Blog
Welcome to the Family!
The Flat Person Family! Food Bank Director Amanda Sparks is the 2022 GiveOrcas Flat Person, serving as the ambassador for the GiveOrcas Holiday Campaign. Welcome to the family, Amanda! 17 people guessed she was the one, and Tom Eversole won the $500 prize,...
More Goodbyes
This week brought the news that Sam Coleman had died after a brief illness. He was home in Pasadena surrounded by Cynthia and their children. Sam was an OICF Board Member for several years. He also served on the Orcas Center Board. But his true love was music, and he...
One Person Can Make a Difference: Howard
Howard Barbour Deer Harbor Community Club, Board President We’re going to do things a little different this week. We had the pleasure of getting to know Howard Barbour while taking his portrait at the Deer Harbor Community Club (DHCC) this week, so we thought...
Well, that was brief….
It feels like fall was late arriving and over in a blink of an eye, rushed out by winter which showed up unannounced with snow on Tuesday. Another sure sign is the presence of swans on Cascade Lake. Here we go. This week as we honor Veterans, we have learned of the...
Shades of Gray
The weather has certainly shifted, and fall has fully arrived! Time to dig out the rain boots and bumbershoots. OICF is celebrating ten years as the fiscal sponsor for the Island Reproductive Health Initiative (IRHI). Jean Henigson and a team of her neighbors started...
One Person Can Make a Difference: Robert
Robert Pregulman Island Rides, Volunteer Can you share a little bit about yourself? I’m originally from Chattanooga, TN, and I worked at my family’s steel business after college. After volunteering for a local environmental group for a few years, I decided to...
Happy Halloween
My time on the east coast is coming to an end. I have had a great time seeing old friends and family, as well as the amazing colors of the season. Even so, I am looking forward to the damp beauty of the Northwest. The OICF Team has been busy while I was away....
One Person Can Make a Difference: Patricia
Patricia Benton Orcas Island Community Foundation, Treasurer Orcas Community Resource Center, Chair Can you share a little bit about yourself? My husband, Bruce, and I moved to Orcas full-time in 2020 (no not because of COVID) after spending time here since...
Building Community
I am enjoying my weekend in South Carolina with my high school mates. We have rented a large house on the Isle of Palms. The pool and the ocean are still warm enough to swim in—mighty fun. There is nothing like time with really old (in every way) friends! One...
One Person Can Make a Difference: Justin
Justin Paulsen Orcas Island Park & Recreation, Commissioner Can you share a little bit about yourself? I was born and raised in Renton, Washington and spent a good amount of time looking at Orcas Island from Bellingham, where I attended Western Washington...