Hoping for Peace Waking this week in a world with two active and horrific wars. It is so very tragic for so many and the terror is real. I have no words, but hold the hope for resolution and the support for all who are suffering close. And life on Orcas continues....

One Step Closer This week the San Juan Island County Council voted to adopt a 1/10th of 1% sales tax for Affordable Housing. It is anticipated that this tax will generate approximately $800,000 annually. The funds will be used to build affordable housing as well as to...

      What a week! On Tuesday, the community fully funded the Pea Patch Match! WOWZA!!! So very grateful to all who contributed. Next stop is closing! We are waiting on the completion of a couple of tasks the seller agreed to accomplish prior to...

Fall is peaking around the corner... The cooler temperatures and foggy mornings are preparing us for the coming season. My canning pot is in heavy use as I prepare and put up salsa,sauces. pickles and jams to try to keep up with the abundance in the garden. This week,...

    Thank you for this honor. I am deeply appreciative. Community Leadership is a team sport and I thank the Orcas Island Community Foundation staff, Board, volunteers, donors, nonprofit peers, and neighbors who contribute to making Orcas a healthy and...

And away we go! Happy September! The summer has certainly flown by! San Juan County announced that their full time workers will be switching to a 32 hour work week. The plan is, that with flexible schedules, essential services will remain available 5 days a week. ...

We are quickly rolling through Summer!  My garden has been mighty happy! Jami Mitchell has been promoted to the role of Human Services Manager for San Juan County. Jami has served as the Senior Service Specialist for Orcas for the past 8 years. In the new position,...

Great news! This week, a generous community member and the OICF Board created a $250,000 matching pool for donations to the Pea Patch property purchase. Wowza! What a great way to top off our campaign to purchase the Pea Patch project! Every donation will be matched...

It has been so very sad to see the devastating wildfires sweeping through neighborhoods on Maui this week. The winds continue to spread the flames and their firefighting resources have been seriously outpaced. Communications during the fire have been very limited as...

Pam Evans joyfully volunteering Making Connections I have been thinking about how we grow connection to community. For me, volunteering has been the best route to learning more about the island and meeting more local residents. I served on the Doe Bay Community...