Community Resilience
Lloyd Prepares
Programs that address resilience-building and emergency preparedness in Lloyd.
As we engaged hundreds of residents, local advocates, community organizations, small business owners, building managers, and other stakeholders to create a neighborhood roadmap, we repeatedly heard requests for programs addressing resilience-building. Lloyd Prepares stems from the conversations and is based on the idea that communities that know and trust each other before an emergency or crisis are more resilient and will emerge from that crisis stronger. Annually, we’re rolling out new emergency preparedness resources, programs, events, and activities designed to build connections and increase the ability of residents, employees, and the Lloyd neighborhood to prepare and respond to various emergencies.
Lloyd Prepares Resources
As specific Emergency Preparedness resources are developed, we’ll add them here.
Current and Ongoing Work
- Professor Apocalypse’s Disaster Sing-a-long at Holladay Park: We are excited to help uplift and support Professor Apocalypse’s Disaster Sing-a-long, an emergency preparation class presented in musical form. Common disaster scenarios and how to respond to them are explained and paired with popular music. The lyrics are spoofed to contain the instructions – think if Weird Al Yankovich was a scout leader. You can watch the full show for free on August 22nd at Holladay Park show starts at 6:00 PM (4:15 PM-6:00PM they’ll have a Prepare Fair, with local disaster prep organizations tabling). Info on the event here.
- Lloyd Lending Library: We offer a free lending library with event supplies. We’ve started adding some items to help groups respond to emergencies, like misting stations and generators. Learn more here.
- Plan for a Resilient Oregon (PRO): PRO is a statewide initiative from the Governor’s office. Its goal is to build the capacity of Oregon’s people and institutions to anticipate, mitigate, and recover from disruptions. This plan will directly inform the Governor’s budget and legislative work for the next two years, ensuring the state is actively preparing for disasters rather than just reacting to them. Lloyd EcoDistrict is proud to be one of 10 Portland metro community organizations providing regular feedback on this plan, making sure that Lloyd residents’ and stakeholders’ voices and needs help to shape the plan. Learn more about the PRO here.
- Emergency Preparedness 101 Trainings: Interested in learning about getting more prepared? We can schedule these hour-long workshops at your building or community. Let us know.
- E-Mobility & Resiliency Hub at Holladay Park: The E-Mobility and Resilience Hub in Lloyd is a transformative project designed to address the Lloyd neighborhood’s long-standing challenges. The Hub will hopefully designed to be a multi-use space that addresses a variety of issues, including emergency preparedness. Learn more about the project here.
- Portland Community Organizations Active in Disaster (COAD): Lloyd continues to be active in the Portland COAD, sharing and receiving information with the Portland Bureau of Emergency Management (PBEM) and community organizations across Portland on how to serve community members during emergencies. Learn about Portland COAD here.
- Future: We’re building out future Lloyd Prepares activities. Have a project or training you’d like to see? Let us know.
Previous Lloyd Prepares Projects
Quake Night at the Park: RUMBLINGS Movie Screening, Community Picnic, and Emergency Preparedness Fair (2025)
One of our Lloyd Prepared highlights of 2025 was hosting Quake Night at the Park; This was a memorable evening under the summer sky at Holladay Park as we mixed fun, food, and disaster preparedness. Attendees brought their blanket, their favorite picnic snacks, and curiosity. We provided the popcorn and plenty of opportunities to learn how to stay ready before the next big event.
The event started a hands-on Emergency Preparedness Fair featuring resources and giveaways to help families get ready for anything. Representatives from Irvington Neighborhood Emergency Teams (NET), American Red Cross, Multnomah County Office of Emergency Management, Multnomah County Disaster Resource Centers, Critical Infrastructure Hub (CEI Hub) Task Force, AARP, and Portland Street Response were on site! We also had a free emergency sanitation kit assembly station where we made twin-bucket poop and pee kits for the 50 families!
Then the movie portions of the night started, with a free outdoor screening of RUMBLINGS: Preparing for Cascadia, a documentary about living with earthquake risk in the Pacific Northwest. You can now stream the entire movie online here.
Community Resiliency Workshops: Targeting Training to Build Community Resiliency (2023)
In the second half of 2023 we expanded our Lloyd Prepares program and efforts to build a resilient community by focusing on targeted training events at different residential buildings in Lloyd that foster community connections.
Emphasizing the importance of knowing our immediate neighbors in times of emergencies, we organized five events where residents and community members gained valuable emergency preparedness knowledge, were able to take home emergency preparedness supplies, and created connections with neighbors. These training events included a Heat First Aid at The Louisa Flowers, Managing Wildfire Smoke at Madrona Studios, Earthquake Preparedness 101 at Miracles Central Apartments, Stop The Bleed & CPR at Holladay Park Plaza, and Emergency Preparedness 101 at The Encorepreneur Cafe.
Learn more about these training events here.
The Lloyd Prepares Challenge Campaign: Get Prepared. Earn Prizes. (2022)
Over November and December 2022 we launched and ran the inaugural Lloyd Prepares Challenge Campaign. Participants had the chance to earn prizes and rewards for doing different activities as they made their households more prepared for disasters and emergencies.
We offered a number of emergency preparedness workshops and incentivized tasks related to developing personal emergency preparedness plans, acquiring emergency supplies, and developing connections with neighbors.
Emergency Activations
Cooling Room at Lloyd Center: September Relief for a Late-Summer Heatwave (2024)
As summer drew to a close, Portland wasn’t quite finished with the heat. The September 2024 heatwave brought another reminder that extreme weather doesn’t always follow the calendar. Lloyd EcoDistrict once again activated its Cooling Room at the Lloyd Center mall, offering a much-needed refuge during the intense heat on September 5th and 6th. Over two days, we served 127 guests, providing a cool, comfortable space to escape the high temperatures.
Read more about this activation here.
July Heatwave: Volunteers Activate to Support Neighbors (2024)
This heatwave in Portland, Oregon, was one for the record books. Spanning from the Fourth of July weekend through Tuesday, July 9th, the city experienced five straight days of record-high temperatures. Portland hit 104 degrees on July 9th, the hottest day since August 2023. With highs reaching 92 degrees on July 4th and steadily climbing to 100 degrees and above from July 7th to July 9th, the heatwave was relentless. Sadly, at least 17 Oregonians lost their lives to heat-related causes during this period, underscoring the critical need for extreme heat preparation and response efforts across the state, and locally.
In Lloyd, Lloyd EcoDisrict and volunteers operated a pop-up emergency cooling center at the Lloyd Center mall, converting the former Ulta Store into a cool and safe space for community members. Over two days, we welcomed 244 guests, providing much-needed relief from the intense heat. Read more about this activation here.
Keeping Our Community Cool: Summer Heatwave Activation (2023)
Anticipating that people would need to seek refuge from the historical heat wave in August of 2023, we decided to take action. We approached the Lloyd Center management with a proposal – could we use the Ulta space as an official cooling area during the impending heatwave? They saw the urgency of the situation and gave us the green light.
Our Cooling Room was a no-frills solution to a pressing problem. We offered cold water bottles, ice otter pops, cooling towels, and snacks – simple essentials to combat heat and hunger. The room, equipped with tables and chairs from our Resource Fair, became a space where people could find respite, recharge their devices, and escape the relentless heat. We got coloring books, crayons, puzzles, books, cards, and games for guests to have something to do while in the space and make it feel more welcoming.
Over three days we ended up having around 376 guests in the Cooling Room.
Learn more about our 2023 Cooling Room here.