Last weekend, while vintage cars lined Cottage Grove’s Main Street for the annual “Rock, Roll N’ Rumble!” car show, residents of the local affordable housing complex seized an opportunity to raise funds and challenge stereotypes.
The Cottage Grove ROC chapter, now a fixture at this event, set up their stand along the route. While they offered hot dogs, pop, and ROC swag, their real project? A shift in perception.
Riverview Terrace residents, a Homes for Good building, exhibited how they are a part of the community, and offered a chance for neighbors to come by, challenge their assumptions and have a good time. But as car enthusiasts stopped for a snack, they encountered not stereotypes, but neighbors. The Cottage Grove apartment complex has stood since the late 60’s, and many of the residents who were serving food have occupied the building for decades.
These interactions served to unravel preconceptions. Visitors met community members actively engaged in their shared community, raising funds for projects like their thriving community garden. The annual hot dog selling event has raised around $300-400, but the true value was in shifting people’s hearts and minds.
During the event ROC members also wrote post cards to local decision makers to show their support for compassionate policies related to houseless community members.
KNND radio host and event organizer Cameron Reiten noted, “There’s a lot of division in our society these days. But it’s a chance to celebrate the good things this community has.” ROC members embodied this, proving that affordable housing residents are an essential, vibrant part of Cottage Grove’s fabric.
As classic cars cruised past, ROC members demonstrated they’re not defined by where they live, but by their contributions to the community. Their presence at the car show did more than sell hot dogs – it humanized “affordable housing” and challenged visitors to see beyond labels.
This is ROC’s mission in action: not just organizing for change, but being the change, one conversation at a time.