In the early 1990s, Katharine Kimball was fresh out of the Peace Corps and ready for a new adventure. She landed in Hood River, Oregon, joining her brother, Jim, and his young family.
Katharine spent a year in the tightknit community, soaking up the charms of small-town life. She lives near Portland today, but Hood River remains close to her heart.
It was the continued connection to people and place that led Katharine, a professional photographer by trade and photojournalist by training, to document something remarkable: the story of how Hood River residents creatively and collectively rose up to confront the threat of the coronavirus and make a difference. It began with a coffee conversation among three local business owners who wondered what they could do. It evolved into something much more.
Through photo and printed word, Katharine highlights the power of community at its best. It is a story worth telling, and it’s the latest chapter in our Heroes Among Us series.
Leon Espinoza
Editor