Author: RiverAdmin
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Progress isn’t always fast—but it’s still progress.
Selina Pedi-Smith, Pellere Foundation Welcome to June! And… this isn’t the article I hoped I’d be writing right now. I hoped we’d have more definitive updates, more visible progress, more reasons to celebrate. But, after two decades of doing this work, I can’t say I’m surprised. Slow, sometimes excruciatingly painful progress is the norm, not Read more
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Redevelopment: 3 Pitfalls Worth Rethinking
Selina Pedi-Smith, Pellere Foundation If you’ve ever raised an eyebrow at the word “redevelopment,” you’re not alone. We’ve all seen the news stories where we know something just ain’t right. Fly-by-night developers. Big, flashy ideas that seem totally out of place in a community. Here in our own region, let’s be honest – the biggest Read more
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Our Community Has SO Many Stories to Tell
These past few weeks, we’ve taken you along with us – into my head (yikes), into sticky-note reminders and sideways video adventures, and into the sunshine on a spring afternoon in Emlenton. We’ve shared what makes us tick, and how different brains, personalities, and experiences come together to shape this work. But here’s the thing: Read more
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Conversations in Motion: What We Learned on a Thursday Afternoon in Emlenton
Selina Pedi-Smith, Pellere Foundation It started as a simple plan: take a walk, capture some video footage, and talk about how different brains and personalities work together to build community. It turned into one of those seemingly-simple but deeply impactful afternoons that left me feeling a little lighter, a little clearer, and even more grateful Read more
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“Right, so…. Wait, what was I saying?”
By: Selina Pedi-Smith, Pellere Foundation If you know me at all, you know that sentence comes out of my mouth at least three times a day. Sometimes four. I have a short-term memory that could charitably be described as… not great. I have Alexa reminders for the notes on my phone, which point to sticky Read more
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No, Don’t Do That! (The Joys of DIY Videography)
Selina Pedi-Smith, Pellere Foundation “No, don’t do that. I don’t wanna do that. Stop that!”—actual quote from Rachel this week as we tried to film a simple video. Cut to: an accidental clip of the W 2nd St house project slowly spinning from sideways to upside down while both of us tried not to scream… Read more
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A New Voice, Stitched from the Quiet: Pele’s Perspective
This month, a new voice joins our pages. Not loud, not urgent, but present. Pele – some folks say Pell-ay, others Pell-ee; he doesn’t mind, he just likes being called –came from the drawer of forgotten things. A button here, a scrap of fabric there, stitched together by someone who didn’t know what to do, only that they needed Read more
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The Company We Keep: Building a Better Future, Together
By Selina Pedi-Smith, Pellere Foundation Every project has a story behind it, and this one starts – like many do – with a few slightly crazy people who believed in something a little too big, a little too ambitious, and way too important to let go. Let’s rewind for a second. A few years ago, Read more
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Pellere – We’re Investing in Communities
By Selina Pedi-Smith, Founder, Pellere Foundation Throughout March we’ve talked about investment – not just in the financial sense, but in what we choose to care about, build, and sustain for the future. And if there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s that the best investments take time. They start as ideas, sometimes ambitious, sometimes simple. Read more
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Building Community, One Cup at a Time
For the past two weeks, we’ve explored how smart investments—whether in businesses, public spaces, or at home—shape the future of our communities. This week, we’re bringing that idea to life with a story about one local business owner who saw an opportunity, took a risk, and built something that is now an essential part of Read more
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Smart Investments: How Thoughtful Choices Today Create a Stronger Future
Why do people buy quality tools instead of the cheapest option? Why do they spend time hunting, fishing, or gardening when the grocery store is right there? Because they know that making an investment upfront saves money, frustration, and time down the road. But beyond the practical benefits, there’s also a deep sense of accomplishment Read more
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Investing Isn’t Just Money—It’s What We Choose to Care About
Most people don’t think of themselves as “investors.” That’s for big companies, real estate moguls, and people in fancy suits, right? But…we all invest in things, even if we don’t call it that. You buy quality work boots because they last longer. You fix the porch now instead of waiting for it to fall apart, Read more