S. There are a few weeks left to join our 100 Rebels of Hope. Your gift today helps sustain the countless small acts of care that make this community so extraordinary:
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