Nolan Cochran
Email: nolanc@klcas.org
Title: Community Resource Specialist
Organization: Klamath and Lake Community Action Services
Community: Klamath Falls
Population: Klamath Falls
County Served: Klamath
Meet Nolan Cochran:
Born and raised in Iowa, Nolan studied at the University of Iowa where he received a B.S. in Environmental Science in 2023. After traveling and farming in the Netherlands over the summer, he moved to Oregon to begin his service term. Nolan is passionate about sustainability, helping people, and learning. He is excited to give back to communities in need as well as observe his own growth throughout his year in the RARE program. Outside of the workspace Nolan loves being active: you can regularly find him playing sports, hiking, biking, swimming, or simply relaxing outside. He is also always down for a game night!
Community and Organization:
Tucked between the Upper Klamath Lake, the Cascade Mountains, extensive forests, and an hour drive away from Crater Lake National Park, it’s no wonder Klamath Falls is most famous for its access to the outdoors. Also known as the City of Sunshine, it receives 300 days of sunlight per year! Despite being truly rural, Klamath Falls has two colleges, an active live music scene, and several sports complexes. The Klamath area has a long history of being underserved and underfunded by federal and state programs, and never recovered from the collapse of the logging industry in the 1990s. As a result, nearly a quarter of those in the county live below the federal poverty limit and are in need of assistance.
Klamath and Lake Community Action Services (KLCAS) provides support for low income and disabled people throughout Klamath and Lake County which have a combined population of almost 80,000. They do this through housing and utility bills assistance, family support and education, as well as programs specifically for veterans. KLCAS also works with other organizations in the community to promote awareness of a more diverse range of services.
Projects:
Nolan works as the Community Resource Specialist for the energy team at KLCAS. Therefore, it’s his responsibility to be aware of the many community partners KLCAS works with and the services they provide. He plans and executes outreach activities to increase public awareness of the services available to them. Nolan also identifies potential funding sources and coordinates applications for such opportunities. Additionally, he maintains a community energy resource guide created by KLCAS’s previous RARE, Xitlali Torres, and creates a monthly newsletter to keep KLCAS’s community partners updated on its activities.