Ashland resident Vanessa Houk and Southern Oregon nonprofit recognized for helping unhoused and hungry individuals; award nomination form is open
By Sydney Seymour, Ashland.news
Ashland resident and Almeda Fire survivor Vanessa Houk was awarded $25,000 on Tuesday, Dec. 9, from The Courage Project for her support to the community, particularly individuals facing homelessness and hunger.
She has coordinated community-wide Thanksgiving since 2015 for hundreds of guests, serves meals to 40 to 60 individuals each week while leading Peace Meals, and mobilizes volunteer and faith groups to provide emergency shelter and supplies.
Launched in May 2025, The Courage Project honors organizations and individuals across the nation for “bravely stepping up to support their community, leading with action and empathy in moments of need and isolation … by standing up for what they believe in, helping their neighbors, and building bridges across communities,” according to a news release.
The initiative gave awards to 12 individuals and corresponding organizations through the year, including Executive Director Houk and nonprofit Southern Oregon Jobs with Justice (SOJWJ) — a coalition of dozens of volunteer and faith-based groups advocating for social, racial and economic justice.
Houk grew up, went to school and has lived in Ashland for over 35 years.
“I’ve always cared about the homelessness and housing issue,” she said in a phone call to Ashland.news. On Sept. 8, 2020, the housing situation took an exponential turn for the worse both for the community at large and specifically for Houk and her family.
Houk and her husband, Jason, lost their home to the Almeda Fire the same day the youngest of their three daughters, 15, attended her first day of high school.
“Watching our kids go through it and suffer from it was hard,” she said, “but at the same time we lost, our whole neighborhood was gone.”
She continued, “Even though our neighborhood was gone, our community was still so strong.”
Houk explained that getting up every day to cook and serve Peace Meals gave her “structure.”
“After we lost our home and everything, we were living minute-by-minute. Having that structure really helped me come back from that in a way that I don’t know if I would have without it,” she said. “Giving to others really can give to yourself more than anything.”
Houk mentioned that she draws strength from the stories she hears each day.
“I’m moved by seeing other people’s tenacity to keep going, like the people living outside,” she said. “I do the easy part, I’m just cooking and organizing people. I’m not living out there. I’m not living that, that life.”
For more information
To learn more about The Courage Project or nominate an individual or organization, visit this link.
To learn more about Southern Oregon Jobs with Justice and/or volunteer, visit this link.
Describing her work as “love in action,” Houk said they wouldn’t be able to operate without their dozen weekly volunteers. “I just feel so grateful to all of our volunteers. They really are the backbone of everything that we do.”
The national award, Houk said, is “very humbling.” She continued, “There’s a lot of people that do a lot of amazing work in this community, and to just be seen for it is a little bit embarrassing. It’s very touching to be held up next to incredible people.”
The Courage Project launched with an initial $5 million commitment, and awards range from $10,000 to $50,000, according to their news release. The initiative is a collaborative project supported by partners including the Freedom Together Foundation, The James Irvine Foundation and more.
Email Ashland.news reporter Sydney Seymour at [email protected].
Related stories:
Full spirits, full bellies at 10th annual Thanksgiving Peace Meal (Nov. 28, 2025)
Southern Oregon Jobs with Justice announces its 10th annual Thanksgiving Community Peace Meal (Nov. 22, 2025)
Local nonprofit offers de-escalation and conflict prevention tips (Sept. 29, 2025)
