In 2020, Fabiola Carrillo and her dad, Arturo, of Medford lost their home in the Almeda Fire. Not only did the disaster destroy their residence, but it also crushed their dream for the future: starting a new business.
Arturo, who had been working in the forest industry for over 20 years, was beginning to start his own forestry and lawn care company, investing in equipment and planning for the future, when the fire struck. He lost everything and had to start from zero.
For a long time after the fire, they moved between hotels and stayed with family and friends while trying to get back on their feet. At the same time, housing prices increased, making it even harder to think about restarting a business. At that point, their focus was simply on rebuilding their lives.
Eventually, they were able to get a new place in the same community and launched their new business, Carrillo Woods LLC, in 2025. Now, they’ve been able to grow the company more thanks in part to the ReOregon Planning, Infrastructure, and Economic Revitalization (PIER) program.
“Receiving the PIER grant made a major difference for us,” Fabiola said. “It allowed us to purchase equipment, invest back into the business, and begin taking on more work. Carrillo Woods LLC is more than just a business for us. It’s something very personal that came out of loss, resilience, and a desire to give back to our community.”
Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) administers the PIER program, which provides Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to help Oregon communities recover from the 2020 Labor Day Disasters. These funds are awarded to nonprofits, schools, local governments, and other qualified entities to support projects that address unmet planning, economic revitalization, and critical infrastructure needs, ensuring communities can rebuild and be better prepared for future challenges.